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[bedlamsbard]

So, Brown? Not so good with first impressions. (Have not had first class yet, I hasten to add.)

I mean, on one hand, the whole, "You're at college. Be free!" thing is really cool, because it can get kind of frustrated to be, you know, ordered around and structured like you're a four-year-old. But on the other hand, especially when you're in a new environment, it can be kind of helpful, because at least you learn where the hell you're supposed to go. Right now all I know is that there are three dining halls, one of which I have been to, one of which is, apparently, next door, and one of which has the sign-ups for, oh yeah, basically the thing I came to this program for: the college visits. Where is it? Not entirely sure. (To be fair, though, I didn't go on the tour. Whoops.) Also, not sure where our class is actually being held, and they misprinted and didn't have enough books, so I have to go by the bookstore and see if the new printings have come in yet.

And the bad side of being in a single and thus, not having a roommmate, is that with a roommate you always have someone to call on and, you know, go places with.

Comments

[mentalhygiene.livejournal.com]

That was one (of the many) thing(s) I liked about CTY -- it was *highly* organized. Though there was a fair degree of choice within the structure.

I see what they're getting at, simulating the "yay! college! free!" thing, but even colleges have a couple of days of orientation, plus more time to get used to it. It's a trade-off.

Misprinting things like that are just a mark of Fail. *prods program sharply*

Do you have an RA-type entity? Those can be helpful, too :)

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Like, Stanford was fairly organized, but they also gave us a fairly large degree of freedom. I don't mind having the freedom, I just wish they'd oriented us better. I guess walking all over the campus getting lost is part of the college experience, though. *rolls eyes*

Brown is very pretty -- everything is brown. Or red brick, you know, same thing -- but I don't think I'll be applying here for a number of reasons, not least of which is the experience with this program. For one thing, they're making us pay for our books. We're already paying five thousand dollars to be here, and not all of that can be going towards rooms and food -- I mean, I really shouldn't be comparing this to Stanford, but obviously I am, because I was in a class where we read a lot and I came home with a dozen books and didn't have to pay for any of them, and Stanford cost less than Brown is. It makes me really mad. It's the only college I've been to where printing isn't free, and I'm really surprised at that. And I wish that our RAs would actually tell us these things -- tell us how to use the printers, and such, you know? Because it's confusing unless you get someone to tell you how to do it. Or eavesdrop. *cough*

We have an RA, but her sole duty isn't keeping track of us. She also has classes and work, so she's not quite always available. She seems nice, though.

I'm sort of wishing I'd gone to the program at Washington and Lee instead of this one, because it was the same length and half the price. *sigh*

[mentalhygiene.livejournal.com]

Getting lost should not be part of the experience. At least, not horribly lost. My campus isn't great about that, but it's also spread out on 3 tracts of land. (4, if you count the athletic building/rink as a seperate tract). Brown, I gather, is somewhat more contained.

Everything in New England is made of brick. Well, okay, a lot of it. ;) Brick, granite. (Harvard's central campus is also largely brick).

I don't think CTY included books in the cost, but CTY was also cheaper than 5K, and everyone was only taking one course. If you're paying 5K, I think the books should either be included in it, or at the very least they should bear in mind that no one's pocketbook is limitless. (but they should do this in real!college, too.)

Printing is not free at SSC, however, we are a state college. Printing wasn't free at UMF, either, but they had evolved to the point where you could add money directly to your student account specifically for printing (whenever you used a public computer, you signed on to it with a username and password, and you could see your printing balance down in the toolbar. also kept the unwashed masses from infected the computers.)

You had a house meeting last night, right? Seriously, RA should've made it a point to cover these things. Important things, relevant to being happy students.

Does RA at least have a schedule on her door or something?

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Well, I haven't been getting very lost. I just can't find the buildings I, you know, have class in.

I guess that's the first way you know you're in New England: the material of the colleges!

Oh, no, we're taking one course. I'm serious, I didn't expect to, like, actually have to pay for books, because Stanford didn't and it was cheaper and -- argh, rage. Yeah, I guess they want everything to be just like college, only they kick you out if you have drugs or alcohol.

Huh. Printing is free at Central, and at Stanford, and at Seattle U -- those are the only schools where I know for sure. We can put money on our ID cards to use for printing or for laundry, or copies -- supposedly for vending machines too, but I don't know for sure.

Yeah, but that was mostly house rules, and it was late, and we were all tired. Well, we know now.

Oh, yeah. And all sorts of cool things going on here.

[mentalhygiene.livejournal.com]

That qualifies as lost enough. Generally, it should only be the actual rooms within the buildings that are difficult to find.

And yeah, seriously. Brick and Ivy. Sometimes clapboard. (even SSC is brick, albeit yellow brick).

Oh, they actually kick you out? Heh, well, only if they catch you ;) (you're smart kids in a pre-college program. I'm sure you can find new and inventive ways of getting high without getting caught.)

Printing is sometimes-free at SSC. In some of the academic building labs, it's free. In the library, it is not. The trade-off is "hm, is the printer working today?" We have the vending machine cards, too. They work (sometimes) for laundry, not yet for printing, and sometimes in the vending machines.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I found the building! After going over two city blocks inch by inch -- it was the first place we looked, only it had a sign out in front that said "Something and Something Theatre" so we didn't bother looking at the sign on the actual building. ARGH.

Heh. New England.

Yes, I'm sure. I mean, seriously, they have to catch you first, and that's probably easier said than done.

*shakes head* Maybe it's an east coast thing, and on the west coast we're just more...progressive?

[mentalhygiene.livejournal.com]

Aw. Yeah, sometimes colleges hide things. It's like a post-admissions IQ test. ;)

New England has a thing with stonework.

It's probably much easier to catch you if they actually care whether you're doing it. It becomes more complicated in a real!college setting, because the enforcing RAs are also drinking and probably doing some kind of drugs.

It may be that things tend to be more expensive on the East Coast (well, in New England). I think things like power and utilities are more expensive. Thus, more random surcharges. (but I'm not entirely sure, and my brain is a little melty today.) that, or Brown is just a ho.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Yes, and now we don't have class in that building anymore, because my teacher saw it and hated the condition. Now I have to find another building. (It was a cool building, though. Old-fashioned, and part of a theatre, and really sunny, with all these boxes everywhere, and this really, really old-fanished jazz music playing -- so atmospheric. Loved it just for that.)

I've noticed the more expensive part. *sad*