It’s July 31st. Now you've got your housing assignments and, whether or not you’re happy about it, it’s time to think about moving in.
So what does the conscious Hokie bring with him or her to Virginia Tech? Fortunately, Student Programs has a good basic list of things each person should bring, as well as what you and your roommate should share. If you haven’t e-mailed your roommate yet about that, hop to it! The sooner you get that all squared away, the better you’ll feel about it. Anyway, that list, which is a little dated, can be found here on the Student Programs website.
Now some of these things can be forgone based on your own habits. Not a big cereal/oatmeal/ramen person? You can most likely skip the bowls. You only need one clock; I’m not sure why they say to bring both an alarm clock and a desk clock. Most clocks have alarm settings now, and besides, odds are you’ll start using your cell phone as your alarm clock, especially if you and your roommate have very different schedules.
Now my suggestions and addendums to this list:
First off, get a good tool kit. It doesn’t have to be the hardcore set-ups you see in department stores, just a small basic one. Hammer, screwdriver (try to get one with interchangeable magnetic heads), wrench, tape measure…you know, the basics. You’ll probably only ever use the hammer and screwdriver, but it’s a good starter set for life. And duct tape. Get a roll of duct tape and learn to love the stuff. It fixes EVERYTHING from a hole in your backpack to the mysteriously opening drawers in Slusher. Slusherites, you’ll know what I mean very quickly.
Power strips are crucial. There will be an average of four outlets for you and your roommate to share. That’s eight plugs. Now think: laptop, printer, desk lamp, alarm clock, fan, and say you’ve got the TV and a vacuum. That’s seven right there, not including your roommate’s stuff. Get two power strips, and make sure they have surge protectors. We get thunderstorms often here in Blacksburg, and the power does go out on occasion. It’s only happened three times since I’ve been here, and for no longer than 10 minutes, but you can never be too prepared.
I’m an advocate of the sewing kit. You can get little ones at pretty much any department or home store. Every so often, a button will come off a shirt. It happens. And the needles can do double-duty as blister poppers (just sterilize them first with a lighter). Those happen too.
It says umbrella/raincoat. I vote umbrella. Get one that can collapse enough to fit in your backpack, and keep it there. It might be beautiful when you leave for Chem, but 75 minutes later, it could be the storm of the century. As many of you saw during Orientation, weather in Blacksburg is crazy. Always carry an umbrella.
I’m not sure why laundry detergent and dryer sheets aren’t on the list, but obviously, they should be. As for the washers and dryers, they’ll take quarters or Hokie Passport. I would suggest putting money on your Passport account so you’re not scrounging for quarters when you’re down to your last pair of underwear. Febreezing clothes does not count as doing laundry. Also, don't be that kid who has enough clothes to get from August to Thanksgiving without doing laundry. No one likes that kid.
The issue of shower shoes: Seriously, go to your local Old Navy or to a drugstore and get a pair of cheap flip-flops. I say Old Navy because their flip-flops are like, 2 for $5 and then you can have a pair to wear on rainy days as well. If you really must have some other company’s flip-flops (though seriously, American Eagle and J. Crew make the exact same ones for about 5 times the price), or Crocs as your shower shoes, go ahead. I’m just of the opinion that shower shoes should be easy on, easy off, and not something I would particularly care about other than for the prevention of athlete’s foot.
Finally, something that’s not on the list but should be included in your shopping trip: a good winter coat. Maybe you have one because you’re from chillier climes or because you have an annual family ski trip to Boulder every year at Christmas. Those will be fine. If you don’t have one, find a ski store and buy a good coat. Why? Blacksburg gets cold. Biting to the bones, sub-zero wind chill cold. This trip can actually be put off until Fall Break in October if you so desire or if there’s nothing in stores yet. Your best bet: get a coat with a lining you can remove and wear as a jacket itself. Most major brands make one like this. Then you’ll get three coats for the price of one. Make sure you have a hat and mittens or gloves too.
And about packing: Space Bags should hire me to advertise for them. I love those things. Go to the home store (Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens ‘N’ Things, whatever) and find them. Get the large or extra large ones. I got 8 pairs of jeans, 5 sweatshirts, and about 15 T-shirts into one. It didn’t compress completely flat, but I’ve only got three bags now (they have an unfortunate problem of getting holes after a few uses), so I shoved as much as I could into what I had.
About the Hokie Passport Account
I usually put $200 on my Passport account for the semester. That covers laundry, vending machine snacks, random games of pool or bowling with friends, the occasional meal downtown, and emergency bookstore or general store purchases (i.e. I ran out of notebook paper or pop-tarts).
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Dorm Life 101 -- Roommates and Friends
Well, now that Orientation's over and your schedule's set*, the next thing you're probably focusing on is what will happen July 31st: the posting of housing assignments.
The assignment will be posted to Hokie Spa in the afternoon (figure at about 5 PM) under the housing and dining menu. It will give you your room number, on-campus mailing address and phone number (though almost no one uses this anymore, since everyone has cell phones), and your roommate, along with his or her home contact information. If you're Facebook-obsessed like many incoming freshmen and more than a few returning students, go ahead and Facebook the person. You're going to be living with them in a little less than a month.
Anyway, the first thing you should do is contact your roommate, even if it means just sending a quick "Hi, I'm (your name) and I'm really looking forward to meeting you at move-in". Oh yeah, that message is copyrighted, so if you use it, send me royalties (joking). But seriously, contact your roommate, because you're going to have things to talk about before move-in, specifically who is bringing what in terms of the big items: TV, fridge + microwave, vacuum, etc. Things of which you're only going to need one. If you want to coordinate colors, go ahead and do that too, though honestly, it won't matter if you don't have a room that's all pink or green or orange or whatever.
Also on Facebook: start searching for Facebook groups for your dorm. I know one for Johnson already exists (the RAs set that one up) and others will be popping up as housing assignments are posted. It's a good way to find out who will be living near you.
You're probably already wondering how you're going to manage living with a roommate. You've probably never shared a room, or it's been a long time since you have. Well, know you're not alone in that. Like everything else, it's going to take some work and compromise.
Set up rules with your roommate once you're done moving in and getting settled. Write them down and tape them to the fridge or something if that makes it easier to commit them to memory. Rules for studying, sleeping, visitation, etc. Say one of you needs complete silence to fall asleep and the other cannot do so without having the TV on; obviously you're going to need to work that one out.
As for making friends in the dorm, the easiest way is simply to leave your door open the first few days (while you're home, of course--lock it the rest of the time). Say hi as you walk past open doors. Your RA will also have a meeting within the first week about procedures in the dorm, you'll meet your whole hall there (FYI -- hall meetings are never optional. Don't skip unless you're taking a test or have to be home for a court date or something). Also, many RAs will probably have some community-building program in the first week or so. Freshman year, the RAs in my dorm had volleyball games every night for a while, and sophomore year we had a bulletin board project. It might seem cheesy, but it's the best way to meet the people on your hall and get to know your RA.
I'll have more later. And I promise, as soon as the lottery information goes live on Hokie Tickets, I will post about football tickets.
* People, don't give out your password to anyone, not even your parents. Your PID and password accesses everything at VT and obviously needs to be secure. Also, we've had a few people call in already because they or their parents were messing with their schedule (did I not already tell you to not do that?) and they lost something crucial like Math 1205 or a lab.
The assignment will be posted to Hokie Spa in the afternoon (figure at about 5 PM) under the housing and dining menu. It will give you your room number, on-campus mailing address and phone number (though almost no one uses this anymore, since everyone has cell phones), and your roommate, along with his or her home contact information. If you're Facebook-obsessed like many incoming freshmen and more than a few returning students, go ahead and Facebook the person. You're going to be living with them in a little less than a month.
Anyway, the first thing you should do is contact your roommate, even if it means just sending a quick "Hi, I'm (your name) and I'm really looking forward to meeting you at move-in". Oh yeah, that message is copyrighted, so if you use it, send me royalties (joking). But seriously, contact your roommate, because you're going to have things to talk about before move-in, specifically who is bringing what in terms of the big items: TV, fridge + microwave, vacuum, etc. Things of which you're only going to need one. If you want to coordinate colors, go ahead and do that too, though honestly, it won't matter if you don't have a room that's all pink or green or orange or whatever.
Also on Facebook: start searching for Facebook groups for your dorm. I know one for Johnson already exists (the RAs set that one up) and others will be popping up as housing assignments are posted. It's a good way to find out who will be living near you.
You're probably already wondering how you're going to manage living with a roommate. You've probably never shared a room, or it's been a long time since you have. Well, know you're not alone in that. Like everything else, it's going to take some work and compromise.
Set up rules with your roommate once you're done moving in and getting settled. Write them down and tape them to the fridge or something if that makes it easier to commit them to memory. Rules for studying, sleeping, visitation, etc. Say one of you needs complete silence to fall asleep and the other cannot do so without having the TV on; obviously you're going to need to work that one out.
As for making friends in the dorm, the easiest way is simply to leave your door open the first few days (while you're home, of course--lock it the rest of the time). Say hi as you walk past open doors. Your RA will also have a meeting within the first week about procedures in the dorm, you'll meet your whole hall there (FYI -- hall meetings are never optional. Don't skip unless you're taking a test or have to be home for a court date or something). Also, many RAs will probably have some community-building program in the first week or so. Freshman year, the RAs in my dorm had volleyball games every night for a while, and sophomore year we had a bulletin board project. It might seem cheesy, but it's the best way to meet the people on your hall and get to know your RA.
I'll have more later. And I promise, as soon as the lottery information goes live on Hokie Tickets, I will post about football tickets.
* People, don't give out your password to anyone, not even your parents. Your PID and password accesses everything at VT and obviously needs to be secure. Also, we've had a few people call in already because they or their parents were messing with their schedule (did I not already tell you to not do that?) and they lost something crucial like Math 1205 or a lab.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Another Orientation Note
For those of you who have later Orientations (especially during Week 3):
There will be classes left for you to take. If you're in the College of Science, you have already been batch scheduled and, unless you have AP scores that would change that initial schedule, you will be pretty much set. You may have to choose an elective to get you to fifteen credit hours, but other than that, you will be okay.
If you need to be picking electives, know that Virginia Tech has holds on sections of classes and will release them as time goes by so that all incoming students are able to get the courses they need, be it requirements or core classes. So the class you want in particular (say, Floral Design) might not be open, but another class that fills a core requirement that you might want to take (like Knowledge and Reality) could be.
So relax, enjoy your summer, and know that there will still be classes for you to take when you get here.
Also, about the Foreign Language Requirement: this will show up on your Hokie Spa as "Not Filled" until at least September. It's entered manually, so just check Hokie Spa periodically throughout the semester. If it's finals time and it hasn't been corrected, then go visit your dean's office.
There will be classes left for you to take. If you're in the College of Science, you have already been batch scheduled and, unless you have AP scores that would change that initial schedule, you will be pretty much set. You may have to choose an elective to get you to fifteen credit hours, but other than that, you will be okay.
If you need to be picking electives, know that Virginia Tech has holds on sections of classes and will release them as time goes by so that all incoming students are able to get the courses they need, be it requirements or core classes. So the class you want in particular (say, Floral Design) might not be open, but another class that fills a core requirement that you might want to take (like Knowledge and Reality) could be.
So relax, enjoy your summer, and know that there will still be classes for you to take when you get here.
Also, about the Foreign Language Requirement: this will show up on your Hokie Spa as "Not Filled" until at least September. It's entered manually, so just check Hokie Spa periodically throughout the semester. If it's finals time and it hasn't been corrected, then go visit your dean's office.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Don't Drop Your 8 AM Lab
'Twas the night before Orientation...and I'm issuing you a pre-emptive warning. Odds are you aren't going to be reading this until after you've registered for your classes anyway.
So you've got your schedule in hand and you've gotten to thinking: I don't like to get up early, and I've got an 8 AM and a 9 AM, or maybe you're looking at that 5:00-6:15 English class and don't really think you'll want to be discussing books while your friends are all chowing down at D2.
There are some classes you really don't want to mess with in your schedule. Dropping them might mean you never see that class again, which in some cases can put you seriously behind.
After you leave Orientation, your registration will be locked again until August 4th, when you'll be allowed to play with your schedule. Only this time, instead of just having to pick and choose classes, you'll be up against upperclassmen who are well-seasoned at the Refresh the Timetable Until Your Class is Open game. We play this a lot, we know what to do.
Don't drop any labs. I don't care if it's at 8 AM on Monday morning. Do. Not. Drop. That. Lab. Ditto your Freshman English. There is a waiting list for that, and if it opens up, another freshman who may not have been as lucky as you will snatch the seat. Also, don't drop your in-major classes in hopes of getting one at a more appealing time. And, for the love of all that is holy, if you got into a sophomore-level class because you have AP credit, DO NOT ALTER YOUR SCHEDULE. Some majors (Biology and Chemistry immediately come to mind) are replete with upperclassmen who need those classes as much as you do, and they are checking compulsively to see if Evolutionary Biology or Organic Chemistry Lab have opened up.
Class times are going to be inconvenient. You are not going to get that no-mornings, no late afternoons, no Fridays schedule.
I know people who've tried. It does not work out well. I don't care if you don't do mornings, you WILL do mornings. You did them in high school, you can do them here.
That being said, if a substitution is available at that precise moment you are looking, and this substitution fits into your schedule (say switching an 8 AM class to an 11 AM), go ahead and make the switch.
So you've got your schedule in hand and you've gotten to thinking: I don't like to get up early, and I've got an 8 AM and a 9 AM, or maybe you're looking at that 5:00-6:15 English class and don't really think you'll want to be discussing books while your friends are all chowing down at D2.
There are some classes you really don't want to mess with in your schedule. Dropping them might mean you never see that class again, which in some cases can put you seriously behind.
After you leave Orientation, your registration will be locked again until August 4th, when you'll be allowed to play with your schedule. Only this time, instead of just having to pick and choose classes, you'll be up against upperclassmen who are well-seasoned at the Refresh the Timetable Until Your Class is Open game. We play this a lot, we know what to do.
Don't drop any labs. I don't care if it's at 8 AM on Monday morning. Do. Not. Drop. That. Lab. Ditto your Freshman English. There is a waiting list for that, and if it opens up, another freshman who may not have been as lucky as you will snatch the seat. Also, don't drop your in-major classes in hopes of getting one at a more appealing time. And, for the love of all that is holy, if you got into a sophomore-level class because you have AP credit, DO NOT ALTER YOUR SCHEDULE. Some majors (Biology and Chemistry immediately come to mind) are replete with upperclassmen who need those classes as much as you do, and they are checking compulsively to see if Evolutionary Biology or Organic Chemistry Lab have opened up.
Class times are going to be inconvenient. You are not going to get that no-mornings, no late afternoons, no Fridays schedule.
I know people who've tried. It does not work out well. I don't care if you don't do mornings, you WILL do mornings. You did them in high school, you can do them here.
That being said, if a substitution is available at that precise moment you are looking, and this substitution fits into your schedule (say switching an 8 AM class to an 11 AM), go ahead and make the switch.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Hokies in Beijing
Planning on watching the Beijing Olympics this summer? Be on the lookout for some past and present Hokies vying for a gold.
Junior Queen Harrison will be sprinting on the US Track team and her teammate senior Tasmin Fanning is looking to join her this week.
Former Hokie women's basketball players Ieva Kublina and Nare Diawara will be playing for Latvia and Mali, respectively, so keep an eye on those teams as well as Team USA.
Non-Olympic News:
- Deron Washington is the first Hokie picked in the NBA draft in nearly 10 years. He was picked up by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.
- You've probably heard of Angela Tincher, the Hokie pitcher who no-hit the US Olympic Team among other awesome accomplishments this season. She was named USA Softball's Player of the Year and is up for "Best Female College Athlete" at this year's ESPYs.
- Senior Drew Weaver will be playing in the AT&T Open hosted by Tiger Woods this weekend.
Junior Queen Harrison will be sprinting on the US Track team and her teammate senior Tasmin Fanning is looking to join her this week.
Former Hokie women's basketball players Ieva Kublina and Nare Diawara will be playing for Latvia and Mali, respectively, so keep an eye on those teams as well as Team USA.
Non-Olympic News:
- Deron Washington is the first Hokie picked in the NBA draft in nearly 10 years. He was picked up by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.
- You've probably heard of Angela Tincher, the Hokie pitcher who no-hit the US Olympic Team among other awesome accomplishments this season. She was named USA Softball's Player of the Year and is up for "Best Female College Athlete" at this year's ESPYs.
- Senior Drew Weaver will be playing in the AT&T Open hosted by Tiger Woods this weekend.
Another Way to Stand Out
Did you know Tech offers two minors in Leadership? Yes, it's true, and you don't have to be in the RLC (Residential Leadership Community theme housing) or the Corps of Cadets to get it.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers the Leadership and Social Change minor (18 credits) and Pamplin College of Business offers the Business Leadership Minor (18 credits). Both are open to all majors and have the common required course of MGT 3304: Management Theory and Leadership Practice (you need to have junior standing to sign up for this class).
Checksheets:
Leadership and Social Change
Business Leadership
The main difference between the two minors is that Business Leadership obviously focuses more on business courses and also requires an experiential course (MGT 4074 or MGT 4964). However, the minor is flexible and you can substitute other campus leadership experiences for that course (an example of an acceptable substitution is being an RA, but there are many options).
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers the Leadership and Social Change minor (18 credits) and Pamplin College of Business offers the Business Leadership Minor (18 credits). Both are open to all majors and have the common required course of MGT 3304: Management Theory and Leadership Practice (you need to have junior standing to sign up for this class).
Checksheets:
Leadership and Social Change
Business Leadership
The main difference between the two minors is that Business Leadership obviously focuses more on business courses and also requires an experiential course (MGT 4074 or MGT 4964). However, the minor is flexible and you can substitute other campus leadership experiences for that course (an example of an acceptable substitution is being an RA, but there are many options).
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