Re: OT: Is this normal?
 

American/Canadian Temperature Conversion
(lifted from a Slashdot post, apparently based on some other list)

All temps in Fahrenheit

50 above-New Yorkers turn on the heat. Canadians plant gardens.

40 above-Californians shiver uncontrollably. Canadians sunbathe.

35 above-Italian cars won't start. Canadians drive with the window down.

32 above-Distilled water freezes. Canadian water gets thicker.

20 above-Floridians wear coats, gloves and wool hats. Canadians throw on a t-shirt.

15 above- Californians begin to evacuate the state. Canadians go swimming.

Zero- New York landlords finally turn up the heat. Canadians have the last cook out before it gets cold.

10 below- People in Miami cease to exist. Canadians lick flagpoles.

20 below- Californians fly away to Mexico. Canadians throw on a light jacket.

40 below- Hollywood disintegrates. Canadians rent videos.

60 below- Mt. St. Helens freezes. Canadian Girl Guides begin selling cookies door to door.

80 below- Polar bears begin to evacuate the Arctic. Canadian Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

100 below- Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Canadians pull down their earflaps.

173 below- Ethyl alcohol freezes. Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw their kegs of beer.

297 below- Microbial life survives on dairy products. Canadian cows complain of farmers with cold hands.

460 below- ALL atomic motion stops. Canadians start saying "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

500 below- Hell freezes over. The Vancouver Canucks win the Stanley Cup.

(This copy "borrowed" after a quick Google search from http://www16.brinkster.com/hoser/cold.asp because I couldn't remember the whole list.)

Re: OT: Is this normal?
 

You will miss out on everything that is going on, lots of stuff gets around the dorms but is only put up on obscure noticeboards hidden in the uni. I would say stick with it, you'll not get the full experience spending the first year off campus.

It's only the loud guys who get noticed in a dorm or the ones with big personalities. It's the nature of the enviroment, they seem to be the only ones there but that's because everyone else gets drowned out.

Worst case, as Arkcon said, you only need to sleep and eat there. But there was only a couple of people I knew about who took it that far, and they were odd. As in ex-mental home on medication odd.

Re: OT: Is this normal?
 

El_Phil said:
You will miss out on everything that is going on, lots of stuff gets around the dorms but is only put up on obscure noticeboards hidden in the uni.

Precisely what happened to me. I shared a house with some guys who didn't go to college when I first went away. I didn't even know it was time to register for classes for the next semester, until it was too late. Fortuneately, the department was generous with my serious lack of awareness, and let me register late ... paying extra ... missing out on the prime courses, obviously. At least I didn't have to go home.

Re: OT: Is this normal?
 

The good part about living in res is how late I can get up and still make it to classes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: OT: Is this normal?
 

There were some people who did not live in residence but still lived on campus! One guy parked an old Volkswagen van in the parking lot and slept in there. I guess he used the washrooms and showers on campus. A couple of other guys had a home somewhere but stayed overnight a lot in the lab. They found an empty cubicle and kept food, clothes etc in the desk drawers, brought sleeping bags and slept on the floor. People could do this because we had 24 hour access to the lab.

I wouldn't want to do something like that except for the occasional all-nighter. I don't think I can get any real rest that way and I'll probably get sick after a week or two!