caganer

The Bike Shop Saved My Life!

As part of New College's help-you-help-yourself mentality, there is a bike shop on campus. It's usually open 6-8 on weeknights and sporadically during ISP. New parts are very cheap ($7 for a new chain), and used parts are even cheaper. As long as you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, the staff will help you fix your bike.

Small College, Small Options

The food from Ham Center is generally not too bad during the school year during the weekdays, when most of the student body is there. During Orientation, Finals week, ISP, and the breaks, the food deteriorates in variety and quality.

The Four Winds is a student-run cafe on the bay side of campus that has great food, and has a great atmosphere. Unfortunately, it's not part of the meal plan, so you can either transfer your "Ham Money" over, or pay cash.

Awesome Dorms!

Due to the slow but steady growth of New College, most freshmen will start out tripled in Pei. The space is probably comparable to a double at many other colleges, and it's easy to work around if you have raising beds. After first year, some students will opt to continue to live in Pei, because the dorm is very open with terraces, balconies, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows (not all at the same time).

The other options on campus are the Letter dorms (V,W,X,Y, and Z), Dort / Goldstein (collectively referred to as Dortstein), and B dorm. All of them, except for B dorm, are apartment-style. The letter dorms are brand new, having been built within the past three years, while Dortstein was built 15 years ago.

The Police and Ras Are There to Help You, Not to Bust You.

The student body does a very good job of policing itself.

Mixed Reviews

As an out-of stater, New College offers some upsides and downsides. Sarasota airport is right next door. But not much else is. Everybody has a car, so it's not that hard to find a ride somewhere. The buses have been largely ignored by students, but they're now free, so that should change soon. Downtown Sarasota is 5 miles away and easily bikeable.

It's January 20, and I Forgot That It's Winter.

The Sarasota weather is amazing. It rarely dips below 80 in the daytime, and a freeze is a rarity. I have 7 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of jeans (to get me through the 7-day-long winter). Bring *a* long sleeve shirt and jeans, just in case. It does get incredibly sweaty in the summer, which has 90 degree temperatures and 80-90% humidity.