csssa 2017: what i wish i had known
hello there! i was at csssa for creative writing and i thought iād make a list of things that i wish i had known before coming to csssa for everyone applying/attending next year!Ā
1) thereās a gender neutral hall (at least there is one right now) i know a lot of non-cis people who attended and had no idea that it existed until i got here. i donāt know how to get into said hall, but its there!
2) you have a joint bathroom with the dorm next to yours. you become very comfortable with the people in the neighboring suite. itās a pretty good idea to make some sort of shower schedule/structure to avoid really awkward encounters
3) its pretty fuckin hot (shocker, i know), but its really fuckin cold inside the classrooms and some of the dorms, especially at night. its a good idea to bring a jacket or sweatpants. layers are your friend.
4) you donāt need a shower curtain. the door on the shower is frosted over and nobody can see inside of it so you donāt really need it unless youāre super uncomfortable without one
5) you donāt need an ethernet cable the wifiās totally fine (even in the dorms. yes, there is wifi in the dorms)
6) you definitely need a trash can, and probably a big one. the packing list says to bring a small trash can, but my dorm definitely needed a bigger one.
7) kinds of shoes you should definitely bring: flip flops or sandals for showering/pool/generic hot weather, sneakers or every day shoes, and maybe some running shoes if youāre planning on being on the active side while youāre here
8) to avoid having to cross the massive hill from the main entrance of the main building and Chouinard Hall, thereās a little shortcut. if you come directly from Chouinard and just keep walking straight, youāll see a pair of double doors on the side of the main building. you might want to figure out how to navigate the halls before you use this shortcut, but itās air conditioned and is a shorter way to get to the dining hall/classrooms once you figure it out!
9) Chouinard is pronouncedĀ āshih-nardā CSSSA is pronouncedĀ āsee-sahāĀ
10) curfew is VERY IMPORTANT. they mean it when they say that 1 minute late is late (unfortunately). teachers are a little more lax about time, but the RAās arenāt.
11) the Valencia Shopping Center isnāt as close as they make it seem. itās not a long walk, but itās hot. thereās a Vonās (supermarket, basically the LA version of Safeway or Publix), Michaelās Crafts, Party City, and Walmart (amongst other food establishments)
12) youāre allowed to put up streamers and decorations on the dorm walls as long as its done with scotch tape or masking tape. we went to party city and got some Dora the Explorer decorations. edgy, i know.
13) if you forget some supplies, you can get some from the student store on campus! itās a little more expensive than Vonās or Walmart, but itās closer
14) there are two cool cafe hang outs on campus! one is Momās Cafe, which is by Chouinard and itās usually pretty crowded but has microwaves and games and you can watch TV and stuff. Tatum Cafe is inside the main building by the nurseās office. itās a little coffee shop that is reasonably priced and has really good iced matcha lattes. a lot of cw kids hang out there
15) laundry is a BITCH AND A HALF. on the weekends there are always huge lines (iāve spent upwards of 3 hours doing one load of laundry) so definitely try and do it on week days or when thereās open washers and dryers. the washing machines accept credit/debit cards and quarters, not cash or dollar coins.
16) they mean it when they say that theyāll expel you for drugs or alcohol or doing anything stupid and irresponsible. just donāt do it. itās only 4 weeks.
17) always wear your name tag! you wonāt get in serious trouble for it like michael fields says you willĀ itās embarrassing to get called out for forgetting so itās easier to just wear it
18) itās super easy to make friends, even in different departments, so donāt stress about it. everyoneās really nice and just wants to have a good time. nobody WANTS to be an asshole
19) the foodās actually pretty good. better than youād expect. even if you donāt like what theyāre serving, thereās always a salad bar, cereal, pastries, and multiple vending machines across campus
20) the sublevelās fucking awesome (itās one of my favorite places on campus!) itās in the main building so just take the stairs all the way down to the basement. have fun!!
21) they donāt let you take prescription medications back to your dorms - you have to leave them at the nurseās office (in the main building) and take them there when you need them. for non-prescription drugs (like advil) you should let the nurse know that you have them, but you can keep them in the dorms
22) if youāre going to bring and play Cards Against Humanity, definitely keep it on the down low. since itās rated 17+ most people arenāt really supposed to play it and if the RAās catch you, they might take it away. just be sneaky about it
23) attach your key to your lanyard/name tag so you donāt lose it. i brought a piece of ribbon and tied my key to my lanyard, other people slid the key on their string, etc. (speaking of lanyards: you donāt need to bring a new lanyard to put your ID badge and stuff into. the ones they give you are fine)
24) go to all the events that you can, even if itās not specifically marketed towards your department! itās always cool to see what everyoneās up to
25) the cots are actually pretty comfortable (arguably more comfortable than the Actual Beds) so donāt flip out if youāre sleeping on them.
26) so many people dye their hair at csssa. itās fun and kind of a rite of passage, but just rinse the dye out in the showers by the pool so it doesnāt stain the bathrooms
have fun at csssa - it goes by way too quickly! if you have any questions message/ask me and iāll help u out. Ā good luck on future applications, packing, and attending!!!!!!!!
