csssa 2017: what i wish i had known
hello there! i was at csssa for creative writing and i thought iâd make a list of things that i wish i had known before coming to csssa for everyone applying/attending next year!Â
1) thereâs 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 donât 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. itâs 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 donât need a shower curtain. the door on the shower is frosted over and nobody can see inside of it so you donât really need it unless youâre super uncomfortable without one
5) you donât need an ethernet cable the wifiâs 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 youâre planning on being on the active side while youâre here
8) to avoid having to cross the massive hill from the main entrance of the main building and Chouinard Hall, thereâs a little shortcut. if you come directly from Chouinard and just keep walking straight, youâll 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 itâs air conditioned and is a shorter way to get to the dining hall/classrooms once you figure it out!
9) Chouinard is pronounced âshih-nardâ CSSSA is pronounced âsee-sahâÂ
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 RAâs arenât.
11) the Valencia Shopping Center isnât as close as they make it seem. itâs not a long walk, but itâs hot. thereâs a Vonâs (supermarket, basically the LA version of Safeway or Publix), Michaelâs Crafts, Party City, and Walmart (amongst other food establishments)
12) youâre 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! itâs a little more expensive than Vonâs or Walmart, but itâs closer
14) there are two cool cafe hang outs on campus! one is Momâs Cafe, which is by Chouinard and itâs usually pretty crowded but has microwaves and games and you can watch TV and stuff. Tatum Cafe is inside the main building by the nurseâs office. itâs 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 (iâve spent upwards of 3 hours doing one load of laundry) so definitely try and do it on week days or when thereâs 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 theyâll expel you for drugs or alcohol or doing anything stupid and irresponsible. just donât do it. itâs only 4 weeks.
17) always wear your name tag! you wonât get in serious trouble for it like michael fields says you will itâs embarrassing to get called out for forgetting so itâs easier to just wear it
18) itâs super easy to make friends, even in different departments, so donât stress about it. everyoneâs really nice and just wants to have a good time. nobody WANTS to be an asshole
19) the foodâs actually pretty good. better than youâd expect. even if you donât like what theyâre serving, thereâs always a salad bar, cereal, pastries, and multiple vending machines across campus
20) the sublevelâs fucking awesome (itâs one of my favorite places on campus!) itâs in the main building so just take the stairs all the way down to the basement. have fun!!
21) they donât let you take prescription medications back to your dorms - you have to leave them at the nurseâs 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 youâre going to bring and play Cards Against Humanity, definitely keep it on the down low. since itâs rated 17+ most people arenât really supposed to play it and if the RAâs catch you, they might take it away. just be sneaky about it
23) attach your key to your lanyard/name tag so you donât 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 donât 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 itâs not specifically marketed towards your department! itâs always cool to see what everyoneâs up to
25) the cots are actually pretty comfortable (arguably more comfortable than the Actual Beds) so donât flip out if youâre sleeping on them.
26) so many people dye their hair at csssa. itâs fun and kind of a rite of passage, but just rinse the dye out in the showers by the pool so it doesnât stain the bathrooms
have fun at csssa - it goes by way too quickly! if you have any questions message/ask me and iâll help u out. Â good luck on future applications, packing, and attending!!!!!!!!
















