What to do with beginners electronic lab when I go to college?

[AG6QR]

U of I alum here, though from a few decades back.  Yes, I had to live in either the dorms, or other university approved housing (fraternity, sorority, or private dorm), the first two years.  My last two years, I lived in an apartment, off-campus but nearby, a closer walk to my classes than the dorm.

Anyway, when I lived in the dorms, my roommate and I soldered in our room, at my university-provided desk on the 3rd floor of Weston Hall.  Didn't have much time to do that, and there wasn't much space, but I did so, anyway.  When I was taking some EE classes, I could check out breadboards, ICs, and such, to work on assigned projects (but that's more likely to happen in your later years).

As for solder prohibitions, I wasn't aware of any, and I never even thought about it.  Nobody seemed to notice or care.  I know we weren't supposed to cook food in our rooms, but I wasn't cooking.  Various people burned incense and other substances in their rooms, some of which were fragrant and illegal.  A little bit of rosin flux, in the grand scheme of things, wouldn't be likely to cause a big issue.  Of course, use ordinary precautions to avoid fire, but I don't think the risk is huge if you use a modicum of caution.

Anyway, there is not a lot of room in the dorms.  But you can pack a few shoebox sized boxes of hobby things and store them in your closet somewhere.  Take them out and work on your desk when you have a chance, and put them away when you're done. 

As others have said, you aren't likely to have a lot of time for hobbies, but depending on your priorities, you can do some things.  You may also have an opportunity to do some hobby electronics by joining IEEE, and/or working on a project for Engineering Open House.  There will be no shortage of other like-minded people interested in EE, and projects to do.  The problem will be setting priorities, keeping up with class work, and setting aside a little time for fun as well.

[Scott]

When I was in college many of us worked on project in our rooms. We built model airplane, did electronics, did homework, Our dorm had a tool crib with basic power and hand tools. One friend had a vt-220 next to his bed in a loft. Heck one student even set up a cold palladium cold fusion experiment in his dorm room after the Pons and Fleishman news conference. We also had storage spaces in the basement where you could keep stuff.

Most schools have student shops and/or maker/hacker spaces too.

Get creative. Get involved with research projects that align with your interests. Make friends with professors that have lab space. It's not hard.

This problem has been annoying me for a while, just because I'm a bit anxious and I know what is going to happen. In less than two years, I will head off to college (university for the rest of the world), probably to get a degree in some form of ME/EE/electronics. Most of the schools I am looking at force you to stay in the dorms for at least the first year.

Which leads to my question- where am I going to put all my crap? How can I continue to work with electronics? I probably can't do it in the dorms, even with a scaled back lab due to safety reasons and a roommate. That, and most of the dorms I've seen are the size of a postage stamp. I don't want to totally go cold turkey with my projects (I like my soldering iron!). Is there anyone who has been in my position? How did you solve it?
To me, the solution seems to be either rent out some space somewhere, or try to get in at the electronics lab and use their stuff. Thing is, I'm already pretty far into building my own lab and I love having "my" own equipment. I already have a hot air rework station, power converters, and am working on getting a decent lab power supply, an oscilloscope, better soldering iron, and better multimeters, etc soon.

 

What to do?

[EEVblog]

I remember back when I was in high school (late 80s) looking at colleges.. Carnegie Mellon required freshmen to live on campus.  That was the first time I'd heard of it.  The rationale was that your average 18-year old needed to be immersed in the campus life to make a successful transition. 
A lot more schools have this requirement now. 

I'd love to see an actual tally, and know the circumstances under which there are exemptions. Like I said, I'd bet religion if always a get out of jail free card in some way.

So, I can see both sides of the argument.

So can I, but for me it always comes down to freedom of choice. For a legal adult to be denied a university education (that you can afford) simply because you want to live off-campus is crazy.
I just told SWMBO about this and she was as shocked as I was and thinks it's equally stupid.
It seems the majority of Americans seem to support this though, obviously because it's been ingrained into your culture.

[EEVblog]

If everyone is commuting to school, you need a TON of parking.  Many schools simply don't have the real estate, especially the ones in urban areas.  I went to a school that allowed everyone to drive, and parking was a huge problem even though half the acreage was parking lots!

Yanks and their cars 
No university in Australia really has this problem, and hardly anyone lives on campus here, it's just not a done thing, it's not part of our culture.

[marshallh]

This is only 1 thing at the tip of the iceberg of stupid at US public universities. Expect to see big changes in the next 10 years.

What can't go on, won't...

[EEVblog]

This is only 1 thing at the tip of the iceberg of stupid at US public universities. Expect to see big changes in the next 10 years.

Do share the rest of the iceberg for the amusement of us non-Yanks!

[Scott]

Most universities in the US are private, so they can make whatever rules they want and you can take it or leave it.

That being said, there are a lot of logistic and cultural reasons to strongly encourage people to live on campus. There's also a big difference between rules that are written down on a website and the reality of the situation. If you have a compelling reason to not live on campus, you can probably get the university to agree. It never hurts to ask.

I remember back when I was in high school (late 80s) looking at colleges.. Carnegie Mellon required freshmen to live on campus.  That was the first time I'd heard of it.  The rationale was that your average 18-year old needed to be immersed in the campus life to make a successful transition. 
A lot more schools have this requirement now. 

I'd love to see an actual tally, and know the circumstances under which there are exemptions. Like I said, I'd bet religion if always a get out of jail free card in some way.

So, I can see both sides of the argument.

So can I, but for me it always comes down to freedom of choice. For a legal adult to be denied a university education (that you can afford) simply because you want to live off-campus is crazy.
I just told SWMBO about this and she was as shocked as I was and thinks it's equally stupid.
It seems the majority of Americans seem to support this though, obviously because it's been ingrained into your culture.

[AndersAnd]

How can I continue to work with electronics?

Can't you just use the labs at your engineering college? I did this from time to time in the evening, and they have all sorts of expensive equipment to play with. But maybe they don't allow this in the US?

[Fsck]

How can I continue to work with electronics?

Can't you just use the labs at your engineering college? I did this from time to time in the evening, and they have all sorts of expensive equipment to play with. But maybe they don't allow this in the US?

you realize it's where you have to print "warning: hot coffee" on coffee cups.

[dr.diesel]

But maybe they don't allow this in the US?

Probably locked down due to theft these days..

[AndersAnd]

But maybe they don't allow this in the US?

Probably locked down due to theft these days..

I could imagine it would be like this in the US.

We just had a key card, so we could lock ourselves into the college and labs around the clock. So if anything disappeared they could see who had been in which rooms. But if you wanted to steal lab equipment it would be very easy to do so, even during the day and there could go weeks or months before they discovered something was missing if it wasn't something used regularly.

[Mandelbrot]

My university labs are open to use for personal projects when there isn't a class going on in them, but you have to have card access which isn't that hard to get. There is also a lab specifically for student projects being set up. I think many of the engineering student groups also have their own lab spaces available for personal use in university buildings.

On the other hand, if you are really good at Tetris there is no reason you couldn't have a basic electronics lab in a dorm room. You probably aren't supposed to have a soldering iron, but if you aren't careless they will never find out you have one. Get or make a small fume extractor, or maybe even a fan pointed out the window is the weather permits. You might not be able to have a real permanent lab setup because your bench/desk will also be used to do homework, but you can stash your equipment under your desk or in a corner or something until you want to use it. If you are creative and motivated, you will find a way!

I was required to stay in a dorm my first year, but I didn't really have a problem with it. I chose to live in the science and engineering hall which was quiet and everybody knew their stuff, so it was useful to get to know people I would share classes with for the next four years. It would be preferable if it was optional to live on campus the first year, but I see the advantage of requiring it and I can't really blame them that much.

[apelly]

Living on campus would surely be as fun as fuck. I even considered it during my masters in my late 30s (but ultimately couldn't be bothered). Trouble is, for me anyway, if you make it mandatory then you can stick it up your arse (that's ass to you yanks). Roughly.

[smashedProton]

You should come over to WSU, we have cheese and cannabis.

[EEVblog]

Most universities in the US are private, so they can make whatever rules they want and you can take it or leave it.

I bet they take some tax dollars too, that gives tax payers skin in the game.

That being said, there are a lot of logistic and cultural reasons to strongly encourage people to live on campus.
 There's also a big difference between rules that are written down on a website and the reality of the situation. If you have a compelling reason to not live on campus, you can probably get the university to agree. It never hurts to ask.

The point is you shouldn't need a "compelling reason", it should simply be your choice, no reason required.
Sure, strongly recommend it, point out all the huge benefit etc, but to make it mandatory in order to attend is dictatorial.
But it seems that yanks have fallen for it hook line and sinker.

[Bored@Work]

The reason for this actually makes a bit of sense: There isn't enough on-campus non-dorm housing to accommodate the freshmen (there's hardly enough as it is), there isn't enough parking for them to drive to school from off-campus housing, and the public transportation around there isn't really very good.

Let the free market fix it! This is the US, dammit. Land of the free market. The free market fixes everything! All hail the free market!

More demand than supply for accommodation? The free market will fix it, someone will come and build accommodation. Transport? Someone will arrange it if there is demand. But this organized, enforced dorm living thing? That is communism, C O M M U N I S M, I tell you! Complete with a Deschurnaja  floor monitor. That's like being in Moscow.

[smashedProton]

The reason for this actually makes a bit of sense: There isn't enough on-campus non-dorm housing to accommodate the freshmen (there's hardly enough as it is), there isn't enough parking for them to drive to school from off-campus housing, and the public transportation around there isn't really very good.

Let the free market fix it! This is the US, dammit. Land of the free market. The free market fixes everything! All hail the free market!

More demand than supply for accommodation? The free market will fix it, someone will come and build accommodation. Transport? Someone will arrange it if there is demand. But this organized, enforced dorm living thing? That is communism, C O M M U N I S M, I tell you! Complete with a Deschurnaja  floor monitor. That's like being in Moscow.

Can't tell if you are being serious or not...  I think that you are, because nothing that you have said is false.

[Frenchie]

No university in Australia really has this problem, and hardly anyone lives on campus here, it's just not a done thing, it's not part of our culture.

UWA does. Good luck even getting Staff parking if you arrive after 8:30am.

[Scott]

Yeah, taking federal money does place some requirements on colleges and universities, but apparently not enough to regulate the details of housing policies.

I more-or-less agree with you in principle, but in practice I don't think it's a big deal. There are over 4000 colleges and universities in the USA, so most people can find an institution with a set of attributes and policies that they find satisfactory. The requirement to live on campus is hardly universal, if it tips your cost/benefit ratio go elsewhere.

The original poster was interested in Caltech (go Beavers!). Although Caltech requires freshman to live on campus, they go out of their way to make sure the students find a good fit.

http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/living/houses

Most universities in the US are private, so they can make whatever rules they want and you can take it or leave it.

I bet they take some tax dollars too, that gives tax payers skin in the game.

That being said, there are a lot of logistic and cultural reasons to strongly encourage people to live on campus.
 There's also a big difference between rules that are written down on a website and the reality of the situation. If you have a compelling reason to not live on campus, you can probably get the university to agree. It never hurts to ask.

The point is you shouldn't need a "compelling reason", it should simply be your choice, no reason required.
Sure, strongly recommend it, point out all the huge benefit etc, but to make it mandatory in order to attend is dictatorial.
But it seems that yanks have fallen for it hook line and sinker.

[TheBorg]

]That is communism, C O M M U N I S M, I tell you! Complete with a Deschurnaja  floor monitor. That's like being in Moscow.

Dear sir, it's exactly the same!

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=university+of+idaho&ll=46.747154,-116.941566&spn=0.153384,0.363579&fb=1&gl=us&hq=u+of+idaho&cid=10332736507941473644&t=h&z=12&iwloc=A

[con-f-use]

Get a scholarship to study abroad, e.g. Marshall-Plan. Very easy to get. In the EU no one is telling you where to live plus it will be an awesome experience. Just an idea.

[TheBorg]

Get a scholarship to study abroad, e.g. Marshall-Plan. Very easy to get. In the EU no one is telling you where to live plus it will be an awesome experience. Just an idea.

I've actually been overseas on a trip, went to the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, etc or 1 or so weeks each (hostel traveling on the cheap). It was a great experience and I would not hesitate to go overseas again, especially for university. I think it would be great to go for a year or two! I've actually thought about moving to England for my education more than once, I'm really open to this idea.

[sprocket]

I'll be the first one to admit that we have our share of stupid rules here in Denmark. But at least you dont have to cough up a single dime to attend university, all free. If you have the grades, you will get accepted, simple at that. You even get paid by the goverment to attend university(for rent, food and such), so in theory it is actually possible to get a masters degree with out building up any dept at all. Though you would have to live of pasta and canned baked beans for 5 years, so most have student jobs or take up small student loans.

But in general universities here dont give a flying F. about where you live, or what you do for money etc. etc. You could be living on the dark side of the moon, and it would not matter one bit at all as long as you show up for classes, pas you classes and so on and so forth.