Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 6561

My first two years of college were spent at what I would have to say was a quiet school. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is and will forever be a university featuring a variety of ubergeeks, supersmart fratboys, and other oddball students. Nobody was up all night on campus, blaring music, causing a disturbance; we all knew that's why people lived off campus. At the same time, they were not the type of people who were truly interested in partying all night in a loud and uncontrolled manner. Nope, these students were interested in getting drunk and seeing who could still whoop ass at Mario Kart... or possibly just skipping the alcohol altogether. Off campus was another story. Mind you, off campus was more or less the outskirts of campus, a practical village of apartment houses that surrounded the university. Most students could walk to class from their apartments. Still, unless you were in a fraternity there was little problem with noise.

After two years I had enough of a psycho class schedule and professors who could not teach a baby to say "mama." Their intellect was incredible, their credentials were the best, and their understanding of non-ubergeeks was horrendous. The TAs were no better. I had one TA explain how to do recursion as, "you see recursion, you do recursively." Not everyone gets it the first time around. And that was the problem: I did not get it the first time around, and by the time I did get it I was a week behind. With seven week terms, I would catch up around week six and scrape by with a "C" (lowest grade possible without failing). So I left.

And onto a "real" college I went.

My junior year was spent in an eight person "suite" that looked more like a cellblock than anything else. It was arguably the shittiest dorms I had ever seen, and my parents were paying through the arsehole for them. The people I lived with were either rarely around or party animals. Someone always had booze or weed and they were enjoying such things at every opportunity. I was woken up by them on many nights just due to their volume. Sure, it's on campus, it's rowdy, whatever; it's 2 AM on a Monday night and my roommates are fucking off worse than Saturday. I wanted to just move out and live quietly. Where to go, you ask?

Off campus housing, owned and operated by a company. Contracts and stuff like that. Big print that says "You will not blare music past 10 PM EVER."

Oh, is that a crock of shit.

There is only one apartment next to mine. It is home to three other students at the university I attend. Apparently, to them moving off campus to such a place meant it would be a place with no rules, no restrictions, no RAs and party hard all goddamn night. So after a few weekends where I could not even get to sleep at the early hour of 3 AM I decided I would take action. Problem is, this place informs me that I must call security DURING the loud music and partying and that after an unspecified number of complaints and warnings my neighbors would be potentially thrown out. Since then I think every weekend I have been around I have had to call security, but tonight takes it. Thursday night. Now, I know most of us do not have class tomorrow. That does not mean other things do not happen in the morning hours. By now security has come by and the thud of bass from their apartment is low enough that I can easily fall asleep over it, though the same could not be said when I started typing this fun little rant. I hope that number of complaints is a low number, because I have no problems getting these people kicked out.

And if you were wondering, yes, their selection in music is quite good for the most part.

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

students today are such whiney bastards. If you want peace and quiet go lodge with a granny or live with post-grads.

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8648

Did you try talking to them about it first?

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Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

or perhaps taking ecstasy and enjoying yourself?

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 6561

quote:

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Originally posted by mmmsivart
Did you try talking to them about it first?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: my mother's bloody womb
Posts: 7126

quote:

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Originally posted by mmmsivart
Did you try talking to them about it first?

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__________________

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 6561

Exacting revenge is not my thing. It's not that I would feel guilty or not be able to do it, it's not that I feel morally obligated to be nice to them, it's that if I go for revenge I will make them pay and pay and pay. Your suggestions are too simple and typical. Mine would involve scary the shit out of them, making them fear just stepping out of that apartment. I'm fucking evil when it comes to that stuff.

I am playing by the same set of rules they have to play by.

Besides, think about asking them to keep it down on the weekends. After they get fucked up, do you think the stereo will stay quiet with all their friends over? Do you think people will stop slamming their door on their way in and out, running around like fools? Will their drunk friends realize they are buzzing the wrong apartment? I guarantee you no.

If you have actual letters from the leasing company arrive in your mail, telling you to be quiet or get out, will you have a higher consideration for what you do?

My asking is insignificant to the powers above. I have no power in this situation, but the people I pay rent to certainly do.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 5131

quote:

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Originally posted by Phil
students today are such whiney bastards. If you want peace and quiet go lodge with a granny or live with post-grads.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

I have to agree with Vegas' take on this -- if the loud neighbors wanted a place where they could party, they should have signed a lease someplace that did not have a "Shut the hell up after 10 pm" clause.

When I asked my neighbors downstairs if they could find an alternative to leaving their barking dog outside upwards of 18 hours a day, the woman stood up and walked at me in a threatening manner and started screaming at me. My response: "You're obviously beyond the state of reason. I'm not going to argue this with you. Keep the dog inside, or find some other alternative." Our lease agreements state that neighbors must defer to one another re: noise, because most of us are undergrad or grad students out here, and moved to be away from parties and loud traffic. My next step was to inform the landlord, who said he would evict them if he received any more complaints.

He doesn't follow through on his word very well -- this past month, their video games have woken me up in the middle of the night, during the week, and were loud enough that I thought my alarm was going off. They also had a family of four mooching off them (with two ill-behaved creepy kids). Finally, the landlord made the family of four move out, and threatened the couple downstairs again re: the noise violations.

But my point: it's scary when you try to speak kindly and reasonably to a neighbor about a problem, and they come at you and threaten you. For several weeks after that initial contact, she would open her front door when I was outside and glare at me with her arms folded over her chest. I ignored her, but wondered if she was going to retaliate in some bizarre manner. I personally think she's a sociopath, and certainly, she's not the only person in the world to react that way. Funny thing is: I would have even been willing to walk their dog for them several times a day so that he wouldn't be in trouble potty-wise while they were at work. Oh well!

I just love hyper-reactive people.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Boston, MA, Center of the Universe
Posts: 4509

Wow. That sucks Vegas. I can't imagine what it must be like to have to go back to school when you're 52 and try to deal with all those crazy kids when you just want some peace and quiet so you can watch 60 Minutes and 60 Minutes II. Don't you just love that Andy Rooney? That guy they have doing his job on Wednesday's just isn't the same.

Oh well. It's too bad you're not young and free, yourself, eh? Then you could have a friend with a 4x4 tie a towrope to that stick in your ass and rip it out. Then you could buy an assortment of keg cups of every color, take one of each with you on a walk around the party houses and crash the first kegger you find.

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8648

Seriously Cage, turn on your fucking points.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 6561

School is more important than the keggers. I have no interest in ending up like most people, in debt to above their heads, struggling because they blow every cent they make. Most people nowadays will have to pay for themselves, then their kids, and once the kids are out of the house they have to pay for their parents. Fuck that. When the day comes where you HAVE to go to work Monday and I can do whatever I want I will have no sympathy. Dig your own hole. They are busy digging their own.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Boston, MA, Center of the Universe
Posts: 4509

Psst. School doesn't matter. At all. Unless you just want to do well enough to get into another school. Once you get your first real job, no one gives a shit about your degree. I'm in a very good position financially and I live an enjoyable lifestyle in one of the most expensive cities in the country. All with 3/4 of a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Ecology and a reasonable amount of hard work. I won't be retiring within the year, but I will definitely be retiring before my kids go off to college. Or prison. Whichever they choose.

The reality is that most people end up regretting that the didn't have more fun when they had the opportunity. So you're on course to end up exactly like most people.

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 6561

quote:

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Originally posted by Cage
Psst. School doesn't matter. At all. Unless you just want to do well enough to get into another school. Once you get your first real job, no one gives a shit about your degree. I'm in a very good position financially and I live an enjoyable lifestyle in one of the most expensive cities in the country. All with 3/4 of a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Ecology and a reasonable amount of hard work. I won't be retiring within the year, but I will definitely be retiring before my kids go off to college. Or prison. Whichever they choose.

The reality is that most people end up regretting that the didn't have more fun when they had the opportunity. So you're on course to end up exactly like most people.

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8648

You could choose to party now and be a hobo the rest of your life. Seriously, how fun will partying be when your 45? The only 18 year old women you'll be able to get will charge by the hour... PARTY NOW.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 10121

quote:

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Originally posted by mmmsivart
Seriously, how fun will partying be when your 45?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 5526

quote:

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Originally posted by MstrG
Never better.

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8648

quote:

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Originally posted by missphinx
But then again, we're not Travis. God knows what he'll be like by then.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beyond Mason-Dixon Line
Posts: 16165

quote:

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Originally posted by MstrG
Never better.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Boston, MA, Center of the Universe
Posts: 4509

quote:

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Originally posted by Vegas
See, you're in the exact type of rut that I have no interest in getting into. Your purpose in life is to make someone else rich, and by what you typed you are having a good time doing so. That's what you do all day: make someone else rich. How are you making yourself rich? What is your investment strategy? Have you even thought about it?

Me? I'm paying my dues now so I can party later. I look around me and everyone's parents are still working. Not because they want to, but because they have to. Call me crazy, I would rather hit over the hill able to do whatever I want than party hard now and work harder for the rest of my life.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35561

I don't know about other subjects, but studying physics for a degree is useful in general, because it improves your problem solving skills (employers seem to be keen on physics graduates both in the UK and the US, for that reason, I guess); there is material benefit from it and it is a lot harder to get to that point from self-education.

Doing some subjects at school won't be important, though, I guess. Graduates in English find work harder to come by, here in the UK (and psychology graduates, even, because so many kids study psychology) and a lot of degrees are, employment wise at least, pretty much a complete waste of time and money.

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