The Student Advisory Council Guide to Undergrad Life in CS Table of Contents ADMINISTRATION Who's who in the administration? Who is this Mark guy? SAC stuff BBoards Dropping/Adding Classes (A how-to guide) RESEARCH Who's doing what? I can get paid? SURG (Small Undergraduate Research Grants) I can get credit? (No, Jim, you can't get both!) Senior Honors Thesis Program GRAD SCHOOL INFO EMPLOYMENT CS Undergraduate Resume Books Career Center Interviews: What to/not to say/do APPENDIX: FUN/FOOD REFERENCE GUIDE Late Night Activities Beverages Solid Food The first edition of this manuscript was the result of the effort of the Computer Science Student Advisory Council in the academic year 1993-94. Many thanks are due the contributing writers/editors: Laurie Damianos, Will Frank, Rudy Halac, Jeff Kurtz, Dan Martinez, Bill Nagy, Chris Stone, and Jim Zelenka. ---------------- ADMINISTRATION ---------------- Who's Who In The Administration? First, the head honchos: Dean Raj Reddy The Dean is the chief administrator of the School of Computer Science which is composed of the following administrative units: Computer Science Department [CSD] (Jim Morris, Department Head) Robotics Institute (Takeo Kanade, Director) Software Engineering Institute (Larry Druffel, Director) Center for Machine Translation (Jaime Carbonell, Director) While it's good to know who the above people are, most, if not all, of your dealings with the CS department will be with the following people: Associate Dean for Undergrad Education Allan Fisher Responsible for the university and policy-making side of the Computer Science Undergraduate program. Office: Wean 4119 Phone: x8-7688 Assistant Dean for Undergrad Education Mark Stehlik Responsible for the student side of the Computer Science Undergraduate program; advises all students in the major. Office: Wean 4103 Phone: x8-3609 Undergraduate Program Administrator Maria Fischer Responsible for everything from registration to graduation. Office: Wean 4105 Phone: x8-3040 Assistant Dean for Alumni Relations Catherine Copetas Responsible for the afterlife... Office: Wean 4101 Phone: x8-8525 Who Is This Mark Guy? Mark does several things, most of them well. He's the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate education, and advisor to all undergraduates in the School of Computer Science. Yes, all three-hundred-plus of them, though Jim Roberts will be giving him a hand with the freshmen. He must do the job because he likes it, since, even with our tuition, there's no way the University could afford to compensate him for putting up with fifteen score snotty, clueless undergrads. He even won an award for Undergraduate Advising a year or so ago, so *that's* all right. He has also been known to play volleyball with the Undergrads on Friday afternoons, on the section of the Cut between Baker Hall and the Wean/Doherty junction. (Remember when I said that he does most things well? Volleyball was not necessarily one of them.) Saying that he runs the SCS Student Advisory Committee (SAC) may promote the mistaken impression that said group remotely resembles an organized entity. It doesn't. But it is Mark who determines and decrees the occasions of its congress, signs the purchase orders for pizza, and tries to ensure that the members present remain within throwing distance of the agenda. The undergraduate lounge, SAC's habitual meeting place, became a reality largely thanks to Mark's efforts. So did the Coke machine, which remains stocked only because Mark refills it almost every morning. Last but not least, this handbook, a SAC production, would never have seen completion without Mark's persistence. Ultimately, it may be easier to explain who Mark isn't than who he is. He's not a "suit", a pencil-pusher, or any other kind of tool of the administration. (Pop your head inside his office. Sit down, if you can find a horizontal space that isn't covered with books or papers. Would any self-respecting establishment lackey keep an office that disorganized?) He's also not supposed to act as a heavy for your professors, or ride your back. He is supposed, strangely enough, to advise, to lend his ear and make suggestions should you have a problem or a question. This could concern a class, or your schedule, or your post-graduation plans, any of the other topics covered in this handbook. You'll find Mark approachable and informal, sometimes almost disconcertingly so, but that's okay. He is a good guy to know, and you'd be well-served by talking to him *before*, say, it's time for you to work out next semester's schedule. SAC Stuff Do you complain a lot about CS undergraduate life? Do you have an opinion on how things should be run in the department? Do you like to get out of the cluster every now and then? Do you like free pizza? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, then you should look into joining the CS SAC. What is the SAC, you ask? The Student Advisory Committee is a (usually) small group of students which meets with Mark about every two-three weeks during the semester. Its job is to provide feedback on life as a CS undergrad in general, so new policies can be created and old ones changed. It also provides a way to organize extracurricular activities, such as going to baseball games, Friday afternoon volleyball, and "Thursday Night with the Simpsons". If you have ideas about fun things to do, then you should definitely bring them up at one of the meetings. The SAC is also responsible for bringing about the CS Undergrad Lounge (Wean 5336), where all of our meetings take place. If you want a place to relax, play ping-pong, or have a Coke after long hours of hacking, then there isn't a much better, or for that matter closer, place to do it than the lounge. The SAC also helps Mark find out about problems with the curriculum, from bad professors to classes that suck. If you don't complain, nothing will change. As an incentive to attend the meetings, there is always free pizza. If it wasn't for the SAC, this manuscript that you are now reading wouldn't exist, and you would probably be as lost as we were. Besides the CS Undergrad SAC, several other departments on campus also have SACs, including the Mellon College of Science (MCS) SAC which has 2 CS representatives on it. So remember, if you have an idea or complaint there is no better place to air it than at an SAC meeting. BBoards There are various on-line bulletin boards targeted for undergraduate students in the School of Computer Science. "org.scs.undergrad.official" is for Mark Stehlik or Associate Dean Allan Fisher to post concerning courses, program information, updates, etc. "org.scs.undergrad.tutoring" is where you can put up posts offering to be a tutor or solicit tutoring (you can also send mail or talk to Mark if you do not wish to post to solicit tutoring). Tutoring is for Math/CS students by Math/CS students and is subsidized by the Undergraduate program. See Maria Fischer (the Undergraduate Program Administrator) in Wean 4102 for vouchers. "org.scs.undergrad.job-postings" is to publicize full and part-time positions that employers send to the Undergraduate office. "org.scs.undergrad" and "org.scs.undergrad.discuss" are general bboards concerning the Undergraduate program on which students can post. Students are STRONGLY encouraged to read all of the org.scs.undergrad bboards. Dropping/Adding Classes (A how-to guide) Dropping Classes is Okay After attending more than one semester at Carnegie Mellon University you may find that a course for which you registered last semester may not fit into your schedule after all, or you may want to take the course with another professor. If you find yourself in such a situation you may consider dropping a class and retaking it at a later time. While dropping courses is a normal occurrence of undergraduate education there are some items that you may want to keep in mind when dropping a class: 1.) If you are enrolled as a full-time student at the beginning of the semester (as almost everyone is), you are NOT allowed to drop below 36 units. Furthermore, classes taken Pass/Fail, particularly gym classes, do NOT count towards satisfaction of the 36-unit minimum. 2.) Dropping classes after the drop deadline is excruciatingly painful, so make sure you do it before the drop deadline, which typically falls two weeks after midsemester break. 3.) When dropping a class make sure to fill out an add/drop form, which can be picked up just about anywhere on campus, and get all the appropriate signatures needed to complete the form (the department offering the course you're dropping and your advisor). After your form is completed make sure to turn it in into Registrar's Office located in Warner Hall and file away your copy for future reference. (VERY IMPORTANT -- the registrar sometimes does make mistakes.) Adding Classes is All Right too. You may want to add a course for any number of reasons, for example, to keep a normal course load after dropping a class early in the semester. As with dropping classes, however, there are several points that you may want to consider: 1.) The add deadline is approximately two weeks after the beginning of a semester. For second-half mini-courses, the deadline falls at the end of the first week of class. Adding classes after these deadlines is discouraged, but can be done. 2.) If, by adding a class, you will overload your schedule, you are required to obtain your advisor's approval. 3.) As with dropping classes, you will want to make sure you have all the right signatures on your add/drop form. Once again, it is important to keep a copy of the add/drop form for future reference. ---------------- RESEARCH ---------------- By now, you've been bombarded with enough CMU propaganda to turn the most hard-boiled Madison Avenue ad exec into a lump of quivering flesh in the corner mumbling, "CMU...CMU...CMU" repeatedly. It can hardly have escaped your attention that one of CMU's primary attractions is the sheer quantity of cutting-edge research going on (unless, of course, they decided just to mention it briefly, perhaps sandwiched in between "Golly, we have a lot to do on campus," and "Honest, our food doesn't suck. Much." All this wonderful research begs the question, "Wait, they were lying about the food being good?" Oops, I mean, "How do I get involved?" (In this case, "I" means, "you." Are we enjoying the English language yet?) Actually, it's pretty easy. Most SCS and ECE faculty are engaged in research within their area of expertise; many faculty members are full-time researchers. Undergraduate participation is welcomed by the faculty. Not only do they have the chance to induct another budding computer scientist in the arcane traditions of their area of research; they also see cheap labor. Most faculty members and research projects are more or less continuously looking for part-time undergraduate assistance in a variety of capacities. How Do I Find Out Who Is Doing Research That Interests Me? Word of mouth is one mechanism -- ask friends, professors, TAs, and your advisor. 99% of the time, your question will be answered in detail by one or more of these sources. In addition, the Computer Science Department (CSD to its friends) annually publishes the _Faculty Research Guide_, in which CSD faculty describe themselves and their research interests. This guide is available from the Computer Science Office of Undergraduate Education (Mark). It's also available online (/afs/andrew/scs/cs/undergrad/research.doc). Once I Find Someone Who I Want To Work With, How Do I Approach That Person? CMU CSD faculty are very open about their research, especially to members of the CMU community. Your best bet is either to send electronic mail to the professor whom you are interested in working with, or drop by their office to talk to them in person. Many faculty members have busy schedules, so don't be put off if they can't speak to you at an arbitrary time of your choosing. Speak either directly to the faculty members or their secretaries to make an appointment to see them at some convenient time. Explain how interested you are in their work, and then go on to describe your own personal research interests. Inquire about working with the professor. Most professors will be more than happy to find someone new to work with. Don't be put off if your first try or two is unsuccessful, however; some professors have so many students working with them that they cannot manage any additional people. If this is the case, ask about others at CMU working in the same or similar areas. Don't be afraid that a lack of educational experience will hurt you. Most research going on in SCS is so far out on the edge that there aren't any courses that cover the material at all. In these cases, professors look mainly for freshmen and sophomores who can be trained for a year or two, and then go on to do a couple years' worth of good research. What Kind Of Work Would I Be Doing? This is a question that can only be answered in the broadest terms, without getting specific to different areas of research. In general, however, for some time when you first start working with a professor, you will probably be given some fairly basic work to do -- work like porting existing tools to new platforms, enhancing or producing new tools, running tests, et cetera. During this time, you'll be learning about the field you've chosen, and specifically about the work that you are now participating in. As time goes on, you'll be given more and more complex and interesting tasks, along with more autonomy. What's In It For Me? Why not just go read a book on the subject? Well, for one thing, most of the work done at CMU is so new that there aren't any standard publications other than journal articles and technical reports. Additionally, no amount of words can adequately convey the amount that you can learn about a field by participating in current research. Both graduate schools and industry love to see CMU research experience on a resume. One thing is even better than just, "I worked on this," though: publications. Once you start performing original work of your own, you'll have the opportunity to publish the results of your research. Not only can you publish these papers as CMU technical reports, you can submit them to workshops, conferences, and symposiums (symposia?). If your work is accepted for publication in one of these forums (fora?), CMU will pay your expenses to attend and present your work. On a more materialistic plane, there are direct, immediate benefits as well. Once you begin working with a research group, you will have access to equipment and materials used by that group. Most professors are willing to allow this equipment to be used for personal purposes when it's not needed for research. Access to a private pool of workstations can be invaluable when many CS and ECE classes have assignments due soon, and public facilities are hard to come by. In higher-level courses, lab groups may have trouble using public resources (finding enough machines all together, in a place where people don't mind a lot of talking, for instance). There are also two mechanisms for direct compensation -- money and credit. Money? Yes, money. Working as a part-time undergraduate programmer, you can get paid by the hour. The payscale is set department-wide, so don't bother poking around finding the "best-paying" job, or harassing the professor for a raise. It's not their decision. SURG Grants All undergraduate degree candidates in good academic standing are eligible to apply for research funding through the Small Undergraduate Research Grant [SURG] program. There are two grant periods each year: Spring and Summer/Fall. The deadline for the Spring grant period is late October and the deadline for the Summer/Fall period is late March. Students must submit an application including a brief description of the proposed project, a budget, and a letter of recommendation from the faculty advisor. Grants are awarded competitively and requests are generally considered up to $500. Applicants are encouraged to meet with Jessie Ramey, Director of the Undergraduate Research Initiative, prior to submitting a proposal. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jessie via email (jr3L@andrew) or at x8-5702. Credit? If you're looking to do some short-term work in a particular field, or you have some specific project that you want to work on, you may wish to pursue this option instead of a long-term part-time job. There are several ways you can get credit for research. One way is to approach a professor whose class you are in, and ask permission to perform some kind of alternative project to an assignment. This is good for small, simple things. In large classes, however, professors will often be fairly resistant to this idea, since it can be a lot of trouble for them to manage and grade many small projects. Some classes lend themselves to this model, or are explicitly designed for it, however -- particularly the special topic courses (these offerings vary from semester to semester; see the undergraduate office for details). Another option is an independent study. With this program, you propose a course of study for yourself for a semester -- readings, small projects, one big project, or some combination thereof, and with the help of the professor (who becomes your advisor for this course) fine-tune this into a semester-long plan. You and your advisor write this proposal up for submission to the department for approval, along with the amount of credit your advisor has determined this course of study is worth. At the end of the semester, you will be required to produce a paper describing your experiences covering this course of study during the semester, as well as attend a poster session with all the other students performing independent studies that semester. Blank Independent Study Prospectus forms can be obtained from Maria's office (Wean 4102). A third option is the Senior Honors Thesis. The goal of the program is to introduce students to the breadth of tasks involved in independent research, including library work, problem formulation, experimentation, and writing and speaking. In particular, students will present a brief midterm progress report and a public poster presentation each semester, and submit a written thesis in May. Students work closely with faculty advisors to plan and carry out their projects. Projects span the entire senior year, and students receive 18 units of academic credit each semester. Nine of these 18 can be counted toward CS elective requirements, and nine as free elective credits; hence, for most students, the thesis program replaces two courses per semester. Juniors majoring or double-majoring in Math/CS may apply for admission to the program, which will be based upon academic record and a project prospectus of no more than five pages. A prospectus must include: A description of the problem to be worked on and its significance; A description of the scope of background reading to be carried out; A description of the research work to be carried out; A description of the expected results of the research; The signature of an SCS faculty member, signifying endorsement of the project and willingness to supervise and evaluate it. Students who need help finding potential advisors should get in touch with Mark Stehlik. Both Money And Credit? No! CSD policy expressly forbids undergraduates from receiving both money and credit for the same work. What If I Don't Know What I Want To Do? If you know any professors well, you might try talking to them -- they may be looking for undergraduates in a particular capacity, or they may know someone else who is. Additionally, each semester Mark assembles a list of professors who are looking for students to perform independent studies in particular areas. This latter method is a good way to make contact with different people within the department, and get a feel for what a particular field of study is like. ---------------- GRAD SCHOOL ---------------- Approximately 25% percent of CMU computer science undergraduates go on to graduate school. Finding Schools The easiest place to find information on graduate schools is to look at the posters on the bulletin boards outside Mark Stehlik's office. However, this only covers the schools that bother to send advertisements. There are several better sources. The best way to find out about graduate schools is to talk to faculty. Find a professor who taught one of your courses. If you have an idea what field you're interested in, find a professor in that field (you can talk to Mark Stehlik or consult the CS faculty research guide to find someone). Most people will be happy to suggest good schools, to give you their opinions of other CS departments, and to tell you what they know about specific people at other schools. Mark Stehlik is a good person to talk to; he keeps a list of schools for various CS fields, updated yearly. The Career Center runs a number of sessions concerning graduate school, and the Computer Science Department runs its own Grad School Info session in mid-March. If you have a school in mind, the next step is usually Petersen's Guide to Graduate Schools; there are copies in the reference section at Hunt and E&S libraries, as well as in Mark's office. These provide you with general information about the school, of which the most useful are the phone numbers for requesting information/applications, and the application deadline. Hunt also has a large collection of college catalogs on microfiche. In these you can find descriptions of departments, degree requirements, and courses. Application deadlines usually range from around the end of December to mid-February. Remember that it may take you a few weeks to get the application after you request it and that filling out the application can be a long and tedious process. Get your applications early, if possible. Many people spend their winter breaks writing applications. The GRE Possibly the earliest thing to worry about is the Graduate Record Exams (GRE's), the graduate version of the SAT. The GRE consists of two three-hour exams: a general "SAT-like" test (with verbal, math, and logical subsections) and a test covering a specific subject (such as CS). Most schools (MIT being the most prominent exception) require you to take both the general and CS exams. The GRE is given only five times a year, and there's a five-to-six week delay between the administration of the exam and the return of your scores. To get your scores to schools with early deadlines, you need to have taken both parts by the date of the October test, which will be the first time the test is given in your senior year. It is possible, but inadvisable, to take the three-hour general test in the morning and the three-hour subject test that afternoon. It is a very good idea to take one or both parts at the end of your junior year. If you do well, it's out of your way; if not, there will still be time to retake it in October. GRE registration forms are available in the Career Center and in Mark's office. You can find sample GRE's at the CMU or Pitt bookstores, and Mark has a few books on GRE preparation (both the general and subject tests). Besides reminding you what material you might want to review, a sample test can tell you if you're likely to go too slowly and run out of time on the real exam. The computer science department also holds a GRE review session early each fall semester. Statement Of Purpose One of the few good things about graduate school applications is that the essay, or "Statement of Purpose" as it is often called, covers the same ground from school to school. They want to know (1) what subject(s) within computer science interests you and (2) how your background prepares you for this. (Sometimes only the first is your statement of purpose, and the second is an additional essay.) The first part doesn't have to be precise. If you think you want to go into either programming languages or robotics, but you don't know which, you can say so. If you know exactly what you want to do, say this. Explain why that particular school would be a good place for you to go; a good technique is to find a professor or two whose research sounds interesting and matches what you've said you want to do, and mention this person. If you've done any sort of research as an undergraduate -- even if it's not in computer science -- this is viewed as a big plus by graduate schools, and should be highlighted in the second part. This is also the place where you mention any specific courses, minors, etc. which you feel are relevant to your goal in (1). Unfortunately, summer jobs doing programming for a random company usually don't count here, unless you can explain that you were doing something really original. Recommendations Most schools require three or four letters of recommendation. A really good recommendation can significantly help your application; a bad recommendation can significantly hurt it. It's a good idea to start thinking about who could write these letters for you before your senior year. Make sure you get to know a few CS or math professors who can say good things about you. This is yet another good reason to do research as an undergraduate -- you get to know a professor well. Give out the recommendation forms several weeks before the application deadline, but be sure to check back near the deadline to make sure they haven't been forgotten or mislaid. Also, don't forget to tell the people who wrote letters of recommendation for you how things turn out. Other Application Stuff If your printing is not extremely neat, type your applications. A few applications (such as the NSF fellowship) require you to type on their forms. There are typewriters in the CS Undergrad lounge and in E&S. Also, a handful of schools (such as MIT) require you to write/type a list of all the courses you have taken arranged by subject, along with the name and author of the major textbook for each course. It's a big pain to go back and figure this out your senior year; keeping such a list as you go along would be a good idea even if you're not graduating for a few years. If you can, pick up your transcripts from the registrar in sealed envelopes and send these out with your application. The registrar's office is not perfect (surprise!), and this is an easy way to make sure your transcripts really do get out on time. Make copies of your application when you're done, in case the postal service or the school loses it. You may even want to make copies of the application before you start, in case you really mess up on one of the forms and need to start over. Acceptances (And Rejections) The majority of people accepted to Ph.D. programs in CS are awarded financial aid; usually the charge for tuition is waived, and a research or teaching assistantship is awarded to give you money to live upon (minimal food, clothing, and shelter). Many places will also pay part or all of the cost of visiting their campus for the purpose of meeting professors and current graduate students to ask questions. There's a lot less money out there for people in master's degree programs. If you don't know how far you want to go, apply to the PhD program; you can always leave early, and they're more likely to pay you. Fellowships The Career Center sponsors an informational meeting each year on graduate fellowships. Fellowship applications are very much like graduate school applications in content, but tend to be due earlier. Of greatest interest to CS people are probably the National Science Foundation, Hertz, and Department of Defense fellowships. These cover tuition and provide a stipend for the first three years of graduate school. ---------------- EMPLOYMENT ---------------- One purpose of enrolling in college is to get a job. The difficult part is finding one. (Of course, that's after graduating.) The Computer Science Department and the Career Center provide a number of services to make it easier. CS Undergrad Resume Books The CS Department compiles two Undergrad Resume Books -- one in the fall and the other in January. The fall book is for graduating seniors looking for permanent employment, and the January book is for students looking for summer work. They are distributed to employers on and off campus and provide a way for them to locate students who fulfill their job specifications. You can give a copy of your resume to Maria Fischer in Wean 4102. An announcement will be posted with the deadlines for submitting resumes. Career Center The Career Center is located in the basement of Warner Hall. It provides several services which will help you find a job or help you determine your career goals. It organizes campus visits by many companies every year. You can sign up to interview with these companies or have the center give them a copy of your resume. The Center will keep copies of your resume on file. It also has several services and handouts which will help you prepare for interviews: career counseling, information on cost of living, resume preparation, mock interviews, etc. You can register with the career center any time of the year. Interviews: What to/not to say/do The career center recommends several things that you should do to prepare yourself for an interview and things to keep in mind during the interview. Prepare yourself beforehand by assessing your skills, experiences, accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses. Note which qualities you want to convey to the interviewer. Also note those you do not want to reveal during the interview. Research the employer. You should try to determine the company's product line, industry, service, clients, and potential markets. You may also be interested in the size, location, and structure of the organization, as well as past, current, and potential future growth. Practice interview techniques by meeting with placement counselors at the Career Center or working with a friend in role-playing situations. Rehearse descriptions of your qualifications and career aspirations. Once you have scheduled an interview, plan to arrive early (10-15 minutes before the interview). Dress to project an image of confidence and success (take a shower, wash your hair, wear a suit). Prepare to bring additional materials, such as a transcript, samples of your work, and a few copies of your resume. During the interview, have a positive and cheerful attitude. Be courteous. Relax; be yourself, within reason. Try to set yourself apart from other applicants. Learn from all interview experiences. Write down everything you felt you handled right and wrong. Note any information you would want to include in a thank you letter. -------------------- LATE-NIGHT ACTIVITIES -------------------- So you've done it. You've continually put off a project, and now you're looking down the barrel of a deadline that falls due in twelve hours. It shouldn't happen often, but it does happen to almost everyone now and then. So you're going to pull an all-nighter. What should you bring? Good question. Clothing. More of it than you think you'll need. Your body temperature tends to drop as you stay up past your normal bedtime, and the clusters are, as a rule, excessively air-conditioned anyway. It's always possible to take off an extra sweater or sweatshirt; it's harder to get one when you need it, especially if you live off campus. If you do live off-campus, consider getting a locker: they're generally yours for the taking, although APhiO may eventually ask you to register yours, and they're a handy place to keep coats, books, etc. Music. While I'm not a big fan of this option, as I find that it distracts me too easily, many people like it. Even I must admit that listening to your favorite band is preferable to becoming an unwilling eavesdropper when fellow cluster residents can't modulate their voices. (Politely asking the persons in question to quiet down a bit, and bluntly telling them to shut up if they persist, is more likely to be effective, but not everyone favors the blunt approach even when it's feasible.) The DECstation 5000s in the Wean Hall 5202 cluster incorporate their own CD players, and you can get caddies and headphones from the CCon. Alternately, finding an outlet for your own isn't a problem. Earplugs. These are an option for those (like me) who don't want to listen to modulated noise (music) just to blot out ambient noise. These come in a variety of forms, most of which can be found at the nearest pharmacy; the simplest are cylinders or cones of open-cell foam rubber, which you roll narrow between your fingers and place in your ear canal. They do a great job of filtering out high-frequency sounds (mechanical noise) and a reasonable job of muffling nearby conversations. I find that they help me think more clearly. Your mileage may vary. Change. This comes in extremely handy when you want to buy a beverage or snack at 3 in the a.m. You may also want to bring snacks of your own, since the vending machines are expensive and may not always have what you want. Pharmacopia: Buffered analgesic. Eyedrops. Antihistamines or other allergy blockers. Obviously, this is a lot of stuff to lug around. No one says that you have to bring all or even any of it. It can, however, be useful, and it's nice to have when you're stuck in the cluster and can't afford to go back for it. Here are some of the many fun things you can do when you're up and waiting for a clean compile. Tour Wean Hall. Admire the many witty clippings people leave on their doors to keep the bare cement walls from reminding them that they live and work in a place which bears a close architectural kinship to Sing-Sing. On the third floor, behind glass doors which you can't get through, is CMU's own Jacked-In Coke machine. You can, from anywhere on the planet, finger coke@cs.cmu.edu and find out which beverages are cold and available. Admire the SCS moss garden. This is the area visible through the window at the end of the 5200 corridor, past all of the clusters. Legend has it that more than seven different species of moss reside there. Of course, legend also has it that the whole thing is a prototype for an advanced holographic display. So much for forgotten lore. Go to the Lounge. Play ping-pong. Doodle on the lounge chalkboards. (Legions of CS students sick and tired of staring at self-important Software Engineering diagrams will be quietly grateful to see something frivolous.) ---------------- BEVERAGES ---------------- Caffeinated The overall winner for helping one stay up all night is caffeine. It's legal and it works. The most common form of caffeine ingested here late at night is pop. Cheap pop can be found in the Undergraduate Lounge, WeH 5336, (fifty cents for a 20oz plastic bottle) and in David Tuma Labs in Hamerschlag Hall (thirty cents for a 12 oz can). To save you the math, they are the same price per ounce. Warning: Caffeine is a drug and has withdrawal symptoms. Some of these are sleepiness (Duh!), sleeplessness (Really), irritability, and headaches. If you do a lot of caffeine for a long period of time, you may get these symptoms if you quit cold turkey. If you decide to lower your caffeine intake, do it gradually. Non-Caffeinated Fruit juices are very good for helping you stay awake without using caffeine. They aren't are good as caffeinated beverages, but they also don't have many of the side effects. There is a cheap (fifty cents per can) fruit juice machine in Hamerschlag Hall next to the Coke and Pepsi machines mentioned above. Also, avoid milk and dairy products. They have a substance in them that makes one tired. As a depressant, alcohol is obviously out for those late-night work sessions. ---------------- SOLID FOOD ---------------- What follows is a sampling of SAC opinions on places to eat. Your mileage may vary, although if you know of a place we should include or that the recommendation is really wrong, let the SAC know. Pretty much the only late night food delivery places in Pittsburgh are pizza places. Recommendations: Ardolino's (681-4114): good, but exponential delivery time. Domino's (681-1700): in some cities, Domino's is good and edible. Pittsburgh is not one of them. Larry & Carol's (687-1189): good, but exponential delivery time. Pizza Hut (421-1111): generic Pizza Hut; see below. They take purchase orders. Pizza Outlet (687-9555): generic, cheap, pretty good. Pizza Perfectta (661-9991): good quality, interesting toppings, reasonable delivery time. A bit pricy sometimes, but they take purchase orders, too. Sorrento's (621-9129): good, New York style pizza and Italian food. If you're going out, here are some places grouped by distance from CMU (* = place that's open late, or reasonably so): Places on campus: Co-op: good deli sandwiches, convenience store stuff. *Entropy: convenience store. Has microwave burritos. GSO coffeehouse: a health hazard, and overpriced. Scotland Yard: good munchies, sandwiches. Places to eat within close walking distance: Ali Baba: middle-eastern. Good Non-Veg dishes, somewhat pricy, good desserts. Arabica: coffee shop, expensive desserts. Pap's pizza: closes pretty early, but good, cheap pizza. Star of India: not too expensive, good Indian food *Subway: open to midnight. Like every other Subway on earth. Yum Wok: open to 10? Generic chinese. Places in 10-15 minutes walking distance (Oakland): The Attic: big portions; live music; lots of TV Beehive: coffeeshop. Overpriced cheesecake is the only solid food. *CJ Barney's: A bit pricy, variable quality. Burgers, mexican. Dave & Andy's: GREAT homemade ice cream. Best sundae in the 'burgh! *Hemingway's: yuppie place, kind of pricy. Good, generic food. *McDonald's: cookie-cutter fast food. *Miami Subs: Mediocre subs, but open extremely late. Sbarro: Like every other Sbarro you've ever been to. Sito's: middle-eastern, pretty cheap, will deliver, 683-7486 Szechuan Express: better than Yum Wok and still cheap. *Oakland Original (The O): Classic greasepit. Open extremely late. Pamela's: Good diner. Closes way early. Pizza Hut: The food at the Oakland Pizza Hut is of lower quality than usual. *Primanti's: Smallish sandwiches, but good. Fries & slaw inside, as is proper. *Roy Rogers: really nasty food. Sorrento's: good pizza, Italian sandwiches Uncle Sam's: subs. If you've ever had an authentic Philly cheesesteak, don't bother. Philistines seem to enjoy this place, though. Seriously, though, the subs are good. Wendy's: Not much to say, really. Decent enough quality. Wharf on Forbes: as skanky as the name sounds, they have good fish sandwiches and stuff, and they're pretty cheap. Winner's: Good, cheap Korean. Places in larger walking distance: Oakland: *Mad Mex: good mexican food, amazing beer & tequilla selection. As a result, not a work night place to eat. Centre Avenue Area: Charlie's: good salads, subs, great cheesesteaks. Try the fried ice cream. Kiku Express: Japanese fast food. Good. *Ritter's: classic cheap diner. Open way late. Taco Bell: cheap intestinal doom. Shadyside/Bloomfield: Arabica: coffee shop, expensive desserts. Balcony: a bit expensive, but good food *Cappy's: small bar with excellent burgers. Cozumel: really sucky mexican/one vote says it's fairly good *Doc's: a bar, but good burgers and sandwiches. Hot Licks: wings, burgers, etc La Feria: Peruvian food; GREAT veggie selection; very friendly service *Max & Erma's: Friday's style yuppie place. Good food. Garbage Burger Rules Pamela's: good diner. Closes way early. Szechuan gourmet: good chinese, kind of fancy. Family-style. Squirrel Hill (Squill): Bageland: they make great bagels Bagel Nosh: they buy the bagels from Bageland and make pricy sandwiches. Boston Chicken: chicken, good for a change. Eat-n-Park: generic diner chain, pretty good, get a smiley cookie. Gullifty's: nice atmosphere, great desserts. Ho Lee Chow: random oriental (no shit) Mineo's: pizza place Napoli: pizza place, good Sicilian pizza, huge pizza. Pamela's: this Pamela's is a little variable in quality. Closes way early. Vincent's: a knockoff of the Vincent's in Forest Hills, good Italian food