University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

Extremely high ratio of basic (though obviously intelligent) people (unoriginal, cookie-cutter, safe, and usually boring in appearance, beliefs, behavior)

Many of the introductory classes have too many students, so you aren't able to get to know the professor very well.

Parking. But that's every city, right?

The upper-class housing is generally far from the main grounds and housing can be hard to obtain. We therefore have to figure out housing for our second year before first semester even ends!

I believe that the worst thing about U. V. A. is the great number of students who come from America's elite. Having been raised by a single mother, who worked so hard to ensure that we had a roof over our head, it is difficult to blend well with so many students who are no stranger to expensive clothes, purses, and electronics. They seem to have access to unlimited funds and it can make a student such as myself, who's had to work since I was 15 years old, feel very intimidated and out of place.

The worst thing about UVA is the competition, even though that can also be a good thing. Everything is competitive, from the classes to the clubs. So many students at UVA want to be involved in community service, for example, that many community service organizations on-grounds (we are a bit pretentious, so we have "grounds," not a campus) have a competitive process. The competition can push students to work harder, but it can also discourage some students from being involved.

It's very homogenous. Most of the students are upper class and white. Minorities are abundant but stick to themselves and don't seem to have much of an impact. An international perspective is stressed but so many of the students are the same.

I do not feel like the personalities of the people who go to school at The University of Virginia are diverse enough. The people at Brown Residential College are the most diverse; however, they are similar to one another in a way than the rest of the school.

Our school is not diverse enough and is less than optimally tolerant of diversity. This includes both racial diversity and diversity of sexual orientation. The school is fairly diverse in its students' beliefs.

The worst thing about the school is the size. There are so many people that it is very easy to feel lost or uncomfortable in the new surroundings. I rarely pass the same people twice and I don't see familiar faces too often unless I seek them out. There is also so many different types of people that it takes awhile to find your own niche. It is important to get involved.

I honestly, absolutely love every aspect of the Universtiy of Virginia! Well, maybe except for the food... The food is not terrible, but it isn't the best. There are days in which the dining hall serves something that I actually really enjoy. However, there are some days that I find myself eating what ever microwavable food I find in my dorm room. Other than that rather minor issue, I am in love with my school :)

Everything at UVa is really competitive. I understand that it challenges students to become better and push themselves, but I feel like if you want to be involved in an activity, you should be allowed to. I know so many people (me included) who have applied to do things and been turned down. Even at a school of 13,000 undergrads, it's cliquey.

The worst part of UVa is scheduling classes. The academic advisors do not take as much time as I would like to help students determine which classes they need/want to take in the upcoming semester. The advisors assume that because of how driven everyone is here, all of the students already know the difficulty level and how interesting each class is. So, get help choosing classes. It can be confusing, especially early in your college career.

The worst thing (to me) about University of Virginia has to be the parking. Then again, you face that problem at every major university, but finding general parking here is impossible. Of course, I don't expect that to change really but, it's really inconvenient. While they have plenty of garages, most of them are for special events and it's difficult to find accessible parking for family or friend visits throughout the semester.

It is so big that it can seem hard to make close relationships. It is easy to feel like just another person in the crowd.

The worst thing about the University of Virginia is the strict honor code. Do not get me wrong, I believe in honorable behavior. However, the honor committee at UVA will immediately expel anyone caught cheating. I love the community of trust, but I believe this punishment is extreme. If people can be expelled for cheating, they should also be able to be expelled for other crimes. It is not fair that a student caught cheating on his homework should recieve a harsher punishment than a student who is caught selling drugs or assaulting other students.

I don't think it is as intellectually stimulating as my home.

The liberty to choose one's own academic endeavor is the purpose of the University of Virginia, however, in this endeavor each student is allowed to deicde their own course schedule. The worst part about this academic freedom is that many of the most enlightening and desireable classes have waitlists up to 100 people and are nearly impossible to get into. This is the worst part about the school since one sometimes cannot enroll in courses for their major and may have to resort to taking them during the summer or over the holiday break.

The worst thing about my school was the lack of transition between high school and college. There should be some program that will help incoming freshman to ease into the social and academic aspect of college. If there was such a program it would be easier for students when they attend their first class on the first day of school.

I think it's too big for everyone to get to know each other and make a connection. Less people would mean you could see more people you know, get to know them better, and really build a community.