Jaqui
The most popular student group is Blue Key. This is the student-run campus tour group. They can be seen taking high school students around campus for the college tours all the time and when you see them, if you know the guide, feel free to give a shout-out! Another popular group is Special Olympics Committee. Joining this is very competitive but extremely worth it. They are the ones that organize the annual Special Olympics Pennsylvania weekend that is probably the most looked-forward-to weekend for most students during the whole year. I'd have to say that those are the two most popular groups on campus.
Josephine
The most popular organizations/clubs would be CAT (Campus Activities Team) or Inter-Hall council. Many people get involved with these clubs because you get the opportunity to create events for other students. For instance, CAT organizes movie weekends ever week, where they would bring in a movie that is out of theaters but not on DVD yet. Inter-hall council is also a great way to get involved with the people in your dorm; for example, people that are part of Inter-hall council can host a barbecue party in the fall for the people in their dorm. I am involved with Rays of Sunshine, which is a great opportunity to give back to your community; Rays of Sunshine sends students to inner-city Philadelphia schools/day-care centers to tutor their students.
Melissa
Everyone loves to go to the basketball games - and they're FREE. Blue key (the tour group) is the most competitive club to get into on campus, even though they aren't paid to do it! The athletes are all pretty close with each other, and most people who aren't athletes join a frat/sorority. Parties are everyday for those who want it, but most people choose to stick to the weekends.
Kathleen
The most popular student activities are Blue Key and Student Government. Blue Key is a prestigious organization to be in - they are the faces of Villanova, as they are the ones who give the tours to potential students.
Athletic events are pretty popular. The most popular are football and basketball games. Men's basketball, if you don't know, is huge at our school. It's part of what brings Villanova together. Even if you don't like basketball (like I didn't before I went to VIllanova), you'll soon love it after attending your first Nova game. You can't help it.
I met my closest friends during freshman orientation - and I'm currently a senior. I'm still best friends with many of them. I even met my current boyfriend during freshman orientation, and we've been dating for two years now.
Greek life does exist on campus, but it is not necessary to join a frat or sorority to meet people. Although I joined a sorority my freshman year, I met many of my friends through other organizations I've joined.
If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday night, I'm probably watching a movie with my friends. I was never interested in drinking, and I never had a problem finding fun things to do that don't involve alcohol. Philly is a train ride away, and there's always stuff to do there. King of Prussia Mall (the second largest mall in America) is 15 minutes away, and Villanova has a shuttle that runs to it. There are always always always events held on campus, like free movies in the cinema every weekend.
Andy
The end of an ROTC ceremony.
Andy
The end of an ROTC ceremony.
Andy
The end of an ROTC ceremony.
Alexandra
Okay, college kids don't sleep. And when we do its during the day on weekends. End of story.
Toby
Villanova hosts the annual Special Olympics for Pennsylvania. There are roughly 12 events ranging from soccer and bocee, to roller skating. It is the largest student run Special Olympcis in the world! We have it on wikipedia.org and have been recognized heavily. I have been involved and am on the committee. We cover every aspect of the event and have over 3000 athletes and 2000 volunteers each year. We are going on our 20th anniversary this year and can't wait!
I lived in a learning community dorm; which gives kids the option to live with others of their same interest. My category was leadership. So you live with these kids and have a class with some of them once a week. It was great and everyone developed a great relationship. I knew basically everyone in my dorm of about 200. People would leave their doors open all the time, talk a lot, watch sports together (football every sunday) and had a blast.
Sorrorities and Frats are big on campus. Most of the party scene goes through them or an athletic team/club. Sports are big. Especially men's tennis. They have been getting in some new players with a new coach and are really revamping the program. Basketball is huge as we have a great time and a great coach. They play their big games at the Wachovia center where the 76ers play. Its a great venue. Football sucks, its D I AA. The guys think they are big time, but they dont win much.
Ryan
The most popular groups/orgs on campus are SGA, Special Olympics, Greek Life, Blue Key, Orientation, Campus Ministry. It's unfortunate, though, that membership in any one of these groups usually guarantees admission into another of these groups.
More attention should be paid to more quirky, offbeat groups - music groups, art club, gay-straight coalition, etc.
Students leave doors open freshman year... and that's about it.
Lots of sorority girls. Lots of sketchy frat parties off campus.
Athletics = a way of life, for some.
Theater = mildly popular. Great talented kids, they need better resources (the undergrad auditorium is awful), and more students who want to come out and see them perform!
Partying happens a lot. Res Life is way too strict on the whole, then again Nova freshmen and sophomores aren't too smart on the whole when it comes to drinking responsibly...
Honestly, not much to do on a Sat night on campus if you don't drink. Occasionally there's a dance or event, but so often the campus is totally DEAD.
Off campus isnt really an option unless you have a ride or a car.
Frisbee team = a lot of fun. the guys' team is pretty well-known but the women's team definitely needs more support, financially and from fellow novans.
Nicole
Blue Key, Ambassadors, And Student Government are the most popular clubs on campus and are also very competitive to get into. There are also 9 sororities and 11 Frats. Freshman year students leave their doors open. Basbetball is huge, football not as much. Dates dont exist on campus unless your already dating some one. People party 3-4 nights a week. When the work load gets heavy probably 2 nights. On a weekend if you don't want to drink you can go into philly. The train runs through campus. Or you can go to King of Prussia Mall which is HUGE and we have a shuttle from campus. Near the mall is also the movie theater. There is also a movie theater on campus as well as a video store. And MUCH more
Leslie
As a quiet more reserved student, it was hard for me at first to put myself out there and meet lots of students even with the large amount of opportunities the school offered. When sorority recruitment finally rolled around, I ate my words about "not being the sorority type" and signed up. Going in with an open mind I found myself a new member of Delta Gamma sorority and slowly but surely, made a place for myself within the chapter. Now as the chapter president in my Junior and senior year, I know that getting involved with DG opened doors to friendships, social opportunities, and involvement in various programs and clubs outside of greek life. The chapter also pushed me to excel in academics, volunteer on and off campus, and placed more responsibility on me to make smart decisions and be proactive in time and money management.
Austin
There are tons of activities, clubs, organizations, and whatnot, but most of them are pretty much just another form of "networking" or some such nonsense. A cappella is great, and the drama department is awesome. However, when it comes tot he student body, you'll find that no one is really interested in anything outside of basketball games and frat parties/ sorority formals. Philly is RIGHT THERE! Take a train, it's on campus. Go to New York City for the day, it's only two hours away by train. Seriously, there are so many things you can do that are interesting, and as long as you have your own motivation and you don't let other people slow you down, you'll have no trouble whatsoever of finding things to do. Also, depending on your major and how serious you are about what you want to do, you may have TONS of work... do it, because you need to and you'll thank yourself afterwards. If you don't have work, go to a seminar, watch a lecture, take notes, study them, read a book about something you're interested in, INVEST IN YOURSELF. Where you go should never limit you. Villanova gives you everything you need. Don't let anyone else get in your way.
Carolina
Special Olympics is onne of the most popular organizations as well as rays of sunshine and greek life. In freshman and sophmore dorms most students leave their doors open, junior year apartment doors are usually closed. Basketballl games are really popular. Some guest speakers are popular, theater not so much. Most people are dating monogomously. I met my closest friends through classes, programs, and dorms. If you are awake at 2 am on a Tuesday im usually outside with my friends or up talking to my roomate. Homecoming is an awesoem event as well as the white/blue basketball game and novafest. People party pretty often either in other peoples dorm rooms, or ticket parties. Sororities and fraternities are important even though i never joined one.
Crystie
Service is really popular on campus. On Special Olympics weekend, 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus volunteers, making it the largest student-run Special Olympics in the world. Other than that, many Villanovans are athletes and participate in intramurals and always go to the basketball games. Service is definitely the dominant type of club to be in though. I always leave my door open when I'm at my dorm, in order to meet anyone who walks past. Most people stop too! If I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, I am usually sitting in my room with a bunch of friends playing my guitar and just hanging out. Fraternities and Sororities just exist as another club to be in. It is not exclusive in the least and only 33{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students become involved in it. If you're not in one, you can still go to their events.
Eric
The groups and organizations are part of what make Villanova great. The students are brilliant and do a lot to get involved in the community. It is easy to make friends by joining clubs. The fraternities are not as dominant as in other schools, but they still are the major player in the social life. There is so much to do off campus, which is a good thing because the campus itself is dull on the weekends.
Courtney
There is alot to do if you join a sorority or fraternity. It is an overall very fun party scene and there is philly close by to go do something in. Ticket parties are fun. Alpha Chi Omega is great! The activities are good but some are hard to get into.
Erin
Lots of activities to participate in. Always something going on around campus. Easy to take the train into Philadelphia. Lots of resturants and shopping (King of Prussia Mall) nearby.
Trish
Sororities and Fraternities are popular on campus. Most students won't leave their doors open. Athletic events, especially basketball, are extremely popular. I met my closest friends in my dorm room and through music activities. I usually do work late at night on weekdays.
Peter
Basketball is king on the campussdoing work at 2 a.m. on a tuesday
some people go out five days a week some hardly ever go out