Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

As a theatre student, I'm always at the theatre. I work with the other technical students & I party with them as well. The second semester, I would go to two to three parties on weekends when work wasn't so stressful. I actually met my closest friend in our stagecraft class. We would go out to dinner together & we became closer. I'm a scenic painter & she's an actress, so we do have different schedules at times but we do make time for one another. Dating life is kind of hard for me. I did have a few flings with upperclassmen acting majors but one graduated, the other is a lying player & the last one? He and I are very close now. I know a friend, he's an acting major, who met an art major in his dorm. I would say Brandt is the most unsocial dorm because you have suits & such. Johnson & Rhoads are crappy, so you have to leave your doors open so you don't boil up or freeze & this gives you opportunities to meet others on your floor.

Rhoads hall seems to be the most community type dorm while GRC and brant seem to be the most private dorms but you can keep to your own schedule better, johnson seemed to be some what of a mix. When i went to a tour i was told "if you want to party every night you can do it" and that was pretty true (didn't do it but had plenty of friends that did). At the same time though there were plenty of things that were academic and/or mature that you could do.

After awhile campus life feel very home like and the atmosphere is like being with family. Living in the dorms is comfortable yet allows room for privacy. Being with friends is awesome. there is so much to do. There are hundreds of activities to become involved with. The most popular sport is mens basketball. Many go out and support the guys, even painting their faces with our black and gold colors. Friends are the BEST part of college life. They are like a support system, basically a family! I met my closest friends in the student commons everyday. We first met each other in class. After a while we became more open and began to get to know each other better. The weekends were so much fun. We partied sometimes and took advantage living the life in the city. We could party without drinking or drugs because we had each other. Campus was never boring.

VCU always has something going on. Whether it is a Thursday night dance party or a late Tuesday night working on homework you will be busy. In my dorm many people would leave there door open, in fact that is how i met some of my best friends from 8 floors below me. On weekends during the warmer months many people venture to belle isle which is a nice park off the James River.

At VCU you are bound to find a club that is going to appeal to your interest. There are also Greek fraternities and sororities if you were thinking about pledging. Social life is pretty big there are alot of things to do in Richmond and there are a slew of event that happen around VCU that are entertaining including parties, step shows, fashoin shows and many other events. Parties are cool, depends on which one you go to that you will really have fun. There are parties that happen in the University Commons that are pretty good and there are also night clubs around Richmond.

If you live off campus and work you really won't have time. Just get to know your teachers and counselors. Teachers and Counselors are key to a smoothe college experience.

I met my closest friends through CHristian organizations like Every Nation Campus Ministries and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Popular organizations on campus would revolve around Greek Organizations (which focus a lot on academics, philanthropy efforts and community unity), SGA (which focuses on the school and it's happenings), and Philanthropy Organizations (such as Habitat for Humanity and S.A.V.E.S.). Some students in dorms leave their doors open. When I lived in the dorms my Freshman year of college, I would if I was in the room but otherwise I kept it locked. I was just brought up that way. I don't recall anything being stolen though from others when I lived in the dorms. Athletic events are quite popular. Mostly basketball which is our top sport. Guest speakers are becoming more popular. Usually the students who put themselves out there more are the ones who attend the speakers. They are getting better and better each year actually. As for the dating scene, I know that the scene is large because of the large population. As for me, I have been dating the same guy for the past 4 years (including part of high school) so I am not personally familiar with the dating scene myself. My sorority sisters though are not having too many problems with it though. :) I met most of my closest friends through Hillel and Alpha Epsilon Phi. They have really changed my life and have taught me many things that I doubt I would have learned if it wasn't for me putting myself out there and taking risks. If I were awake at 2am on a Tuesday I would probably being watching t.v. or surfing the internet. I know a lot of students do their hw and readings and papers at that time but I usually do that during the day and relax at night. It's better that way I think so you can have more time with friends. Traditions each year: Homecoming is fun (I was nominated for Homecoming Queen this past year) where we have a Chill-n-Grille and Basketball Game, the Healthy Relationships Fair which is hosted by S.A.V.E.S. (and was co-sponsored this past year by my sorority), and Sorority Rush which is always fun to participate in. As for partying, it depends. I would say I am not much of a partier. I'd say that I party about 3 or 4 times a month. It depends on the course load and activities I am involved in. Greek Life on campus is becoming a larger part of VCU because of their involvement in Campus Activities and Philanthropic Events. One misconception about Greek Organizations is that they drink a lot and aren't that great academically. In actuality, students who are in a Sorority or Fraternity have an overall GPA which is higher than the average student on campus, and no, we do not drink every weekend. We have so many other things to do than just that. On the weekends and throughout the week, we plan social events with other organizations, put together events for other students to attend, participate in campus games and attend concerts. We hang out with friends, watch movies, shop in Cary Town (great place by the way!) and just have fun. Off campus you can go to ShortPump Mall, ShockoeBottom, Walk around MayMont Park, take day trips to Washington D.C., Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. There is always something going on!

Plenty to do in Richmond. Good bars, but also lots of sober activities like art shows.

I am a musician...I practice...That is my life. However, there are those around me that have no life with me, and therefore, can console my problems in the practice dungeons. I love this aspect about VCU because there are so many of them!