Virginia Commonwealth University Top Questions

I love VCU. We are one of the diverses universities in Virginia! You will meet people from all over the country and all over the world. Every ethnicity, in my opinion, is represented at VCU. No person feels left out. The only thing I would change is the way our campus is set up. We are one with the city..which can be a good thing...but it eliminates the full college campus feel. Our campus is literally on the street. But I feel like it adds to the flavor of VCU. Our school population is to large! We have over 30,000 students making us the largest university in VA and we have NO WHERE TO PUT ALL THESE STUDENTS! That's another downfall about VCU. They keep accepting all these students and there is no dorm space and no classroom space! They are building a new dorm and new buildings so I guess that can compensate for their increase in admission. We are building better school pride. Being that our major sport is basketball people are generally hyped up about school pride but it could always be better. VCU is great. There are problems with commuting and parking because VCU doesn't have any control over the street parking, just the decks. But like any big city..parking is always going to be a problem. Other than that...VCU is great.

The best thing about VCU is the diversity of things to do. Because we are an inner-city school there is so much to be seen and done. The only thing I would change about VCU is to get a football team - our school has so much school pride during basketball season I feel that we should be able to have this year round. When I tell people I go to VCU everyone asks "Isn't it dangerous and scary there?" Of course my reply is no. I tell them it isn't what they think it is. Most my time on campus is spent in classes - mainly the Life Science building. I don't think of VCU as a typical college town, which in my opinion is good, because there as so many other things to do besides party and sleep. VCU administration is very helpful. THERE IS TONS OF SCHOOL PRIDE DURING BASKETBALL SEASON!!!!!! THe on experience I will always remember was when VCU beat duke. The only student complaint I have heard is that it is hard to find parties... truthfully, if you don't know that many people then yes it is hard so make sure to make A LOT of friends!!!!

The best thing about VCU would be the diversity and the city setting. While everything is close, it doesn't feel cluttered. I would change some of the faculty though. It seems like because the classes are so large in some instances that the instructors could care less if the students are actually learning or just spitting out info. Most of my time on campus was spent in other dorms, in the commons area, or at the gym. I wouldn't call it so much a college town, but a college campus. The surrounding area is like any normal city. The VCU administration is kind of slack at times. There are a lot that seem like they are only there for the paycheck and could care less about helping the next generation of leaders expand their minds. A common complaint would certainly have to be student housing. With such a big area, you would think that they would have more places to stay. And one thing that definitely makes people mad is that there is NO FOOTBALL TEAM! If VCU had a football team, not only would the students be happier, but there would be more money coming in to the area for those teachers that want a bigger paycheck.

If I visit UVA's campus, I would of course see no one sporting a JMU or certainly not a VT sweater. I see this on our campus daily. Why? Because we have no school spirit. I don't think it's because we aren't a good school, I think it's because we promote diversity and individualism so much that we have lost sense of what holds us together. Our community. If I could change one thing about VCU I would stop emphasizing how diverse we are, and start focusing on how much we are alike. It is almost considered uncool to support the VCU community because that would imply that we would have to be "just one of the many". This is really what prevents us from having any school spirit or pride. That and we don't have a football team.

VCU is in the city, but don't come here thinking you're going to be living in New York or Los Angeles. It's not be filled the trendy clubs and restaurants (although you can find some)but it has a lot of charm nonetheless. The student body is huge...the biggest in VA. You can go to the cafeteria or the library for days and not see a single face you recognize. But most people find the student body to be super friendly and down earth and easily find their core group of friends in the first semester. and it makes the campus seem a lot smaller. Every type of person you can find here...from pothead hippies to sorority girls to black power enthusiasts. As far as the size of the campus goes, there are two campuses, the Medical Campus and the campus for basically everything else. I find the campus where I am (Monroe Park) to be condense. None of my classes are more than a 10 minute walk from my dorm room and you have the library, cafeteria, dorms, theater, and student commons all very close to one another. As I mentioned before, Richmond might not be glitzy like LA or NYC but in art it is as modern and exciting as bigger cities. There are so many galleries and exhibitions all throughout Carrytown, the Fan, and Downtown.

Best Thing: Accepting and Open Minded atmospher One thing I'd Change: I would make services known to VCU students, many people are unaware of what VCU actually is offering them! Size of Campus: Just right for me :) Reaction to VCU: I get a variety of reactions- however many are interested in coming themselves. Spend most time on campus: In the library or classes College Town?: VCU is an extremely urban campus- but it has a lot to offer its students! A mixture of both. VCU Administration: Accomodating Biggest Controversy on Campus: Anti-Abortion activists caught many peoples attention... School pride: There is a good sense of school pride-- I am very proud! Growing school pride... Unusual: Not to me! One expereince you will always remember: The first day of classes my freshman year. I went to a school where I only had 60 people in my grade, so walking into a lecture room of 300+ was shocking! But i loved it! Most frequent student complaints: We want a football team!!

The best thing about VCU is that there is tons to do in Richmond. I've never been bored and I have such a diverse group of friends. The only thing I would change is the parking situation. Parking is too expensive and it sucks. If you don't think you can learn how to parallel park or you don't have money to pay for parking, then don't come here. Or get a bike. When I tell people I go to VCU they aren't impressed. I am a senior nursing student so I spend all of my time at MCV hospital. I literally spend more time there then I do anywhere else. Richmond isn't really a college town. There's not a lot of school pride. School is not what brings people together here, it's more about the art and the music and just going out and having a good time. ~The best time in Richmond is in the summer when most of the students are gone and life revolves around sitting on the front porch drinking and going swimming in the river.~Put that in your book, because it's true!

VCU is too large in my opinion. People tell me I should be scared of getting shot or mugged at VCU, and it makes me mad. I spend most of my time either in shafer or with my friends when I'm on campus. There is a ton of school pride, we bleed black and gold you know.

VCU is not part of a "college town." We are located in the heart of our cap city and it's great! No matter what time it is, there is always somewhere to go, and always people around you to go with. The nice thing about Richmond is that you can enjoy the fast paced lifestyle, or you can live in a relaxed environment. The school is large, but that just makes for more people to hang out with and easier to find more people who share your interests!

I LOVE HOW DIVERSE VCU IS!!!!! a couple weeks ago, when the weather got really warm, i was sitting with a friend outside of the dining hall and we just watched everyone come out and enjoy the weather. There were so many different people that you normally never see and its amazing how diverse this school is. I LOVE IT!! I would probably have to change the fact that since we are such a big school, its hard to get your voice heard. Its hard to stick out. I think our school is perfect. The only thing I dont like is the fact that the classes are huge so you never really get a chance to know your professors. I like being at a big school especially in the city. A lot of people haven't really heard of VCU.. it is becoming more and more known which i love... BUT I REALLY WANT A FOOTBALL TEAM!!!!!! I spend most of my time on campus at work, class, shafer, commons, friends' houses, and the basketball games! I think if you have an issue, some administration people actually hear what you have to say, but it is hard to convince a faculty member to listen and to fix problems, especially when you have a problem with a certain teacher. The recent controversy on campus would have to be improving campus security. There is only so much you can do on VCU property because it is an open campus. I think they have done a great job so far in alerting student if an emergency came up. I believe there is a lot of school pride. Everyday I see 1 in 4 people wearing clothes that have VCU somewhere on it. MOST FREQUENT STUDENTS COMPLAINTS: Campus is too big, shafer sucks, no housing, better crosswalks!!!!!