As a grad student at UvA

<p>I am a current grad student who will be at UvA for two more years and some things i was wondering, for both undergrad and other grad students: 1. What are some of the more popular pasttimes of UvA students during weeknights and weekends? In other words, are the stereotypical college activities considered the most popular around here, or is this generally considered a school where students prefer club activities, going to churches or other religious events or getting involved in social activism?</p>

<p>I ask as a grad student here who is trying to figure out exactly what the social scene is and so this is simply an issue of my curiosity being piqued, so to speak. At this point I know how to find social clubs and churches and synagogues and community service centers and what not. I was wondering if students here would be able to share perspectives on how popular they are with the student body here. I do think the fact that we have had to expand our ABC ALcohol control unit suggests that most of the student body does not care about these things and cares more about traditional college experiences, so to speak, but maybe I am wrong here.</p>

<p>Weeknights clubs are more popular (though the nickname “Thirsty Thursday” exists for a reason). Weekend parties are more popular than clubs. Sports and tailgating are popular. House/apartment smaller parties are also popular and off the grid compared to frat parties. The nice thing about UVA is that it is so big and the interests are so varied. I never drank at all and there’s an email list Hoos Sober that sends out non alcohol related events every week (good for people who don’t drink as well as people who drink who want to do non-drinking activities sometimes too). But I was definitely in the minority. Grad students are different - you have so much work all the time and everything.</p>

<p>Across the country, college aged kids rarely spend much time in churches or synagogues. That was true 30 years ago when I was at UVa and it is true today. Many younger people return to religious services after they have kids.</p>

<p>The last time I checked a few weeks ago, there were 924 student orgs on the books. There is a lot going on here. Get on the Hoos Sober list if you tend to have flier blindness and don’t see the notices about everything going on. :)</p>

<p>Plenty of UVa students attend religious services. Visiting one of the houses of worship skirt the Grounds a few times and that will be very clear.</p>