<p>I got accepted but haven't seen the school yet. I'm just worried that it is such a big school that it will be hard to meet friends and develop relationships with professors. Can anyone share any experiences?</p>
<p>In my opinion, a college can never be too big to make friends. If interacting with complete strangers is a problem for you, no worries because I’m like that too! You will definitely find friends if you find people with similar interests to you. Join a club, go Greek, or join a sport, and you will be sure to find similar people to yourself. Also, your roommate will probably be your first friend, so make sure to establish a connection right away with your roommate. For me, I found friends through joining band, jazz band, and honors classes, so there was a lot of overlap between people I was around. Also, you can find friends within your intended major/study of interest, so take advantage of seeing the same people in classes and make friends with them ASAP! 
The sooner you reach out to people, the sooner you will find a group of friends that are similar to yourself. </p>
<p>Professors may be more difficult to get to know due to medium to large required introductory classes as a freshman. Go to office hours, participate in class when necessary, and ask relevant questions.</p>
<p>You will probably have no trouble meeting new people and making friends as a freshman as long as you start talking to people right away. Also, the fairly large amount of students ensures many possible friends to talk to. Virginia Tech’s size is a happy medium because you can establish a solid group of friends but still see new people every day!</p>
<p>Charles, the size of VT worried me (not my kids) at first, too. I went to a small LAC and wondered if there would be an opportunity for them to get to know their professors well or if they would feel overwhelmed by the size of the student body. Personally, my worries were for naught. My son is about to graduate in May and has had ample opportunities to do undergraduate research with two different departments, has cross-curricular references on his resume because of the great relationships he has formed with those professors. It is up to you to make this happen, though. Contact people early that you would like to work with, let them know that you will do whatever they need to assist them in their respective endeavors. It is a win-win situation for both. </p>
<p>On the social front, again, so many opportunities are there for you. There are small clubs, larger clubs, something for everyone. You need to just put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to branch out and stretch yourself socially. Honestly, as much as I loved my undergraduate experience, I have said many times that I think I would have preferred to go to a larger school now after seeing all of the possibilities for social and academic VT offers. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you! Go visit and allow yourself to see what there is in Blacksburg first hand. :)</p>