1- Do the students make good use of the James River and the city? Do shuttles go to the river or do you need someone with a car?
2-Do you personally find the students warm and friendly? Is it cliquey?
3)Please be honest: Does it feel like the “cool kids” go to the Greek parties and if you go to Spider Nights you’re not considered “cool”? BTW, the Spidernight events look fun, but I wonder if they are not well attended.
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Are the majority of the professors engaging?
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Do students attend the basketball and football games? Is tailgating poplular?
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I know they have lots of clubs, but do students actively participate in them? Do they really provide a social network? I wonder if freshman hang out with their dorm friends and clubs are just something to do 1 hr per week.
I know the academics are great and the campus is lovely, but I just want to get a better sense of social life and the community vibe.
Thank you so much.
If anyone wants to PM me that’s fine too:)
My answers will be second hand from my kids (one just graduated, the other is a current freshman.)
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I don’t believe the shuttles go to the river. Public transit in Richmond isn’t the best but my eldest managed with no car and middle will too. Uber is a popular transportation tool as well as zip cars. Eldest Didn’t go to the James a ton but enjoyed it when she did.
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like all colleges, it can be warm and friendly and clichy. All depends on the crowd you keep. Eldest fell into her crowd quickly. Middle had to try a few groups to find his people but he did.
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the Greek system is changing. The parties won’t be open to everyone as they were prior to this year. Now parties are by invitation and no one, including the Greeks are all that happy about it. It’s something that came down from National so probably the same at all colleges soon. I’m not sure what that will do to the dynamics. My eldest said in her time, everyone tried the frat parties at some point whether they were cool or not. Some people liked the spidernights but she wasn’t all that into them. She planned things with her circle of friends… son seems to be going the same way.
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my kids have absolutely loved their professors. I met several at graduation and was impressed by how supportive and invested they were.
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basketball games are well attended, particularly against VCU who is their in town rival. Football not as much. No idea about tailgating.
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eldest didn’t do clubs. She hung out with dorm friends and random students she befriended through various classes and programs. Her department was very close and family like as well and she did a lot with them. Middle joined a club and made a lot of friends. He seems to spend all his time with them. He’s also starting a club with some friends.
Like I said, second hand knowledge but hope that helps.
@turtletime Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all of my many questions:))
I can answer some questions secondhand as well, those I don’t know about I won’t answer… S just started this year.
S says kids are all really friendly. He did the Endeavor program (new this year) so met kids immediately before school started (I’d highly recommend this, or at least doing Roadmap). His best friends are from the Endeavor dorm (wood hall), but says he has friends in lots of different circles. He also made friends from the ultimate frisbee club, so yes, clubs provide a social outlet. Also, some clubs are competitive to get into, so for sure they are something kids there do, and not just for an hr. We’re from the SW and I thought the school looked like it had a lot of preppy snobby kids TBH (I know I’m terrible for stereotyping), but he hasn’t found it cliquey or pretentious.
As the last poster noted, the frat system has changed. Because of the change, it seems like kids are going to houses off campus where frat kids live. The school provides rides, which surprised me, but is great. S doesn’t say anything about “cool” kids doing one thing or the other. He goes to house gatherings, sometimes watches movies, has gone out to eat just a couple times, went to a dance performance and a couple other on campus events, went to Hillel a couple times. He doesn’t spend much time in his dorm room except to study. He loves his social life and has good friends.
S hasn’t gone to football games, but says he’s going to go to basketball games.
So far, his professors have been engaging and very accessible. His biggest class had 17 kids! He’s met with all of them outside of class. In fact, I spoke with him today and he had just gotten out of a meeting with his FYS professor and was excited about the topic of his next paper (shocking bc writing has never been a love of his). His Endeavor professor had them over for dinner.
@havenoidea That was great and very reassuring to this anxious mom. Thanks so much.
@citymama9 I have 2 recent UR graduates who loved UR.
- my Ds used a combination of shuttles, friends with cars, and uber to easily get off campus. They did go down to the James river periodically, especially during hot weather, as well as restaurants, movie theaters, museums, etc downtown as well.
- Like many colleges, UR has students from a broad spectrum of financial circumstances, and my Ds both had very nice, down to earth friend groups.
- Neither D was in a sorority. They occasionally went to greek parties, and had friends who were and also were not in Greek life. They attended spider nights occasionally, but more often they hung out with friends, had game/movie nights, pot luck dinners or went into town.
- UR professors are top notch. My Ds both had lots of positive things to share about their professors across all subjects. Their advisors were awesome, too, and both Ds did research in a lab with a wonderful mentor.
- my Ds and their friends really loved going to basketball games, as well as occasional football games.
- both Ds participated in clubs which they enjoyed. There are many to choose from, with varying levels of time commitment. One of my Ds joined a club sport, had lots of fun doing it with a nice group of girls who became good friends.
Both Ds participated in the roadmaps program which helped them settle in a bit more easily during freshman year, and I definitely recommend taking advantage of the program or one of the other preorientation programs.
@mamag2855 Very helpful, as well! Thank you so much
I graduated in May, and in my experience:
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I’m not aware of shuttles to the River. However, there are shuttles to other locations around/in the city, and students do take advantage of those. Carytown is a popular destination among students that one can take the shuttles to.
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In my time there, I found everyone to be very friendly. People were always willing to help you out and were very approachable if you had questions (for example, if you needed help finding a room or building). In the dining hall, people generally were more than happy for you to sit and eat with them even if you didn’t know them.
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Spider Nights events are really cool! I never went to a single Greek party my entire time there. The Spider Nights events were generally well attended, especially things like the carnival night and the open mic/coffee house nights. It is definitely not “un-cool” to go to those events!
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Yes, almost all my professors were very engaging and I genuinely enjoyed almost all my classes/lectures. The professors truly care about their students, both academically and personally, and really want you to succeed.
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Honestly sports weren’t really my scene so I’m not sure how well attended the tailgates, etc, are. I performed the anthem w/the choir at one basketball game and it was packed, which I’ve heard is usually the case. Not sure if that’s true for football as well.
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Yes, students actively participate in clubs! Most of my friends were from clubs and activities I was involved with! There’s things for everyone to do! I was super involved with music, theater, and various honor societies, and was still actively involved with several other clubs (many of those were STEM related).
@guineagirl96 Thanks for your response!! Richmond sounds great