So I am highly considering the International Residential College at UVA for my housing as a first year, I think I would like to be with people from other countries, or with interests in other countries. Mostly I might just be interested in living someplace that would make it feel like I have my own community.
Sadly I have a few concerns before I make my final decision. For example, is it harder to make friends at IRC as a freshman then at the normal freshman dorms? Will I be farther away from classes/other buildings like the “good” dining halls? Is there a big difference in the community experience with a normal dorm and something like IRC? or just generally, is the experience worth it?
Please tell me your thoughts on why IRC might be a good or bad idea, or any experiences you have had with the housing at UVA in general.
Thanks 
I can’t answer all of your questions, but you will be further from most of the classroom buildings and you will be further from most other first year students.
I believe IRC is a great place to live for a year. However, I’d suggest living in a regular first year dorm and then living in IRC second year.
I would hope you would feel a sense of community in a regular first year dorm. Most of the first year residence halls are built around a hallway, where students normally get to know each other well.
I asked a parent of a student who lived in IRC her first year about how it worked out for her. Here is the parent’s response:
“For my daughter it was the key to loving UVA. She loved having a smaller community to really bond with. The first years there really formed an awesome welcoming community and the presence of upperclassmen was also nice. I would highly recommend it to anyone with a desire to broaden their world view and meet a ton of interesting people. And I think it can be a great choice for a first year, especially someone who either doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile of a UVA student (whatever the heck that is) or doesn’t want to.”
Thank you, this is all very helpful.