Hi there, I am an international student heading for University of Richmond soon.
I would like to ask a few questions, if any of you don’t mind (I posted this in the parents section since parents are the most wise on these stuff):
What is the best way to go around Richmond before going to University? Taxi rates are expensive, so is there a cheaper option?
Does anyone know the Roslyn Dining and Conference Center? If so, how is living there? Are there any attractions around it? Is it close to any stores?
How do you set up a bank account? Will it be done from the University? And in your opinion, which bank is the best for an international student?
Best carrier in Richmond?
How much do we usually tip?
Since I’m going alone (parents are too lazy to come along) and could not move in to the University directly, I have to stay in Richmond for a few days alone, so I would really appreciate all the help I could get. Thanks for the help!
Hi, I am a parent living in Richmond, VA with a son who may be at the University of Richmond in the Fall (yes I know, time is running out for him to make a decision!). Anyway, I will try to answer some of your questions.
The bus line is a good way to get around, much cheaper than a taxi. Do you know where you will be staying the the few days before you move to campus?
The Roslyn Center is very nice. I know they have lodges there which can be rented. There is, however, nothing close by to it except residential areas. Might be better to find a motel somewhere that is in walking distance to dining, stores, bus line, etc.
I assume you can probably set up a bank account at UR but don't know which bank it is. That seems like it would be your best option unless you have a car. UR is nestled among residential homes in an area called the West End. Not much is in walking distance from the campus but I believe the college runs buses to shopping and to downtown.
Best carrier (I assume you mean for cell phone) is without a doubt Verizon.
The University of Richmond is a wonderful school located on a beautiful campus. It is more diverse student body than many of the other colleges in Virginia. You will get to know your Professors and they will be there to help you. If you have any other specific questions please let me know, and I will try to answer.
@Robinsnest Wow there you helped me a lot, thanks so much! Yeah I’ll guess I’ll stay away from Roslyn. One thing I would like to ask though, is about tipping. Though I am familiar with tipping, I’m not familiar with States tipping (though I visited few times). Is it about 10% if I’m not mistaken?
For cell carriers, T-Mobile, Sprint, and their resellers (Boost, Virgin, etc) are typically the cheaper ones, while Verizon tends to have better coverage, particularly in rural areas. T-Mobile and AT&T are GSM, while Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. Low cost prepaid plans are available.
Yes, avoid Bank of America. I would suggest looking to get an account with one of the local credit unions rather than BB&T. I have too many horror stories with big national banks, and BofA is the worst of all.
The University of Richmond Office of International Education will run a special orientation for international students, beginning on August 16, 2015. http://international.richmond.edu/students/arrival/orientation.html
If you arrive in Richmond just in time for the orientation the university should take care of housing and other issues for you. I imagine that the Office of International Education will be sending you information during the summer about when and how to arrive.
Do you plan to go to Richmond much earlier than August 16? If so, living in Richmond while waiting for the orientation may be an unnecessary expense. Also, arriving at the same time as the other new international students might allow you to make friends and enjoy the transition to life in the United States with others.
In the US, 15% is considered proper tip in restaurants (I usually give closer to 20% unless service is bad). 10% is low unless you are talking about tipping for handling luggage, etc. Not sure about taxi cabs, don’t use them much.
I use [this cheat-sheet for tipping](The Ultimate Guide to Proper Tipping Etiquette) that you might find helpful for situations where you might need to tip. If you just wanted to know about taxi cabs, that’s usually like restaurant service, 15-20%.
BB&T bank has a branch just off campus that is reachable through walking. The ATMs on campus are operated by BB&T and will not charge withdrawal fees for BB&T account members, so most students have an account with them. A student account is available and is free of monthly fees. There are usually representatives from BB&T on campus during orientation.
UR also has a Pre-orientation program called Roadmaps that is open for freshman students(and upperclassmen have programs also). Students who participate move in a few days earlier than normal and there are group activities for the students. It is a great way to get settled in on campus with a little less pressure and perhaps participating in the Roadmaps program would also eliminate the need to stay in a hotel room. This year’s Roadmaps program start on August 16th(although the website says that the dates are not final yet), regular new student orientation begins on August 19th (more info see link below). I have 2 daughters who attend UR and they both participated in the Roadmaps program and enjoyed it. It was nice for them to have a few extra days to get settled before the rest of the students arrived on campus.
@ucbalumnus Alright thanks, coverage is the most important so I’ll try to get Verizon.
@Magnetron Hahahah is BoA that bad? I’ll avoid it like the plague now.
@Robinsnest yep, mostly restaurants and barbers. Thanks!
@Fifty Yes I am planning to stay beforehand in Richmond for a few days. If they provide housing for a few days before, I’m in, but I read in their website that I need to stay in a place beforehand, so I’ll wait for further notice until then.
@scmom12 Alright scmom thanks! Will keep in mind to tip 20% for good service.
@mamag2855 Yep going to BB&T then. For the Roadmaps program, is it ok for a solo freshman to come? Isn’t that a bit weird since the program is for parents, and like a freshman without parents suddenly comes along?
@polarium I didn’t realize that UR runs a separate pre-orientation program for international students starting August 16th as pointed out by @Fifty in post#9. For you, that program would take the place of the Road Maps program offered to domestic students starting August 16th, which has separate programs for students and their parents.
If you need to arrive in Richmond before the 16th, there are many hotels within 5 miles of campus which would give you good access to restaurants/shopping etc.
The student Road Maps programs are outlined in this link http://roadmap.richmond.edu/
Sorry, I posted the parents page part of that in post #12 leaving out the student section!
Note that Page Plus is a reseller of service on the Verizon network, so they can be another option that may have lower cost or prepaid plans without a two year lock-in.
20% tip is actually the standard in the U.S.–you may be seen as stingy if you tip less than that. 15% is acceptable but increasingly, more as every year passes, 15% is becoming the new 10%, ie: cheap. It’s also easier to calculate 20% than 15%: move the decimal over one on the total, multiply by two. ie: a bill of $22.50, the tip should be $4.50 ($2.25x2). I only tip 15% if the service is bad, and I never tip lower than that even if it is, because servers earn something like $2 an hour and it seems unfair to punish the waiter + hostess + bus boys etc. for the waiter having a bad day (everyone gets in the weeds sometimes!). Many places the waitstaff tips out and they share tips among everyone, so you’re not just screwing over the waiter, or “teaching them a lesson” with a low tip. I tip 25% or more for excellent service.
I recommend reading posts on the blog Kitchenette about tipping, or look up the blog archives of Waiter Rant… you don’t want to be That Guy who is a bad tipper, especially at places where you are a repeat customer. And if you are a repeat customer and they know you as a good tipper, you get better service! It’s a cycle. 20% is also customary for tipping delivery drivers (the delivery fee is NOT a tip). I tip 20% to my hair dresser as well–I believe it would be the same for a barber.
Coming in late but don’t know all the best info for international. My D has AT&T for phone service and has never had any problem with it. The campus wifi can be spotty now and then so there can be spikes in data usage with the phone. However, if you are on a plan alone, probably not an issue.
I’ve heard BB&T is the go to bank. My D kept her home bank, informed them she was in school in a different state, did direct deposit and photo deposits on her phone. The ATM thing was a slight annoyance but she just made sure to take advantage of no fee “cash-back” at Target or the store to avoid ATM fees. In truth, she only ever needed cash to pay back friends if they were splitting the cost of things. It’s been totally fine though I don’t know that would work with an international bank.
Keep some money on your spider card. It’s really handy for the on-campus post office, bookstore, vending machines, campus event tickets… some local pizza places will take it too. It doesn’t have to be much but it cuts the need for cash on hand as well.
She and her friends generally opt for Uber to get around Richmond. The bus is certainly cheaper and what I’d use when you are in the city just hanging around waiting for move-in day. However, it’s not as easy to use the bus once you are on campus. Uber is cheaper than the taxi’s and can be reasonable if you stick with a couple friends and split the costs.
Many of the kids, especially the international students were on their own for the various orientations options. They split -up the kids and parents anyway for most everything. Keep in mind that they do offer sight-seeing options during the orientations so you don’t HAVE to come early to see a bit of the city before move-in day.
I can’t suggest a hotel. The ones we stayed in were out a bit as we had rented a car. The one closer I just wouldn’t recommend!
Good luck to you. My D is just home from her 1st year at UR and she just had a wonderful year!
“20% tip is actually the standard in the U.S.–you may be seen as stingy if you tip less than that.” How on earth do you get that notion @proudterrier? What part of the country are you in? What industry do you work in, and what kind of income do you have?
For someone who is obviously a student, 10% would be perfectly fine and 15% would be a splurge for excellent service. No one in their right mind expects a student to be a good tipper. Better yet, stick to restaurants like Panera, Chipotle, or Noodles & Co. where you don’t need to tip at all.
@polarium - For recommendations about where to stay before orientation, contact the International Students Office and ask. They may be able to put you in contact with someone who is spending the summer in the area and can let you stay with them for free.