Know What You're Getting Into...

Introduction
I chose this campus because it's an urban university – but urban doesn't guarantee excitement. Richmond isn't a highly populated city, and nightclub districts are confined only to certain parts of town. The night life here is 7-Eleven and nightclubs – leaving no good place for late-night studying other than your dorm. Everything else closes at around 10pm. Come here with a car if you like fast food, chain stores or shopping malls – public transportation here is sparse, limited, inconvenient and virtually non-existent, so without a car, you're left to rely on friends (who may not have the same tastes as you) or you're stuck on/near campus grounds only. There are more places open near campus than there used to be, but there is no fast food and virtually no sit-down restaurants.

Campus Life and Social Life
Social life? What social life? It's getting better, but in general (and unfortunately) most people go home on the weekends or go to other schools like James Madison to party. This leaves people without a car (or a ride) in the lurch. When I say it's getting better, though, I do mean there are places like Mars Bar and Tiki Bob's Cantina in Shockoe Bottom (across town from campus) that offer nightlife entertainment, but you have to be 18 to party and 21 to drink. The Alcoholic Beverage Commission in Virginia is very strict – you can't bring in even a bottle of water because it could be vodka, and you can't put your head down on a table to rest because someone might think you're passed out. But otherwise, dancing all night is acceptable behavior. But be prepared – there is smoke everywhere. If you don't like cigarette smoke stinking up your clothes, or if you're allergic to smoke, Richmond is not the town for you. Most establishments here do not even have non-smoking sections. Advertisement
Academics
Come here if you are studying social work, medical or dental professions, art, advertising or creative design. Everything else here is second-class, with an emphasis on requirements for meeting accreditation rather than providing a fulfilling learning experience. Attendance is taken in most 100-level classes with a computerized response system, meaning your grade suffers needlessly if you already know the content or can learn from a book. You will find quality professors, but most of the school's students are slackers, and VCU's reputation isn't such that your degree will reflect whatever quality education you are able to find here. If you want to succeed here, you'll have to be very independent, motivated and work on your own. There is an honors program, but there are no B-plusses here, only A's and B's, so you'll have to get A's in more than half of your classes to stay in the program. And be forewarned – there is no easy A here, no matter how mundane the class may seem.

Student Body
The typical student here is artsy, hipster, scenester, punk, or any other sub-culture you can think of. To be out of the ordinary here is normal, and to be normal is weird (if that makes any sense). If you grew up in any place other than Richmond, prepare for cultural differences between you and your fellow classmates. But there is a diverse student body, so your'e likely to find at least one person like you.

In Closing...
Overall VCU can be a fulfilling experience, but unless you're in a particularly large major, you won't find much company. Because there is a diverse offering of majors, fewer people tend to be in the upper level of majors, especially humanities majors. This can be a good thing or a bad thing – smaller class sizes mean more time with professors, but don't expect a ton of friends in your same major. A lot of majors require independent study and/or internships to graduate.

Also, in VCU housing be prepared for a draconian security measure that requires you to sign in guests and leave ID at the front desk – even your parents have to be signed in if they are visiting you. It's supposed to be for your security, but other universities are content with key card access, especially for upperclassmen. At VCU most upperclass housing still treats you like a freshman, with the one exception of visiting hours.