University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

Like many other big schools, the social scene in the fall revolves around the football games. The game itself isn't even that important, but the pre-gaming is the real event. In general, people tend to go out on the weekends, and upper-classmen usually take advantage of the drink specials on the corner during the week as well. Fraternity parties also play a large role in the social scene, especially for first-years who are new to the school and are not 21 or have an I.D. that says they are 21. As you get older, the bar scene becomes more popular. Many of my friends come from my two basic groups on campus, the rugby team and Sigma Nu fraternity. I also spend time with people I knew from home and friends I've met in class, and I've remained close with many of the people I lived with my first year in dorms. Generally, people have an open-door policy and are open to getting to know people, and the social scene is not entirely dependent on drinking. I had many friends my first year that would not go out, but there are other activities to do around grounds and in Charlottesville.

Plenty of things to do, there's probably a club for anything that interests you (Buddhist tea ritual enthusiast? There's a club for that). The Honor Code is a big deal, so most students are comfortable leaving their dorm rooms open (everyone in my first year dorm did). Athletic events are usually always attended to full capacity; guest speakers and theater events usually sell out but are easy enough to attend if you sign up about a week in advance. Dating scene is good (better for guys if you're a third year, like most campuses). Most close friends are made through your first year dorm (especially if you get suite style). Frats and sororities are more active than most colleges, there's one for pretty much any type of person. Party frats, social frats, dry frats, service organizations, and ethnic frats. At 2 am, we were usually just talking about random stuff in someone's dorm room. You can find usually several parties Friday and Saturday, and there's usually a party on Thursday and the occasional Wednesday.

Sports are big, and most people seem to be somewhat physically fit. OAS is a fun group to join. The campus is generally safe. People usually hook up, dating can be frequent but relationships are scarce around grounds. Lastly, work hard and PARTY HARD!

Greek life is very prevalent here but definitely not everybody is involved with that. The Corner and Downtown c-ville are places that have a lot of fun restaurants and stores.

UVA kids are incredibly friendly. There were generally no closed doors on my hall in my dorm, regardless of what time it was. Within the first month of school, there is a huge activities fair when all of the 100+ clubs have a table set up where you can get information about them. Most kids are involved with 1 or 2 extracurriculars. Volunteering is big, and there are tons of opportunties to volunteer. Athletics are big--intramural sports are fun, and I'd say about 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students compete in IM leagues. Of course, football and basketball games are a big deal. As far as partying is concerned, you can find a crowd that suits your style. Some people go out 8 nights a week while others never go out. Frats and sororities are big, and approximately 1 out of 3 students goes Greek. the bar scene is also pretty big; a lot of students have fake id's. but again, you'll stay busy and have fun regardless of how much you like to party.

Everyone here participates in Greek life. If you are not intending to join greek life at UVA then be prepared to be ostracized and not make as many friends. The greek system here is huge and can be a lot of fun as long as you get with the right group of people. Athletic events are huge here and people go to not just football and basketball, but all sports, including soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and others. Frat parties are huge but if you are an upperclassman you mostly go to Bars and such. People here party a lot.

I would definitely say that, being a big school, the most popular and common event to do outside of the classroom is attending a sporting event--especially football and basketball. UVA, all around, has great athletic teams and many students support them. Because football and basketball are so popular and the arenas so large, most students attend these games...but soccer, baseball, lacrosse, etc. are also extremely popular as well. You can always find people willing to attend games with you...and they're really fun.

There are so many clubs here at UVA that everyone finds at least one club that they can get really involved in. There are a lot of service clubs because giving back to the community is very important. It is not just clubs that have service projects, but the fraternities and the sororities as well. Fraternities and sororities are popular and a large number of students belong to them. I myself am not a sorority girl, but I know people who are. On the weekends people do like to have a good time after a long week of being buried under books, studying and class. So there is a good amount of drinking that goes on. One popular place to go are the frat houses and the bars(once your 21). However if you aren't a drinker, and there are people that aren't, then there are plenty of other things to do. Also I have learned that people that don't drink tend to be friends with other people who don't drink either. Lastly a popular place is The Corner which has all these wonderful places to eat( Bodo's, Qdoba, Mellow Mushroom, Christian's Pizza, Little Johns and so much more). Also the student bookstore is down there and their textbooks are cheaper than the UVA bookstore (Although just a hint, order your books online, you will save a ton).

Social life at UVA is hopping. What I think is really fantastic about UVA social life is that although the drinking scene is pretty big and a huge amount of fun, there are SO many things to do on a weekend night without involving alcohol. There's ALWAYS some sort of interesting event/function/dinner happening and what makes the whole thing better is that as I was pleasently surprised to find, there is no pressure whatsoever in relation to drinking etc. - one is in no way excluded from groups of people, organisations or friendships if they have different social habits (i.e. drinking/not drinking etc.) Football is huge here, coming from the UK I really had no affection for, or even understanding of American Football, but I have now become a major Cavaliers fan. Activities range from political groups, to advocacy organisations, to common hobbies. There's something for everyone and more here.

I guess I don't think UVA is that big of a party school because I'm from SEC territory, but students here definitely like to drink and like to party. That's not to say you have to drink, but most other people will. For the Greek crowd, that's a lot of fraternity parties and bars. If you're not Greek, the Greek scene probably won't impact you much. In the fall, football weekends are big for tailgating and watching the game. Activities wise, there's a mix of big, well-established groups like Honor (which is a huge presence), and smaller groups that people start. It's really easy to get a group off the ground.

OK I have to be honest here and say you can literally do just about anything you want to do as far as clubs and sports teams. If there isn't already a club (and I would be shocked if there wasn't) then you can make your own club. There is no reason for anyone not to get involved with the different clubs or groups, whether you are a huge fan of ballroom dancing or you just want people to play video games, there is a club for you to join. We call them CIOs and no I have no idea what that stands for. As far as social life goes that really depends on what you and your group of friends are into. There are always different activities going on around grounds. If you aren't into drinking there are alcohol free events that go on every Friday at Tuttle lounge. If you are into drinking there is the opportunity to drink every night of the week if you wanted to, not that I would recommend that. The frats throw parties on almost every weekend (weekends officially start on Thursdays here - Thirsty Thursdays) and like all good frat parties there is alcohol, either beer or jungle juice (mix of vodka and cool-aide). Newcomb movie theater also plays movies on the weekend nights for only $3, which is nice for us poor college students.

There are so many different things you can get involved in the only problem is sometimes you over commit and dont have enough time

Fratty.

UVA is really into the greek life. and frats are pretty much the thing to do.

The frats are where it's at.

First year is a good way to meet good friends. Dorms are their own little world that you only get to enjoy once, so live it up. Partying is pretty big on the weekends, but there's always other stuff to go, like go to movies, see plays, go out to dinner, etc... Everyone goes to football games in the fall, basketball is gaining popularity, but isn't a staple like football. If I'm up late during the week, I'm doing one of two things: studying or going to bars. Fraternities and sororities will dominate your social scene for the first year of school. By third year, the only frat you will party at is the one you're a brother in (if you decide to join). Some houses are known for being particularly southern, or taking kids from a specific part of the country (Kappa Sig is all from Texas, SPE is all from Tidewater Virginia, ATO is all from Northern Virginia). For the most part, houses are open to anyone.

Lots of student join greek organizations. And unlike most other schools 1st years are not allowed to join until their second semester here. I think this is a really good system because it allows people to get a feel for the school before trying to choose an organization to join while only being in school for a few weeks.

Get tanked in your Sunday best. Then vomit all over yourself in public.

People at UVa only party on days that end in "Y". It really amazes me sometimes how people can get such good grades given how hard the classes are. Greek life is fairly prevalent. Saint Anthony's Hall and Saint Elmo's Hall are the douchiest fraternities on campus. They like to pop their collars a lot.

uva is good about offering groups for any interest. it is fairly easy to organize a student-contracted group, giving everyone an opportunity to pursue their interests. yes, students in dorms and off-grounds tend to leave their bedroom doors unlocked. football games are popular; however that may have something to do with the fact that the tailgates are even more popular. being awake on a tuesday, i would either be doing work or drinking. traditions seem to revolve around the social drinking scene, such as homecoming football or the foxfield races. about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the school population is involved in greek life, and multiple sororities and frats have a prevalent name around campus.

there are probably cliques with athletic teams, fraternities, sororities, u-guides, and jeff society. groups at UVA seem to get really close. there is a hierarchy of organizations at uva, like certain fraternities and sororities that are more "prestigious." then theres the lawn residents, and different societies that are highly competitive to join. if its 2 am on a tuesday i'm working. traditions: springfest, lighting of the lawn, beaux arts ball, restoration ball, mid-autumns carnival, FOXFIELDS, and many more. fraternities and sororities aren't that important, but if you're in one, you're part of a whole nother community. last weekend i organized a 5k for Habitat for Humanity, went on a picnic with my girlfriend, and then attended her sorority formal at a vineyard half hour away. off-campus we get dumplings, go to concerts, run/hike on trails, go shopping, eat out.

Football games are huge events. About 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are Greek. With a school as prominent as Virginia, there are a lot of speakers and events constantly happening. John Paul Jones Arena has great concerts from big name guests.

I'm in a fraternity called Alpha Tau Omega. Our brotherhood is based on the values of feelings talks, firm handshakes, and sing-alongs. Most people party every weekend--there are always a lot of ice cream socials to attend.

Sometimes it's really nice to just do something completely random and sporadic on a weekend and get off grounds for a bit. When I'm not too busy studying, I love taking day hikes at Humpback or hanging out downtown at the Tea Bazaar, catching concerts at Satellite Ballroom or the Pavilion, and supporting my friends in their various extracurriculars (like dance recitals, a cappella, film screeings, etc.)

Greek life is big and most bars around grounds are a replica of the Greek scene.

Greek life is huge here, but even if you don't want to join a frat or sorority it's still possible to participate - walking down Rugby Road on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, sometimes even Wednesday evening is like walking into a stereotypical teenage movie. It's pretty surreal - hundreds of girls in their heels and short dresses hoping to get as wasted as possible. There are hundreds of clubs to get involved in too. I wish I had explored them more at the beginning of my first semester because it's definitely something to take advantage of.

Limitless, stimulating, see something missing?--then found the club yourself!

For first-years, dorm life is incredible. Old Dorms(McCormick Road Housing) are hall style, and considered more social due to the large amounts of people that you get to meet, New Dorms (Alderman Road Housing) are a little less social due to the fact that they are suite style, and don't share a common hallways(suites open to the outside). Social life at UVA is fun. It is Greek dominated, although many other organizations have smaller social events, so everyone can find their niche. Weekends create an entirely different atmosphere and it seems like a different school, although Thursdays are a big social night as well, with bars dominating the weekday social scene. The University offers many activities for non-drinkers, or students who want to avoid that scene, including shows, sports events, student group performances, and many other things.

Huge variety of activities for everyone, partying, shopping, movies, everything is super accessible, and often free or cheap entertainment. There is always something going on that you can involve in whether a acapella concert, or medival knight fights. Greek life is extremely important on campus and a iimportant part of the schools social scene.

There is a huge variety of different clubs, many of which seem exceedingly interesting. There are also performances and speakers all over the place, and plenty of parties.

There is ALWAYS something to do on the weekends which is so great about UVa. Also, everything is within walking distance so it is convenient to go out to a party and easily get home. But if you don't drink, there is still a ton to do at UVa. We have downtown Charlottesville which is full of restaurants, ice rink, movie theater, art museums, stores, etc. On UVa there is always the student movie theatre, and activities that vary week to week in dorms involving dorm sings by student choruses, improv comedy groups and more. However you look at it, there is always someone to hang out with!

Most, if not all, of the social life is off grounds, although the university community is fairly compact, so the on/off grounds distinction is somewhat blurred. Greek life is comparatively big -- about 1/3 of UVA is greek. This isn't to say that the only social scene is the greek scene, in fact that's not true at all. The best way to think of the greek life here is as an added park to all the other social outlets. You can drink cheap free beer at the frats then head over to any of the house parties (less often dorm parties), bars, etc. Lots of options to get drunk or high. I'm usually found studying at the library at 3am on a Tuesday, but it's not unheard of to go to bars. There's a drink special to be found every day of the week!

THe group im most involved with is Agape, which is campus crusade, we just dont call it that. I love it and its such an awesome and welcoming environment. its not a bunch of prude and awkward christian kids either- its normal college students that love God. i love the ppl there so much and its the highlight of my week when i go to agape large group. students in dorms lock their doors when theyre not home but when they are home it not uncommon for ppl to prop their doors open so ppl passing by can stop in for a bit. if im awake at 2 am on tuesday, im prolly writing a paper that i put off until the last minute. UVa has the coolest visitors, guest speakers and events here, and they happen allll the time. theres always something going on that i see a flyer for and think, hey thatd be cool. UVa has so many traditions it would be pointless to get into cuz id be going so long id miss class. but when youre here, the traditions are so easy to pick up on and its not hard to learn at all. ppl start partying on thursday every week and they party friday and saturday as well. i myself dont party but generally everyone does- UVa parties like crazy allll the time. frats and soroities are pretty popular and thats almost always where the parties are. a lot of ppl join frats and sororities here but it doesnt mean that all frats and sororities are crazy and out of control. last weekend i went home because it was easter and i just chilled the whole time and went to church on sunday morning.

I'm a conservation advocate with UVA Recycling. I promote recycling and other environmental activities in my dorm and help to organize these activities that occur on grounds. We leave our doors open. I don't go to athletic events but I think a lot of people do. 2am on Tuesday? Probably I'm ill or something. Last weekend was Easter so I went home. On a Saturday night not drinking I'm probably watching a movie and talking with friends. Off Campus I go downtown quite often. I go to the Farmer's Market when it's open. I go out to eat on the Corner. I go shopping at Harris Teeter. I am increasingly going hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

the most popular groups on campus would be the greek life. I personally am involved in a sorority called Delta Gamma and they are very involved in social and philanthropic events. Most students in dorms leave their doors open and almost always unlocked becuase you have trust in people that you live with. people tend to party every weekend. and as i said before, greek life is pretty important in social outgoings. on a saturday, sometimes people stay in and watch movies.

Drinking is a big part of the social life. Work hard, play harder--that's UVA!

UVa has always stressed student self-governance. This has led us with a lot of priveleges that you don't see at other schools. For example, our University Justice Committee and Honor Committee are both completely governed by students. Juries on the Honor Committee are composed only of students. I'm President of the American Indian Student Union here at UVa. Our student group is focused on launching both public events and support systems centered on UVa. You could say that AISU is a success story of how administrators and faculty take students seriously at UVa. Just a year ago, there weren't ANY support systems in place or events about American Indian culture! Now, with the help of other Natives of AISU, my group has established a presence here at the University, sparking relations with the Office of the Dean of Students, Office of Undergraudate Admissions, Office of the Provost, and Office of the President, just to name a few. It was through student involvement at UVa that Natives have finally arrived at the University! Students that live in hall-style dorms do leave their doors open. I know mine was always open when I was in my room and not sleeping. We would all visit each other occasionally when our doors were open. Some of my strongest friendships at UVa still come from the days of when I lived in a first-year dormitory. Athletic events are wildly popular at UVa, especially football, men's basketball, and men's lacrosse. The people of Charlottesville enjoy coming out and watching events, too. One of the best things about UVa's football games is that all students can attend all games, if they like. The student section is large enough to accommodate every student that shows up. Basketball ticket distribution is more restricted, but most students can still get into most games without any hassle. The dating scene is okay, I guess, at UVa. To be honest, I'm single myself, but that's largely because of my lack of free time because of being in engineering. The girls, in my opinion, are certainly more attractive here than in other universities. I think I saw a survey that said only 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of UVa students classify themselves as in a relationship. UVa students, to be honest, are usually too busy during the week doing homework to have relationships. Partying at UVa is a pretty big deal. Guys put on their best polos and shorts and head out to Rugby Road on Fridays, Saturdays, and, for some, Thursdays. "Going out to Rugby Road" usually means going to a fraternity party. Most people I know enjoy going out at least once a week, but only when the weather is nice. This limits the partying to August through October and April. I would like to think of most UVa students as sensible party-goers, though. The vast majority of students that I know only go out on the weekends, and sometimes not every weekend. This isn't to say that the only parties are at fraternities, of course. I've been to parties at other people's apartments or houses, too, but usually only upperclassmen go to those. Even those who don't drink often go to parties; no one will bother you if you don't want to have a beer. Partying isn't the only way we socialize, either, and there are a few people who prefer to stay away from parties, which is perfectly fine. There are lots of ways to hang out with others without the typical party scene. Last weekend I chilled with my mates Bjorn, Gavin, and Phil, and we had fondue at my house with some Halo. 'Twas pretty sweet. Saturday night I had some friends from home visit me, and we went out to Rugby Road. Sunday was all homework. Ugh. There's plenty to do here that doesn't involve drinking. We have ice skating downtown, intramural sports, the biggest hot tub on the East Coast, and a ton of restaurants. General chilling is popular here, like sitting out by the Lawn, meeting friends at Starbucks, or simply chatting it up while watching TV in the dorm or apartment.

Athletic events and speakers are very popular on grounds. We have the classic varsity teams but then also a vast array of club teams. We even have a ski & snowboard team here that races against other colleges. In addition, many clubs bring in speakers relating to politics which are always highly attended and many times controversial. I've met my closest friends from the extracurriculars I'm involved with. Many of them are from the Network of enlightened Women and the ski team. I'm living with some girls from the Network of enlightened Women now and next year and can see us being life-long friends. If I'm awake at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, I am doing homework. Off campus, I go hiking, apple picking in the fall, visit Monticello, go skiing in the winter, do hot yoga at the downtown mall, and go out to eat.

The Frats and Sororities are very popular. I didn't pledge, and don't go to many frat parties (I personally prefer smaller house parties with people I know well). I am very involved in UVA theater. I was just in the Vagina Monologues. It was a great experience. We sold out completely every night, had a standing ovation, raised $5,000 for a great charity, and really bonded as a cast. I'm currently in Shakespeare on the Lawn's "Taming of the Shrew". It is a lot of work and a lot of fun. If you want to meet eccentric students, audition for "SOTL" (as we call it. EVERYTHING AT UVA IS AN ACRONYM! It drives me insane.) The Drama Department is small, but tight. We are all really good friends. I'm a Drama Minor. I love it. You should definitely come see all the Drama Dept. productions. They are free to students (with ART$ dollars, part of tuition). The Culbreth Theater has just been refurbished and we have a new, big, multistorey parking garage next to it. Athletic events are extremely popular, but I am always in the theater, so I haven't gone to many. The dating scene - there are nice places to go on dates on the Corner and Downtown. Sadly, so far, there has really been no 'dating scene', just lots of "Free Love". Which leads me to how I met my closest friends...hmm...*censored* I went to a party and hooked up with someone...now I'm best friends with all of his friends. It's interesting. Now, Tuesday at 2am: I am either screaming joyfully with my crazy, wonderful suitemates, wasting time on facebook, studying, partying, or *censored* lol People party all the time. Saturday night w/out alcohol: GO see a play!! Go downtown, chill with friends, study, be in a play, go to a concert, there are millions of things to do without drinking and it's not hard to find people who don't want to drink. It's also not hard to find people who do want to drink.

I'm the president of the Latter-Day Saint Student Association, the Mormon club. We meet every Monday in Newcomb hall, the student center, for a Scripture study. UVA has an amazing club program; there are so many opportunities. We've had a dance and right now we're organizing a student panel to raise awareness of what Mormonism is and what it isn't.