University of Virginia-Main Campus Top Questions

Extremely high ratio of basic (though obviously intelligent) people (unoriginal, cookie-cutter, safe, and usually boring in appearance, beliefs, behavior)

Many of the introductory classes have too many students, so you aren't able to get to know the professor very well.

Parking. But that's every city, right?

The upper-class housing is generally far from the main grounds and housing can be hard to obtain. We therefore have to figure out housing for our second year before first semester even ends!

I believe that the worst thing about U. V. A. is the great number of students who come from America's elite. Having been raised by a single mother, who worked so hard to ensure that we had a roof over our head, it is difficult to blend well with so many students who are no stranger to expensive clothes, purses, and electronics. They seem to have access to unlimited funds and it can make a student such as myself, who's had to work since I was 15 years old, feel very intimidated and out of place.

The worst thing about UVA is the competition, even though that can also be a good thing. Everything is competitive, from the classes to the clubs. So many students at UVA want to be involved in community service, for example, that many community service organizations on-grounds (we are a bit pretentious, so we have "grounds," not a campus) have a competitive process. The competition can push students to work harder, but it can also discourage some students from being involved.

It's very homogenous. Most of the students are upper class and white. Minorities are abundant but stick to themselves and don't seem to have much of an impact. An international perspective is stressed but so many of the students are the same.

I do not feel like the personalities of the people who go to school at The University of Virginia are diverse enough. The people at Brown Residential College are the most diverse; however, they are similar to one another in a way than the rest of the school.

Our school is not diverse enough and is less than optimally tolerant of diversity. This includes both racial diversity and diversity of sexual orientation. The school is fairly diverse in its students' beliefs.

The worst thing about the school is the size. There are so many people that it is very easy to feel lost or uncomfortable in the new surroundings. I rarely pass the same people twice and I don't see familiar faces too often unless I seek them out. There is also so many different types of people that it takes awhile to find your own niche. It is important to get involved.

I honestly, absolutely love every aspect of the Universtiy of Virginia! Well, maybe except for the food... The food is not terrible, but it isn't the best. There are days in which the dining hall serves something that I actually really enjoy. However, there are some days that I find myself eating what ever microwavable food I find in my dorm room. Other than that rather minor issue, I am in love with my school :)

Everything at UVa is really competitive. I understand that it challenges students to become better and push themselves, but I feel like if you want to be involved in an activity, you should be allowed to. I know so many people (me included) who have applied to do things and been turned down. Even at a school of 13,000 undergrads, it's cliquey.

The worst part of UVa is scheduling classes. The academic advisors do not take as much time as I would like to help students determine which classes they need/want to take in the upcoming semester. The advisors assume that because of how driven everyone is here, all of the students already know the difficulty level and how interesting each class is. So, get help choosing classes. It can be confusing, especially early in your college career.

The worst thing (to me) about University of Virginia has to be the parking. Then again, you face that problem at every major university, but finding general parking here is impossible. Of course, I don't expect that to change really but, it's really inconvenient. While they have plenty of garages, most of them are for special events and it's difficult to find accessible parking for family or friend visits throughout the semester.

It is so big that it can seem hard to make close relationships. It is easy to feel like just another person in the crowd.

The worst thing about the University of Virginia is the strict honor code. Do not get me wrong, I believe in honorable behavior. However, the honor committee at UVA will immediately expel anyone caught cheating. I love the community of trust, but I believe this punishment is extreme. If people can be expelled for cheating, they should also be able to be expelled for other crimes. It is not fair that a student caught cheating on his homework should recieve a harsher punishment than a student who is caught selling drugs or assaulting other students.

I don't think it is as intellectually stimulating as my home.

The liberty to choose one's own academic endeavor is the purpose of the University of Virginia, however, in this endeavor each student is allowed to deicde their own course schedule. The worst part about this academic freedom is that many of the most enlightening and desireable classes have waitlists up to 100 people and are nearly impossible to get into. This is the worst part about the school since one sometimes cannot enroll in courses for their major and may have to resort to taking them during the summer or over the holiday break.

The worst thing about my school was the lack of transition between high school and college. There should be some program that will help incoming freshman to ease into the social and academic aspect of college. If there was such a program it would be easier for students when they attend their first class on the first day of school.

I think it's too big for everyone to get to know each other and make a connection. Less people would mean you could see more people you know, get to know them better, and really build a community.

The worst thing that I've experienced in my first year is the process involved in applying for second year housing. Housing applications for on-campus housing for the 2010-2011 school year were due November 30th of 2009. And many landlords who offer off-campus housing require that their contracts be signed by October of 2009; some even wanted a commitment by September. As a freshman just adjusting to college life, the last thing I wanted to worry about in October was where I will be living next fall.

The worst thing is probably the prevalence of alcholol.

UVa selects 2/3 in-state and 1/3 out of state for its entering class and this makes it difficult for out of staters to adjust. I am from Massachusetts and the first few weeks of school out of 20 people I met I would only meet three out of staters. Most not from Virginia do not bother applying to UVa since it is so selective, I think UVa should make itself more accessible to those all over the nation. For me it was an experience to learn from as for others it is sometimes very difficult.

The worst thing about the University of Virginia, besides its famously terrible food, is the students' ability to successfully fulfill the preppy reputation that the school has. There are students from all over the world that attend the University, but it the amount of brand-name clothing, expensive backpacks and accesories give the University fame for being snobby. Upon meeting the students and faculty, one realizes that behind the expensive clothing and accesories hide perfectly nice people. The brand names, however, create an uncomfortable barrier for those of us who do not come from high- income families.

The school is very competitive, making it difficult to show ones interest in certain fields. It is sometimes hard to find volunteer opportunities or take certain classes because so many students are interested in studying to same things.

Currently, class sizes have grown about 10-20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} while the number of TAs for each class has been reduced by a significant amount. While this is obviously unfortunately due to the economy, it puts extra pressure on the professors and remaining TAs, which ultimately negatively affects students.

It is very pretentious and elitist. While it is an amazing place, it does sometimes bother me how some people think they are truly better than others simply because they attend this school.

Primarilly the worse thing about the school is the fact that academically, it seems to accept mainly high socio-economic students with the same methods of thinking. Those students that hold a power over the university by integrating into fraternities and having a hold over the University because they have alumni connections that are high donors to the university. Those students generally tend to be carbon-copied and lack variability and account for a majority of the student population despite the University touting its diversity. The word diversity means nothing regardless of race/ethnicity if the socio-economic status differs.

alot of work because you are spending alot of time in the library

Although this is more of a selfish answer, I believe that the 'worst' thing about UVA is that the Media Studies program (my intended major) is still in its infant stages. At just under ten years old, the program offers a broader study of media than I would prefer. I would also like to see the offerings of the department to expand to offer more than a film studies minor.

The worst part about this school is that, come finals time, the libraries get packed and often run out of room for students to study quietly. Any other time this is not a problem.

Lack of diversity and understanding, which furthers ignorance. Also, several of the more popular and introductory classes (especially those pertaining to the pre-med or business focus) have class sizes that are more than 200 students.

big lecture hall classes- nobody learns anything in them so people tend not to go. many read the book to catch up, many learn by doing the homework thoroughly, and many just fall behind. especially in chemistry and computer science. Of my 18 credit hours last semester, only one class contained less than 30, only 2 less than 100 students. There is no personal relationship between students and teachers. I miss that about highschool and feel i learned much much more in highschool because of that.

Lack of financial aid and merit-based aid. Also, standards for getting in from NOVA are much, much higher than elsewhere.

Fraternities and Sororities. They consume the social life of this school, which makes many students feel as though they need to join one to have friends. This takes away from the individuals ability to make friends on their own as well as finding a niche that has the same morals and standards.

The cost of the education. It's too expensive and it seems like some of the things they spend money on is not needed, for example fish in the library, that is not needed. It's not right for me to pay $40,000 a year and you use that money for some trivial things and then complain about lack of funds for other things that are more important.

Can be strongly intolerant at times, especially for African Americans.

UVA has the image of being a preppy frat boy type of school, but once you actually get there and experience the school then you realize that it is actually very diverse and there are all sorts of different people. I wish it didn't have that negative image.

At times individuals tend to stay in groups instead of broadening their perspectives, but this is not always the case.

People in this school are rather stubborn and fake. They tend to be polite on the outside but could be very sneaky, competitive, and egotistic. You could easily become detached from the mainstream school life and people just don't care about your problems.

I consider the worst thing about this school is the diversity. Students of the same race tend to stick together in their studies and social life. The faculty is typically white for professional degrees such as Biology and Law in which I have no problem with, but it doesn't provide that comfort zone for students of color to be able to really express themselves to their professors. For example, it's like a barrier there when you go to office hours because you don't want the teacher to think you're slow, you just need more help.

The know it alls

Unfriendly students

Walking to class in the rain, but that happens everywhere.

pretentious atmosphere

Don't know, Bad food perhaps?

In the science departments, the class sizes were always pretty big, even in upper-level courses.

I think that the worst thing about UVA is that there is too much to do! For some students, the wide variety of options is overwhelming! Should I join Ballroom dancing or the Solar Car Club? It is this diversity of choices that comes with fully motivated students who make their own place here, and it is this fault which is also the University's greatest strength. The other major weakness of the University is very similar--it is easy to become so involved in extracurricular activities and organizations that school work can seem almost secondary.

New Cabell hall because it's a piece of crap.

I wish there were more small classes and seminars; sometimes TAs are great and other times they leave a lot to be desired. At first big lectures wer great! I had come from a small high school and hated the teacher looking over my shoulder feeling. But after two semester of lectures aI first began to doze off in class, and then began to want to know my teachers more! Office hours only give you so much exposure and although professors are great during office hours I would love to have more one on one time with them in class.