Virtual DOTL part II

(note: I received an email from a girl yesterday who told me she read the blog and had other questions about UVa! I felt so relieved that there is at least one person in this world who is reading the blog.haha)

Anyways, continuing my Virtual Days on the Lawn for ya all out there!:



Hoos: Old Cabel Hall. A traditional-styled theatre where a lot of musical performances are held every week. The photo above features the Virginia Gentlemen, one of my favorite acapella groups here at UVa:) Today, Jeffery Sachs (renowned economist) just held a talk in here!

Boos: Old Cabel Hall has large columns at the back that block some of the audience's views. No idea who designed that.


Hoos: Painting Beta Bridge is one of the 109 things you need to do before graduation. Basically, its a bridge that is on Rugby Road (where a lot of fraternity houses are), and you paint on it to promote whatever event/cause that you want to promote for. It's fun and you can show off your non-existent graffiti skills!


Boos: Have to wake up at 6 in the morning so you can avoid being painted over, and that people will see it in the day time/ at night when they are out to party on Rugby Road.




















Hoos: Springfest! one of the annual carnival events organized by University Programs Council. One of the activities of the day is Gus-burger eat-off (on the left)(Gus-burger is a burger with a piece of egg and hamburger in it, the best thing to have when you're a little...) and also disgusting eating competitions like Vermonster eat-off(on the right) (a huge tub of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shared with 4 other people, and people just chuck the ice-cream on the table and pass it around so as to get it finished asap!!)...it's so much fun to watch! We also had Sara Bareilles come perform!(woo-woot!)

Boos: Stomach not big enough to be in all these competitions.

Hoos: One of the tranquil days at the Ampitheatre when all is just so peaceful. One of the things I love most about here is just enjoying nature, something I would NEVER have the opportunity to do if I stayed in Hong Kong.

Boos: The weather is pretty sporadic these days, it could be really beautiful one day, then kinda chilly the next...but makes you appreciate the better days more!

Oh, and some clarifications for people who are concerned about the social life here. You do not have to join the Greek life (i.e. be in a fraternity or sorority, and only 30% of the student body is in one) to have a life. It is a good way of getting to know people and socializing, but there are SO many other organiztions, activities to do here that you do not need to worry if you don't feel like joining one.(There are more than 600 registered student groups here!)

Virtual!DOTL + List

I decided to combine the virtual days on the lawn with things I love about UVA.

1. Pretty:

.. like we need any more pictures of the Rotunda. The second one was taken at Pancakes for Parkinson's - which is free pancakes on the lawn for a good cause.

2. Sports:

I'm really more of a soccer (*ahem football) fan and our team is really good. The UVA soccer fan group is called Wahooligans and they are responsible for the most awesome atmosphere. I love it!!

But it's not like I've never been to an American football game.. it's a tradition to dress up with pearls and ties but wearing orange and blue is good too.

3. Music "scene":
for my fellow music lovers!! U2 and Muse are coming next semester!!!!!

Tim Be Told is one of the homegrown bands. Maroon 5 at JPJ Arena.

Melee at Satellite Ballroom and Jason Mraz at the Pavilion.

4. Spring Break Opportunities:

Interning for the Obama Campaign in Pittsburgh. Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans!

5. Living/Dorms:

I'm a second year living at Lambeth. I really like it. Lots of space!

6. Other Events:

Foxfield! I went my first year and I had a blast. And Taiwanese Food Night. Yum

Inside my dorm room

I liked Ella's post about virtual Days on the Lawn :) I was not able to visit UVA before accepting my offer of admission either... So don't be worried if you can't see everything in person before you get here! 

The admissions website has a place where you can "Take a look at UVA" through a slideshow of pictures. If you have other pictures that you want to see, let us know and we can post them!

I know one thing that I was curious about was my dorm room. There are a variety of dorm choices first year, but I lived in Lile in the Alderman Road dorms. Below are a few pictures of my dorm. Enjoy!

Me and my stuff on move-in day. I had to buy some more stuff in the stores afterwards.

The room slowly starting to get set up... Look how much stuff I fit under my bed!

My closet. It fits more than you think... but is still a little tight if you have lots of clothes.

My desk and chair (provided by UVa in every room).

Singing happy birthday to a suitemate on her birthday. 

Again, if you want to see pictures of something, let us know! We will do everything that we can to provide the best Virtual Days on the Lawn for you!

What is studying in UVA like?

Hello everyone! Sorry I am backtracking, but I’m gonna write about the academic life at UVA that I never had the chance to write earlier!

So, what is studying in UVA like?

1. We have continual assessment. This is alien for those who came from the British education system! Continual assessment means that there is no “big exam” at the end of the semester that makes up for all your grades. Rather, everything that you do in the semester is counted towards your final grade. This is both a bad thing and a good thing. The bad thing is, we have to worry about every single exam, quiz, and papers. This can be tiring when you’re expected to do this throughout the semester. The good thing is, you are always, always on top of things, and you study more, and you get the most out of your education here! Also, you won’t get into too much trouble if you screw up your final exam.
2. If you are in the College, you can take classes that you’ve never, ever taken before. Astronomy, sociology, psychology, American studies, anthropology, Russian, politics, international relations, studies in women and gender… You name it. When else can you have the chance to learn all these, if not now? And how else would you know that you have a passion for any of these things if you don’t try it out right now? So studying in UVA is a great way to open your minds to new disciplines, and to the world.
3. The professors/TAs are much more interactive and flexible than your high school teachers. They often change their lecture outlines to fit the class’s needs. They also insert many interesting random stuff like videos, websites, etc., that engage the students more. This makes the learning process much more interesting and fulfilling than a typical high-school class.
4. There is way more teacher-student interaction in uni than there is in high-school. People ask way more questions, people are willing to discuss and challenge professors’ opinion. In fact, maybe “teacher-student” is not the best way to put it. It’s more like “instructor-participant”!
5. The professors and TAs are always willing to talk to you outside class. My Sociology class professor was always up for “lunch dates”. My Religious Studies professor is even better; he can swipe you guys in for a free meal in the dining hall! Try to come for office hours even if you don’t have questions particularly related to the class. Come and have a chat, ask them about what research they are involved at, discuss a particular lesson that you think is highly relevant to real life, whatever. That way, you get so much more from your classes. And you get to know the professors and TAs more on a personal level, which can be very helpful for your future academics career (e.g. if you want to be involved in research or if you need a recommendations letter – they can’t write anything about you if they don’t know you!).
   

Now, let me share my #1 most favorite class in UVA so far: PSYC260 – Introduction to Social Psychology by Prof. Timothy Wilson! Maybe I’ll share more about that class when I have more time in the future. Check back often!

Cheers,
Nanette

Virtual DOTL-Part I

I'm sure a lot of you (like me) won't have a chance to visit the school/go to Days on the Lawn (that is happening right now as I'm typing this entry), so I'm going to give you a little tour of the school, a kind of 'Virtual Days on the Lawn'(with pictures that are taken on my pretty crappy camera)


First of all, the Lawn during different seasons-


->During the summer, it can get pretty sweaty here in Charlottesville.

-> The University Programs Council has a 'Photobooth on the Lawn' during Halloween, and it's during the Fall when you can see the changing colours of the trees everyday.

-> Trick-or-treating on the Lawn! Where tons of kids and families from all over Charlottesville come to UVa and the Lawnies (the Lawn residents as we can them) give out heaps of candies to little kids who dress up as peacocks, a whole family of M&Ms, little fairy dogs that run around... and the Best Costume Award goes to a Dad in a surfing suit while with one hand he's holding a surfboard that has a huge bite-mark on it, and on the other, his baby is dressed up as a shark! (how cute is that?)


-> Lighting of the Lawn! An annual event that brings the students together for hot chocolate, acapella groups and basically waiting for that moment when the Lawn lights up....and then you're like 'OH...so that's it?'
But when you're sitting on the steps of the Rotunda at night looking at the lit up Lawn, you just can't help but think how lucky you are to be here.


-> When it snows, it's awesome....and no, you aren't allowed to sled on the Lawn but you can streak with you UGGs on.




Tired of the Lawn already? Want to see other parts of the school? Check back here later for another installment of Virtual Days on the Lawn and I'm going to take you to dorms, the Stadium and other things you won't see on the official school webpage!


--ella

The List

So much with the tags and 16 things about me on Facebook, here’s 6 things I love about UVa:

1. People. If I didn’t like the people I interact with everyday, I would have transferred already. (Shout-out to Fourth-years! All the Fourth-years I have met are just amaaazing)

2. Grounds. Yes, we don’t call it campus, call it Grounds. Every time I walk around on a bright sunny day, I am still awed at where I got myself into! Really, all the Fourth-years (aka Seniors) tell me they are still extremely appreciative of the beauty here: ) The thing I like to do most is take naps on the grass.

3. Acceptance of diversity. I can’t lie to you and say this is the most diverse school ever (I mean, it is a public school and ~60% are Caucasian Americans), but the thing is the different racial and ethnic groups mix really well here, and everyone is appreciative of other people’s cultures. And it’s not just racial diversity I’m talking about here, but the acceptance of being different. Here, you can choose to dress up for class or you can just go in your sweatpants and hoodie; you can go out and party every weekend or you can stay in to watch a movie with friends…there is no stereotypical UVa student except that in general, people are smart, care about their academics and just really friendly…that’s what I appreciate most about UVa.

4. Resources. So many libraries where you can go and study, and the libraries offer a ton of resources and books that are just plain overwhelming! Also, there are various study-abroad programs for the semester or just summer/winter break, and programs like ‘Alternative Spring Break’ where you can do something meaningful over breaks. Research opportunities, of course, with professors or initiate one of your own…the opportunities are out there waiting for you.

5. Size of the school.I’m talking about the size of the population as Kim has mentioned in the post earlier, which is a good optimum; and the size of Grounds too, as it’s located in a nice little city called Charlottesville, and the places you need to go to are practically within walking/biking distance, which makes you walk and burn off that ‘Freshmen 15’!(oh trust me, you need the exercise)

6. Students being in charge. Student self governance: the word that is heavily emphasized during orientation and all the painstakingly long receptions. But you won’t know how to appreciate it unless you are really involved in it. From students driving the buses to students in charge of the honor system, students care about what is happening on Grounds, and if they see something unjust happening within the system, they will voice out their opinions.

ella.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Six things I LOVE about UVA (in no particular order)

1. The classes. UVa has a wide variety of classes to take in the College of Arts and Sciences, but there are a ton of other options in the Engineering School, Nursing School, Architecture School, and Education School. If you don't know what you want to study, you can come here and take a little time before you decide!

2. The libraries. Clemons is open 24 hours on most nights of the week (which is great for pulling the occasional all-nighter). Alderman has a coffee shop in it, and rooms with great sunlight. I also love wandering around in the Stacks to find a book, because being in all of the never-ending rows of dusty, old books makes me feel so smart!

3. The weather in Charlottesville. I'm not much of a fan of winter (I had to buy an entire winter wardrobe when it started getting cold!!) but I think that Charlottesville has a great balance of all four seasons. The summers are especially amazing :)

4. The community service opportunities. Madison House is the umbrella organization for community service at UVa. I also volunteer as a mentor with a middle school girl through the Young Women Leaders Program, which has been one of the most rewarding activities I have done so far at UVA. 

5. Student self-governance. One thing that really sets UVa apart from other schools is that students are entrusted to do a LOT. The entire honor system is student run. The alternative spring break program that sends people all over the US and the world for service trips is all organized by students. Students even initiated a new major this year (as someone mentioned in an earlier post). 

6. UVa is just the right size. I usually seem to see people that i know around Grounds and in my classes, but there are always fresh faces to meet at parties!

-Kim