Need a Ride Home? Take Home Ride!

If you live in major metropolitan area in Virginia and go to UVa (or VTech or Radford or JMU) you have a great opportunity: Home Ride! What is this "ride," you ask? Well, it's run by a private company that serves students by providing busses to take them home for the weekend (or winter break). They route the busses to Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, or Richmond. The cost is different depending on the destination and starting point but I've taken this service many times and not only is it reliable (read: comes on time), the passengers are mostly students and there are no stops on the way so the trip to Northern Virginia takes only 2 hours.

Home Ride of Virginia, Inc. 

Is it costly? Well, maybe. But isn't home worth it? I know that as a first year student you don't have a car and not everyone knows an upperclassman with a private vehicle. You could also take Amtrak, I suppose, which I've done but it might not be as convenient for you if your hometown is in Hampton Roads. And do you really want your parents driving all the way to Charlottesville to come get you just to drive back again?

Consider this great service next time you are going home if you live in the state. And if you don't, see if maybe you can catch the train from Union Station in DC to your house (because, you know, the NoVA drop off location is at a Metro stop).

Good luck on finals, everyone!  

Happy holidays!

Every Hoo down in Hooville...

It’s here, it’s here! Today marks the LAST day of classes for the semester. But perhaps even more exciting is that in just a few short hours thousands of students, faculty, and community members will gather on the Lawn for one of my favorite UVa traditions: Lighting of the Lawn! Lighting of the Lawn is an annual event consisting of two hours building up to the flipping of the switch that illuminates the pavilions, lawn rooms and Rotunda, spreading festive holiday cheer. The lights remain lit every night until Christmas, helping to brighten the spirits of students drudging to and from the library as they study for final exams. While everyone waits to see the lawn lit up, hot chocolate and cookies are enjoyed, acappella groups perform, and the traditional holiday poem is read by prominent University figures. Just writing about this is making me even more excited to head over to the Lawn! Happy HOOlidays everyone!!

we come from old virginia...

I love football season – though, admittedly, that love may not be a characteristic that too many fellow cavaliers share with me (especially after this past season).  Most prospective students who possess the same affinity to the sport will take one look at this year’s 3-9 record and see it as reason enough to write UVa off.  However, as a devoted fan of the team and an ardent believer in the potential of our football program, let me just say that it would be a mistake to base such a decision on mere statistics; it is the entire experience of a gameday in Charlottesville that really showcases what we, as a university, and as a student body, have to offer.

Whether it be on the lawn, at Alumni Hall, or by the AFC, tailgating is an indisputably important tradition before every football game here at UVa; few things can compare to the sheer high-spirited nature of true wahoo fans during those hours preceding kick-off.

As game time draws near, and the crowds file into Scott Stadium, the level of enthusiasm can literally be felt all around.  Guys in ties, girls in pearls, and the sea of orange that epitomize our student section as well as the Hill are undoubtedly one of the first things that opposing fans comment on… and let me just say that there are few times when you feel prouder to be a student at the University than during those moments when students from others school stare in awe at juxtaposition between how we dress and carry ourselves at a game, and how they choose to behave. 

Even during bleak football seasons such as the one that we have just endured, all these other factors make it so that we, as cavaliers, can keep our heads held high.  Any true Virginia fan will say that a mixture of pure, unadulterated optimism, interspersed with humbled pride in our school will inevitably bring us back week after week, season after season.  And if those aren’t reasons enough to convince you, just wait until you sing your first Good Ole Song after a touchdown – there’s no turning back after that.

I Feel Like a Kid Again

Through all the stresses and activities of college life, there is a mandatory need to get away from it all every once in a while to stay sane. My weekly escape has been to volunteer at Wesley Community Day Care Center.

The Day Care program is one of 19 volunteer programs run through Madison House, our one stop shop for volunteering in the community. Wesley is one of 7 local daycares where students can volunteer. I volunteer about 2 hours a week in the Transition Room, playing with kids ages 1-2. The most rewarding aspect about the experience is having the two hours to spend with youngsters to just unwind from the stresses as a college student where you’re balancing classes with outside activities, all on top of making sure you figure out what you want to do with your life! These two hours are precious as the kids come up with interesting conversations and never seem to lose energy. Just the other day, I was having a "conversation" with a kid in the playground around a certain tree. He told me that he wanted to buy a chainsaw with the money that he has saved up so far to cut down the tree. Therefore, I ask him how much money he had saved up and he told me $2. I said he might need to save up a couple more dollars before he could buy one and then he tells me that he doesn't want to cut it down anymore: he wants to climb it!

If there is anything that I have gained from my time at the daycare, it is that kids do say the darnest things.

Picture from Madison House's Flickr

Not Everything's Rosy

Let's be honest: there are drawbacks to every school in existence. Whether it's the location, job opportunities, curriculum, staff, facilities--everything can't be perfect. So when you visit schools, make sure you ask students not only what their favorite things are but also their least favorite things.

Traffic

If there's a home football game, do NOT try navigating Charlottesville near game time. It's a mess. Friday afternoons can be bad, too. Oh, and parking? It's scarce and often costly. Personally, unless there's a pressing reason, I don't understand why students bring their own cars. The convenience just doesn't seem to justify the price.



Why It's Okay

The bus system is incredible! Between the trolley, city buses, and university buses, you can travel from Alderman Library to the Downtown Mall to the hospital to Hereford Residential College to the Law school for free. There is absolutely no charge for anyone to use university buses. Furthermore, the city is so beautiful and compact, I walk everywhere: to the shopping center, the Downtown Mall, the Corner. They're close together, and unless it's raining, the walk is scenic and enjoyable.

SIS
Oh, computers. They're wonderful and yet the cause of so many meltdowns all at once. The Student Information System (SIS) is a new version of the Course Offering Directory (COD), and I can list many things I'm more fond of than it. True, part of the dislike is that it's a change from the old system, but there is also the fact that course listings are now more confusing because every course is listed, not just the courses for a given semester. Also, the SIS doesn't allow testing periods to overlap, meaning lots of paperwork to override the system. It's a headache, and it's obnoxious, but we keep it around anyway.

Why It's Okay

The SIS allows you to list every class you want to enroll in and then when the time comes to enroll, click a single button and you're into each course. With the COD, you had to wait to get the list started and so people with 7:20 AM appointment times often complained of being too tired to sign up. Once I had a very early enrolling appointment, and I can vouch that trying to use the COD and correctly get each class when I'm that groggy is only asking for me to make a typo and end up in the wrong class. So that's a major improvement. Also, I did like seeing every course being offered when I had to plan out my major. Having every course just made the process simpler because I had the complete Record in front of me. And no matter how much the computer system upsets some students, they can usually just course action into whatever class they want. Course Actions override SIS restrictions and credit limits. They're an excellent ace in the hole to have when a class closes due to enrollment being filled. Of course, every professor can't always course action everybody, but chances are good that if you really want to be in the course, the professor will let you into it.

Katrina Sim

One of the cool things about UVa is the unique experiences you get to have in the classroom. It is interesting to see the different ways professors teach material and try to help us prepare for our future careers. As a first year engineering student you are required to take Sociotechnical Systems, better known as STS. The course is unique to UVa and is designed to help future engineers better understand the effects that technology has on society and life. They need to understand how their decisions could affect the world. One of the staples of this class is a class session called “Katrina Sim.” Katrina Sim takes place over two days, a normal hour and fifteen minute class period, and then a large 6:30pm to 11pm session later that week. It can definitely be classified as a memorable experience. As you and your fellow engineering first years flock into Clark Hall you can feel all the different emotions mixing together, no one really knows what to expect. Ten minutes later it’s a frenzy! The Department of Homeland Security is telling FEMA they need to get levees built, some environmental agency needs shelters, and the mayor’s office tells everyone there is another storm on the way. The whole event is done using a computer program that allows the different groups to link together and send emails, exchange money, and build and design technology to help reform the city. At the end of the simulation everyone just wants to go home and go to sleep, but we all realized that we have had valuable experience of what we may expect once we enter our careers. We learn how to manage demands from multiple companies and still get things done that benefit our own cause. Katrina Sim is just one example of cool ways that professors teach their curricula. Look around when picking your classes and see what interesting things you can find. Or if you have a good idea feel free to email your professor, you never know what they may be interested in implementing into their course. UVa is a great place to be if you enjoy learning in new, different, and interesting ways.

(Peter Malm, 1st year engineering student visually expresses how he felt at the beginning of Katrina Sim)

Why UVa?

The other day, a friend in high school asked me about applying to college, how many I applied to, why I chose UVa, etc. I am a second year, I applied to colleges almost two years ago; so I do not remember every application essay I wrote, but I do remember why I decided to come to UVa. I am reminded every day why I go here - the people. Yes UVa is a top notch school, yes I will get a great education here, but it really boils down to the people. If I didn't like the people I would be miserable, because college is not just about extending your factual knowledge. It is also about meeting new people, learning about different cultures from those people, learning from those people in general. Do not get me wrong, the academic aspect of college is very important; it is just easier to live in an area for four years of your life if you like the people you're surrounded by.

I have met so many new and different people since I have been here. People I would never have met under any other circumstances. The other day, I got lunch with a friend of mine who is from Taiwan; and I learned more from him about Taiwan than I ever have. There is a difference between reading a book about a country and talking to a person from that country.

The more people I meet here, the more I love UVa. <3