Travel the world while studying abroad!

My three years here at UVA has gone by incredibly fast, but each year has proven to be, without doubt, better than the last. My second year spring semester, I had the awesome opportunity to study abroad in Rome, Italy, I mean what better place to study art history than in the art history capital of the world!? I had the time of my life. There are countless opportunities for when students can decide to study abroad. Either in the fall semester, the spring semester, for a summer semester, or if for whatever reason a student did not want to be away from UVA’s beautiful grounds for that long of a period, a three week J-term study abroad course is often the way to go. The J-term course spans the break between end of fall semester and beginning of spring semester. Regardless of what your major is and/or what college you are enrolled in (College of Arts and Sciences, Architecture School, Engineering School, etc.,) there are programs offered in many countries of the world including Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, New Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom – just to name a few.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to ask as college student in their final year what they regret most about their college experience, chances are they might say that they’re bummed they missed out on the opportunity to study abroad. I strongly encourage you to get out there if you get the chance to and go abroad for a semester. After all, it’s one thing to learn about a completely different culture inside the classroom, and another thing to completely immerse yourself in that same culture through a study abroad experience!!

About Meeee!!

Hey guys! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!! Regardless of how hot, humid, and sticky it is here in Cville, Virginia, I am having the time of my life! My name’s Sarah and I’m a rising fourth year studying Art History and English Literature. I’m originally from Columbia, Maryland, right in between Baltimore and DC, and I decided to give up my summer this year to stay on grounds and give tours of the university to prospective students and their families. :-)

About Me-Emily

Before I jump into blogging here, I thought that you might appreciate some background information on me. I'm Emily, and I come from a suburb in North Atlanta. I am a rising 3rd year; however, this coming year will be my second year at UVA. That's because I came in as a second-year transfer student from a large, urban university. I am working towards majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Dance. Now, when I say I'm into dance, I wish I could say that I can whip out dance moves from Beyonce's Single Ladies. My dance background's mainly in Ballet, and I have done a lot of Modern since getting involved with the dance program here. In addition to dancing, I'm involved with Madison House, our overarching student-run community service organization, and through it, I volunteer at the UVA Hospital, walk dogs at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA every week, and volunteer with the local Red Cross chapter. I guess something else to mention is that I am pre-med, and I am involved with the UVA AMSA chapter (American Medical Students Association).

Year in Sports

As many of you know, UVa competes as a D-1 school in the ACC with over 20+ varsity sports. You may also know that we haven't been doing so hot in football and basketball (it's a rebuilding year, duh!). But let's not ignore the teams that put together a banner year for Cavalier sports...

Men's Tennis: Was ranked #1 in the country the entire season, won the ACC title, and the doubles team of Dominic Inglot and Michael Shabaz won the NCAA Doubles Championship. This makes 3 NCAA championships in as many years.

Baseball: Won its first ever ACC title this year and is headed to the College World Series as of this writing.

Men's Swimming and Diving: Won its 10th ACC crown in the past 11 years.

Women's Swimming and Diving: Won its second straight ACC crown.

Men's Cross Country: Won its 3rd ACC crown in the past 4 years.

Men's Lacrosse: Was ranked #1 most of the season and advanced to the Final Four. Set the record for the longest game (7 OT's!) ever this year against Maryland and obviously, we prevailed victorious.

Women's Rowing: Won the NCAA South Region championship for the 6th time in 7 years.

Men's Track and Field: Tied for the ACC title.

If you were counting, that gives the Cavaliers 6 ACC titles this year, tying us for most crowns in one year. Yes...we are kinda the bomb.com

Beauty Beyond the Books

When trying to decide what I wanted in a college or university, I started by listing the essentials and then giving schools credit for having beyond that list. I didn't want a glorified office space. I wanted the full package: classrooms, libraries, gyms, and grass. That's right. I wanted greenery, architecture, culture, history. Every school you visit will have a library (ps- UVa has 17), will have dorms and a meal plan. At UVa, there are two very special areas that I'd like to highlight. It's important to remember that while you're in college, you will--on average--spend far more time outside of the four walls of a classroom. And so I urge you whenever you visit a college or university to ask the current students what they do outside of the lecture halls. Is there a place to meet? Are there malls? How about restaurants? Later, I'll address Charlottesville's offerings on eateries, but for now, I want to focus on the Gardens, the Amphitheater, and the Lawn.


Gardens

Behind each of the ten pavilions of the Lawn, there are ten gardens, each filled with unique flowers. They are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. My favorite is pictured above, Garden 5, home to Noble, the University dog that students are encouraged to come visit. The Gardens are completely public; anyone can enjoy them. Clubs and classes often throw parties in the gardens. If you come for a tour, please, please, don't forget to peak into the gardens.


The Amphitheater

Okay, okay, so technically it's not a true amphitheater, but who cares? At one time, the Amphitheater was just a parking lot but no longer. A capella concerts, rallies, and so much more happens here. Chi Omega even has the Amphitheater as a hole in their charity event Golf Across Grounds. Also, a few days before school starts, hundreds of clubs will pack into the Amphitheater hoping to attract new members in an event called the Student Activities Fair.

The Lawn

The Lawn is an incredible area to gather for any reason. It hosts major events like Convocation, Graduation, and The Lighting of the Lawn, but it also plays a vital role in student life day to day. I've yet to walk onto the Lawn and not see a student playing frisbee or baseball or reading a book. Last year, my dorm held two cook outs on the Lawn. Everyone came out, shared a meal, and then played and napped on blankets they'd brought. Charity events frequently set up tables on the Lawn, as do clubs doing fundraisers.

DID YOU KNOW?
Monticello and UVa's Lawn together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Together, they are the only university recognized by the UN as a World Heritage Site, and one of eight cultural sites in the United States. To put it in perspective, The Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall are also cultural sites in America. This distinction is a huge honor for the University, signifying that it is culturally and architecturally significant and unforgettable for mankind as a whole.

Secret Societies

This topic is always interesting for the sheer amount of subjunctive statements it requires. Alright, let's just go ahead and say this part clearly: no, we don't know every secret society we have because (warning: immense shock coming) they're secretive. I should also highlight that these dates are highly speculative and could be slightly inaccurate, owing to the fact that secret societies rarely hold press conferences. Overall, we are fairly certain that five of these societies are over 100 years old, and I strongly encourage you to tour UVa and explore this curiosity that has decorated our history since its founding.

How We Guesstimate the Amount
Our current estimate is that we have between 120-130 secret societies. This calculation is based off how many societies have identified themselves plus a few more because it is highly unlikely that every single secret society has left markings. For example, we know the 21 Society exists because it leaves boxes of toys for students to play with on the Lawn or in the Quads. We know the Angel Society operates because they tape letters around Grounds.

The Main Secret Societies

As I said before, UVa has well over 100 secret societies, but they all have different scopes and missions. To give an idea of just how much they differ, I'll cover the three best know secret societies. Their markings can be seen all around Grounds on buildings, stairs, and even fraternity houses.

IMP

Originally around 1902, this group began as the Hot Feet. They were a rowdy bunch and were told to disband in 1908 due to their Easter Sunday prank where they broke into Brooks Hall (the old environmental sciences building), stole the taxidermy animals, and placed them in lewd and rather compromising positions. In 1913, they reformed into the IMP (Incarnate Memories Prevail). To this day, they still are a fun loving group and very strongly advocate for what the student body wants. They also give awards to professors and students alike, recognizing people who enrich the University. They are semi-secretive because they publicly tap new members.

Z Society

Founded around 1892, they are more secretive than the IMP. Z society members reveal themselves on graduation by wearing a special ring. Honoring students and faculty who've actively contributed to UVa's student life and diversity is their main objective. They host a dinner for distinguished First Years, send letters of encouragement, and award professors. A bit of a personal note, as a First Year I actually received a letter in the mail from the Z's, and so I can assure that these letters do get sent to real people. Yay Z's!

7 Society

While they refuse to look to any specific date, the 7's probably started around 1905. There are many stories as to where the name originates. Some people suggest that eight people were scheduled to show up to a poker game, but one didn't come. (hence seven people). I've also heard that the 7's used to erase the tail on the Z's markings. Seven is also just a very mysterious number and commonly used number in stories and legends (Seven Hills of Rome, Seven Dwarfs, Seven Kings of Rome, The Seven Seas--you get it). Now the 7 Society is our most secretive society. A member is not revealed until his or her death. On the casket, a wreath in the shape of a 7 will be laid, and the Chapel bell will ring, signifying a death of a 7. They are an immense influence in student life here, donating money to each entering class to kick start the account.

Lingo, Language, and Traditions

Every area definitely has its own rhythm, a unique feel identifying it as an individual area. These differences spice up the environment, adding to the student culture.











Grounds
Thomas Jefferson thought that the word "campus" had far too stifling a feel and that it conveyed the idea of a community surrounded by ten foot high walls and separate from the rest of the world. Wanting to limit the restrictive feel, Jefferson opted for the word "Grounds" to describe his university.


First Year, Second Year,....
Again, Thomas Jefferson played a role in this tradition. He thought that no one could ever truly be a senior in learning, and so to label a person as such after only four years of school was ridiculous. This tradition is one of my favorites because I see it as a highly enlightened way of viewing education as well as an extremely humble perspective of learning.

Convocation & Graduation
These events are the only two times the entire class will be seated together. At Convocation, the President formally welcomes the entering class to the University, the Honor Code is signed, and perhaps a surprise or two might arise from mysterious places. The students sit facing the Rotunda, the heart of the University and Jefferson's original library. During Graduation, students process down the Lawn to Old Cabell Hall and sit facing away from the Rotunda. Both of these events are highly symbolic: the former represents the beginning of the quest for knowledge, while the latter involves the students walking out into the wider world with the skills they've acquired.