University of Richmond Top Questions

Richmond offers just about any club or organization possible. However, if we don't have it, you can create it. I have had several friends start clubs or organizations on campus, and it seems virtually pain-free. Beyond clubs, Richmond offers six sororities and six fraternities to join. Greek rush is in the Spring Semester of your freshman or sophomore year, so that you have a chance to get settled in socially and academically before you rush. More than half of all girls participate in rush, while about 1/3 of men do. I met my closest friends in my freshman year dorm. We still live together and remain very close. However, I've met a lot of other great friends in my sorority or through campus activities. The dating scene at Richmond seems pretty casual. Most people tend to date around versus having one serious relationship. It's extremely easy to meet people because Richmond has a great social scene with parties at the campus apartments or fraternity lodges. Of course, if students choose not to drink, there are always movies showing on campus or concerts in the drama theatre.

There is always an event on campus, all the time. There are many different performances and lots of student run activities. Many activities and philanthropy events are put on by Greek Life groups and are available for the entire school. People party often. Greek Life is great - not too intense, but very enriching. You can definitely still have a lot of fun and enjoy Greek Life without being in a sorority or fraternity. Richmond has a ton of great restaurants and bars. Single-sex housing has its pros and cons - as far as social life, it is a negative thing because girl/guy interaction is limited to class and parties (usually of the frat lodge variety). The library is probably the most popular hang out spot on campus. It is actually true.

Fraternity Parties are usually the biggest events on weekends. Pg Roast is a huge celebration in the spring where all the fraternity lodges open up and virtually the who campus puts on ties and sundresses and spends an afternoon drinking. Dating can be tough, with single-sex residence halls, and the main place to meet people is in the library, or at weekend parties, where people are usually shit-faced. During the week most kids are in the library/studying. It is a very work-hard play-hard school. Fraternities are very popular for partying, but most times they are not overly exclusive, and if you are friends with some of the brothers, it is not hard to hang out with the guys and go to their parties. there are always programs going on, students often say the campus is "over-programed" with 12 different events being put on every night. Some of them can be really interesting, but it is always a struggle to get people to attend. Since so many people live on campus, the social life usually revolves round on campus stuff, and most people do not leave on weekends.

The International Club is known for its socials. Of course Frats and Sororities have their socials and weekend parties too, but the lodges are dirty and gross so the apartments are pretty popular too. It's very safe on campus and people can walk around campus at all hours of the day and night. When people are in the room the door is often open, but definately locked when they go to class. I met my best friends from my roommate and classes and clubs, everything seems to converge. Guest Speakers can be great if you have time to go. Drinking is not as prevalent or as pressured as most people would assume. Great place to come to get married or find your future mate!

Frats and sororities seem to be the things to do

The most popular groups are probably the football team or the fraternities/sororities. I am involved with the football team. Yes some students in the dorms leave their doors open. Sports games are not so popular along with theatre, but guest speakers sometimes receive nice turnouts. I am not wrapped up in the datung scene, but I would say scandalis. I met my closet friends by interacting with them and showing them that I was not the person they thought I was going to be when they first looked at me. Either bullshitting on my laptop or in one of my friends' rooms talking. The traditions and events that happen each year is the football teams spring game and the festival we call pigroast where people get drunk in the morning starting around 9 a.m. People party at least4 times a week at least. They are inportant to those wrapped up in them, but to me the fraternities here do not have my full attention at all due to their resentment of athletes. Last weekend I got drunk friday and saturday, friday went to a couples different parties around campus, and saturday I went to a fraternity lodge and then to an after-party at an apartment on-campus. Watch other people have fun drinking or go to the library and wish you were drinking with your friends. I go to the movies, bowling, out to eat, or hangout and chill with off-campus friends.

Athletic events are pretty popular on campus. Most students at least stop by for a little and cheer. The sport with the most spectators is definitely football. The football games are so much fun. The field is off campus but most students find a way to get there way before the game even starts. Weekends here are always fun. At least one fraternity hosts a lodge each weekend night. Our fraternities do not live together in houses on campus, however, each fraternity has a lodge. No one lives there but its a place for them to throw parties. They normally consist of huge dance parties which are always a lot of fun. For girls there is a shuttle around campus after 7pm. You can call the Spider Safety Shuttle at any time after seven and get a ride to anywhere on campus. It helps promote safety and is more often used as a lazy bus because our campus is so so safe. Fraternities and sororities are not the most important thing on campus. I decided not to join a sorority but almost all of my friends joined. I do not regret my decision. I am always welcome at fraternities even though I'm not in a sorority, and I still have a lot of girl friends who are in sororities. The campus also hosts many non-drinking events on campus. Every Thursday-Sunday night there is a feature film playing in the Commons. The improv comedy group has a few hilarious performances a semester, the a cappella groups are amazing, and there is always something going on in the Modlin Center.

As far as activities on campus go, there is something for just about everyone. Unfortunately, for many people this is Greek life. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Greek culture, but at a school this size it just seems absurd. Everyone who joins a frat or sorority seems to get pigeon-holed into that one category. As a result, Frats dominate the social scene, which can sometime seem to leave little room for anything else. However, you really can make your own fun. I live in a building of 300 guys, and I know people on every hall of the building, so it's not hard to find something to do. My roomate and I built a fold out beer pong table for our room, and our weekends have been much more exciting ever since. There are plenty of cultural and social events on campus that don't involve drinking if that's not your thing. Off campus, there are two great concert venues that draw some pretty fantastic acts, among other things.

One of UR's claims to fame is the Women Involved in Living and Learning (WILL) program, the first of its kind in the nation. It's a co-curricular feminist organization (though not all of our members identify as feminists). Members are required to minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, though many choose to major in WGSS. Involvement in WILL been one of the defining experiences of my time at UR. I've met almost all of my close friends through WILL. While some people try to make the "feminist = lesbian" conclusion, there's no better group to join if you want to feel okay about being feminist and girly. We're overprogrammed on this campus; there's never a question of if there's something to do, but what to do out of all of the choices. Because of this, however, most programs aren't very well attended--people are too busy with the programs their group is planning. Greek life is definitely big here, but it's easy to meet people without being a part of the scene. Partying is big, though we're not exactly a "party school" compared to the big ones. If you don't drink, there's always something to do earlier on in the evening; you'll be on your own after 10 though.

Fraternities and Sororities are the most popular organizations on campus. Most other clubs do not nearly have the membership that frats and sororities do. Because of this, the weekend social scene generally is driven around fraternity parties. People generally party on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Besides hanging out with the Christian groups on campus, most all events on the weekend involve drinking. On the weekdays, people are typically very bogged down with work, so they'll be up late doing homework, not partying. The big party every year is Festivus aka Pig Roast. This is an event where everyone on campus dressed up in the preppy best (girls wearing Lily Pullitzer and boys in the vineyard vines ties and rainbows) wake up at 8 AM, and start drinking, go to the fraternity lodges on campus around nooon for some roasted pig and some dancing/general socializing, pass out around 2 or 3, and then get up and keep going all night. This is typically in early April when the weather is finally warm enough to go out.