Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Top Questions

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Tech is located in the middle of nowhere! This is a huge hassle because there's never anything to do, and doing the same thing over and over again gets old. The best thing about this school would be the food and school spirit! The first thing I would change is making the campus more diverse! I think Tech is just the right size, I see someone new everyday, which I like. I like how the dorms are on one side and academics are on the other, I feel that makes the most sense for a campus set up. The biggest issue that Tech is facing is the amount of shootings that occur and not being about the keep the publicity out. Yes, it's good to be informed but I think we need a new PR person to get things under lock.

Virginia Tech is a wonderful university. I was only five hours from my hometown but felt like I was world's away. Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community create a feeling of 'family' that is indescribable until you spend a good amount of time there. I had a wide range of WONDERFUL professors and met friends that I know I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life. Blacksburg is most definitely a college town, and while it is in the middle of nowhere Virginia, there is so much to do both on Virginia Tech's campus and in the town of Blacksburg that I was rarely bored or looking for things to do. Whether it be seeing movies at the local Lyric Theater, going out with friends at the many restaurants and bars downtown, or walking around campus, there is never a dull moment at Virginia Tech.

I love Virginia Tech. The best part of being a Hokie is the community- Hokie Nation. Hokies are all over and all supportive of our school, and each other. We help not only one another, but our community, nation, and world. Virginia Tech is an extremely close-knit group of people who carry and live out our motto Ut Prosim- That I May Serve- both on campus and everywhere in the world. This is the most supportive group of people I have encountered and I am proud and blessed to be able to be a Hokie. The only thing I'd change about Virginia Tech is how the school handles lower-level math courses. There is a separate, easy-to-get-to off-campus building called the math Emporium, pr the "Empo." The Empo is filled with 537 Mac computers, and that's where students go to do their self-taught calculus courses. For those who are mathematically inclined, it's a piece of cake. For others- like me- it just really sucks having to go off campus and try to teach yourself business calculus. Not fun, But, it's really easy to find help, so it isn't always as terrible as some make it to be. Virginia Tech has around 28,000 undergrads- which seems like an incredibly large number- but it has never felt like that to me at all. It's the perfect size. Lane Stadium fills up quickly with thousands of Hokie fans, there are always new people to meet, but you'll get involved and start meeting everybody and then campus will feel like the perfect size. When I tell people I go to Virginia Tech, they're usually impressed- unless they have anything to do with the University of Virginia. Then I'm just a lowly rival. Otherwise, Virginia Tech has an excellent reputation for being a great school full of good, smart people. Personally, most of my time spent on campus is in my room, but that's just because I live in a really nice upperclassmen dorm. Otherwise, I can be found in the student center hanging out or doing homework, the gym having fun in fitness classes, or in the dining halls eating Tech's award-winning food. Unlike many other schools, Virginia Tech's dining hall food is in the top 5 in the nation. Yes- it is good. Blacksburg, VA is very much a college town. Aside from Tech and a couple surrounding neighborhoods, it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. But no fear- downtown Blacksburg is practically attached to campus, Christiansburg with shopping and lots of restaurants is 10 minutes away, and Roanoke is a mere 50 minutes away. All of these places are accessible through the Blacksburg bus system. You can also bring your own car-even as a freshman- if you'd like. Blacksburg itself is made up of primarily Virginia Tech students. There is a lot to do; restaurants and unique shopping on the downtown mall, the Lyric movie theater, a Farmer's market for fresh fruit, and lots of hiking and amazing outdoor activities. The biggest controversy on campus was the shooting of a Tech police officer. This event, unfortunately, gained a lot of unwanted publicity for Tech, especially after the April 16, 2007 shootings. Again though, all Hokies rallied together- both at school in Blacksburg and around the nation- to heal and respect our fallen officer and Hokies. In spite of all this, Virginia Tech has the most school pride of any school I have ever experienced. Orange and Maroon- a ghastly color combination to some but beloved to us- is what you'll see nearly every Hokie dressed in every day. I have never experienced a lack of school spirit at Tech. Virginia Tech was founded as a military school back in 1872. Throughout the years, Tech has kept its military background and it continues to be a big part of who we are. The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is the main military presence on campus. Cadets wear uniforms everyday and live a strict military lifestyle, while getting a top-notch education. They attend the same courses as civilians and everything and are always around. This is a really unique aspect of Tech. Plus, it's always nice to see men in uniform on a daily basis. The most frequent student complaints are about the difficulty of finding a parking spot on campus (true but not impossible) and of Blacksburg's cold, windy weather. It is fondly called "Bleaksburg" during the winter months, but that has never distracted from campus's beauty or the students' love for Tech.

I went to Virginia Tech because I fell in love with the school when I was twelve years old. The campus is absolutely beautiful, and the entire town of Blacksburg revolves around it. Blacksburg, though small, is a cute, fun little college town where there's always something going on. Even though the student body is huge (32,000 including grad students), it's easy to feel at home. I loved the feel of being at a huge school, with the busy, bustling dining halls and jam-packed football games, but as an English major, I was in a relatively small department, where everybody knew everybody, so I didn't feel like I was just a number to my professors. I'm from North Carolina, so I didn't know many people from home who went to Tech. Every time I came home decked out in orange and maroon, my friends always gave me a hard time because it was all I wore. When a friend of mine visited me at Tech, as we were walking around campus, she looked around and said "Whoa...EVERYONE is wearing Tech sweatshirts!" The school pride at Tech is absolutely indescribable, especially during football season. The most frequent complaints I hear are about how crowded the dining halls are, and how horrible parking is. Parking on campus is impossible, and they love to ticket and tow around there. If you live on campus you have to keep your car in the Cage, a parking lot half a mile from the dorms, and when you live off campus, you're better off just taking the bus or riding your bike.

I can't speak highly enough about the spirit of Virginia Tech. Most people are aware of the difficulties the students body and rest of the Hokie Nation have been through. What many don't know or understand is how resilient our community is, and just how close the Hokies are. Even though Tech has such a large student population, it still doesn't feel too big. The campus is concentrated, so you still get the close knit feeling you would at a small school. Blacksburg is a complete college town, which makes game days awesome! Seeing an entire town supporting your school only strengthens our Hokie Pride. I spend most of my time when on campus in Torg Bridge, where students go to study, or read in a quiet place. It is also connected to the library so you can grab research books and go straight to the Bridge to get started on work, papers, and exams! Something unusual about Tech? The spirit. There's nothing like it, and it becomes clear soon after moving into Freshman dorms; especially with all the student athletes carrying your stuff from your car into your new dorm room! To get a taste of the Hokie Spirit, just go watch the Enter Sandman entrance at any Hokie Football game, and then imagine jumping right along with us!

What's the best thing about this school? School pride, sense of community. Name one thing you'd change. The weather. Is your school too large, too small, or just right? We are a growing school, but I haven’t felt any negative effects of a growing population. Tech is big enough to have a successful division I football program, but small enough to see the same people on campus day in and day out. Where do you spend most of your time on campus? While I was a student here, I spent most of my time in the Innovation Space in Torgerson. The Innovation Space is a very high tech computer lab that students can work in when they have projects that require fancy computer equipment that they do not necessarily want to pay for. I did a lot of website and document design in college, so I spent a lot of time in the lab working with the Adobe Creative Suite. College town, or "what college town?" Total college town. The college is the town. We don’t have a lot of chain restaurants or shopping centers, and you have to drive 15 minutes to get to Wal-Mart but that’s all a part of the Blacksburg experience. Tech is the only thing in this town, but we have a blast with what we have. It’s nice knowing that you are supporting local industry everywhere you go. What's your opinion of this school's administration? The administration does a good job. Like every large university, there will be complaints about tuition costs and spending money, but they are doing a great job to expand the school and bring in world class professors to teach students in all areas. What was the biggest recent controversy on campus? Unfortunately, Virginia Tech has been marked with the tragedy of violence again and again. While these events are completely unrelated, uncontrollable acts of random violence, some people try to villionize the VT population by saying that we are cursed or other mean things. This is just not true. Every one of these unfortunate campus events have made the Hokie Nation stronger as we stand together as a community. Campus security is HUGE here, and policies and procedures are followed perfectly to ensure student and staff safety. While we cannot control these events, we stand strong together through them and prove what it means to be a Hokie through action. Is there a lot of school pride? So much school pride. Is there anything unusual about this school? Tech was originally founded as a military school, so we still have the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. The Corps students receive full scholarships to study in exchange for years of service, and live on campus as they would on a military base. They run PT at 4 in the morning, practice drills and formations all over campus, and wear their full uniforms to class. What's one experience you'll always remember? I'm an employee of Virginia Tech Athletics now, so sporting events will always be at the top of my list of memorable moments. Other than athletics, the first big snowball fight against the cadets every year is awesome, too. What are the most frequent student complaints? The weather.

Virginia Tech has something for everyone. Physically active individuals will enjoy one of the most active intramural sports programs in the nation. The campus boasts two fully-equipped gymnasiums which also offer numerous fitness classes ranging from yoga to zumba. Prudent students will enjoy Newman Library's five floors, whereupon they can study alone or among colleagues. Creative minds can roam freely at InnovationSpace, which boasts an audio studio, professional video cameras, and a computer lab equipped with the latest editing programs and technology. The campus is also within walking distance of an array of restaurants, bars and shops. Blacksburg nightlife offers an excellent way to unwind after a long week. I'll never forget the countless Friday nights spent watching games with good friends at Sharky's and Big Al's.

Virginia Tech is a large school with a small feel. The 27,000 students become one student's 26,999 friends. Each student brings a warm, welcoming smile and attitude to campus every day, for a Hokie would do anything for a fellow Hokie. The astounding school spirit unites the student body, especially every Saturday of fall semester, when the entire campus excitedly stampedes into Lane Stadium together to watch our football team conquer a new team, as one big family affair. The surrounding town is filled with orange and maroon students, parents, adults, alumni, and friends. Each restaurant, store, and shopping center supports Virginia Tech and thrives on the students and the community they create. In return, these venues and owners happily support students year-round. The bright smile and positive feedback I receive from others each time I mention I attend Virginia Tech is intriguing. I am constantly praised for my attendance at Virginia Tech, for merely anyone would enjoy such a positive environment, prestigious academia, and intelligent network of professors and peers. If I could do it again, I would do it the same.

Even if for some reason I had to sit in a corner, alone for the remaining two and a half years I have left at Tech, I'd still call these the best four years of my life. I have never been more happy or at peace with myself, my friends, and my life as I am here in Blacksburg. As soon as I go home for breaks I begin to miss Tech. I honestly feel as though I did something right in my life to be able to have ended up here as an undergraduate. My friends envy how much fun I'm having at school.