University of Richmond

Archive for September, 2008

Into the City!

And so another busy week has come to an end…

Even though I have gotten used to life on campus and have developed a routine for myself, things just don’t seem to slow down around here! My second week of classes was even more hectic than my first, with assignments beginning to pile up while campus activities start up at full force. You would think that these two factors would be enough to keep me going non-stop, but it would only be characteristic of me to take it up a notch by also starting my first day of work this week!

I started my first day of work this last Wednesday as a student coordinator for the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (hereafter referred to as the CCE), working on several on-campus and community projects and helping out with general office tasks. I enjoyed meeting all of my colleagues and getting accustomed to the office on my first day and am really looking forward to working here for the rest of the year! I also attended several information sessions for different student organizations this week, and will keep you updated on which ones I become more involved with after I figure that out myself!

I also had the chance to go off campus several times this week! On Thursday, my academic advisor took me and the three other girls in my academic advising group out for a nice dinner at Mosaic, a local sandwich shop. We had a nice and relaxing dinner over conversation about our separate Spanish studies and Spain, a common place of interest among the five of us. My friends and I also went off campus on Friday. We took the Spider Shuttle (a free transportation service provided by the University) to Regency Mall in search for white dresses for Proclamation Night coming up in several weeks. We then returned to campus only to go back into the city several hours later. That night, some friends and I ventured into Carytown – a great little street full of cute local shops and restaurants – for dinner and shopping. I had planned to continue exploring the city of Richmond on Saturday, with the CCE’s UniverCity Day trip, but it was cancelled due to the stormy weather that has been troubling the coast for the past few weeks. Although the Richmond campus is undoubtedly beautiful, it was nice to experience a change in scenery by leaving campus and exploring different parts of the city. I had a blast and cannot wait to explore further!

First Week Frenzy!

Hello hello!

Since I last left you, I have successfully completed my first week of college classes!! It really was one of the most overwhelming weeks that I’ve had in a while.

I was both excited and extremely scared to begin classes on Monday. My first college class was a 300-level Spanish in Business class, so you can imagine how nervous I was to dive into business discussions in Spanish after my three month hiatus from the language. However, my professor, classmates and the class in general turned out to be incredibly enjoyable and very relaxed! I soon found out that all of my classes are similar to my Spanish class in that they are all very interactive. I think that constant classroom interaction is one of the best parts about the classes here at Richmond, because you can get to know your classmates both intellectually and personally. Professors also become less intimidating through classroom discussions. In fact, all of my professors are very friendly and approachable in addition to being extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields. Even though I’ve had what seems to be an overwhelming amount of homework for the first week of school, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this week!

And then the weekend finally arrived after an exhausting first week! On Saturday, my hallmates and I explored campus and finally made use of the amazing gym here. I spent almost two hours there and can tell that the gym will become one of my favorite and most frequented places on campus. Then on Sunday, I attended the Westhampton Big-Little Social, an event that pairs each freshman girl with a Westhampton sophomore who helps her adapt into her new life here at Richmond. The social was fun and I get along very well with my big sister, so I’m excited to have her guide me through my first year!

All in all, it has been a crazy week! I’ve loved experiencing everything new during the first two weeks here, but I’m ready to settle in and develop a new routine. I will keep you posted on how things go!

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My next-door neighbor, Kailey, my roommate, Gretchen, and I dressed up for the Westhampton Big-Little social!

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 Me with my Westhampton Big, Megan.

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Girls in my hall gathered in my room to watch the season premiere of Gossip Girl.