| Full-time undergraduate program |
Richmond's social life is ruled by the Greek system. A large percentage
of first-years participate in the rush process with sororities and
fraternities. The majority of the fraternities and sororities are
social, but there are a few service fraternities. A significant part of
Richmond's social life is dictated by the Greek system, so this is
something to be considered if social life outside of the Greek system is
important.
There are numerous social, academic, and cultural groups in which
students can participate outside the Greek, ranging from language clubs
to cultural clubs. The membership in these clubs and groups are not as
large or as comprehensive as the Greek system.
For a student who did not want to participate in the Greek system, the
social life at Richmond can be difficult. Fraternity parties dominate
the weekend social life, and for those who don't care for them, it's
difficult to find social activities and friends. The rift between
the "Greeks" and everyone else is significant, and there is tension
between the "Greeks" and everyone else. A student who doesn't want to
be in the Greek system really needs to know how to make their own fun
with their friends.
Off-campus social life is a bit more diverse. There are movie theaters,
restaurants, activities at VCU (an arts college closer to downtown
Richmond), and bars near campus. The bars will card students, so unless
students are 21, they will not serve them. The restaurants downtown,
such as Bottoms Up Pizza, Havana 59, the Tobacco Company, and LeMare at
the Jefferson Hotel are some common restaurants attended by students.
Bottoms Up is the only one among those restaurants that is not
expensive. There are also popular chain restaurants located near
campus, such as TGIFridays, Olive Garden, Mozzarella, etc. that are more
reasonably priced than the aforementioned restaurants.
The bottom line is that most of the students' lives are conducted on
campus. Over 95% of the students live on campus, either in dormitories
or campus apartments. Partying is done on campus, usually at the
fraternity houses or the upperclassment apartments, and it is usually
related to the Greek system or the athletes. The student population is
mostly comprised of people from affluent or upper middle class
backgrounds, and it shows in how students dress, what they own, the cars
they drive, and the attitudes they have about their world and beyond.
For anyone who wants a more diverse socio-economic environment, I'd
suggest considering another school.
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