Virginia Commonwealth University

If you don't find friends quickly, you're going to find yourself socially doomed for 4+ years. Find student organizations and clubs to get involved in. The School of Engineering had it arranged to have all the engineering students to be on the same dorm floor. This was invaluable. More than likely you're going to see these same people for the next few years if you stick it out in the program. You find a lot of friends in your own department. I'm still very good friends with a number of them. Just like any school, everyone is really super friendly their first few weeks, since everyone is out of their element. Make this an opportunity to meet new people.

If you're looking for a school with "school spirit" and all the traditional "cool" things about going to college, this university is not for you. Consider JMU, Tech, UVA, or any other large campus school. The Greek system at VCU is not very strong, but like any other student organization, an opportunity to meet people.

-The Department
I was a member of the founding class for the VCU School of Engineering. Though I had my complaints, my experience was a positive one overall. The faculty was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. It was a challenging curriculum, and VCU Engineering did a good job in helping me find a job in my major. You get educated by professors (not TAs) with real world experience (at least when I went). They say they are a school on giving students real hands on engineering, but there was always a lacking in resources in one way or another. The building looks awesome. It felt like going to classes in a Marriott, but there isn’t' a lot of practical engineering space. Hopefully, as they continue the construction for the school, that will change.

The Mechanical Engineering Department was in serious need of an overhaul by the time I left. It started out exciting, enthusiastic and fun on both the faculty and student side. By the end of my 4 years there, it seemed like the faculty list was a revolving door. Internal politics in the school and conflicts in vision ultimately did not bode well for faculty members in the Mechanical Engineering department by the end of my run. I hope it has fixed it self though I don’t see how. In other words, if you find a Mechanical engineering professor you like and respect, don’t expect to see him/her for the entire time you’re attending. He or she will get disheartened, pissed off, find something better, or fired and just leave. To my knowledge, the chemical, electrical, and biomedical departments boded better. Like anywhere, don’t expect the school to hand you anything. You really make your own education in a lot of ways.

-Conclusion
So with all this stuff, would I still go to VCU rather than my other choice, V-Tech? Heck yeah. VCU just fit my personality better. The school of engineering had it’s quirks but I loved the faculty that educated me. The campus fit me better, though I do occasionally regret that I don’t have a big football team to get stupid about. VCU is truly a unique environment, and if you’re a bit nutty yourself, you’ll find yourself at home.