VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Richmond, Virginia • 150km south of Washington, DC • Capital of Virginia State • 460km south of New York • Population of Greater Richmond • 150km from the Atlantic ocean city: 200,000; metro: 1,200,000 beach • 135km from Shenandoah National • Founded in 1609 by English settlers Park from Jamestown • Capital of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War(1861- 1865) Virginia Commonwealth University Est. 1968 • 2 main campuses -Monroe Park Campus and MCV Campus. • Additional campus in Doha, Qatar • Over 30,000 • Mascot is the Ram and colours students 21,000 are black and gold UG • Baseball, basketball, cross • 1600 international country, field hockey, golf, students soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball teams • Wide range of courses: science, social sciences, arts, business, engineering, medicine and nursing Academic Culture • Strong emphasis on attendance & punctuality • Different syllabus • Lectures, labs, structure of classes/courses (modules) • Credit/hours structure • Honor System • US education = 4 year undergraduate degree (major classes interspersed with general education classes, electives, minor classes, etc.) • Expectations outside of the classroom Honors College As a Partnership exchange student, you will belong to the Honors College. The Honors College provides: • Advising and registration • Facilities • Benefits • Honors Courses/Modules • Special opportunities, seminars, student organizations, etc. http://www.honors.vcu.edu/ Global Education Office • Reserves housing • Provides airport pickup and orientation for exchange students Amber Bennett Hill Sarah Young • Coordinates buddy Director, International Exchange Student and Scholar programmes program Programmes coordinator • Orientation Orientation • Driving tour of Richmond • Immigration Services • Walking tour of campus (issues DS2019’s – • Shopping trip to Wal-Mart • Briefings on safety issues, needed for your J1 visas) immigration, academic issues, health services, library tour, meal plans Accommodation West Grace North Residence Hall •Approx. $6000/year •On campus •2 persons per room •En suite •Laundry and cooking facilities provided You will need to purchase: utensils, dishes, pots, pans, lamps, linen, and bathroom and cleaning supplies. Further info: http://www.housing.vcu.edu/ Food • Students may buy meal plans at the dining hall or prepare meals in their residence • VCU recommend purchasing a 100 block plan (100 meals per semester) with $75 ‘dining dollars’. Current cost - Dining locations: $801 per semester • Shafer Dining Hall (main) • Vegetarian and Vegan • Student Commons • On campus: Starbucks, Chili’s, Quiznos, etc. available • Off-campus locations with RamBuck Student Life • International Student Activities • RecSports, Outing Rental Service, and Athletics • Alternative Spring Breaks • Student Performing Groups: Music, Theatre, Dance • VCU TelegRam Student Life • Student Organizations and Religious Groups • Student Publications and Media: Amendment, Blackbird, Commonwealth Times, Ink, Poictesme, VCU InSight, VCU TV/HD, WVCW • Lecture series, workshops, seminars, research conferences, etc. Richmond Museums Culture Colonial Richmond Fan District Shopping Virginia Highlights Shenandoah National Park Charlottesville Colonial Williamsburg Virginia Beach Costs • Exchange students pay Approximate costs as reduced fees to UWE provided by VCU: • UWE Study Abroad Bursary of £1000 for Housing: $6,000 full-year students Meals: $3,000-$4,000 • Students will need to Airfare (round trip): $1,200 pay for: Miscellaneous (books, immigration, insurance, • Accommodation transport etc). $2,500 • Visa Total $13,700 • Flights • Living costs Costs • Students are still eligible for SFE Grants and Loans • In addition, subject to eligibility, students may apply for a means-tested SFE Travel Grant to cover costs of travel to Further info: and from host institution (flights), less the first http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/ media/456058/travel_grant_fact_ £303, paid sheet_1314_d_b.pdf retrospectively Support from external organisations • UWE is a member of BUTEX and as such students can apply for BUTEX scholarships of up to £500 to help fund their time abroad http://www.butex.ac.uk/scholarships/how-to-apply/ • The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers advice and expertise on preparing to study in the USA – including tips on travel, visas, cultural differences and more http://www.fulbright.org.uk/ Application procedure • Interested students should register their interest using sign in sheets or by emailing [email protected]. • Application deadline date and procedure will be communicated to interested after Christmas • Only top students considered – those who have: • good attendance • submitted coursework on time • pass modules at first attempt • an average of 2:1or higher • Academic references and an interview may be required before you are nominated to VCU • Once nominated, you will need to complete VCU’s application procedure and send this off with proof of finances VCU Application procedure • To be completed by Mid-March • You must provide: • Photocopy of passport • Transcript • Once submitted, VCU will provide you with a DS-2019 • Motivation letter which you will need to apply for • Recommendation letter your J1 Student Visa. • You will need to meet visa • Proof of finances requirements and pass an interview at the US embassy in • Application form London to obtain your visa • Immigration fee $30 What Students say… Rikky Sweet – BA (Hons) Politics The people I met were among the most intelligent, caring and interesting people that I have had the pleasure of spending time with. By the time I came home I could see that the world was much bigger than the UK and I realised that there were so many more possibilities than I imagined. Studying under a different education system allowed me to experiment with a different style of learning. Work was faster paced and required me to adjust both my time keeping and the way I approached essays and revision. This not only proved that I could adjust to different situations but also taught me new methods to employ in my education back home. Access to professors with different research focuses compared to those here at UWE allowed me to supplement my education and broaden my interests by pursuing fields of study not offered at UWE. My experience abroad taught me to be more appreciative of aspects of life here in the UK which were absent abroad – the countryside and a slower, more relaxed pace of life. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in the U.S.A and experience American culture without the hurdles of emigrating or paying out for an expensive holiday. Studying abroad is the perfect way of seeing the world in a way that fits in easily with study and is made incredibly straight forward by the excellent work between UWE and VCU’s study abroad teams. The hardest part is coming home! Questions? .