VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity_2

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Richmond, Virginia • • • • 150km south of Washington, DC 460km south of New York 150km from the Atlantic ocean beach 135km from Shenandoah National Park • Capital of Virginia State • Population of Greater Richmond city: 200,000; metro: 1,200,000 • Founded in 1609 by English settlers from Jamestown • Capital of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War(18611865) Virginia Commonwealth University Est 1968 • main campuses -Monroe Park • • • • Campus and MCV Campus Additional campus in Doha, Qatar Mascot is the Ram and colours are black and gold Baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball teams Wide range of courses: science, social sciences, arts, business, engineering, medicine and nursing • Over 30,000 students 21,000 UG • 1600 international students Academic Culture • Strong emphasis on • • • • • • attendance & punctuality Different syllabus Lectures, labs, structure of classes/courses (modules) Credit/hours structure Honor System US education = 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 • Coordinates buddy program • Orientation • Immigration Services (issues DS2019’s – needed for your J1 visas) Amber Bennett Hill Director, International Student and Scholar Programmes Sarah Young Exchange programmes coordinator Orientation • Driving tour of Richmond • Walking tour of campus • Shopping trip to Wal-Mart • Briefings on safety issues, 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 $801 per semester • Vegetarian and Vegan available Dining locations: • Shafer Dining Hall (main) • Student Commons • On campus: Starbucks, Chili’s, Quiznos, etc • 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 reduced fees to UWE • UWE Study Abroad Bursary of £1000 for full-year students • Students will need to pay for: • Accommodation • Visa • Flights • Living costs Approximate costs as provided by VCU: Housing: $6,000 Meals: $3,000-$4,000 Airfare (round trip): $1,200 Miscellaneous (books, immigration, insurance, transport etc) $2,500 Total $13,700 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 and from host institution (flights), less the first £303, paid retrospectively Further info: http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/ media/456058/travel_grant_fact_ sheet_1314_d_b.pdf 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 studyabroad@uwe.ac.uk • 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 • Motivation letter • Recommendation letter • Proof of finances • Application form • Immigration fee $30 • Once submitted, VCU will provide you with a DS-2019 which you will need to apply for your J1 Student Visa • You will need to meet visa requirements and pass an interview at the US embassy in London to obtain your visa 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?