I went to VCU for my first degree in biology, and I'm back for engineering coursework. It's the biggest university in the state, something like 30,000 students. It's also spread out over half the city. There is a pretty solid block of what you could call campus, but then it spreads out among commercial buildings, old row houses, things like that. It also borders some pretty nasty neighborhoods. Monroe Park, which is right on the main campus, is usually full of homeless people, and people used to get mugged there a lot before Richmond decided to clean it up a bit to keep the student dollars coming. A few years back I lived two blocks from a huge dorm and my roommate saw somebody get shot right near us.
There's a lot of hipsters and art students (#1 public art school in the nation), but biology is actually the largest major at the school because there's a big focus on the medical school, life science research, and biomedical engineering. Despite my background, I'm actually going straight mech E because I hope to transition to either aerospace or naval engineering. I saw an article recently which said we're something like the #12 hardest grading school in the country. There's also a big focus on advertising and product innovation through the brand center and da Vinci center, both of which I'm told are top-notch.
We don't have a football team but our basketball team is pretty damn good so almost everybody's a big supporter. Tons of unofficial sports too, like rugby, judo, "quidditch," and football (I think it's touch though). Lots of other clubs. HUGE greek scene, especially for the black fraternities.
There are an absolute fuckton of bars around here, for just about anybody. Hipsters (Bogarts, Bellytimber), punks (Strange Matter, Empire), urban black culture (don't know them because I don't go), jazz enthusiasts (the Camel), whatever. Lots of decent restaurants but very little authentic ethnic food, which makes me sad. I grew up near DC and you can find some of the best restaurants in the country for any given foreign cuisine up there, and I miss it.
But I got my fill of living in the city during my first degree, and I moved way the fuck outside of town to the suburbs. It's something like a 12 mile commute each way, but I'll put up with it for lower crime, lower rent, lower gas prices, easier parking, and a quiet environment.
