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By your senior year, Villanova is like being in high school all over again. You see the same people at the same places. I think Villanova is a little bit too small, but then again they don't really have any room to expand because the surrounding neighborhood HATES Villanova students, yet they choose to reside so close to us. Odd.
A Senior
The best thing about Villanova is the professors. They're all really knowledgable, intelligent people who are enthusiastic about teaching. I've only had one bad experience, and it turned out the next year she was let go, (or she moved on herself, i'm not sure which). Besides her, every professor I've had has been excellent. The students come in at a close second place. For the most part the students are all very friendly. The third best thing is the basketball team. This year a new excercise facility was finished and it is really great, I envy the incoming freshmen who will get to use it for all 4 of their college years. I feel the school is a perfect size, although they are steadily growing the size of their admitted class. The biggest problem at Villanova is a shortage in housing. I think most freshmen are tripled which is an extremely difficult and annoying way to live for a year. Also Seniors who aren't nurses or presidential scholars can't live on campus. The area surrounding Villanova is a very rich suburban neigborhood and commercial shopping district. The people who live in the surrounding area are sort of hostile in some ways to the University and the students. There are some nice bars frequented by students, but they're located a far walk away from campus. There is a train that goes from campus to stops very near these bars, but the fare is expensive and I believe the last train leaves at around 12:30. The bars are also relatively tough on ID's.
Steve Senior
Villanova has lots of good looking students, which is a major plus. If you are looking for someone to date, you've got a lot of options. However, on the flip side, the school is very conservative and if you are gay you may find that people will not accept you for that reason. That the on thing that I would change is to open student's minds to the diversity of people that exist outside of the school. Some students are close-minded have had little contact with people who are not like them. This size of the school is perfect. Just big enough to get lost in the crowd, but not so big that you'll never bump into the same people again. People usually react to me when I say that I go to Villanova by saying one of three things 1) where is that, 2) oh, that's a great school, or 3) your basketball team was awesome this year. Most of my time on campus is spent in the classrooms. Once you finish with your classes you tend not to linger round too much and just return to your dorm or home. The town of Villanova is quite small, however, just outside of the school is the "main line" which links a number of schools together with bars and fancy eateries. People who live along the main line are said to make lots of money, which is probably why there are some expensive car dealerships just down the road: Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and I think Ferrari. There is definitely a lot of school pride, go VU, especially at basketball games and in any way related to men's basketball.
Chris Senior
This school is the worst and best experience of my entire life. As far as location, it is just close enough that you can say you're near to about 25 different places, but just far enough that it's a total hassle to go anywhere at all. As far as parties go, the only "good" ones are the ticket parties, which you end up spending at least 60 dollars at, and which sometimes get busted by Philadelphia police. There are a plethora of rules which stand to make you feel like you're at an extended summer camp. I love my classes, but even in the highest echelon of the honors program I feel that I am not really being challenged in the best way. The people here either are stupid or simply act stupid because they think it's the coolest. There is a lot of school pride that stems out of a desire simply to have pride in a mob mentality sort of way. In other words, you hear a lot of complaints during the day, and then everyone gets drunk and you hear a lot of "Nova-motherf***ing-nation, Man!" If there was a way I could describe this school in a catchy little slogan, I would call it "Villanova: Easy Transitions for Those Who Want to Stay the Same as They Already Are When They Arrive."
Austin Freshman
Villanova is a very friendly campus. I have never had to open a door for myself when other people are around. The sense of community at Villanova is completely palpable, as seen in how the campus comes together during events such as the Special Olympics, Basketball Season, and Nova Fest. As I wasn't involved much in service in high school, I was not expecting a very service-oriented school to change my mind. That changed about 2 weeks into school when I signed up to work at the Special Olympics. Since then, I have become so involved with service that I feel like I have done it my entire life. It is such a rewarding experience to participate in service with your peers. The best thing about Villanova is definitely the people. I have found so many people that are just like me. Obviously, you won't be friends with everyone you meet, but it is definitely big enough to meet a new group of friends but small enough to know a lot of people within the community. I would change the living situation for sophomores. Even though the Quad is the main hub of campus, the quality of the rooms is poor as compared to the rooms for the freshmen and juniors. When I tell people I go to Villanova, all of the stereotypes that I left New York thinking come back. They say "So you go to Vanillanova" or "Ha! Villanofun." However, I think that those people really have to experience Villanova, because I have not found either of those to be true. I am not a preppy person in the least but I still feel comfortable walking around in my beat-up Converse shoes as does the girl next to me in UGG Boots. On campus, I spend most of my time in the Connelly center. It is the main student center, and a great place to sit and do work. Everybody comes through, so it is a great social atmosphere. It has an ice cream shop, a restaurant, a coffee shop, an internet cafe, couches, lounges, a movie rental center, a movie cinema, everything a college student could want. As for the town surrounding Villanova, we are located within the richest part of Pennsylvania, so it is completely safe to walk outside at night, and I have never felt any need to use the safety call buttons, even though an officer could be there in 37 seconds. Right next to Villanova is Philadelphia, which, though it does not compare to my native New York, is still an amazing city. It is so historical, but also young and fresh with the music scene. We also have King of Prussia mall within driving distance, and it is the second largest mall in the country! The shuttles run there on the weekends, so we never have to pay for transportation. If you want to go somewhere, though, there are two train stations that run right through campus, which makes it easy to make the trip home. Like all college campuses, the students sometimes have issues with the decisions that the administration makes, but I don't have anything that has made me really upset with the Villanova administration. During basketball season, the school pride is busting through the seams of our Nova Nation fan shirts. The entire campus comes together to support our team and creates such a fun, energetic atmosphere among the student body.
Crystie Freshman
The best thing about Villanova is the atmosphere at this University. It's something you experience for the first time when you walk on campus, and something that becomes a part of your life once you attend. Walking around campus you will find that most of the population is happy to be at Villanova, especially in the springtime. There are few things better than being outside on this campus in the spring, and once the weather gets warm enough that's where you will be able to find pretty much everyone. The size of the school is ideal. At just under 7,000 students, the school is small enough that you will come to recognize just about everyone on campus, but big enough that if you don't want to see someone, you really can find a way around that. With that being said, coming from high school 7,000 really can seem like a big number, but not here. Classes are small, and there really aren't that many giant lecture halls on campus. While 7,000 might seem big when we're all at a basketball game, it doesn't seem so big in the class room. Speaking of basketball, if there is one thing to be said about Villanova, it's that everyone here lives for basketball. Nova Nation, as its called on campus, comes out in full swing every time the men's basketball team steps on the court. Even if you don't go to the game, you'll be able to tell if the team won or lost just by spending a minute on campus after the game. When Nova wins you will usually be able to see everyone on their way out to celebrate, and when we lose, you'll probably be able to hear the screams at the TV from all around campus. Even if you aren't a basketball fan, if you never seen a game, or don't even know what it is, Villanova will definitely turn you into one.
Caroline Junior
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