Christopher Newport offers a number of programs that can help you enhance your educational opportunities, such as the Honors Program or the Presidents Leadership Program. I am lucky enough to be involved in both of these programs. The academic classes, seminars, and opportunities offered by these programs greatly enhance the quality of the school. However, even if you are not involved in programs such as these, classes are generally taught by professors (not graduate students) who know their subject well. Most are willing to meet with you outside of class during their office hours, and many will even set up appointments outside of their scheduled times, if you ask. Class sizes are also small, which allows you and the professor to gain a closer relationship. I have just finished my first semester and already have had two of my professors write letters of recommendation for me. Overall, I have found the academics to be challenging, but not overwhelming.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
CNU’s location on the James River and its proximity to Virginia Beach (about a half hour drive) gives students a wide range of different recreational opportunities off campus. One weekend this fall, my roommate’s girlfriend came to visit. She attends a large, urban college in Virginia. As we were taking her on a tour of the campus, we walked past students in the front lawn of the York River Residence Halls. They were throwing Frisbees, playing the guitar, having picnics, and laughing and generally having a good time, as the day was warm and sunny. She noted that at her school, the atmosphere was much different. She said that if you even so much as stepped outside, you would never see such activities, and were more likely to get mugged than meet new friends. I joked that at CNU, kisses and gumdrops tend to just fall from the sky. At that moment, my roommate bent down, and picked up a sticker of a kiss off the ground. “See,” I told her, “I wasn’t lying,” and we continued our tour.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
While I don’t want to give the impression that I would like to pay more money, after having visited other schools in Virginia (including many private schools), I found that CNU had the most amenities to offer. The dorm rooms are larger than most schools, and you can even control the temperature of your own room. They are air conditioned, wired for internet and cable, and even come with a refrigerator/freezer and microwave. The second floor of the David Student Union has a number of pool tables, an air hockey table, and a foosball table that are open to students for most of the day. The campus also has two separate dining halls, Regatta’s and the Commons, and both are all you can eat. Regatta’s is more formal, and they regularly serve steak, and sometimes even crab legs, while the Commons provides a more cafeteria-like feel.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
CNU’s campus is well kept and well structured so new students rarely have trouble finding where they need to go for class. However, the University is regularly updating their buildings, constructing new ones and tearing down the old. Though that is not a bad thing, as a result there is a lot of construction, which can sometimes make it confusing because one day you will be able to walk into a building from one side, and the next the entrance will be blocked off. But if you leave for class early enough, this is usually not a problem. The Newport News area also gets a significant amount of rain, so a good jacket with a hood is definitely useful.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
CNU is an up and coming school both in regards to academics and extracurricular opportunities. If you are someone who wants to be involved while still being academically challenged, then Christopher Newport is the school for you. CNU is also a fairly small school, so it’s great for students who want to be noticed as an individual rather than just a member of a large class group.
Christopher Newport offers a number of programs that can help you enhance your educational opportunities, such as the Honors Program or the Presidents Leadership Program. I am lucky enough to be involved in both of these programs. The academic classes, seminars, and opportunities offered by these programs greatly enhance the quality of the school. However, even if you are not involved in programs such as these, classes are generally taught by professors (not graduate students) who know their subject well. Most are willing to meet with you outside of class during their office hours, and many will even set up appointments outside of their scheduled times, if you ask. Class sizes are also small, which allows you and the professor to gain a closer relationship. I have just finished my first semester and already have had two of my professors write letters of recommendation for me. Overall, I have found the academics to be challenging, but not overwhelming.
CNU’s location on the James River and its proximity to Virginia Beach (about a half hour drive) gives students a wide range of different recreational opportunities off campus. One weekend this fall, my roommate’s girlfriend came to visit. She attends a large, urban college in Virginia. As we were taking her on a tour of the campus, we walked past students in the front lawn of the York River Residence Halls. They were throwing Frisbees, playing the guitar, having picnics, and laughing and generally having a good time, as the day was warm and sunny. She noted that at her school, the atmosphere was much different. She said that if you even so much as stepped outside, you would never see such activities, and were more likely to get mugged than meet new friends. I joked that at CNU, kisses and gumdrops tend to just fall from the sky. At that moment, my roommate bent down, and picked up a sticker of a kiss off the ground. “See,” I told her, “I wasn’t lying,” and we continued our tour.
While I don’t want to give the impression that I would like to pay more money, after having visited other schools in Virginia (including many private schools), I found that CNU had the most amenities to offer. The dorm rooms are larger than most schools, and you can even control the temperature of your own room. They are air conditioned, wired for internet and cable, and even come with a refrigerator/freezer and microwave. The second floor of the David Student Union has a number of pool tables, an air hockey table, and a foosball table that are open to students for most of the day. The campus also has two separate dining halls, Regatta’s and the Commons, and both are all you can eat. Regatta’s is more formal, and they regularly serve steak, and sometimes even crab legs, while the Commons provides a more cafeteria-like feel.
CNU’s campus is well kept and well structured so new students rarely have trouble finding where they need to go for class. However, the University is regularly updating their buildings, constructing new ones and tearing down the old. Though that is not a bad thing, as a result there is a lot of construction, which can sometimes make it confusing because one day you will be able to walk into a building from one side, and the next the entrance will be blocked off. But if you leave for class early enough, this is usually not a problem. The Newport News area also gets a significant amount of rain, so a good jacket with a hood is definitely useful.
CNU is an up and coming school both in regards to academics and extracurricular opportunities. If you are someone who wants to be involved while still being academically challenged, then Christopher Newport is the school for you. CNU is also a fairly small school, so it’s great for students who want to be noticed as an individual rather than just a member of a large class group.