At Villanova, they provide a very challenging course load but, the academic rigor follows a trend that provides the best type of learning situation for all of their students. As a freshmen, the school provides a challenging schedule yet carefully transitions students into the rigors of a college education. While the workload becomes naturally more challenging each year, each student enters into the next year of their college career fully equipped with all the knowledge needed to succeed. Most importantly, the work load does not inhibit social interaction. Students are still able to find time to enjoy themselves and make friends, thereby creating many memories and experiencing the full college experience. The one and only drawback, which can be found in any school, is the core curriculum that must completed before one is able to graduate. While it does allow for students to be more well rounded, it ends up creating scheduling problems. Also many of the required classes usually have nothing to do with the major you wish to pursue and often times seem pointless. These core curriculum classes do present certain scheduling issues but, through learning to handle these classes, one can receive a very good and well rounded education.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Villanova's campus is beautiful, and while it is spacious it is not so big that walking to class becomes a problem. The people at Villanova are extremely friendly and easy to get along with. There are many musical groups, theater groups, various clubs and intramural sports as well as the Greek life on campus which allow for a perfect social environment. If anything, social life on campus is not an issue. The food on campus in the dinning halls is decent at best. It varies depending on the special of the day. The A la Carte places on campus are very good. There are three main places on main campus; The Connelly Center, The Italian Kitchen and Corner Grille, all of which are very good. On West Campus, there is a small convenience store inside of St. Mary's Hall, Second Storey. This stays open until 2 every night and also serves very good food. On average, on a scale of 1-10 the food on campus gets a 7. Lastly, the dorm rooms vary from very good to decent/bad. The good freshmen dorms are Good Counsel, Caughlin ( All Girls Dorms), McGuire Hall (all guys dorm, aka: ManGuire), and Katherine. The South Campus freshmen dorm, Standford Hall is not nearly as good as the others, although, it is the social hot spot and the dorm where all athletes stay. In some of the bigger roomed dorms (such as McGuire and Good Counsel), the school makes forced triple situations where three people will be put in a room originally made for two. While this sounds like a terrible living situation and completely unfair, the school will take the cost 1 student must pay for housing and pay it back to those in the forced triple, splitting this three different ways and paying each student. Lastly, all of the freshmen dorms are air conditioned/ heated.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
While the tuition at Villanova is at a steep 50,000 a year, it is well worth the money. The education level at Villanova is amazing. The amount of knowledge obtain is unmeasurable and the friendships you make are even more invaluable. The beautiful campus, great educational experience, and wonderful and friendly people only entices people into the welcoming family that is Villanova. I absolutely love Villanova and anyone who attends or has attended Villanova will say the same.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
A couple tips which I'll number so that its a little easier to read:
1. Take as many AP's as you can! the more college credit going in the better, especially when trying to deal with the core curriculum at Villanova.
2. Start looking for scholarships ASAP! Tuition is in no way cheap.
3. Start buying school supplies now. Preparing early not only beats the rush but also allows you to double check and make sure you have everything you need, this is especially important if you live a long way from Villanova.
4. Be prepared to work when you first arrive on campus. Many time when people think of college they think of drinking and partying, and while that exist on Villanova's campus as well as all college campuses, it is important that time is taken to secure academic stability. Its a lot easier to maintain a good GPA than to revive a bad one.
5. Look online for school books. The books in the book store are marked up extremely high and are very expensive. If you can find a better deal take it.
6. At the end of the year, if you think you'll need a book for a future class, keep it. The few 10's of dollars you get back when you sell back to book is not worth you buying a similar book next year.
7. Keep an open mind in your academic major decision. Don't get so caught up in one major that you end up following something you hate.
8. Get involved! There are many groups on campus that fit every different kind of hobby from athletics to music and there is even a quidditch club (yes that soccer like game from harry potter.)
9. Last but not least... have fun and enjoy the college experience.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
At Villanova, they provide a very challenging course load but, the academic rigor follows a trend that provides the best type of learning situation for all of their students. As a freshmen, the school provides a challenging schedule yet carefully transitions students into the rigors of a college education. While the workload becomes naturally more challenging each year, each student enters into the next year of their college career fully equipped with all the knowledge needed to succeed. Most importantly, the work load does not inhibit social interaction. Students are still able to find time to enjoy themselves and make friends, thereby creating many memories and experiencing the full college experience. The one and only drawback, which can be found in any school, is the core curriculum that must completed before one is able to graduate. While it does allow for students to be more well rounded, it ends up creating scheduling problems. Also many of the required classes usually have nothing to do with the major you wish to pursue and often times seem pointless. These core curriculum classes do present certain scheduling issues but, through learning to handle these classes, one can receive a very good and well rounded education.
Villanova's campus is beautiful, and while it is spacious it is not so big that walking to class becomes a problem. The people at Villanova are extremely friendly and easy to get along with. There are many musical groups, theater groups, various clubs and intramural sports as well as the Greek life on campus which allow for a perfect social environment. If anything, social life on campus is not an issue. The food on campus in the dinning halls is decent at best. It varies depending on the special of the day. The A la Carte places on campus are very good. There are three main places on main campus; The Connelly Center, The Italian Kitchen and Corner Grille, all of which are very good. On West Campus, there is a small convenience store inside of St. Mary's Hall, Second Storey. This stays open until 2 every night and also serves very good food. On average, on a scale of 1-10 the food on campus gets a 7. Lastly, the dorm rooms vary from very good to decent/bad. The good freshmen dorms are Good Counsel, Caughlin ( All Girls Dorms), McGuire Hall (all guys dorm, aka: ManGuire), and Katherine. The South Campus freshmen dorm, Standford Hall is not nearly as good as the others, although, it is the social hot spot and the dorm where all athletes stay. In some of the bigger roomed dorms (such as McGuire and Good Counsel), the school makes forced triple situations where three people will be put in a room originally made for two. While this sounds like a terrible living situation and completely unfair, the school will take the cost 1 student must pay for housing and pay it back to those in the forced triple, splitting this three different ways and paying each student. Lastly, all of the freshmen dorms are air conditioned/ heated.
While the tuition at Villanova is at a steep 50,000 a year, it is well worth the money. The education level at Villanova is amazing. The amount of knowledge obtain is unmeasurable and the friendships you make are even more invaluable. The beautiful campus, great educational experience, and wonderful and friendly people only entices people into the welcoming family that is Villanova. I absolutely love Villanova and anyone who attends or has attended Villanova will say the same.
A couple tips which I'll number so that its a little easier to read: 1. Take as many AP's as you can! the more college credit going in the better, especially when trying to deal with the core curriculum at Villanova. 2. Start looking for scholarships ASAP! Tuition is in no way cheap. 3. Start buying school supplies now. Preparing early not only beats the rush but also allows you to double check and make sure you have everything you need, this is especially important if you live a long way from Villanova. 4. Be prepared to work when you first arrive on campus. Many time when people think of college they think of drinking and partying, and while that exist on Villanova's campus as well as all college campuses, it is important that time is taken to secure academic stability. Its a lot easier to maintain a good GPA than to revive a bad one. 5. Look online for school books. The books in the book store are marked up extremely high and are very expensive. If you can find a better deal take it. 6. At the end of the year, if you think you'll need a book for a future class, keep it. The few 10's of dollars you get back when you sell back to book is not worth you buying a similar book next year. 7. Keep an open mind in your academic major decision. Don't get so caught up in one major that you end up following something you hate. 8. Get involved! There are many groups on campus that fit every different kind of hobby from athletics to music and there is even a quidditch club (yes that soccer like game from harry potter.) 9. Last but not least... have fun and enjoy the college experience.
Easy going, goal- oriented, motivated