Lara Japple

Review of VCU

Overall my experience at VCU has been miserable.

Overall my experience at VCU has been miserable.

For my first semester I was struggling very badly in my algebra class, in all my other classes I was doing well, but that particular class I couldn t keep up. I went to the math help centers several times and they were always too busy to help me. Same with the extra sessions set up by the classes. I just couldn t keep up with the class and despite asking for help several times, and making a lot of effort to imporove and pass the class, I received no additional support.

I then had several severe health issues during my next semester which caused me to have to withdraw from my classes. Despite being taken off campus in an ambulance and then explaining the situation, and letting them know I was going to withdraw from my current classes and that I could get full documentation from my doctors, I was still going to be billed the full amount. I have been trying to repeal so I only have to pay a partial amount for months, and I need notes from my professors confirming I didn t attend classes past a certain date. For months now I have been begging a professor to email me back or call me or something and I always get the same response, just try again with the email or call later. I have shown up during his office hours and he is never there.

VCU claims to have a great, caring community but I never felt that. No one has bothered to help me and now I m likely going to be choked with debt for classes I didn t take, which is even worse since due to my status as a legal non citizen I won t get any financial aid whatsoever. They say they are an inclusive community, and racially that may be so, but anything that actually takes any effort to be inclusive with, aka making accommodations for and helping the disabled, they don t seem to care.

How to sign up for and what classes to take was also very poorly explained to me, despite me asking several times, which was very stressful too. Overall VCU has put me off getting a higher education. For now, it s on the back burner. I hope I am an exception and that others here have a much better time and a bright future from attending VCU. I guess it s just not for me.