I'm following the advice to stay away from Madison and 14th, but am I right in thinking there are two "Wertland" communities? The one I'm interested in is called U-Quad and seems to be behind Red Roof Inn, on Wertland street. I stayed at RRI during my interview and thought the area was fine, so is this not the Wertland we've been talking about? I do remember a lot of undergrads and partying on that main street (West Main?), but the side streets seemed fine. So this is not the Wertland square that's closer to the crazier areas near Madison?
Undergrads party on University, which turns into West Main after JPA. You will find relatively little activity for the undergrads once it turns into West Main, and it can get really shady around 10th St there. I don't know much about the Wertland area, other than there was a shooting there a week and a half or so ago.
On the housing issue... anyone know anything about the Walker Square apartment complex? It's supposed to be a 15-ish-minute walk to Jordan Hall, but would it be shady to walk at night/in the dark? 😕 It's off 10th St (West Main), in the Fifeville area.
Lots of our classmates live in Walker Square. I'm a little partial to it because I currently live within sight of Walker Square, but I think it's pretty awesome. Quieter than many places you'll find, as most people own their condo, and there are lots of med students and residents living in that area.
As far as walking around at night... it's right next to the train station, which is right off main, so if you take the trolley from school you can avoid the really shady parts pretty well. But beyond the campus in general, I wouldn't walk alone at night. I'm also a girl and a little more cautious about that sort of thing.
Also... with the new curriculum, can anyone give a sample one-week schedule or something so we know what kind of routine to expect? I keep hearing from friends at other schools that "the thing to do" to best manage time is to skip lectures and watch the recordings later at 2x speed (twice if needed). Is this feasible to do at UVA? I.e., is it a dumb idea to plan to miss classes and watch them after, or would you say it's smart, and that you don't miss much by not being there in person? Sounds like there are mixed reviews as to how helpful profs are in class, anyway...
It will vary for every system. In MCM (the first class you take), there is lots of opportunity to skip class, and many people do. In our current system (MSI), you can't miss class, but you also have days off for 'independent study' while the other half of the class is in lab.
This week, for instance, we had a lecture on Monday morning that about half the class skipped, followed by a patient presentation, followed by a TBL (table-based learning session); both the interview and TBL were required. Tuesday, I had anatomy lab, followed by class in the afternoon. Wednesday I didn't have to come in until 11, and spent much of the afternoon reviewing in the anatomy lab on my own. Today they canceled our class, so I'd say most people went into lab to study (my roommate and I stayed home and quizzed each other). Tomorrow we have another mandatory TBL, followed by a practical anatomy exam.
In MCM, especially as we got closer to exams, they made fewer classes required, so fewer people came to class.
Bottom line: there are a lot of required classes, so if you're the type that wants to stay home and study all the time, you won't do well here. If you're the type that likes application exercises, you'll probably do well.
Lastly, how much free time are the Class of 2014 guys finding that they have? Is anyone able to manage a part-time job? Has anyone tried?
I believe we have one person in our class who does EMT part-time on the weekends, and another who does something else on the weekends. I think the majority of the class really appreciates the time we're not in class or studying and doesn't bother trying to get a job.
How much free time you actually have depends entirely on how much you want to (or need to) study. Your mornings and one afternoon a week will generally be taken up by class; an additional afternoon will be taken up during one of the semesters in your first year. There are some people who try to cram in information the week of the exam, and others who spend an additional 3-4 hours a day studying.
