Tips for Freshman Living in Virginia Commonwealth University's Cabaniss Hall

Getting assigned to Cabaniss Hall does not mean instant banishment from VCU and the city of Richmond's social scenes. When I first transferred from a tiny liberal arts school to VCU for the top-notch art and creative writing programs, Monroe Park's campus housing was completely full. Not especially familiar with the area and without the time to research apartments, I knew that renting would be a bad idea. So I signed up for campus housing with the naive hope that I would get a spot in GRC, where I stayed for the Summer Governor's Japanese Language Academy during high school.

At first I was disappointed to live so far from all of the other undergraduate dorms, and the prospect of boarding the bus everyday hardly thrilled me. I considered storming the housing office in a tank (black and gold for emphasis) and demanding a room change. Maybe then they would listen. But the pacifist in me defeated the thespian. If I wanted to be happy and make the best out of my first year at VCU, logic would have to trump my penchant for drama--and I made sure that's what happened. After looking at maps, reading Richmond tourist books, and simply talking to people, I forced myself to explore everything Cabaniss had to offer. By November, I began to love Cabaniss; as would have surprised my early transfer year self, I even missed it when May finally rolled in and I had to move out.

Here's how you, too, can make the most out of living in "Canabiss Hall":

1) Appreciate the bus ride: I know. Especially during Welcome Week and the first few days of class, it's annoying that most of your freshman and first-year transfer friends live right on campus. They can easily walk back to their dorms right after class while you have to wait for the bus, endure the bus ride, walk from the MCV bus stop to your dorm building, and then take the elevator. Even if you're not a Math major, you look at their two minutes versus your twenty, and realize that you're spending a lot of time in transit. There are, however, advantages to the extra travel.

Waiting for the bus truly becomes a social activity. You can chat with other Cabaniss students; chances are you'll meet MCV students, VCU faculty, and anyone else who simply has to get from Point A to Point B, too. If you're shy or a total misanthrope, view your waiting time as an opportunity to read, catch up on homework, listen to music, or think without a professor's voice blaring in the background. The bus ride itself is an excellent time to cram study or just close your eyes after a long day.

If the forced gel time that the bus ride provides doesn't convince you, consider this: since you take the bus everyday, you have a better understanding of the how the GRTC Transit System works. Find out how to take the bus anywhere around the city at no cost to you (Hint: go to the VCU Parking and Transportation Office on Broad Street for a bus pass and map.)

2) Visit Eastside: It's a mistake not to visit Shockoe Bottom and Churchill when you live in Richmond, but it's even more unforgivable for you not to check it out when you live downtown. Cabaniss might not be in the heart of the Fan, but it's close to plenty of fun and fascinating sites that people on Monroe Campus don't necessarily see. Suggestions? The Edgar Allen Poe Museum (find out about their monthly "Unhappy Hour"), Havana '59, The National, White House of the Confederacy, Fall-Out, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, Market at Tobacco Row, Libby Hill Park, River City Diner, 17th Street Farmers' Market, Valentine Richmond History Center, Papa Ningo, John Marshall House Museum, Taylors Hill Park...to start. Google any of these places and you'll gather the what-when-where-how much that you need.

3) Build a community: Every Cabaniss student complains about living ten minutes away from campus during the first month. That's not only normal, it also opens up the chance for new friendships. At the very least, even if you have nothing else significant in common, you can whine together. If the friendship is meant to last, you'll still crave each other's company once you have all come to accept Cabaniss. Then Cabaniss pride blossoms. When I was there, Cabaniss always had activities going on. Sometimes there were organized philosophical/intellectual discussions on controversial topics; other times there were movies nights or ice cream parties; often RAs rallied together their hall to bake cookies together.

4) Make MCV your home: I felt somewhat amiss amongst all of the MCV graduate students when I first lived in Cabaniss but I soon became accustomed to it, especially when I found out the pluses of living on the MCV campus. The hospital is nearby and that translates into access to late-night Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Alpine Bagel, and Subway--a privilege the average, car-less freshman living on Monroe campus can't enjoy. You can also easily attend MCV's guest lectures, which should be useful l if you plan to go on to medical school or are simply interested in the life sciences. There are MCV social events you can check out every once in a while, too.

5) Savor the silence: Cabaniss is the number one undergraduate study hall at VCU. Why? Because it's quiet enough for you to actually study, read, and write your papers. Granted, you may get stuck with rambunctious neighbors but the hall as a whole is relatively silent. The only places it normally gets loud are the Community Rooms and the basement--but, then again, those rooms are supposed to serve recreational purposes.

If you're still not persuaded that living in Cabaniss is not a punishment, it's because you have yet to experience its benefits. Put this magazine down the moment you finish reading it and put that pith helmet on. It's time to go on your Eastside safari. Reveal the joys of Cabaniss.