See Virginia Western Community College reviews submitted by students. Find out what students have to say about various aspects of attending Virginia Western Community College. Read about academic experiences and campus life in these free Virginia Western Community College reviews, or contribute your own Virginia Western Community College review if you're a current student there.
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3 out of 3 people found this review useful.
Chelsea from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot I'm currently in the Communication Design program at Virginia Western, and I've learned more than I thought I would have, especially in my classes for Comm. Design program. The program head is Steve Huff and he only hires teachers who are out there making money at what they're teaching us. He treats us as though we were employees in his business and does things you don't normally get taught to deal with in school. For instance, for one project he had us come up with ideas for a new energy drink. We had to have three sketches of different ideas for it and then he had us choose our favorite. After that, he switched up every one's ideas so that we had to use someone else's idea. While it was very frustrating, things like that happen every day in the designing field, so we have to get used to it.
Am enjoying being here This is my second year here and I love Western. The whole college has a laid back feel to it--it isn't too small and it isn't' too big. So far all my teachers have been really helpful and nice as well as the rest of the faculty that I've met. Not to mention we have a Chick-Fli-A!
Bang for the buck Definatley. So far I've only had one class that I felt as though I wasn't getting my money's worth and that was a Psycology class. I'm sure the rest of the Psy program has good teachers, I must've just gotten a bad one. But in all my Comm Design classes, I feel as though I'm getting more than what I paid for. Not only do the professors teach you what you need to know for the class, but they're out there making money doing what they're teaching you, so they can tell you exactly what it's like.
Tips for prospective students If you're ever in one of Steve's classes, a deadline is a deadline and don't forget that! Also, you should really ask someone in admissions about which classes will transfer and which won't and to which colleges they will or won't. You don't want to spend money on something you can't take with you.
Great for these types of students Students looking for a smallish, laid back environment, a pretty campus, going into Communication Design, Fine Arts, or those who just don't know what they want to do yet. It's cheaper at Western!
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Reinfred from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is Accepted here and planning to attend soon. Reviewer has not been to campus.
Categories Rating Comments Academic Rigor It offers my intended major (English), and it also has other fields (like art) that I'm interested in
Will enjoy being here I will enjoy being here. It's about 2 miles from my house, so it's handy.
Bang for the buck haven't been to this school, but it already seems to me like a very good idea. It sounds like it's basically college without all the financial upset.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Stephanie from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot I am in the Accounting program at Virginia Western, and so far have learned an impressive amount for only having taken two of the required accounting classes. My teachers have helped consistently, and are great about reinforcing the important facts.
Am enjoying being here It's not the most amazing school on the face of the earth, but it is an enjoyable atmosphere and also laid back. People are generally friendly, the teachers are nice, and it's a beautiful campus. Overall, it's been a great experience!
Bang for the buck Virginia Western has great tuition prices, and I feel it has been worth it in order to work towards getting my Associates Degree. I think it is very reasonable and great for people who are not able to afford the outrageous prices at other universities.
Tips for prospective students Do research on the teachers. I would say 85% of them are excellent, but every now and then you might run into a bad one. Also, if you are planning to transfer, I would suggest not only talking to a counselor at VWCC but also the school you are planning on attending. Transferring has proven to be difficult at times so it is best to make sure you are taking the right classes from the very beginning!
Great for these types of students Virginia Western is great for people who are a little more laid back and who are looking to work hard, but ultimately earn a quick degree. It is also great for people who are looking to pay reasonable prices for tuition.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Tara from Troutville, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Am learning a lot As a previous student at a State University in NY, I am amazed at the level and quality of education given at Virginia Western Community College. I have been a student here since 2006, recently graduating the health technology/pre nursing curriculum, also enrolled in the human services curriculum, and expecting to begin the surgical technology program here offered through PVCC - so I've had experience with teachers in many areas. Each of my professors, while all unique, have been excellent.
Am enjoying being here VWCC offers a beautiful campus that has recently been renovated with it's students in mind. Lounge and study areas, WiFi, and it's modern appointments make it a pleasure to be on campus.
Bang for the buck From quality to services offered to class size, it can't be beat!
Tips for prospective students VWCC offers all kinds of clubs. Whatever you're into there's bound to be something to add to your enjoyment of being a student here.
Great for these types of students Young, old, on campus, or distance learning, VWCC caters to all.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Lydia from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A past student here.
Categories Rating Comments Great for these types of students The Communication Design program is great, and is good prep for transferring to art school. Even if you decide that computer based design is not for you, I highly recommend completing the Art Foundations Certificate if you intend to study Fine Arts or Photography. It's a good foundation that will provide great practical experience for any future artist.
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1 out of 1 people found this review useful.
Laurie from Goodview, VA
Reviewer is Researching this school. Reviewer has not been to campus.
Categories Rating Comments Login to rate or flag the reviews
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Samantha from Bedford, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences It's nice, not to big, not to small nor crouded. However, it has many different options for attending students, planty of majors, and different opportunities. Same educational opportunities as a big school would have, but it is local, and cheaper for students.
Tips for prospective students Keep your head up, even when you have a assignment that seems almost impossiblealways check out the used books, but read into what has already been highlighted and answered-highlights may not be whats really important, answers may be wrong but the book has everything a new book would have however it has a possibility of a little bit more insight and its cheaper.
Dorm Life None on campus, its a community college, however it makes it cheaper to live at home, and because its local it makes it resonable and possible.
Food and Dining There is plenty of resturants around the college within 5 minutes away, and there is also a cafeteria on campus.
What to do for fun Virginia Western has all kinds of extrta curricular activities for its community and students, there is movies, and cookouts and all kinds of other things. But your also in Roanoke, so if there isnt anything going on your surrounded by other activites to keep you busy.
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Mariah from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences Virginia Western is a great starting point for any post high school education. The atmosphere and one on one time with the professors is making my transition to a four year university much more manageable. Overall I loved attending this school.
Tips for prospective students Utilize the one on one time with professors. Most of them go out of their way to help you understand the material.
Academic Rigor It all depends of course on the types of class one might take and the teaching styles of the professors. Overall it wasn't too strenuous.
Dorm Life I did not live on campus and there wasn't a set dorm plan for students. There was some apartment style options and Western was promote local apartments.
Food and Dining A food plan isn't offered at Virginia Western, but the cafeteria had a couple of options as a pay when you go deal, I didn't eat there.
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Alanna from Copper Hill, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences virginia western offers a good quality education for the money. it is in a good location and has a diverse student body. the buildings, technology, and services are great and up to date.
Tips for prospective students make sure you apply for fafsa to get some financial assistance. register for classes as soon as you can. have a decent idea of your intended major (if you're going to transfer to a 4-year school) and carefully choose classes that will be useful.
Academic Rigor virginia western is a community college, so naturally it isn't as difficult as some four-year schools. some teachers are more challenging than others, but i haven't had a teacher that was awful or hard.
Dorm Life no on campus housing available, commuter college.
Food and Dining there is a dominos pizza at the school, but the real good food is off campus, conveniently down the road in any direction.
Bang for the buck you can earn many credits for a very affordable price. i would definitely recommend.
Great for these types of students low-income, working, parents, or transfer students.
Clubs and Activities human rights club, psychology club, history club, etc
Greek Life none
Campus Safety excellent campus police on location always.
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Face from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences on a scale of 1 to 10 i will give it an 8. its a big community college with many students. they have variety of programs to choose from. they have a very good graduation rate and is very reasonable in price.
Tips for prospective students apply early for classes, because some of the major classes fill up fast.
Academic Rigor if you attend the college, you are able to use the gym for free.
Dorm Life they have dorm like apartments near the campus.
Food and Dining they have very good food in there diner. they cook out when the weather is nice
What to do for fun they have free movie night and plays to attend through the whole year.
Bang for the buck very reasonable in price. they also have a payment plan you can apply for if you are unable to receive any kind of financial aid.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus unfortunately i work during the day.
Clubs and Activities they have the book club. the movie club. a club for black students. a womens group.
Campus Safety campus police usually potrols the whole campus. they have telecoms all through the campus which is easy to operate by a push of the button. they also have e mail alerts that you can recieve straight to your phone.
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James from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences virginia western is a great place for students that want to get a small degree, without comitting to a big university. the classes are smaller which allows for better learning. western is an overall good stepping stone for choosing a great career.
Tips for prospective students always be on time to class, get in the parking lot early, or else you will be walking to class.
Academic Rigor very intelligent professors
Dorm Life no on campus dorms
Food and Dining domino's express is a handy commodity to have on campus.
What to do for fun sit on the couchs that are spread around western, always a great place to meet new people.
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Abigail from Eagle Rock, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments Academic Rigor slackers will not do well here, but it doesn't take a genius to ace these courses. most professors are willing to work with a student to help them understand the material, but they grade fairly. they won't assign a ton of homework, but they do require that the homework be done, and on time.
Dorm Life vwcc is completely a commuter college.
Food and Dining there is a domino's and a java the hutt cafe in the cafeteria. the cafeteria is out of the way, and a lot of people do not even know where it is on campus. the domino's is good, but on the expensive side. i really like the cafe though; i love their caramel mocha and double chocolate muffins! coffee can be bought on the main floor of the library as well, and snacks are available at the bookstore. off campus, there are many restaurants within a 5 min. drive: panera bread, buffalo wild wings, bellachino's pizza, el rodeo, and brambleton deli all in the electric road area; chipotle, firehouse subs, starbucks, the roanoker, and arby's over by towers mall.
What to do for fun fun? honestly, the only fun i've had at vwcc was the day i skipped english class and went out to lunch with a friend! the student center has a ping pong table, and the campus theater has free movie showings every month or so, as well as plays, but other than that, anything fun is off campus. there are two major malls in roanoke, a couple of movie theaters, a minor league baseball team, virginia tech hockey games and ice skating at the roanoke civic center during the winter, as well as soccer and football fields five minutes from campus at river's edge sports complex.
Bang for the buck great place to get the first couple of years done and then transfer. it's much cheaper than spending those same two years at a four-year college. besides, the first two years are mostly just review of high school (history, english composition and literature, biology or chemistry for example). the nursing and engineering programs are really good too.
Clubs and Activities there are many clubs including the madison society for students interested in government or political science and the outdoor club which plans hikes and other outdoor excursions. student activities also has different activities at the student center such as make-your-own valentine cards, decorating t-shirts and tote bags, and sometimes they have free food (who doesn't like free food?).
Campus Safety the campus police regularly patrol the school, as do the roanoke city police. there is an alert system with sirens and messages that come over the phones and tv screens. these are regularly tested. emergency procedures are gone over thoroughly on the first day of class.
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Lindsay from Harrisonburg, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences i appreciate the small campus. the tuition is very reasonable. upon graduation i will more than double my previous job's salary.
Tips for prospective students i would pack your own lunch if you have gluten allergies (which i do). don't park in the yellow outlined parking spaces (those are for faculty).
Academic Rigor my particular program is very rigorous.
Food and Dining very little options as far as food selection.
What to do for fun i do not do anything outside of school and fundraising on campus, but they show movies free to students with a student i.d. on some nights. they also have crafts and student activities that are advertised.
Bang for the buck saving money and getting the classes you need is win/win.
Great for these types of students great for young students that are not ready for the big college campus experience. will help them transition to a 4 year university with minimal discomfort. also great for the older student to continue their education in a setting that has a more diverse age range. you won't feel like a weird old person in a sea of 18 year olds.
Clubs and Activities i have not participated in anything outside of my own programs activities, but as i stated before, there are activities.
Greek Life i am not sure there is greek life on campus.
Campus Safety i have never felt unsafe at school. there is a text alert system that they are constantly conducting tests of which makes me feel good.
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Brittany from Roanoke, VA
Reviewer is A current student here.
Categories Rating Comments In three sentences Virginia Western is a school that is good for students who intend to transfer. It has a small campus that allows you to find your classes very easily. The teachers here are very nice, and usually go out of their way to help you with assignments.
Tips for prospective students Students who plan to attend this school should most definitely rent their books. If you are signing up for the semester, be sure to get on the website the first night the classes open up because it fills up quickly. Also, parking here is terrible so be sure to arrive extra early.
Academic Rigor Most of the teachers at this college come from bigger universities. They teach the same material as larger colleges, such as Virginia Tech and Longwood University. Most of the academics here are the same program, just simplified some to fit into a community college student's busy schedule.
Dorm Life There is no on-campus living here. Everyone has to commute. There is talk about adding dorms but that more than likely will not happen anytime soon.
Food and Dining The school has a cafe in it, along with a Pizza Hut. There is coffee and also a place for desserts. The food is average; it's nothing different than going to your Pizza Hut down the road from your house.
What to do for fun Since this is only a community college, there isn't really much to do at the campus. There are a few clubs you can join, such as math and science club. The college does have a basketball team as well. Sometimes they hold on campus events, but mostly it's a very quiet school.
Bang for the buck I would say that the education that you receive from here isn't as good as another college. Although most of it is the same material, the teacher's don't give you everything you would like to know like they do at a larger school. However, with the classes being so cheap, you pretty much get your money's worth of information needed to pass the class.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus There is a bridge made of glass that overlooks the road. This is a pretty common area to hang out with your friends. There is also a recreational room with a pool table and vending machines, which is fairly nice to hang out at while waiting between your classes. Most of the students go to this lounge when they have nothing else to do.
Great for these types of students This college is good for students who want to transfer. You cannot get a four-year degree here but they do offer transfer agreements to other colleges. It is also good for people who would like to get only a certificate in something such as IT or as a veterinarian assistant. This school also has wonderful nursing programs.
Clubs and Activities There are not many clubs or activities on this campus. If you're looking to do something fun, I would advise to join a club at a local gym or place for recreation. They need to offer more choices.
Greek Life There is no Greek life at Virginia Western. There is only one club that is part of a fraternity, but they do not do anything except for fundraisers. There is no place to put any Greek life at the college.
Campus Safety The campus has more safety and police than you would expect! Although this school is small, it is heavily guarded with cameras. It has the same amount of protection as any large university.
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Lisa from Glade Hill, VA
Reviewer is Accepted here and planning to attend soon. Reviewer has been to campus.
Categories Rating Comments Will learn a lot Planning on a new career choice and plan on learning what I need to know to start this career for me and my family
Will enjoy being here Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I have enjoyed my experience so far.
Bang for the buck It is very cost effective, and is the best way to get your first two years, even if you plan on transfering to a four year college.
Tips for prospective students Get all the information you need to make the right choice for you. Try to get an early start on enrollment so you can have everything ready when it is time to start. Classes fill up fast.
Great for these types of students Students wanting an more cost effective way to get their first two years, before moving to four year college. It is great for students returning to school after being out for some time, and great for working mothers because some classes can be taken online.
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