Virginia Polytechnic Institution State University
First of all, you should definitely visit Virginia Tech, or Hokies as they refer themselves, in Fall semester. Fall means college football, college football means tailgating and Lane Stadium and that means unforgettable moments. Well, maybe you’ll forget the most of it due to consumption of some substances, but still you’ll have fun:) And you should learn, as soon as you cross the US border, football becomes American football.
Blacksburg is a small town with a decent population. Town and Tech is kinda mix, integrated into each other. You will find everything you’d need in town easily, or in Christiansburg which is 15 minute drive away. If you are going from a big city, I can say it can get a bit boring and steady for you but this is an experience I personally would recommend to everybody. It exceeded my expectations. In Blacksburg, you should go to Sharkey’s and have huge, delicious burgers. If you go on Mondays, you’ll get a super deal which is buy 1 get 1 free. And I’m a foodie guy, and can honestly say they serve the best onion rings in Sharkey’s as well. Me and my friends had a tradition to go there and feast on Mondays. On Wednesdays, Top of The Stairs (TOTS) offers all you can eat ribs for a decent price and on Thursdays Champs offers really cheap delicious wings. These are the bars that most of the town residents and students go. Another famous spot is Hokie House but I can say it’s not my favorite. On home game days, it will be almost impossible for you to get in these bars, so I’d recommend you to go early or stay home:)
Accomodation
If I were you, I’d stay on campus. VT offers different types of rooms and student halls you can find a suitable room for you. And don’t worry, since you are an exchange student, you’ll be placed in your first choice with a high chance. To live off-campus, you’d probably need a car, or bike; but still that means a morning commute and trying to find a parking spot; which probably will be further than your dorm:) In blacksburg, there is only one way of public transportation; that is as you can imagine bus. Bus system covers the whole town, but due to population, it’s not as effective I’d want, which means if you miss the bus, you could wait up to an hour.
