Student stories: A day in the life
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
@urichmond Curious what a first-year dorm is like at #URichmond? Check out Rosalie’s room in Wood Hall as an example! ❤️💙🕷#universityofrichmond #firstyear #dormtour #dormtour2023
♬ Sunshine - WIRA
On-campus tours were once the only way prospective Spiders could get a good first look at the University of Richmond. Today, student-created Tik Tok and Instagram videos provide an insider's view of life at UR. Follow along as students document the campus experience in these video walkthroughs.
For most students, the first year on campus is their first time living away from home. It helps to get an idea of where they will be sleeping, studying, and spending most of their time. In one popular video, sophomore Rosalie Hinke gives visitors a tour of a first-year residential room in Wood Hall.
“Our goal for the video was to provide incoming students with an opportunity to explore a first-year dorm before getting to campus,” Hinke said. “I remember when I first committed to Richmond, I wanted to know what all of the dorms looked like and what I wanted to include in my room.”
During the filming, she showed storage areas because she knew it would help potential and committed students. But she had a hard time keeping a straight face. “The person who filmed the video is one of my close friends so we couldn't stay serious and had to keep refilming me talking about certain aspects of the room,” she said.
Videos created by the social media team give a window into life on campus for first-year students, including move in, the new Spider walk, and Investiture and Proclamation. They show University events like football games, Homecoming, and Spider Drop, and introduce campus legends like the Triceragoose, the largest of the roving waterfowl on campus.
@urichmond Come along with us for a day in the life of Kavya Borra, ‘24, a marketing major and music minor from NJ! In addition to studying at the Robins School of Business and Booker Music Hall, Kavya is a captain of @richmondredhotz, UR’s very own women’s ultimate frisbee team! @Kavya is on the University Communications student social media team, so you will be seeing more content from her and other Spiders as they cover events, activities, and life around #URichmond this year. ❤️💙🕷️ #dayinthelife
♬ original sound - University of Richmond
Without leaving their chairs, prospective students can stroll through the Princeton Review #1 Most Beautiful Campus as it changes with the seasons.
Senior Kavya Borra takes viewers on a walk through her day, from her classes to dinner to her ultimate frisbee team.
In other videos, she interviews students on what makes fall great at UR and performs the National Anthem before a basketball game.
Her favorite is her "day in the life" video.
"It was a lot of fun to film the things I would normally do on a regular basis. It made me appreciate the little moments I have throughout the day, and the tiny surprises that often happen both in and out of class here at UR," Borra said.
She thought people's reactions to her video were funny, because they thought the day was picture-perfect.
"When I chose to film on that particular day, I had no idea that the therapy dogs would be in the Forum at the exact time I was walking through, or that my last class of the day would be held outside, in beautiful, sunny weather," Borra said.
Back when she was applying to UR, she enjoyed watching videos created by students.
"It feels authentic," she said. "I've really enjoyed showing my perspective as a senior at UR."
Sophomores Mac Ross and Lydia Doherty visit a residence hall, go to class, and talk about their favorite places to eat.
@urichmond Get to know a little bit about life on campus with Mac Ross, ‘26, and Lydia Doherty, ‘26 - academics, extracurriculars, and what they love about UR! Mac and Lydia are on the University Communications student social media team, so you will be seeing more content from them and other Spiders this year. ❤️💙🕷️
♬ original sound - University of Richmond
“We wanted to highlight aspects of school and our lives that you may not learn about from looking at Richmond’s website or scrolling through social media,” Doherty said. “Talking about what we like about campus and how we’re involved gives a more personal perspective which we hope prospective students could resonate with.”
She enjoyed showing parts of the campus that are not always seen on tours, like the art studio and the journalism department, and even what they do off campus.
“It’s funny filming around campus when people don’t know what it’s for,” she added. “But for this video specifically I told my roommate that our room was going to be featured on the Richmond Instagram and it’s definitely the cleanest I’ve ever seen it."
Ross said he received a good reaction around campus after the video was posted. "They thought it was awesome to see someone they know on the University’s social media," he said. "It’s pretty cool to see how much seeing one of your friends on Richmond’s social media can make someone’s day a little bit better or make them feel more connected to the school."
He enjoys the process of making videos for UR. "Walking around campus and taking videos of places that I go to everyday reminded me to appreciate what’s around me and the places that make my college experience so special," he said.