The University requires first-years to live on-Grounds in order to welcome them to a community of learners and to provide opportunities for faculty and students to interact in meaningful ways outside the classroom. First-year students are housed in areas intentionally designated for first-year students. Students may choose to live in an area that houses first-year students together, or in a residential college that houses upper-class and first-year students in the same area. Most first-year students live in University Housing with a roommate, however there are some exceptions. Some students assigned to the McCormick Road area will live in "stairwell singles,” and most students housed in Weedon and Malone first-year houses will be placed in single rooms.

Residential Communities which house first-year students are:

		Alderman Road Residence Area
		McCormick Road Residence Area
		Brown Residential College
		Hereford Residential College
		International Residential College

Learning through diversity is an underlining educational objective of U.Va.’s First-Year Experience. Through late night conversations with friends in residence halls, roommate interactions and contact with Resident Staff members and faculty advisors, students have opportunities to learn about themselves, expand their view of the world, and develop critical life skills. A living environment comprised of individuals from different cultural perspectives, racial/ethnic experiences, and socioeconomic backgrounds fosters an opportunity for students to develop the art of persuasion and negotiation, problem-solving, critical thinking, and the interpersonal skills necessary to live and work with people who have differing opinions, ideas, and values.

The following programmatic components are part of the FYE:

		New Student Orientation
		Academic Advising
		Guidance from Upper-class Students (i.e. Resident Staff)
		Self-Governance (i.e. House Councils, First Year Council)
		Educational, Cultural and Social Programs
		Interaction with Faculty and Administrators

Academic Advising
Another resource for the first-year student is the Graduate Advisor (GA), who serves as liaison between first-year students and academic deans. GAs undergo the same training as other Resident Staff members but develop a specific expertise on the academic resources and procedures of the University. They live in close proximity to their assigned students, usually in the same building or in the building next door. As a graduate student, the GA has an even broader perspective on the academic experience. They help students with classes and career planning, plan interesting programs that might spark an interest, provide opportunities for the first-year student to connect with faculty, have information about graduate and professional schools, and generally help the student to navigate a new environment. He or she also will help to create an intellectual community through programs within the residence hall.