Toby Zhang
Name: Toby Zhang
Year: 4th
Hometown: Hubei, China; Lived in Accra, Ghana
Major: Commerce: Finance and Management
If I could give one piece of advice to incoming international students!
Get involved in activities, get involved early and be adventurous. Education happens both inside and outside of the classroom. Keep your grades up, but keep in mind that UVA is also a place to gain knowledge, maturity, experiences and some of the best friends that you will have.
What class do you think is a “must take” for any UVA student and why?
Either Africa Traditional Religion or China Enters the World. Exploring new and exciting academic areas is a must at UVA, but learning about things that you think you already know may bring new light and pleasant surprises to you too. (I lived in China and Africa)
A resource that was very helpful to me here was…
The Dean of the Students and International Studies Offices. Other resources come and go, these two offices are with me for fours years and boost some of the most friendly, helpful and qualified faculty members who cater for the day-to-day experiences of students. Their faces, smiles and mentorship made a ton of difference in my UVA experience.
My favorite event that I’ve attended at UVA:
Lighting of the Lawn 2003. As a new UVA tradition, Lighting of the Lawn 2003 can be summed up as: hot chocolate, raisin cookies, picture galore, majestic lawn, colorful lights, gregarious crowd, beautiful snow, delightful friends and mesmerizing a cappella all together on one night in one place for one hour. I will always remember it as one of those perfect college nights. UVA’s football game victory against Florida State in 2005 comes in at a distant second favorite.
The best place to grab food:
Bodos Bagels on the Corner Commercial District. The place is right off central grounds with clear, clean and super open design (both indoor and out door sitting area). Its healthier menu boosts all kinds of bagels, bagel sandwiches, soups of the day and great veggie salads. It is also one of the cheapest places to eat at and one of the fastest places to be served. Best of all, it is a great place to meet friends.
Helpful things to bring to college (or buy here):
A mountain bike – because there are great trails. Picnic kit – because there are great fields. A digital camera – because there are great scenes and great moments. Little gifts from your country for all to share. Everything with blue and orange – because there is the Wahoo* spirit everywhere.
*Wahoo: a nickname of UVA students.
