They eat at Observatory Hill, and they have to walk or take the bus to get anywhere in Charlottesville. They cannot rush a Greek organization, and they have not declared their majors.
They are first years, and while they don't know everything about the University yet, they know a great deal about life.
"I took care of my grandpa for five years after he had a stroke," first- year College student Jessika Bohon said.
"Taking care of him made me see what things are important and what things aren't important. It made me grow up a lot," she said.
Bohon is one of several first years whose backgrounds have given them wisdom beyond their years.
First-year College student Mohammed Attar lived in Saudi Arabia until he was 13, when he left his parents to move to London to attend school.
"It's hard to live by yourself," Attar said. "But I think it made me mature a lot quicker."
First-year Engineering student Thinh Nguyen moved from Vietnam to the United States in 1992, and said he has a broader perspective on life thanks to his experiences.
"I'm proud of being in America," Nguyen said. "If I had remained in Vietnam I wouldn't see the world as big as I do."
The perseverance of many first years in the face of adversity is extraordinary, Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said.
"I think their hardships are what strike me the most," Blackburn said.
First-year College student Anton Reese was involved in a near-fatal car wreck Nov. 24, 1997.
"I remember waking up in the hospital and not knowing where I was," Reese said. "And then it was a long road to recovery - I broke basically everything on my left side."
But he said the incident significantly changed his outlook on life.
"It taught me not to save anything for tomorrow, because tomorrow isn't promised," he added. "And it taught me the value of friends and people who stick by you through thick and thin."
Despite their challenges, first years maintain a positive outlook.
"I think they're optimistic, and I got that sense from reading their applications," Blackburn said.
Jefferson Scholars Program Director James Wright agreed.
"U.Va. students as a whole have an enthusiasm for whatever they're doing, whether it's academic study or extracurricular activities," Wright said.
Dean of Students Penny Rue said "Voices of the Class" - a Spectrum Theater performance that dramatized first-year students' admissions essays - gave her a sense of the diversity among the first years.
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