Where you at?

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By Rey Michael Rosolada

Welcome to the Visayas State University (VSU). The University prides itself as the premiere State University in the Visayas. The most noticeable feature of the VSU aside from its stylish edifices and lush vegetation is that the whole land area is very wide. It actually has a total land area of 1,479.086 hectares. The University is divided into the upper and lower campuses. Getting around would be hard to do especially for the new students like the freshmen and the transferees. That is why we made this short guide to have students be familiarized with some of the important buildings and places necessary for your at least 4 years stay in this wonderful institution of learning. A huge map showing the whole extent of the University can also be viewed at the Ecopark. Memorizing all the different establishments and departments would be very hard if not impossible, but don’t worry what’s important is that you would know what and where the important buildings are.

The buildings for paperworks

The building where most of your paper works are processed is the Administration building. May it be something to do with enrollment, shifting of courses, changing of subjects, payments, and other related transactions. Locating the Admin building is very easy, but reaching it is another thing. It is one the highest elevated building and is located on top of a hill; it is visible even from the highway near the guard posts.

The next building is the Information Technology (IT) building, or as what VSUans humorously calls it the “Chow king”. Its bold orange color stands-out giving its other moniker. It is located near Mango Avenue and the Agricultural Development building (ADE). It is the Computer Science department main building, but during enrollment most of the enrollment processes is done here.

Tip for the freshmen: you can use your free P50 worth of Internet use stated in your COR at the IT bldg.

A little less visible than the Admin building is the University Student Service Office (USSO) building. It is where you can ask about available scholarship programs as well as student housings and for the different Organizations in the University.  It is also where student can get helpful advice for some of the problems they encounter in their college life. Freshmen, think of it as the Guidance counselor’s office during your high school. It is located somewhere near the Dept of Nursing and the library.

Classrooms

Nearly all buildings used for college classes are found at the upper campus. These include the Laboratories, the Gymnatorium, the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK), the Library, and as well as the different Departments. These Departments are scattered throughout the upper campus. Enumerating each one would take some time. To locate the different Departments, you can look it up at the VSU map at the Ecopark or you can try asking students, especially higher years. VSU students are friendly and would be more than willing to help their fellow schoolmates.

Foodspots

If you are in a hurry or just too lazy to cook your own food, you can always eat at numerous food spots around the campus. The most accessible ones for students are found at the VSU market. The choice of foods includes meriendas like banana-cues and other delicacies, to street foods like kikiam and fish balls, and most importantly the “ready to eat cooked meals”.  If you are craving for a sizzling grilled meat you could try buying fresh meat at the meat vendors and have it grilled on the nearby Eateries.  Other easy to access food spots are the Fast Food Eateries at the upper campus and the Pavilion in the lower campus. You can also check ATI (Agriculture Training Institute).The eatery is located near the beachfront and they offer delicious foods at an affordable price. For a greater eating satisfaction (you can argue or agree with me on this one) but for a bit pricier meals, you could also check out AJJA’s Honeycomb located near the tennis court. All of the mentioned food spots are definitely time-savers and hassle-free, but if you want to save money you can always cook on your own. Groceries can be bought at Baybay City or from the VSU Market.

Student Housing

As mentioned earlier it’s in the USSO where you can inquire for available student housings in the campus. These housings are called dormitories. There are 6 dorms for males and 16 dorms and cottages for females as well as 2 coed dorms for Graduate students.  Outside the campus in nearby barangays, there are privately owned boarding houses for students. It’s your choice in which housing you think will make you feel safer and more at home. It is said that dormitories have stricter rules and regulations like curfews and many other prohibitions. While on most of the off campus boarding houses, there are fewer rules giving you much more freedom to work your way around.