Any current student willing to give input? I know its not the most important thing to consider, but it does slightly worry me. And I realize most schools (esp since UNC has no engineering school) have a higher female population.
And another question concerning non-academics: How accessible is Raleigh to UNC students? Growing up in the middle of nowhere I really appreciate being able to go into the city for concerts and things. I know Raleigh isn't NYC or Chicago, but it isn't that much smaller than say Baltimore is it? And I realize Chapel Hill is not huge, but I am talking more about weekend nightlife in the city.
I am a freshman and jo honestly haven't even looked to date so I don't have any comments on that other than those that I know that wanted today's have been able to find boyfriends with little trouble.
Raleigh is about 30 minutes away but I don't know anyone who bothers traveling to raleigh for parties, etc. Chapel hill basically has it all.
Raleigh is extremely accessible if you have a car/can drive. It's about 20-30 minutes away. I think, in theory, you can take a bus there, but like Corey said, most people don't go to Raleigh for the nightlife. Chapel Hill has enough to offer on its own.
Regarding the dating-- to be blunt, it sucks. It's going to get even more disproportionate in the future (probably 70%-30%). That's not to say people don't date or get in relationships, but it's harder because there are just fewer guys. Likewise, it kind of sucks when you're in class and there are only 1-2 guys in the class and 20+ girls (although this tends to happen more in my English classes).
Ultimately though, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're only going to college to get your MRS degree. There are TONS of guys at NC State or Dook and I know a lot of people who date guys there. Some also date guys in the military.
Oh-- and if you want to meet guys, take an LFIT. I swear, that's where 3 of my friends met their bfs.
Yes, the dating scene is terrible. Let's face facts.
About Raleigh/Durham... well the drive is not so long. Probably driving into Raleigh you're looking at an hour door to door, including parking. But it's a terrible drive (just getting from UNC to the interstate can be a huge pain), and mroe importantly you will struggle to keep a car on campus in your first couple of years. Parking permits are like hen's teeth for freshmen.
But honestly... you think you'll go out in the other towns, but you won't. The college bubble will soon swallow you up.
LFIT stands for Lifetime Fitness... Everyone is required to take at least one class, but I think they have changed the name. I took Walking - no boys in that class! Ha. ; -)
The dating scene is pretty bad - no MRS degree here. Considering most guys are taken/gay/frat, girls aren't left with a lot of choice!
I also agree with everyone else on the Raleigh front- you really don't have a reason to leave the Chapel Hill bubble once you're here. : -)
I don't know if my son's experience was unusual but there was a lot of dating in his social circle at UNC, his roommate freshman and sophomore years got married last year and most of his close friends had girlfriends many of whom are still together three years later. He had several girl friends during his four years but honestly preferred the more relaxed social scene that didn't put pressure on people to date or have to be a "couple."
I would not get worked up about it.....most of his circle have gone on to post grad educations all across the country and a few abroad and it is far easier to plan that for one than two....
As far as Raleigh is concerned....if you want to get to a major event/concert there it should not be hard to find a ride....after that there's little reason to go there....certainly not for bars/ nightlife....you'll find all you need to keep yourself busy in and around CH. After a while you'll find that people often head to the mountains or beaches for weekends as well because neither is a terribly long drive.
I don't know if my son's experience was unusual but there was a lot of dating in his social circle at UNC, his roommate freshman and sophomore years got married last year and most of his close friends had girlfriends many of whom are still together three years later. He had several girl friends during his four years but honestly preferred the more relaxed social scene that didn't put pressure on people to date or have to be a "couple."
But the question is.. if all is close friends were girls, would many of them have long-term boyfriends?
What you say in your last sentence sounds pretty nice, but it might be the same 'hookup culture' where you can't get men to commit that a lot of the chapel hill girls complain about.
One thing Raleigh/Cary/Durham does have that's worth the trip is a lot of authentic ethnic restaurants.
Thanks for all the input! And by visting Raleigh I really did mean just for concerts at like the Lincoln Theatre and whatnot.
And the dating thing is not my number one priority and I guess the hook up culture pretty much dominates most college campuses, it's just a little thing that bothers me.
But at least I can focus more on my academics and extracurriculars haha
