<p>I was born and raised in Wilmington. I have a large extended family here as well. Yes, UNCW has come a very long way. When I graduated in '86 you literally went to UNCW the day before classes began in the fall and signed up. We are very proud of how it has progressed. The renovations are wonderful and the campus is beautiful. However, you will NEED a bike to get around as the buildings are very far apart. </p>
<p>It is interesting to me that people talk about it being a great “beach” school. When school is in session, it is winter and although there is no snow, there is nothing happening on the beach either. Ok, so maybe you could fish off of Johnny Mercer’s pier if you are into that type of thing. And sure, you can stay for the summer but finding a summer job is about impossible. Most students I know live 12 to a house just to afford it and say they live at the beach. Once you are out of school, you will have to move. The majority of Wilmington employers are small to mid size businesses. There isn’t a lot of security or ability to move up the ladder so to speak. The majority of the students I know are grossly under employed and some have never or are having a very difficult time finding any type of internship for their major. </p>
<p>If you are coming for purely academics, come on down but if you think there is some kind of “beach” life, you have watched too many movies. There are better schools to attend that will help launch you into a career after those four short years.</p>