UNC is NOT for everyone

ldmom06
Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:19:15 +0000

I’ll throw my 2 cents in here as well. Any experience is what you make of it. If you don’t get out there and join the fun, well you won’t have any. And that will happen ANYwhere you attend college.

My d’s experience as an oos student has been good, despite having a flaky roommate. (She is the only student from our school district with 8 high schools attending UNC btw.) She has only had one TA (in a foreign language recitation). She is in honors, so most of her classes are very small and intimate. BUT, honor classes are not limited to honors students; any student can take an honors class as long as there is room in the class. And there are so many choices within the honors program, it’s not hard to find open sections in small classes. And, btw, she was willing to take morning classes to get into a good learning environment. Too many students pass up a great class because it is held at 8 or 9 a.m. She has had some big lectures as well; but she sits near the front and always stops to chat with her professors after class. There ARE ways to make those big classes seem small if you make an effort.

As far as joining in, she was given the rush by the competitive cheer squad but opted to go out for women’s crew. She made the freshman team as a coxswain. I know UNC is not a women’s crew powerhouse, but still…she made a Div I athletic team by just showing up and giving it a shot. She also went out for Freshman Council and after a series of interviews by Student Gov’t and faculty, she was selected. They have hosted several events and she has had a lot of fun with that as well. She joined a pre-med club and has attended wonderful lectures with like-minded students and talked with researchers/professors about volunteer work. And I know there are a lot of other ec activities that don’t involve straight partying…she tells me she gets several invites via facebook a week.

I know it can be tough if you don’t like your dorm and you don’t have any reason to leave your dorm. The best advice I ever rec’d was from the guy who owns/works at Chillywave who used to be an RA. Before my d started school, he told me to encourage her to join groups/clubs that will allow her to find friends and fun outside her dorm room. The worst thing you can do is rely on a random living situation for friendship and entertainment. My d was fortunate to find a floor full of friends in a great dorm; but that is not always the case…so don’t expect it or be upset if it doesn’t happen. Venture out instead. There are things to do at UNC…just find them.

I’m not saying my d doesn’t ever get homesick and still does not miss all her friends at Texas; but she IS having a great oos experience at UNC. Both can be true.