Student Profile
Angela
- Class: Alum
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
The best thing about UNC (and you'll hear this repeatedly if you decide to come here) is that it's like a family here. The moment you step off of campus and enter another community, you'll find someone who went to UNC or is a UNC fan and suddenly the two of you are best friends--there's a sense of school pride that immediately becomes a part of you that you'll never be able to shake, especially if there's a Duke fan around! And of course, we have the best basketball team in the nation. :) The worst thing about UNC is the constant ongoing construction. Because it is the oldest public university in the U.S., buildings are constantly being remodeled, so it's a never-ending sight to see orange cones and yellow tape blocking off buildings and pathways. It's a little sad to see a different campus everytime you return to UNC from being away for awhile. But you really can't beat the feeling of pride when you say "I go/went to Carolina." People are always impressed, and it's nice being able to say you went to a university that people all over the country--and the world--know about. Chapel Hill is definitely a college town, but it's fun and relaxing. Everyone goes to Franklin Street during nights and weekends to eat, shop, and/or drink. But nothing beats the feeling of being at a sporting event (most notably, the Dean Dome) and screaming along with 20,000 other Carolina fans to root on our athletes.
Academic Life
UNC is very academically oriented, which is why it has such a great reputation throughout the country. But many of the majors that are offered don't really allow you to become close to professors unless you make a sincere effort to do so (participate in class, visit during office hours, etc.). In psychology especially, most of the classes I took were taught by grad students and not professors, and when I did have a professor, the class was so large (100+) that it was unlikely that I would form a bond with a prof. Overall, the more specific the class/subject, the likelier it is that you'll have a professor and a small class to become close to him/her. But there are several departments in which you can become really close to your professors, most of which are specialty schools within UNC (School of Business, School of Nursing, etc.) I'm a current grad student in the School of Social Work and am very close to all of my professors. Studying habits vary by individual, but most people do a lot of studying during the week, and a lot of partying on the weekends.
Student Body
One of the nice things about UNC is how varied its student body is. No matter how different you think you may be from other people, I guarantee you that there is at least one (if not many) others just like you somewhere on campus. We have groups and clubs for pretty much every type of person and activity, and if we don't, you're more than welcome to create your own. As I said earlier, UNC is very liberal, and therefore very welcoming to people from all cultures, backgrounds, religions, and class. Of course there will always be the "bad apple" but for the most part UNC students are very culturally conscious and extremely active in social justice issues. UNC in particular has a very active LGBTQI population, which is something that many universities shy away from. Most UNC students are from in-state (generally the Charlotte or the Raleigh area), but there are still students from all over the country and the world that come here. I would guess that most of the students are white, middle-class, and there are more girls than boys that attend. I think the ratio is 3:2, but I'm not completely sure. Many people here are very opinionated about various issues, but there's plenty of individuals who are quiet as well, and those people are just as welcomed as the loud ones.
The Best Things
Everything.
The Worst Things
The constant construction.
