Do you know how competitive the school of nursing is? Do UNC students typically get accepted into the school they apply for (business, pharmacy, etc) or do they transfer to a different college?
How hard are Honors courses compared to the regular courses? Are there any specific benefits, other than smaller class sizes?
How “southern” is it? I am from NY and the only thing that is deterring me from immediately putting an enrollment deposit down is that many people have told me I would not fit in because of how southern it is (as the majority are from NC) and how intense Greek life is. Are you in state student and do you think this is true?
Im also from the northeast but my perspective is that i may be cool to see “southern culture”… just another step in gaining a broader world view imo
@ineversleep Have the people you are speaking with every been here? They seem a bit misinformed. UNC is ~18% Greek and Greeks do not dominate the social scene like other schools. You will fit in fine. UNC has a very liberal environment and the student body is very friendly and welcoming. Lots of school spirit here as well.
@silversmart The honors courses will go at a brisker pace, deeper depth of subject matter and you may have extra projects/assignments over a comparable non-honors course.
@zburk7 I presume you are referring to graduate schools. If so, a number of my colleagues looking to attend medical school have indeed applied and gotten into UNC. As far as other disciplines go, UNC students go to grad schools all over the country. Sorry I can not comment on nursing school.
^^NewYawk will give you a better answer but I would like to add that MANY students are transplants from other states. NC has had a lot of growth in the past years from people moving in from other states. In my area, I meet more transplants then locals.
This may seem silly, but how do students exercise and remain fit?
UNC is a very sports oriented environment and we have fantastic facilities. If you have an interest in a particular sport, you will find it here. UNC has an extensive campus rec program, for which all students have a membership. Here is a link for more info on Campus Rec http://campusrec.unc.edu/unc. The gym at Rams Head on South Campus is popular for first years because it is near the first year dorms. It can be quite a social scene at times. There are coed and single sex intramural programs in most sports (recreational and competitive levels), with playoffs for the coveted “intramural champion tee shirt”. A lot of students run/jog and play tennis. Basketball is huge here. There are always pick-up games on the outside courts or at Woollen Gym. Club sports for those who wish to travel to other schools for competition. Several dorms have beach volleyball courts which can be fun on warm days.
Staying active and fit is not a problem here. Great weather, great facilities, and a lot students that love sports.
@NewYawk Could one balance greek life with academic extracurriculars and student government leadership positions? And what you said about the gym and rec sports makes me happy!
Also, is it a good idea to take advantage of honors housing for an oos that would potentially not know anybody else?
Not yet sure where I’m going to college but definitely interested in learning about UNC - especially if I get a scholarship!
Also what exactly are the frats like? I know nothing about greek life. Can one get into a frat that also emphasizes leadership and things like service/ambition over just partying? Can you find a mix? Haha thank you for answering these guys/girls it is very informative!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer all of these questions! This is really informative!
Do most students living on campus eat at dining halls for all meals? What do they normally do?
Is it better to get the all you can eat dining plan? My son will be a freshman and want to make sure he has the right plan. Thanks!
@collegepls One of the things you will need to get really good at, is time management. There are so many things to get involved with here, along with the demands of rigorous academics. You will need to strike the right balance for you. The better at time management you are, the more you can do.
When I was a first year I received a bid from a frat and ultimately decided to turn it down. My brief frat experience left me with the impression that the partying would be difficult to get away from. Additionally the time commitment required was far beyond what I could manage, given my other goals. Both of these factors convinced me to remain an independent.
I was in the honors dorm my first year, when it was up on north campus. I enjoyed it. Lots of smart, interesting students. Since it has now relocated to south campus (into the newest dorm on campus), you’ll also be in the midst of the other first year dorms, which is even better, from a social integration perspective.
@SilverSmart For first years I would say yes, however, once you get up on north campus, other dining choices become more accessible and frequent. I have not had a UNC dining plan for two years.
@college67 A lot of first years take the unlimited. Parents are always worried LOL. I think it only makes sense if you eat every meal, every day, in the dining halls. If he can manage his finances effectively, I’d say look at a block plan and add dining flex dollars to allow for dining on campus outside the dining halls. That is not only more flexible while moving around campus, but, also increases the variety of the food available to him. Flex even works for Tar Heel Takeout, Papa Johns, etc.
Thanks again @NewYawk!
Are students at UNC very competitive to the point of sabotage? Or are you all friendly with each other?
No, not overly competitive. Students are generally already pretty strong academically in order to get into UNC, so they have high expectations for themselves, but, it doesn’t bleed over into interaction with others. People are super friendly here. It is one of the reasons I love UNC.
Does UNC charge in state tuition to out of state students when they study abroad? Some schools do.
@twogirls No, I don’t believe so.
When do we choose our courses for our first year? After orientation? Also, what do we do at orientation? And, is it typically pretty easy to make friends and integrate into a stable social group at UNC? I’ve always been an introvert so I am shy unless someone comes and talk to me first lol.
@californiagirl97 One of the things you will do at orientation is register for classes. There is a orientation website https://nscpp.unc.edu/first-year-students/first-year-student-orientation
Remember, as a first year everyone is looking to establish new friends, so people will be pretty friendly (which is the norm here anyway). Also, if you are in a suite (like a lot of first years are) you will meet a lot of people through your suite mates. No worries!
@californiagirl97 You actually register for classes after orientation. They give you a set date/time based on when you go to orientation. If you go to a later orientation, you’re not at a disadvantage because they hold spots for a lot of classes first years need to get into for each orientation group’s registration.
Orientation is a lot of being talked at. You’ll learn about safety, meal plans, what it’s like to live on campus–just general university-wide stuff. It’s not the most fun but it’s important.
Like @NewYawk said, making friends isn’t hard. Find one or two things you like to do on campus and get involved. You’ll meet a lot of people that way and you’ll likely meet some people on your hall as well.
Congrats on your acceptance!!