<p>Is it hard to fit in at UNC coming from OOS (New Jersey specifically)?</p>
<p>Absolutely not...plenty of people from the NE and even more with NE roots.</p>
<p>My son's best friend and one of his current housemates is from NJ and there are three people from metro NYC in his close circle of friends.</p>
<p>hey i'm from ct wondering the same thing</p>
<p>My sister had some issues adapting.....she ended up with an extremely religious roommate from NC, who was on the extreme end of conservatism....she pretty much ruined her freshman year not so much the party issue but just the judgmental/patronizing type. She also was expecting more liberal thinking on campus and being from Atlanta--she found UNC to be very conservative....just different that what she expected.</p>
<p>However, she loves it now. She advises south campus, suites for OOS. I think you need to hear from OTHER out of state students, the instaters really can't answer that question.....they are not one of the 18% they are in the other majority group. </p>
<p>Sometimes she said she felt like she was the only one at the who didn't know 50 people from her high school. 18% .... another issue was that some weekends the campus was deserted....AND last break she had exams until 5:00 yet they closed dorms and expected her out by 6:00 pm....then she had a 7 hour drive. Not very accomodating for OOS. </p>
<p>She loves carolina and is happy there, I am just saying the transition can be difficult....don't go potluck for roommates would probably be good advice.</p>
<p>Every school private or public has roommate issues and it's not based on instate or OOS but more on people not being open and honest on their roommate profiles. At UNC, at the beginning of the school year each dorm resident is given a roommate contract that is designed to address specific issues BEFORE they become a problem. That's not to say that the agreement will always solve things but for the most part it is not an issue.</p>
<p>I haven't heard about the campus ever being deserted in three years that my S has been there so I'm not quite sure where that is coming from. UNC has a very active OOS student association that organizes events and get togethers throughout the year with the first one taking place in the first few days of school.</p>
<p>michelega: I'm sorry, but your comment that "some weekends the campus was deserted" borders on absurd. There are ~16,000 undergraduates on that campus; do you really think that a campus like that could be "deserted" on weekends? NC is a very wide state. In-state students are simply not going home on the weekends, even those who live nearby. Freshman don't even have cars. My daughter, though in-state (and not coming home on the weekends!) went pot-luck freshman year, roomed with 2 girls who were great. The 3 of them were about as different as you can possibly imagine (including in religious and political views), yet they all got along fine. Sometimes you learn a lot living with people who think and view the world differently from the way you do. </p>
<p>This has been mentioned innumerable times before on this site, but NC is filled with wonderful people, many of whom are not native North Carolineans (if that makes you feel better). In fact, I may possibly be the only one left. ;) From what I understand, UNC is a very welcoming and friendly campus. Just as all the in-state students don't cluster together and move in a herd, I would imagine (like to think) that the OOS don't do that, either.</p>
<p>Our area, NC foothills, sends a significant number of students to UNC every year. Many of my friends children do or have attended there. The one thing they have in common is that they rarely ever came home--just the holidays.</p>
<p>My brother's an in-state junior at UNC, and his core group of friends are from all over the place, in fact, I think his NC native friends are in the minority.</p>
<p>It's interesting that this is a concern for an OOSer, because just about a year ago I had the same sorts of concerns. I worried that, because I'm in-state, OOS kids would automatically think I didn't deserve to attend the school as much as they did. I also worried that, post hypothetical rejection from OOS kids, all the in-state kids wouldn't venture outside of their high school circles and be friends with me. But I just don't think that's the way it works. Plenty of kids from my high school are at UNC, and from what they tell me, they still keep in touch but have new close friends now. Maybe once a month they'll get together at Franklin.</p>
<p>I've known at LEAST sixty kids to go to UNC (that I came name off the top of my head), and really only one or two of them come home often, I live about an hour away. They both have the 'I-got-rejected-from-an-Ivy-and-am-too-good-for-UNC' attitude and transferred or are trying to. It's simply not a suitcase school.</p>
<p>Jack, I guess I should have been more specific. Several non football weekends my sister was one of 2 people left on her entire floor in Connor. .....deserted was more of a comparison to the usual activity present. I am sorry if you took that literally. Wasn't intended. When we visited in February the 23rd this year for the weekend.... We saw few students Sat. or Sunday.</p>
<p>Yes roommate issues do arise everywhere. Housing is really good about moving people around but often it isnt' until the next semester....but they are very good and caring people. Didn't mean to cause a firestorm here but just giving some insight and what I considered VERY GOOD ADVICE-- 1. do not go potluck and 2. South campus suites. That was the advice I received from SEVERAL out of state students are at Carolina. I sought out students from out of state during my visits and asked for advice.</p>
<p>As I said, respectfully, I think it would be most helpful for out of state students to give their input on this issue. They are there. They went through the transition. Facebook groups might be good source.</p>
<p>To "not go potluck" isn't possible for every out-of-stater. I don't know anyone going to Carolina so I have to go potluck, but I'm not very worried about it. I put south campus as my prefrence on my housing app. just so I can meet new people more easily.</p>
<p>Actually UNC has a roommate finder service if you want to use it. Plus, the unc 2011 group on facebook has tons of people looking for roommates! Seriously, going potluck isn't your only option.</p>
<p>michelega: Yes, maybe a current out of state student (one who has actually attended the school) could weigh in here. What a good idea.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, as someone who has visited, lived near, and been around the Chapel Hill campus for decades, not to mention having a kid who attends there--I have never seen that campus empty--even in the summer months. February is about the worst month (weather-wise) in NC--maybe over most of the East Coast. Perhaps the weekend you visited, people were simply inside. ;)</p>
<p>Mr. Yankee - I think OOS will fit in great at Carolina. I was at Carolina this past weekend and we met a girl from Michigan and Colorado. We didn't meet any in-state students, though. I don't think my daughter will be coming home a lot - I hope not - I want her to come home-but not every weekend. I want her to stay there and enjoy college. I hope at least one of my daughter's suitemates will be from OOS. </p>
<p>MKM56 - are you from the NC foothills, so are we. We are from Hudson. Glad to meet you.</p>
<p>alcook, sent you a PM.</p>