@LBad96 so if the money was never there, how are paying for UNCW?
Will your parents let you use the money in your college fund?
Who is taking out these loans?
I thought you were leaving NJ and going OOS in search of merit. You didn’t get merit from UNCW?
@MYOS1634 correct, I did say that earlier.
@ntk131998 @mommdc pretty sure my parents will be cosigning the loans. We couldn’t take out the PLUS loan. UNCW didn’t give me merit because I didn’t apply for it, but I heard they didn’t give much merit to OOSers anyways. I did receive an outside scholarship of $5k. As for the college fund, I’ll have a discussion with them tomorrow and get back to you on that.
Hope tou get info about the collegwve fund. 
Perhaps they used it when ypu were homeless and were hoping to replenish it by the time youenrilled in.coege… and it disnt happen? I know the wconomy has recovered nicely,especially compared to 2009-2010levels of unemployment , but wages just haven’t caught up yet except in spme jobs that were no longer "
living wages" and at the top… so ypur parents may be doing better but not as well as they hoped?
when do you move in? And did you ever get to visit UNCW?
@MYOS1634 yup, you hit the nail on the head.
@ITBgirl I move in this Saturday. However, move-in will be my very first time on campus.
Let US know how it goes! Will it meet expectations??? …well until you put your stuff in it the dorm room never does but hopefully everythinelseg will meet expectations Have you heard from your roommate since the last time?
@MYOS1634 oh my goodness, I forgot to tell you all: I do not have a roommate at the moment.
We first contacted each other in early July when I emailed him introducing myself. We then exchanged phone numbers and pleasantries. I was looking forward to having him as a roommate, but he contacted me about two weeks ago to tell me that he decided to join the Air Force instead. Like, the heck? Random.
Living alone would definitely have its ups and downs. On the one hand, I would actually have a room to myself, and not have to worry about sharing a TV or a closet with anyone. On the flip side, I would miss out on the true college experience. I’ll see what happens on Saturday. At the moment, it looks like I’ll be alone for a bit.
I also finally made my first UNCW friend yesterday!! We met downtown and had lunch together. He and I talked about a lot of things, such as our expectations for college, how we plan on managing our academics, what the experience of going to school on the beach is going to be like, where else we applied to, the challenges we’re about to face etc. We also expressed our wholehearted relief that we are HS graduates, and that we’re the only people from our respective high schools that are UNCW-bound. He lives the next town over from me, so it was relatively easy to make plans with him. It was a real pleasure to meet him, and I can’t wait to see him at school! In fact, we’re both heading down there around the same time, so we might make plans to meet up even before move-in. And for added significance, this guy was my originally intended roommate.
FIVE MORE DAYS!!! 
Time to walkl around the neighborhood , snap pics of your room and random streets, all the places that will soon belong to your past.
Also you wouldn’t be sharing a closet, and you’ve got one advantage over most freshmen : you’ve already shared a room !
Important : is thebedd fully adjustable or can you loft it or put it on blocks ? Learn that quickly them learn where to find any material you may need - from RA, housing, on your own ?
Seahawk Journal - August 2015 (first week of school): A week of life at UNCW has now passed, and I’m greatly enjoying myself to say the least. I boarded an Amtrak by myself the day of move-in, got off in Wilson, boarded a bus to Wilmington, and then took a cab to get to campus, which took 13 hours in all. A lot of people seemed to be surprised/impressed by that. Only arrived in Wilmington on the evening of move-in day. It was arduous leaving my siblings behind at home, and then my parents behind at the train station.
I’ve met SO many people and all have been very friendly and kind. I’ve gotten numerous phone numbers, began to bond with those living on the same floor as me, connected with many via social media, and gone to eat with quite a few. I had Cookout for the first time on Thursday night, and it is SO AMAZING. The milkshakes and trays are legit OP. Better than anything back home. I also had sushi for the first time yesterday - good stuff.
In terms of classes, I’m taking UNI 101 and PLS 495 (Crime on the Cape Fear) on Mondays and Wednesdays; MAT 111 (College Algebra) and ENG 103 (Advanced English) on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and FST 110 (Concepts in Film) on Fridays. 5 classes, 3 credits each for a total of 15 credits. The UNI and English classes are linked together and just so happen to be at the same mid-afternoon time, but on different days. Crime on the Cape Fear is in the evening, Algebra is in the early afternoon, and Concepts in Film is a 9:00 AM class that is at least two hours (the block is scheduled to take until 12:45, but we were told that it’ll only go the full length twice in the whole semester). While Crime in the Cape Fear is a 400 level course, the class itself, which is taught by the DA, is exclusively freshmen. Of all my classes, the only one that sorta worries me is Advanced English. However, it’s nothing that hard work can’t take care of.
I am a big fan of just how easy it is to make friends so spontaneously…I can literally find anyone on campus to dine with or chill with. It’s a highly accepting culture here. Beach Blast on Tuesday, although cut a bit short, was an amazing time, and it gave me a nice new FB pro pic lol. The nightlife on campus is also incredibly vibrant and enjoyable, with many fantastic events going on around campus. I’m also known among many of my classmates as the Facebook/Quad guy, and I’ve recognized many from those two platforms as well. In fact, most people I’ve met recognize me from the internet (trust me, that’s a good thing lol) Almost no one is able to tell that I’m from NJ by just listening to my voice, as I don’t have that stereotypical Joisey accent. I’ve been told that I’ll pick up on the Southern accent within a month of my arrival…can’t wait for that!
Safe to say that my UNCW social life is already galaxies better than my NJ social life. I’m having the time of my life from an interpersonal standpoint, and I know for a fact that I made the right choice to come here. Now begins the hard academic grind to prove to this amazing university that their decision to accept me was the right one! I’ll post another update on the 3rd of September, which will be a special update. Stay tuned, y’all will hear a lot from me soon!
Oh, and I do have a roommate. We texted a couple of days before move-in and we’ve hit it off real well. He’s from Boone, where App State is. Huge workout guy, I’m surprised I haven’t decided to hit the state-of-the-art gym yet.
Also forgot to mention that classes began on Wednesday.
What a fantastic start!
Wow what a great start… and kudos to you for the trip alone as well as the ability to leave all the bad stuff from NJ behind. I’m sure all the adults who’ve folkowed your story are immensely proud and happy … and hoping such great outcome for their own kids or the kids they know.
Thanks for the update - it’s always so nice to hear back once the students made it to campus and so uzeful for current hs students.
So … many thanks… and looking forward to September 3!!
(Sorry foe typos … can’t correct and internet is bezerk for me right now)
@lbad96 life is good! Enjoy. The ‘journal’ you’ve kept here on CC is a testament to your growth, perseverance and hard work and it’s wonderful to see it paying off. Congrats and continued success!
NJ social life when you have been forced to move in with relatives/friends is not a fair comparison to being alone for the first time in college with your own room.
Good luck at UNCW, I can tell you that here in NJ we will envy you weather soon enough!
@LBad96 have you seen much of Wilmington yet? The town and Beach are great, I just wonder how much of it students get out to see. We were going down this weekend but traffic will be crazy with the holiday so I will probably be back down there the next weekend. I am glad to hear your classes are going well and you are busy and happy.
Seahawk Journal - September 3, 2015: I turned 19 today! Can’t believe all the time’s gone, I literally was a senior in high school this very day last year. It was a very chill day. I had two classes, including a brief reading quiz in English. I don’t think it was too bad, but then again, it’s college, you never know what the teacher is looking for in these first few weeks. Of all my classes, Algebra is the one that worries me so far; I’m gonna need to hit the Math Center pretty soon! UNI seems like it’ll be a breeze, Political Science intrigues me to no end, Film is pretty cool as well.
It’s hard spending my birthday away from home for the very first time…I also missed my sister’s birthday (on Tuesday) and my brother’s birthday two weeks before that. I’ll always say that as much as I may have disliked New Jersey, I miss my family so dearly. I can only hope that they’ll get to come to me for my next three birthdays.
Still, so grateful and blessed!!
@ITBgirl I’ve only gone to the beach once, and I’ve not yet gone to downtown Wilmington. There are students who have done both multiple times, though. Yeah, I feel like almost everyone is going home for the weekend. 
Most people on my Intramural soccer team are headed home, therefore we can’t have a full practice.
Which brings me to my next point: I created an Intramural soccer team this week. We have 19 players, 14 of which are guys. People were just signing up on a whim; almost all of my teammates are on my floor.
Speaking of which, one of my friends on my floor also turned 19 yesterday, haha! He and I had dinner together, then we ate cake. We’re good friends, so it is especially awesome that we share a birth date. It was a very nice day
Thank you so much for the update. Sounds like you are adjusting great - even missing home/family is to be expected. Do go to the beach this weekend though. Invite others from your flood/dorm
Congrats on the soccer team