My son was recently admitted but for Spring 2021. They do offer a Fall 2020 program to study abroad in Prague as a part of NCSU and then return to campus in NC for “regular” semester beginning in January 2021. He really likes State and the major he was accepted into (Sports Marketing) and the Prague course list has one track that includes business classes and an ethics/morals course that would interest him.
Just wondering if anyone has experience with this program and can provide any insight.
What other paths have you/your sons/daughters taken for that Fall semester “off campus”? Wake Tech? Another University for a semester? Internship/job for a few months?
We had not really contemplated this choice, so I’m in fact/opinion gathering mode to help him figure out what is best for him as he really likes NCSU but was clearly looking forward to starting in the Fall.
Thanks
My son was offered Spring 2020 admission last year. We went through the same thought process. He decided to stay at University Towers (UT) and take classes at Wake Tech last fall which meant he needed his car that first semester which made me very nervous. It worked out well for him though. His classes were in the morning so he was always back at UT by 12pm or 1pm. The rest of his days were spent on NC State’s campus in the library studying or in his dorm room like any other student. He was also on the marching band so he met lots of friends that way. Another good thing about being on the band was that he got to participate in the big welcome event for freshmen in Reynolds Coliseum because, of course, the band was there to play the fight song and alma mater. He was able to be on the band because there is a consortium for the Raleigh area colleges, so any student enrolled at any one of the colleges in the consortium can participate in clubs/activities at any of the other member colleges. The colleges that are part of the consortium are Nc State, Meredith, Wake Tech, and Shaw (I think). Of course he had to audition and make the band like any other student.
There were lots of Spring Connect kids that stayed at UT. At one point they were planning to house them all on adjoining floors but that idea didn’t materialize and the Spring Connect students were housed randomly throughout UT. My son’s roommate ended up being a senior. I was not happy about that at all, but it worked out. The roommate was very nice, very focused on graduating, and was rarely there bc he was always at his gf’s apt., so my son basically had a single. But that could have been a disaster and something I hope UT will resolve since they have so many Spring Connect students staying at UT. Also there were other Spring Connect students in the rooms across the hall and next door that my son bonded with and became friends with.
Overall, my son said it was fine. He became familiar with the campus, hung out at Talley, went to parties, marched with the band at Packapalooza, hung out in the other dorms with his band friends, and fully felt like he was a student at NC State that first semester. And he loved UT and the food there and wants to stay there again next year. Hope this helps.