UNC: Thus Far, Part 2

<p>I must say, when I came to UNC, I was a bit jaded. So now, for an update to last year’s thread:</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>The academics here are top-notch and, in fact, are also quite hard. I know many people (myself included) who are thrilled to get a B, let-alone an A (though, somehow, I managed to pull off a 3.5 last semester. </p>

<p>Professors:</p>

<p>Obviously, the quality of a school’s academics goes hand-in-hand with the quality of its professors. Well, simply put, the professors here are amazing. I really don’t think I’ve had a bad professor yet. </p>

<p>As far as credentials are concerned (if that even matters to you), they are some of the best. Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford, etc. are all well represented among the professor’s backgrounds. Most are leaders in their fields. The only downside, however, is when you have them in larger classes.</p>

<p>Social life:</p>

<p>Being an out-of-state student has made it somewhat difficult finding friends. Though, I have pushed ahead and am slowly forming great bonds. </p>

<p>I must admit, initially, I hated the fact that UNC is known as a “basketball school.” But so is Duke. UCLA. Georgetown. Great academics and sports can co-exist. There is nothing like rushing down Franklin Street after beating Duke in a basketball game. It’s magic. </p>

<p>Student Body:</p>

<p>Being that this is a public school, as someone else said in my previous thread, you will have a “potpourri” of students. This is true. Some are smart and some not so smart. It seems like every day I meet someone who turned down Cornell or Washington University or Dartmouth, etc for UNC (and, I must note, these ARE NOT Morehead Scholars). </p>

<p>One complaint is UNC’s diversity. The student body is pretty homogeneous in comparison to Duke (which I go to frequently, due to the free bus route between the two schools). </p>

<p>Campus:</p>

<p>Still Beautiful. See previous thread. </p>

<p>Surrounding area:</p>

<p>There is a synergy between UNC and Chapel Hill that other schools just don’t have. I’ve been to a lot of college towns and Chapel Hill just seems so safe and energized because of the interaction it has with the university. After going to Durham, I was a lot more appreciative of this.</p>

<p>Things I don’t like:</p>

<p>Even though I’ll party every now and then, there is still a bit too much partying for my taste. But hey, the students do work hard here, so maybe they have a right to wash their troubles away on the weekend. </p>

<p>Unnecessary poor sportsmanship. Probably because I’m a Yankee, I will never understand how deep the hatred runs between Duke and UNC. From the day I got here, I was told to hate Duke and not ask any questions. Well, I happen to like Duke: it’s a fine school. When it comes to basketball, however, they can “go to hell,” but I do not take my attacks beyond that. However, we (Tar Heels) tend to take it a little too far by attacking the looks of the coach, the girls, etc. But don’t get my admiration for Duke confused. You couldn’t pay me to leave UNC. </p>

<p>(note: I know this is poorly written. I’m up backing my stuff for a road trip I’m going on tomorrow with some fellow UNC students. Just wanted to take a quick break to write this… Florida: Here I come!)</p>