Hi!
I’ve already been accepted into the school and the Honors Program, but my major concern is the environment of the school. I know everyone can find their niche in college no matter where they attend, but I just feel like the general atmosphere of UGA isn’t for me.
I’m not a partier, don’t plan on rushing and don’t really like the prevalence of Greek Life. I’m also somewhat of a nerd in that I am very devoted to my studies. I’m also primarily interested in STEM subjects, so with all of that I feel like GA Tech would be better for me.
…BUT, I’m not sure if I want to deal with the stress of Tech, don’t like the location in the middle of the city, and I’m not sure if I’m in the Honors Program there. Plus, UGA has a ton of majors so I can switch easily which is good because I’m not the most decisive person. Also UGA’s food <3
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
My son goes to UGA and daughter will be in the Honors Program next year. Neither of my children will rush (their choice) but they have/will find their own social niche through a Christian organization and volunteering in the community. UGA is only a party school if you want it to be. You will find folks like yourself at UGA. Definitely live in Myers where you will find lots of pre-med and pre-law majors and generally serious, but fun, students. My son lived in Myers last year and met most of his best friends there. The Honors Program will open doors for you. If you aren’t sure, take another visit to both schools and hopefully one will feel like home. The good news is that you can’t make a bad decision!
I’m a junior at UGA now and will say the honors program is really only useful for the first 2 years, so don’t base your decision on that. I love Athens and have done very well with my education here, but I’m in business. If I were STEM, I’d go to Tech unless I needed a good GPA for med school. Sure, you may be stressed, but it’s a lifetime decision vs. a four year decision. If you think you might want to switch out of STEM, UGA may be better, if you know STEM is where you want to be, get the degree from Tech. It will make a big difference when you graduate. Feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Quite a few top tech companies (Facebook, Google, Microsoft) have hired UGA computer science graduates. There’s also no problem getting prestigious, lucrative summer internships studying comp sci at UGA. Nice to have those opportunities without the artificial grade deflation and stress of Tech.
My daughter stayed in Myers this past weekend, and loved it. Yesterday, there was a huge group in the common area. Everyone had their computers and headphones and were just hanging out, I guess the academic way to socialize.
My son’s benefit with honors was more than just the first two years. He graduated last year and still communicates with some of his honors professors. He didn’t work with Curo, but I have talked to others that have found this program to be enormously beneficial for undergraduate success and beyond.
Try calling the honors program. They may be able to give you the name of a student that is already at UGA who has similar goals and interests and could help you make an informed decision.
Hey undecisive101
Can you elaborate a bit on your future goals? Would you like to enter employment right after graduation, further training like grad schoools, or undecided? What kind of STEM are you interested.
If you are dead set on employment and are into engineering, I think GaTech might be a better fit for you. In terms of employment opportunities, fewer companies recruit students in UGA (i.e. drop box)
If you would like to keep your options open, I think UGA might be a great option.
I think I had some concerns similar to yours entering UGA, but imho, the campus atmosphere is what you make out of it. Sure, you’ll see lots of frats/sor folks, perhaps more than Tech, but you should find your own niche, especially during your first years in honors/myers, although you might exert more effort into it compared to what you would do at Tech.