The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

There are both goods and bads about going to UNC. If you are a girl or a guy from a somewhat wealthy family, you almost automatically fit in. But even if you aren't one of these, there is still a great amount of diversity in people here and you can find people to hang out with. Parties are easily accessible, but not rampant. Normally every Thurs-Saturday theres something going on at a frat, almost always it's free alcohol. There's almost always a band playing somewhere within walking distance of campus. A couple of clubs are a short walk away. Franklin Street has an abundance of different resturants. Chapel Hill has a great college town atmosphere, which could be good or bad depending on whether or not you enjoy just hanging out, not having to do something all the time. One negative thing is that there is a large amount of typical Greeks. Almost all the sorority girls can be spotted by their Northface jackets and the frat guys by their polos of which, some are pink. Classes are not exceedingly hard as long as you stay away from the weed out classes. Some of these classes/professors can be exceedingly hard, however, any upperclassman is glad to tell you what or who not to take. Though classes aren't exceedingly hard, they are still challenging. As an incoming freshmen, you may get a dorm without AC. This might seem like a problem at first, but it actually isn't that bad because you are on South Campus with a bunch of other freshmen in the same situation. And if it is too much of a problem, you can always recontract your housing until you get in a room that does have it. On the housing note, the RAs don't really care about drinking as long as it is confined to the rooms and noise is kept down below shouting. The people here are nice and are willing to talk. The important thing at UNC as a freshmen, as probably is the case everywhere, is to make sure that you make friends early. Another thing that could be good or bad is that there is a significant amount of liberals who go to Carolina and some of them are very political. If you are a liberal, UNC is probably your safe haven from the normal conservative thought of the general Southern area. If you are conservative, as am I, it is a little harder to find those with similar views as you. Despite what many say , there aren't just a bunch of gays and extreme liberals running around protesting and marching. It is nothing like the PCU(good movie any incoming freshmen should see before going to college)-like stereotypes given by the MOO U. college down in Raleigh. Not everything here is liberal. I would put the student body down as having a mix between the general ideology of the South and moderate to conservative liberalism. The student body is very ethincally diverse in comparisson to other universities. You are not in awe every time you see a black or chinese person. The students here are very accepting of the other people's thoughts and opinions. Carolina is about 60% female and 40% male. I would say that about 85 to 90% of the girls are attractive. And I'm sorry to any females that are reading this, but I don't judge guys. The dining halls are relatively good for what they are (all you can eat), even though they are expensive. It is a myth that you have to get a meal plan as a freshman, however, I would suggest it because it is a great place to socialize. Freshmen(in-state) also can't have cars unless they pay for a spot at Granville Towers, which is also the commercial dormatory, pretty much on campus, where most of the wealthier people stay. It is normally full of people who are thought of by others as stuck-up and preppy; even though it really isn't the case, most of the people there are of the more priveledged children. If you are from an upper-middle class and up, you will most likely fit in with a bunch of people who are just like you right off the bat. Not having a car is only as much of a problem as you make it, you can normally become friends with at least one upper-classman who wouldnt mind at all to take you wherever you want to go. If not, you can always take the free busses to pretty much anywhere in the area. Sportswise, UNC is also fairly well off. This past year, the football team finished with a regualar season record of 6-5 i think it was, despite playing the toughest schedule in the nation. Football games are free for students. You can get into every game that you want. Carolina Basketball is, well, Carolina Basketball. I have been able to get into every one of the games so far. Tickets are not as hard to come by as you may think. I even went to the Carolina-Duke game my freshmen year. The campus here is very nice, even in spite of the areas of constuction. The quad in the middle of campus is a nice place where people can just hang out, throw frisbees, or even sunbaith. Overall, I would say that this is a good school. If you are a more liberally minded person than the average, this is probably one of the best places in the South for you. If you are more conservative, Carolina is still a great place, however I would probably suggest that you make sure to look elsewhere if this might pose a great problem for you.

1st Year Male -- Class 2007

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Individual Value: C