University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Majors: Double major in Economics and Management and Society
Minor: Social and Economic Justice
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Straight Female
Summary
I’m in a leadership society called Sigma Alpha Pi.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Public school in Greensboro, NC with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Majors: Double major in Economics and Management and Society
Minor: Social and Economic Justice
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in a leadership society called Sigma Alpha Pi.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
For Economics I have homework problems to learn the material. In my Management major it’s Sociology, Psychology, and Communications classes so the work varies. It’s mostly reading and essays.
Is there anything you feel your majors’ departments do especially well or poorly?
Economics makes sure that you have the help that you can need for homework problems. In Management and Society, they make sure that you have a bunch of options for classes and you don’t just have to take the core requirements for the major.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s more collaborative, but it can be competitive depending on the class. There are classes that are graded on a curve, and it can be more competitive if it’s a class that you need for the LSAT or the MCAT.
What is your favorite class you’ve taken in your majors?
A Sociology class called Social Stratification. That outlines how gender, race, class, and sexual orientation divide people and how that affects their educational outcomes and career choices.
Least favorite class you’ve taken in your majors?
My least favorite class probably hasn’t come yet because I just switched to Economics. I guess Econ 101, [Introduction to Economics]. It was really hard.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yes.
How accessible have your professors been?
Very, they always have office hours and other availability.
What made you choose your majors? And are you happy with your choice?
I chose my majors because it incorporated a lot of areas that I was interested in. The Management and Society major I picked as an [alternative] to a business major because the business school is pretty competitive to get in to. Management and Society has some classes from the business school in it. I added the Economics major because a lot of the classes overlapped with my Management major.
Reasons to Attend
1) It has a reputation for being a great university.
2) Sports and school spirit.
3) Endless opportunities you can partake in on and off campus.
4) It’s a beautiful campus.
5) There are lots of chances for you to explore who you are. It’s a pretty liberal campus, so you can think freely and experience new things.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s academically hard.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Craige on South Campus. I shared a room with someone and had six other people in the suite.
Sophomore: Warehouse Apartments with three other people.
Junior: We’re moving to a house that’s right behind Franklin Street.
What has been your favorite living situation?
The apartment’s nice but it’s kind of small, so that’s why we’re going to a house. The house will probably be the most ideal. I’ve lived with cool people all the years, so that’s been fine.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve felt safe all around. Sometimes at night when it’s dark it can be a little sketchy around Franklin Street and out in the more residential areas.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Spicy 9, they have good sushi.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
The [Coker] Arboretum. It’s really pretty on a nice day.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I go to bars and frats, or I just hang out. Usually I’ll just go out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There are certainly students that go out more than me on weeknights. What nights you go out really depends on your schedule.
What have been some of your times at UNC?
My freshman year winning the basketball national championship. That was awesome. We rushed Franklin. Beating Duke is always a good memory. I like the tailgates for football games even though we lose a lot. Events are fun too, like fraternity mountain weekends, formals, and cocktails.
How happy are you with the weekend options at UNC? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I don’t think I’d change anything. I like how we have the bar scene and the frat life. I like having the mix and having the options.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
One of them was my roommate freshman year and we met on Facebook. A lot of my friends I met through her. Also, my sister goes here and some of the people she lived with freshman year we stayed in touch with. I have a lot of close friends in a fraternity that I know from high school.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UNC?
It’s super social. You’ll realize that you’re lonely when you’re at home during summer and you’ll be like, “Wow, where is everyone?” You’re bound to see people on campus walking to class and out at bars. It’s a very social atmosphere.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientation mix socially?
Better than other universities, but it’s not perfect. You can still see some racial separation within social groups. People of other sexual orientations, whether they’re out or not, they have meeting groups for you to meet more people of other sexual orientations. It’s a natural mingling I think.
What is the impact of Greek life on social life?
Greek life pretty much is social life. You’ll meet a bunch of people in Greek life whether you’re in Greek life or not. For me, not being in a sorority, I still know a bunch of people in sororities because my friends are in sororities, and I know a bunch of guys in fraternities through my friends. It plays a big part in the social life, but it’s not everything.