University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Undeclared
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial: Half White and Half Black Heterosexual Female
Summary
Student-Athlete
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial: Half White and Half Black
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: I am from Catonsville, MD and went to a public school with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: No
Major: Undeclared
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: Student-Athlete
Academic Experience
What was your favorite class last year?
Psychology
What was your least favorite class last year?
Biology. I love biology, but I didn’t really like my professor and it was a really large lecture class. I thought she did a poor job of making sure all the students understood the topics.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s a little bit of both. They push you to push yourself to thrive. But, I think they are always concerned about your grades and do whatever they can to make sure you’re keeping your grades up.
How accessible have your professors been?
Some of them have been really easy to access and others are a little bit more difficult. Some of them you had to make appointments to meet with them, and for me particularly it was difficult just with my sports schedule and when my classes were. I couldn’t really get them to go outside of their [set appointment times] to meet with me. On the other hand, there were professors that as soon as I asked to meet with them, it didn’t matter when or what time they were always happy to help me.
How was managing your sport and also your coursework?
It’s definitely difficult. I find time for everything and finding the time for school and my sport comes with a lot of sacrifices. I don’t really have as much of a social life as someone who doesn’t play a sport. But, I knew that coming in, so it wasn’t really that big of a deal.
Reasons to Attend
1) It’s a great place to be a part of. You’ll probably never want to leave.
2) They have a great alumni network.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re looking for a school where it isn’t going to challenge you.
2) If you’re out of state it’s a little harder to adjust because you don’t know as many people.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: In a dorm with one of my teammates. It was the two of us and we shared a bathroom with six other people.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I think our campus is pretty safe, especially at night. I’m always cautious if I am walking around campus at night, but I never feel unsafe.
How was transitioning from Baltimore to Chapel Hill, NC?
It’s definitely different. The food options are different, the culture is kind of different. UNC is a pretty liberal school, so people have really strong opinions. At school, it feels like you can’t have an opposing opinion or speak your mind.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Tru
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
There’s an ice cream place, I can’t remember what it’s called, but you can go there and watch the sunset. It’s pretty far off campus so it’s nice to get away and be in nature.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I usually just hang out with my teammates on the weekends. We all go to one of the upperclassmen’s houses and hang out with them. Sometimes we have house parties, but most of the time it’s just us.
It depends on the timing. We’re close with [a] men’s team so we do go out with them, but it depends a lot on scheduling. If we do go out, we’ll go hang out at the upperclassmen’s house and then my friends and I like to go to frat parties because we’re not old enough to go to bars.
How happy have you been with the nightlife at UNC? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I really like it. Compared to other schools, I’m fortunate to have a school that’s so involved with nightlife. There’s always something to do, which I really like.
What have been some of your favorite times at UNC so far?
Some of the best times have been with my teammates and some of the wins we’ve had. My life is kind of surrounded by [my sport]. I’m always with my teammates, so it’s hard to think of a time that’s not related to my sport.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
One of my closest teams is in my grade on my team. My other close friends are athletes on other teams. I met them from going to tutors and other events. Like, one way I met people was on the weekends that we would go out I met a lot of friends that I’ve become really close with.
How would you describe the social scene?
I think everyone is really friendly and people are always looking for new friends. I don’t feel like people are ever left out, I feel people always try to be socially inclusive.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I haven’t experienced anything socially with [people having problems with people of color] or anything like that. Socially, I don’t think race is an issue. I just think that some people grow up differently culturally and that’s why sometimes there are different social groups. Not necessarily because of race but because of culture.
How would you describe the student body?
I think sports is a very big influencer at our school. A lot of people that go to Chapel Hill are from North Carolina. I think the population is pretty diverse. There’s a lot of clubs and organizations, so I don’t think that the population is solely made up of one or two groups.[About 82% of students come from North Carolina. 40% of the in-state students in the Class of 2022 are from rural North Carolina counties.]