Why Carolina?

The top 5 reasons why I chose the Southern Side of Heaven.

5.) Outstanding academics: You are coming to college for an education, after all.
It’s no surprise that Carolina offers one of the best undergraduate programs in the country (and the ratings back us up on this one). Whether your passion is Business, Law, Medicine, Journalism, Math, Political Science, or what have you, chances are that the programs and the professors here are some of the most renowned in the nation, if not in the world. I was so attracted to Carolina based on this factor—I had a feeling that if I woke up one day and decided to change my major, which I actually ended up doing, I wouldn’t feel lost or left behind (and this proved to be completely true, by the way).

A great blessing that we have here is the General College program, where students take classes in various fields to fulfill certain requirements within the first two years; in effect, this allows underclassmen to explore the breadth of what Carolina has to offer before they commit to a major. This way, you can get a little taste of everything while becoming a better-rounded person, whether you know exactly what you want to do in life or you have absolutely no clue… and, take it from me, you never know what you’ll learn or where your true passion really lies.

4.) Chapel Hill: THE Quintessential College Town
You really can’t find anywhere else that embodies “college town” much better than Chapel Hill. Not too big, not too small, not far away from big cities, has tons of restaurants and stores oriented to college students and friendly to our budgets… for me, it’s absolutely perfect. I love that the campus is so close to local shops (Franklin Street, our downtown area, feels just as much a part of campus as any classroom) and that everything is within walking distance; at the same time, we can use the local Chapel Hill Transit bus system (which is free—and it can’t get much better than free) to grab groceries, catch a movie, or whatever. The nightlife here is also great—not only are there a lot of venues to entertain you, but Chapel Hill has hosted some interesting events itself, like Halloween and bonfires on Franklin Street, that will undoubtedly become one of the most memorable nights of your life.

3.) Beautiful weather: It seems like a trivial thing, but who wants to put up with terrible weather when the sky can be Carolina blue all year round?
I came to Carolina after living in Sarasota, a mid-sized town on the southwest coast of Florida, so weather was obviously a huge factor for me in deciding where to go to college. I knew that I could never face the Arctic cold and I was getting anxious to leave perpetual summer heat and hurricanes for a real taste of the four seasons. Carolina has yet to disappoint me with this mild climate—in fact, as I write this, I’m laying out in the grassy quads of Polk Place enjoying the glorious sunshine and the lovely spring breeze. Sure, I absolutely miss beach weather all year round and never seeing lows below 40 degrees, but I wouldn’t trade dogwoods blooming in spring or leaves changing colors in October here at Carolina for anything.

2.) School spirit: Everybody here bleeds Carolina blue.
When I came to visit Carolina for the first time, I couldn’t help but notice that I was immediately swallowed into a sea of UNC logos and Carolina blue. It’s no surprise that the student body here wears their school spirit on their sleeve (or on their shirts or hat or backpack, at that). Go to a sporting event and you’ll see droves of fans decked out in Carolina blue, cheering on our teams. I remember how people would come out on the balconies of Ehringhaus (my dorm) to cheer and sing the Alma Mater when we won big games this year. How could I resist being a part of a student body that loves its school this much? Hopefully, one day you’ll get the chance to feel the Carolina love in you too.

1.) The Carolina student body: the most amazing group of people you’ll ever meet.
I can’t even begin to describe how impressed I am with the students at UNC. Never before have I met such a motivated yet laid-back, accomplished yet humble, serious yet fun-loving bunch of college kids in my life. There’s some unexplainable but interesting aspect about student life here: no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you excel in, you’ll find your niche here.

A friend once very articulately said that Carolina students are incredibly humble in the face of excellence because, despite their own successes and activities, students recognize that other people are just as accomplished in their respective ways. The result is a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere within a highly motivated and incredibly active student body—one where people fit in and can find their own place in the social life pretty easily.

The one thing that I really noticed about student life is how happy everyone seems. When I walked around campus, all I saw were smiling, laughing people. When I spoke to people at Carolina (then and now), people seem to really enjoy their time here. It was those smiles that really made me want to be a Tar Heel.

These things made me love Carolina, and I haven’t regretted coming here even one day. I really can’t imagine myself anywhere else now; the thought of transferring is unfathomable to me. No matter where you end up, whether here or elsewhere, I hope that, one day, you’ll feel the same love for your school.