University of North Carolina Wilmington Top Questions

My college experience has given me maturity and knowledge. I believe that the knowledge I have gained in college has given me the ability to make better and more informed choices about my life. It has given me direction and inspiration in life it led me to the criminal justice field and has opened me up to the line of work I now pursue. Without college I would still be stuck waitressing in a small town, instead I have relocated to a bigger city with more possibilities. It even allowed me to relocate to an area with a four year university were I can continue to further my knowledge by completing my Bachelors degree and hopefully one day, if time and money permit, my Masters. College has been valuable for me to attend because I have been able to improve my quality of life and put dreams within my reach.

I have gained a love of learning and knowledge that I never would have experienced had I not made the choice to attend college. Never before would I have had the discipline to stay up late into the night and put school before everything else. Attending college has truly made me into the type of person I want to be. I have learned to prioritize, to set goals and go after them, and to take on challenges. I have also gained an extreme determination to succeed, and the knowledge that I can over come any hurdle. I am a single mom who works and goes to school and there have been many times where I felt it would have been easier to give up. These feelings go away every time I step onto campus and get a sense of hope for my future, a sense of accomplishment for just being there. The feeling I get when a paper or test has come back and I've done well gives me the enouragement I need to do well in every aspect of my life. College has definitely shaped who I am today.

In the first semester of college, you learn so much about yourself. Because I procrastinate when it comes to my school work and studies, I have learned that in order to get my class assignments completed in a timely manner I have to go to the library because there are just way to many distractions for me in the dorm. I have also learned that having someone live in the same room with you can be very challenging at times so it's important to talk things through and make sure you don't hold grudges against eachother. One of the most important things I have learned about classes is that you should ALWAYS introduce yourself to ALL of your teachers. Being on a personal level with each of your professors can help if you run into some problems. Not only has UNCW showed me who I am, it has also provided me with my closest friends. Everyone at the dub is so friendly it was extremely easy to adjust to college life. This school means everything to me and I honestly believe that it is the best school around.

My second time through college, as a non-traditional student, has been enlightening in a way that I failed to appreciate while younger. Some of the rewards, naturally, have been social: I've been able to enjoy the local beaches and downtown nightlife without being enslaved by them, and I've been able to relate to faculty and staff as valued peers instead of simply authority figures. Others bonuses have been technological: I've been able to watch newer computing and research tools revolutionize the way we conceive of campus libraries--from individual buildings to expansive informational networks easily accessed from without. But what I value most is what I’ve taken away philosophically: coming to look at education as a synthesis, and individual subjects and courses as different angles from which to examine the world, as opposed to discrete sets of facts to be memorized, recited on exams, and forgotten. The fact that higher learning leads to higher wages is nice, to be sure, but it can obscure the fact that knowledge is empowering in and of itself.

The great thing about college is that everyone's experience is vastly different. Ask most and they will say it was "the time of their life." Many college students spend their nights drinking and days sleeping, forgetting to attend class the next morning. I was not one of those students. I learned early on that being able to wake up and be at school for my Friday 8 a.m. class was only preparing me for having to wake up at 6 a.m. years later and be at school to teach my own class of students. I learned to be the adult that chose not to attend the party most of the time, in order to prepare myself for the future. And the night I chose not to be that student I realized the valuable lessons I would be missing in the class. College is vital to being a successful human-being. It allows for mistakes, bad decisions, and the opportunity to learn from them and be better the next day. College was valuable because I am now a middle school teacher, which was my dream. College has allowed me to change the lives of children every day.

My college experience has been anything but normal. I have transfered three times and have since left school for a period nearing two years. Despite this pattern, my college experience has atught me a lot about myself. In reflecting on my mistakes and mishaps, I have been afforded the oportunity to reflect on my experience and identify my true passions. From the ashes of college failure have rissen motivation, passion, a drive to once again be successful. This is the path I have begun to pursue as of late. I have taken those years of misguidance and cluelessness and turned them into a drive that I have not seen in myself since high school. So I would say that I have gotten a second chance out of my college experience. Itw as a valuable experience and one that will allow me to return to school wiser and more mature and allow me to reach my dreams of designing, building and operating underwater submersibles and ROV/AUV's and eventually obtaining a job at the highly regarded Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Now if I can overcome the challanges of financing my education like I have overcome other obstacles, life will flourish.

I for the most part have enjoyed my college experience. I have some doubts to if I should have joined a fraternity as a lot of my friends are in fraternities and I sometimes feel like I made a mistake in not trying it out. I am glad that my University is very accepting, enthusiastic and accomadating of me wanting to study abroad (in Valencia, Spain currently for 2 semesters). Was a freshmen orientation leader the summer between my freshman and sophomore year and that allowed me to change my character (become less shy). The campus is very calm and pedestrian friendly, though when it rains it pours, flooding the campus so hopefully school admins can fix that. Though UNCW was my 3rd choice, I am glad I applied was accepted, and enrolled here.

My college experience has allowed me to follow my dreams of becoming an on-site mine geologist. This experience started with taking basic studies classes, including environmental studies 195. In this class, I realized I wanted to study about the Earth. I then enrolled into geology courses and found my true passion, geology. Over the past three years, I have gained valuable knowledge in my degree field. Along with this knowledge, I have also expanded my experience in the work force because I worked full time while attending school. My education is priceless and something I will value for the rest of my life. I live to learn and want to continue my education by attending graduate school to fulfill my dream of becoming an on-site mine geologist.

Because I went to school outside of my hometown, I was taken out of my comfort zone. I was away from my friends, family, and everything that I was comfortable with. I was not able to depend on anything that I had previously relied on, so I grew alot as an individual. I have also become much more excited about my education. I have loved almost every class I have taken at UNCW. I am interested in the assigned material and I am easily engaged in the lectures, so my education is becoming even more important to me.

I have learned to never procrastinate again, because I apparently don't work as well under pressure as I thought I did. I highly suggest to get your work done on time, and do it in an efficient manner! I've met so many people with so many distinct personalities that it baffles me. I've met people who I can relate to, and others who I never could. It's interesting to think that you can't make a human connection with just anyone. I've learned about possible career options that I would never think of, and I've met professors who have seriously changed my outlook on life. I know it's cliche to say but, college really is a learning experience about life!

College has always been a personal aspiration, and I have been privileged to have the opportunity to further my education by attending a community college for two years (from which I graduated with an Associate of Arts degree) and a private 4-year college (to which I am transferring to pursue a BA in Visual Communication). College has been valuable to me in, generally, two areas: first, I have acquired so much knowledge through a variety of courses that have challenged me not only in coursework, time management, and study skills, but also in the viewpoints and topics considered - my own beliefs have been shaken and, as a result, strengthened. Second, I have grown as an invidividual by stepping out of my comfort zone into a new phase of life; by meeting new people and cultivating close friendships; by learning to make wise financial decisions; by having to manage my time effectively, related to not only classes and studying, but also work, family time, and personal fitness; and by continuing to mature through not only overcoming struggles and temptations, but also becoming more helpful and encouraging to others. In the future, college will only become more valuable.

I attended UNC Wilmington because of the Athletic Training program offered there. It is a highly accredited program of study. I have learned so much about myself moving to the university. I feel like the atmosphere has allowed me to mature and get to know myself. I moved to wilmington all by myself and it was the lonliest and hardest thing i have ever had to do. When i look back on what i have accomplished in just 9 months, i am ecstatic! I have kept a very high GPA and have learned so much material. I am minoring in psychology and majoring in athletic training. There has not been one class i haven't enjoyed. I have gained not only a lot of knowledge, but i have developed some really good companions along the way to greatness.

I have gotten so much knowledge and opportunities out of attending UNCW. I got to take classes that help me narrow down what I want to do with my life. I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people and make a lot of new friends. My freshman year there were so many things to get involved with and it was impossible to not make friends. Most of my professors have been very helpful and very knowledgable about their field of study. Finally, I got into the nursing school and now have a chance of fulfulling my dream of becoming a nurse! Without college ,I would never be able to do any of these things.

During my college experience I obtained the education and knowledge to be a leader. It has been a valuable experience because of the wide variety of management and creative problem solving skills that you obtain during college. I found that my college experience was enlightening on the basis that the college not only brings academic excellence to the community but also a large diversity of students. I find that it is imperative to attend college in order to obtain the skills necessary to become a leader no matter what major you choose. My college experience also helped me to realize that anything is possible if you work hard at it, and continuing to further your education not only benefits you but your community as well.

Having College experience is very benificial towards ones future. College education is great to have for future needed jobs. College is very valuable to attend because college is what determines where you will go in life and how you will live your life. If one desires a well-off future it is important to attend a college and receive a degree in an optional major. Majority of the ecomonmy's jobs that non college graduates work pay minimum wage. Other jobs offered with a pay check thats well over minimum wage an hour are offered to those with college degrees. Staying focused is the key to sucess in graduating and getting the job you love and a paycheck that brings a smille, not a frown. What i have gotten out of college experiene personally is that it will bring a great future and to stay attending if i want to recieve the outcome thats guaranteed if i made it to graduation.

I realized that I love to learn, not the studying but the learning part is a blast. I am a business major and the business classes are the best. I feel like I am parpared to go into the real world and become a business man. Book knowledge doesn't prepare you for the real world but most of the business classes have been hands on and that is very important to me. I would hope that everyone that wants to go to college would find a way to do so.

Besides the wealth of knowledge just from learning, I have learned valuable research tools necessary for my field. I have learned the importance of primary verse secondary sources to pull details for a better argument. I hope I have learned to write an interesting and readable research paper. Above all I learned not to procrastinate. I learned how to manage my time around work, school, family, children and friends. My most memorable experience while attending UNC-W was travelling with my classmates across the ocean and seeing a whole new way of life and experiencing another culture first hand. There is more than this small town and I tasted a small piece of it. Now, I hunger to experience more of the world and learn as much as I can about other people, places and cultures in hopes of finding meaningful ways to promote the similarities that tie us all together in this world.

My high school year I was focused on getting into the "right" college and having the perfect grade point average. I left behind my social life and some extracurricular activities that although I enjoyed, were not resume builders. I know now that my first choice may not have been the perfect choice for me, but I'm happy. I wish I could just tell my past self to worry less, and enjoy high school a little more. I ahve learned that no matter how you try to meet people, it will be easy enough. I've learned that sometimes your grade point average does not get you as far as your personality. Most importantly I have learned that life is not so much about making the right decision as it is about loving the decision you make.

Relax. Don't stress about doing everything perfectly. As time goes on, what you want to do with your life will hit you. Everything that is going to happen will be for a reason. You're going to meet amazing people, and you have to let some of the old ones go. Being shy and selfconcious is not an option! Go out there and do absolutely everything you have the abilitiy to do. Never regret any mistakes you're going to make, just learn from them. Also, be sure to get that room and board application in on time.

First of all, relax and trust that everything is going to be great! The roommates that you are going to randomly be put with will actually turn out to be some of your best friends. Also, classes will be difficult and you will definitely have to work harder than in highschool. Try not to feel pressured to go out and party with everyone else when you really rather not. There is no rule to how often you have to go to parties. Be careful to keep in touch with your friends back home. When you start to get incredibly busy you might not think about calling them up, but being over 900 miles away will make it easy to let your friendships slide. Also, I know you're excited about getting involved with tons of stuff around campus, but you can not do it all. So pick two or three things and do your best at those. Lastly, stay true to yourself. College will always bring drama, but you can avoid it just as well as you did in highschool if you just keep in mind why you are here in the first place. Love, Yourself