University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Top Questions

UNC is definitely a very social campus. On south campus most of the suite doors are always left open so that people can go and visit each other. On north campus room doors are often left open on the hall so that you can stop by and chat while making your way to your own room. Granville (which isn't actually owned by UNC) isn't as open as the dorms, but they do have "social gatherings" occasionally. Granville is characterized as the "place to be at UNC", but is mostly inhabited by frat boys and sorority girls since it's beside frat court and has expensive parking spaces. There's always something going on on campus and if you get bored being there, there's a bus which can take you for $4 roundtrip to Southpoint Mall (the best everrr!) which has everything from cheap chinese to the cheesecake factory and a theater with like 12 different movie selections. However, there are so many restaurant selections on Franklin (and a theater) that Southpoint is only necessary for those necessary shopping splurges.

The sport clubs are pretty popular but very time consuming so some students that are into sports just go for the intramural ones. There are many different organizations on campus so there is something for everybody. There are many cultural events. The frat and sororities are pretty big too. Franklin street pretty much makes the party scene. There are many clubs down the street so there is always something to do if you want to party.

Sporting events are big, basketball the biggest, football great too,and the most underrated but fun game to go to are the baseball games. There is over 500 different student groups from club roller hockey to BSM (black student movement) and like any college there is a lot of alcohol running throughout the system. The girls are average looking on the whole, probably due to the difficulty of acceptance at the school, but the attractive ones are heads better than those at many other schools becuase they are usually smart and have a lot more to offer than just looks.

Things like Dance Marathon, political groups, and club sports are pretty common. Also, many people are in a sorority or fraternity. I myself am in a co-ed service fraternity called Alpha Phi Omega. We have weekly meetings and events we have to attend and must complete a certain about of service hours each semester. Its a great way to meet people and get involved in the community, plus community service looks great on a resume. Athletics are really popular and people get really into it, while theater is not quite as popular. Living in a dorm the first year is a great way to make friends and meet potential romantic partners. My current best friends and boyfriend lived in the same dorm with me my freshman year (I'm now a senior). Bars and restaurants on Franklin St are also good for meeting people. There is certainly a good amount of drinking that goes on, as there is with any college, but you can always hang out at a friends house, go to the movies, go out to eat on Franklin, etc if you aren't into partying all the time. However, Chapel Hill is a pretty small town so there really arent a lot of places to choose from that are not bars.

Again, there is something for everyone. Personally, I am in the Triathlon-club. It is really laid back. It is just a good way to keep connections with people I have something in common with. We get together for training sessions, but there are no mandatory practices or meetings. The most popular sports to watch are Basketball and Football. After that there are Baseball, Soccer, and Field Hockey. Sororities and fraternities are not all that important, but the student-body does depend on them to make rush-week a party-haven. Like everything else, there is a variety of things to do involving parties. I have heard of people that go to a different bar every night, and I have friends that don't party at all. There are other things to do at night, and the dorms often have their own things planned every couple weeks. Get to know your hall-mates, they can be an endless source of enjoyment.

I wouldn't describe UNC as a party school. While people definitely know how to have fun, you're not going to see much activity on a Wednesday night because most people will be studying. Fraternities and sororities have a definite prevalence on campus but with about 10-20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the population involved, it's not the norm. Come basketball season, the entire campus transforms into NCAA madness. It is without a doubt the most popular team on campus. Clubs often cancel meetings because of important games, and tickets to home games are worth their weight in gold. Even if you don't like basketball, I would register for tickets, because you're pretty much guaranteed a date with the person of your choice.

The most popular team on campus in Men's Basketball. Fraternities and Sororities are also very popular at UNC. Athletic events are extremely popular at UNC, as well as other events such as guest speakers or theater. The dating scene is not to great. The ration of girls to boys is 60:40. A lot of the people who come to UNC are coming with their friends from childhood. This is sort of intimidating when trying to make friends. Luckily, my closest friends were my suitemates who all happened to be out-of-state. If you're awake t 2am on a Tuesday, you are probably studying. Every year, there is a huge Halloween parade on Franklin Street. Another big event is Late Night with Roy. Fraternities and sororities are a big part of social life at UNC. However, it is not required that you join one to have a social life. The good thing about UNC is that it is very close to Duke's campus, and there is even a free bus. If there is nothing going on at Chapel Hill, there most likely is something going on at Duke's campus.

We are pretty social as a campus. Dorm doors are left open in some communities and not others. It all depends on the community that year. The best way to find the clubs you're interested in are going to the Pit in the first few weeks of fall semester as well as Fall Fest- the night before classes (if i remember correctly) where all of the clubs have stands and you can learn more. As I mentioned earlier, people do join a LOT of clubs, but after a few weeks, membership drops down to one or two clubs that people meet others they enjoy and find the club to be their fit. Frats/Sororities aren't too important bc in a way, the student body is very reminiscent of those who might be interested in Greek life. So, if you're up for paying a ton, you can to join...but it isn't necessary. Partying can easily be found on weekends but it isn't an expectation of students. So, if you're into that scene you can be...it's a personal choice. An example of the last few weeks for me last semester: I went out for coffee with a friend and was invited to a party where I went but then the rest of the week I spent studying with different groups. I ended up over at NC States with friends and their old buddies and we had an entertaining weekend of a party and going out for breakfast. But then, for the final week, we all buckled down and worked on papers and studying for exams. When finishing my fourth and FINAL :) italian exam, I went out for a drink with a few girls from teh class as a form of celebration. Yet, bc this was the end of the year and it was warm- we were going out more often. When the weather wasn't as nice, I could be found in the dorms, in pjs with friends watching Movies, eating ice cream and going out for the occasional off campus dinner or have a in-dinner night where we cooked our own home style meal. So, i have a variety of ways spending with my friends.

Social opportunities and activities are endless at UNC. We've got Franklin Street which is full of bars. There are always concerts (campus groups and non-student bands), plays, comedy shows, etc. to go to. We have a free bus called the P2P (Point to Point) that runs every night from 7 pm to 3 am between the dorms and bars and around campus, so you never have to drive! That's what's great about UNC. Everything you could want or need is in walking or biking distance. And if you don't feel like walking or biking you can always take a bus (all are free). That way, you can avoid drunk driving and wasting gas money.

Basketball is the most popular spectator event, and is a wonderful way for the campus to draw together and show Carolina spirit. There's always something to do at UNC, including parties, plays, sporting events, and speakers. Halloween night on Franklin Street is huge, and something every student should experience. As is Franklin Street after a Carolina basketball win over Duke or a national championship :) Fraternities and sororities are good ways to create a social life, but definitely not necessary or a majority.