East Carolina University

Date: Mar 10 2006
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
East Carolina is a great school.

Academically, it has prepared me well for my career in business; I have already received countless of job offers. ECU is known nationally for its music, education, art, heath sciences, business, theater, criminal justice and social work, construction management, exercise and sports science, occupational and pre-physical therapy, pre-med, and international studies programs. Freshman level classes are not too difficult as they strive to get you adjusted to the college level. Once you begin to get more involved in your major, things can be tough. Most professors really care about their students and will help you if you ask. Overall, academics at ECU have improved greatly over the past few years and I am thankful that I had the chance to take advantage of what ECU had to offer.

Socially, ECU is a great environment. Administrators and students seem to go out of their way to make sure everyone is welcomed and comfortable. It is pretty easy to make friends and dorm life is really something that everyone should experience. Out-of-state students and in-state students seem to mesh really well. Majority of out-of-state students come from the Washington DC area, the Philadelphia area, or the New Jersey/New York area; however, there are quite a few from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina as well. ECU is diverse, not only in terms of race/ethnicity but also social class status. You will find anything from a new model Mercedes to an old jalopy floating around campus; however, students seem to get along well for such a large university.

As far as things to do, well, I am not into the downtown scene. To me, the clubs and bars downtown are really lame as compared to clubs in other places. Some are just holes in the wall. However, there is always something going on besides going downtown. There are many on campus and off campus parties, which are pretty good and better than going to a club. There are bi-monthly salsa parties are pretty hot if you are into that type of thing. There are normally events catered to students that don’t drink on the weekends. Also there are things like jazz at night, art shows, movies, bowling, speakers, and comedy events at the student center for those looking for things to do that are alternative to partying. The student recreation center stays open pretty late and it is a great facility. The North Carolina beaches are just a short drive away, which is also pretty cool.

As far as the location/city, well Greenville is a growing southern city; so there are some problems. There is a lack of connection among students and city residents on social and political issues. The city is more of a conservative/slow progressive type of city while ECU is more of a middle of the road/moving progressive. Students are not as politically involved as I thought they would be upon my arrival as a freshman. There are some political conscience students and small protest; however, it is few and far between. Some students complain about crime near campus; however, I have seen much worst elsewhere. Crime is not as bad as some make it out to be, it is typical of any college campus. As far as support for our athletic teams go, the city of Greenville goes out of their way to turn everything purple and gold. Almost every business has something ECU in it. The Friday before a football game, a lot of businesses allow their employees to wear purple and there are ECU car flags galore.

As far as athletics go, there is a lot of school spirit, especially during football season. The heartbeat of ECU is football, we live, breathe, and sleep it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the football team does well, it seems as if the city and people around campus are more enjoyable and upbeat. Student support at football games is second to none and the games are really fun to attended, it is almost a must. Tailgating at football games is also a must and also a great way to mingle with alumni and make connections. It feels like you are a part of one big family and it is a time when everyone, and I mean everyone comes together to support ECU. Support for men’s and women’s basketball is good, but can be a lot better. Our baseball and softball teams get huge support from fans and students.

Overall, besides a few complaints here and there, ECU is an excellent school. I am glad I decided to attend ECU; it has helped me grow and prepared me well for the business world.