The University of North Carolina - Charlotte

Date: Aug 01 2013
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
I just turned 30 and am about to begin my Sophomore year earning my B.S. in Chemistry (Biochem option). I live on campus for the convenience (parking can be a nightmare) and the beauty of the grounds. Overall, UNCC is a pretty good school. The biggest problems I've had are with the Math and Physics departments. Many of the instructors speak English as a second language and this makes understanding the concepts they are trying to convey harder than it should be. I had to take one English class for Gen. Ed. and my teacher was beyond amazing. So far, the Chemistry department has been very helpful. One downside is with the way exams are graded. I think I had 5 out of the 8 exams last school year regraded. The chem. dept. is very picky about how they want your answers and a slight variation could cost you a couple points.

There are plenty of ways to get help if you are struggling in a class. Most of the harder subjects have free tutors and supplemental instruction (SI) groups through the University Office of Academic Excellence, or resource centers within the department. I will be a SI leader for a chemistry course this fall. Basically, you show up (no appointment or pre sign up needed)for an hour long group study lead by a student who has taken the class before and gotten an A. The SI leaders also sit in on the lectures each weeks, so they will know what you just covered and what kinds of questions/help you may need before the session starts.

My favorite thing to do on campus is watch sports. Basketball and soccer games are really fun and there is usually a large turn out for both. I can only imagine how crazy campus will be once football starts this fall (tailgating is allowed).

Advise: Make sure your teachers know who you are, especially when you have a class of 80+. I feel my teachers have been more understanding and friendly when I have taken the time to introduce myself and maybe ask a couple of questions at the end of class sometime towards the beginning of the semester. Also, if you get a DB account for your meal plan, it does NOT roll over to the next school year. So in April, everyone will be in there trying to spend the rest of their DB on non-perishables so they don't lose the money. I had about $450 left to get rid of and could have bought the same stuff at Wal-mart for under $200.The food is insanely overpriced at the Outtakes convenience stores. This year I'm going with an Optional Dining account. It basically works like a pre-paid credit account. You go online, deposit the amount you want, and go. You can also reload it at anytime,as many times as you need.