The College Experience

The years spent in college are a big transitional stage in every ones life. The years in college are spent in preparation for future endeavors in the “real world”. Choosing a college is imperative in that it can potentially effect your level of preparation for a professional career or in some cases graduate study. Your choice will impact the quality of education you will be receiving as well as shape your independence. When it came time for me to begin looking at schools I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I felt that their were so many choices and I found it difficult narrowing my choices down. Factors such as the schools size, the schools locale, and the cost were all part of my decision process. Up until this point schools such as Xavier University of Louisiana, Hampton University, North Carolina State University, Howard University, and North Carolina Central University were all realistic choices for school.

North Carolina Central became my top choice by virtue of its close proximity to my hometown Raleigh, the cost of attendance, and the predominately black enrollment . The location was important because I knew that I would be surrounded with people who shared similar experiences and back grounds while at the same time I would be exposed to students with different experiences and back grounds from that of my own. I felt that North Carolina Central’s location would make it easier adjusting to college simply because being a citizen of Raleigh I am naturally familiar with the area. The size of the institution was also a big factor in my choosing North Carolina Central. I felt that in large schools there was little student teacher interaction, in or out of the classroom but in a smaller school like NCCU I would have an easier time developing a relationship with my professor. In retrospect I feel that this hold true because of teacher to student ratio encourages a more intimate learning environment.

When I arrived at Central in January I was surprised by the familiar faces I saw. In my first couple weeks I got reacquainted with many former friends from high school and various summer programs I had participated in. Having acquaintances prior to my attending school made my transition considerably smoother. Having a friend that was familiar with my surroundings was beneficial to me. Living with roommates was an adjustment because I am the only child I never had to really share my space with anyone.