By Anonymous
My path to UNC Greensboro is one that is winding, with many ups and downs. I was born and raised in Greensboro, and UNCG is most definitely a family school for me. My dad, sister, brother, step-mom, aunt and uncle all went here, so I was encouraged to apply to say the least. I can remember riding my bike down College Ave. with my dad when I was younger, and climbing the big magnolia tree that sits near the corner of College Ave. and Spring Garden. I remember these things fondly, but the truth is that I wasn’t excited to stay in my hometown. I’d always looked forward to getting out on my own, and it’s true that I did do that. I lived in a dorm, met new people and took interesting classes. But it just wasn’t different enough. I went to a performing arts high school right around the corner from campus, and I even used to live on Tate Street; it felt like I hadn’t gone anywhere at all. I often even run into people with whom I used to go to elementary school. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all very nice, but the familiarity was suffocating.
You might be wondering why I even came to UNCG with all the negative things I have to say about it. When you take a big step, like moving out and going to college, there is always some amount of doubt as to if you will succeed or not. Staying close to home felt like I had a safety net if things went awry. And once I got a few weeks into the first semester, I definitely utilized that resource, and I was glad that it was there at my fingertips. Not everyone is able to go home if they forgot something, or if they aren’t getting along with their roommate. I have to say, that was really nice.
My family anticipated that this resource would be useful which I assume is why they encouraged me to come here so much. I have always struggled with mental illness, which is something that I like to be open about, and UNCG always had a vibe that it was accepting towards differences and needs. This was especially appealing to me as someone who is in the LGBTQ+ community. I had the privilege to go to a very liberal performing arts high school so I got used to the accepting environment, and thought it may be the same here at UNCG. I would say that the vast majority of the people I have come into contact with have been very kind and accepting, as well as being in the community themselves. Unfortunately, I had to be in close quarters right off the bat with someone whose beliefs and morals did not align with mine to say the very least. That being said, I do believe that the group of individuals who believe less than kind things about people different from them are the minority at this school, which I appreciate. This is one of the things that was so attractive to me about UNCG. There is so much diversity among the students and faculty, which is something that is very valuable in a university.
Although I had my reservations about staying in my hometown, there were definitely things that I was excited about–and still am. UNCG is known for excelling in the arts, and they have a fantastic reputation specifically in fashion and various performing arts. I’m excited to keep exploring majors and career options at UNCG, and to find more of a community.
THE CAROLINIAN 
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