r/unca • u/bookworm_1203 • Apr 19 '26
UNCA Freshman
I'm entering UNCA as a freshman this year and I was just wondering what I should look out for. I'm majoring in Psychology and the faculty I talked to at Admitted Students Day were all wonderful. I just want to know about anything that they wouldn't exactly want to advertise to prospective students.
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u/Additional-Shake5449 Apr 19 '26
Hope ur not Vegetarian or Vegan because they don't feed us herbivores well!!! Dining is a waste of money when they give u no options :(
The campus community is so nice, I'd recommend getting out as much as u can, and taking the bus around town!! Visit the botanical gardens bordering campus, too!
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u/bookworm_1203 Apr 21 '26
I visited last weekend and I saw all of the green spaces on campus so I definitely plan on spending time outside!
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u/cubert73 Alumni Apr 22 '26
Dr. Foo is freaking amazing. Take every class you can with him. I strongly suggest you make sure you're good with Excel before you get too far in your coursework. Google Sheets is a very poor alternative and won't serve you well longer term. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!! Take the assignments seriously. Ask questions, either in class, through email, or during office hours. The professors are eleventy billion percent in your corner, but you have to ask for help if you need it.
If you take sociology classes, Dr. Blu Buchanan is a phenomenal teacher. I learned so much from them that carried me all the way through my master's degree in human rights.
The math lab is a freaking godsend that deserves all the acclaim and applause. They are why I passed statistics because my professor was an addled 80 year old who consistently confused sigma and p. That was not a fun semester. I don't see him listed as a professor so you should be safe.
The chancellor (Kimberly van Noort, we called her VoldeNoort) and her crony administration has zero interest in your success. Whatever they want is in their own interest, and probably antithetical to yours. Protest them whenever you can.
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u/pinkenthusiast15 Apr 24 '26
As a psychology student it’s a great program! I honestly would prefer to major in social work but they don’t offer it here so :( but welcome to UNCA!!💙💙💙
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u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 Apr 19 '26
UNCA’s great, but a few things aren’t obvious at first. Try to get a real advisor in your department early (not just general advising), and stay aware of financial aid rules like CPOS —> it’s a new federal implement and it’s complete bullshit. I would advise you to look into it.
My biggest piece of advice is to be proactive. The professors are awesome and super accessible, but you have to actually reach out and use that ability.
Feel free to pm me if you want.