When I first imagined my dream college, N.C. A&T was not on the list.
Part of the reason was for the sake of rebellion because I would be a legacy kid (my mother, aunt and sister are alumni), and I thought it wasn’t a good school.
Now I know that isn’t true at all.
While I was judging N.C. A&T, I realized I didn’t have the facts to back up my initial thoughts. The illustrious N.C. A&T is ranked second in the nation for HBCUs.
According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, N.C. A&T produces the highest amount of African-American STEM graduates than any other HBCU in the country, thus making this school the #1 HBCU for STEM.
“We produce the largest number of Black female and male engineers, with high caliber research across a wide variety of fields, from nanoengineering to sustainability. I like to say that
we have a small school feel with big opportunities,” said Dara Bradley, junior biological engineering student.
This year, our football team had a perfect season and are champions
of the Celebration Bowl. The Lady Aggies basketball team and men and women’s indoor track team are the Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champions.
I never paid any attention to N.C. A&T’s elegant campus. We have a beautiful campus that is well maintained and undergoing renovations to make it even better.
The New Student Union is under construction and should be completed in May, in time for the 2018 Fall semester. While the construction is not yet done, students can tell that it is going to be great.
“A majority of the students are looking forward to the New Student Union,” said Antyana Caine, freshman chemistry student.
“It’s bigger than the current one, will give students somewhere to socialize and do homework. I’m really looking forward to the programs, eating places, and the overall environment.”
Our campus is small and compact, and everything is together, making it
the ideal college campus. Though the walk from two sides of campus may not be too long, it still feels like a cohesive campus. At other schools, it feels like you’re walking down the street in a town and buildings are too far apart.
N.C.A&T is a smaller, more convenient campus full of culture.
Be mindful of the social aspect of a school. While academics and sports are important things to consider, it
is also important to consider your social atmosphere. This includes extracurriculars, campus events, and friends.
All in all, you should love everything about your campus. You should want to be a part of the events held on campus. After all, the events for students to utilize and enjoy makes the stay on campus even more fun.
We have the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE), a week-long spring Aggie Fest, theater productions, celebrity visits, and so much more.
Still, even if there aren’t a lot of events going on, hanging out with friends on campus can be great as well. Sure, academics is important, but these are memories we can’t get back, so focus on schoolwork but add in some time for fun, too.
Will you make the best of your college experience?
