火爆社区

Students applaud the way the University of North Carolina鈥擜sheville works to 鈥減rovide and promote many opportunities for professional development, unique ways of learning, scholarships, programs, and further education for students.鈥� The curriculum offers numerous hands-on learning opportunities such as 鈥渙utdoor labs, field trips, off-campus experiences, [and] paid trips to conferences.鈥� There鈥檚 an 鈥渆nthusiasm for undergraduate research,鈥� and the opportunity to 鈥減resent results to my peers and other interested people has been an incredible experience.鈥� As a result, students feel they can 鈥済o out to the job market or on to grad school with robust experience.鈥� Students also point to the 鈥渃onstant availability and flexibility provided by professors and staff,鈥� and small class sizes that mean 鈥渆ach student gets individual attention, which makes it easier to succeed,鈥� especially as the teachers are 鈥渞eally good at cultivating relationships with students.鈥� Courses are far from cookie-cutter, as faculty members have 鈥渢heir own way of going about things,鈥� and 鈥渃lasses feel fun because you can tell they really enjoy sharing their love for their subject with others.鈥� UNCA鈥檚 professors are widely adored and have been called 鈥渨onderful forces of good鈥� who 鈥渁re kind, understanding, and incredibly qualified.鈥� One student reflects on the direction faculty provide: 鈥淢any of my friends who came in not knowing what they wanted to do have been guided by our professors鈥�and have even gained significant relevant experience.鈥�

UNCA鈥檚 size makes it 鈥減retty tight-knit and allows for a lot of great relationships between both students and staff/faculty,鈥� and 鈥減eople are very willing to chat.鈥� Many students 鈥渂alance coursework with research, community work, or creative projects,鈥� and there is 鈥渁 strong culture of showing up, whether that means late nights in a lab, student-led discussions in class, or public outreach events around Asheville.鈥� One student fondly describes their peers as 鈥渁 mass of unique styles and personalities鈥� who are 鈥渂oldly themselves and amazing at expressing who they are.鈥� There 鈥渋s a large LGBT community within the student body,鈥� and everyone here 鈥渆xpresses themselves in very outward ways (hair color, piercings, tattoos, clothing, etc.).鈥� This is 鈥渁 cool crowd of people who value art, friends, [and] the wilderness,鈥� as well as a liberal student body 鈥渨ho attempt to be as politically active as possible鈥�[and are] defined by an effort to improve and a willingness to stand for what they believe.鈥�

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the University of North Carolina鈥擜sheville is 鈥渟urrounded by beautiful trees all around,鈥� so time outdoors is practically a given. One student says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 normal to hike after class, drive a few minutes to a trailhead, or sit somewhere quiet with friends,鈥� and there are 鈥渉ammock set-ups throughout campus that students will often be working, reading, or napping in.鈥� The Student Environmental Center often runs events, and they sometimes 鈥渉ave a free store or get local environmental-focused orgs to partner with them鈥� to disperse goods. Dabbling is easy at UNCA, aided by 鈥渇un clubs that encourage students to engage in hobbies like gaming, crafting, [and] Dungeons & Dragons,鈥� and many also attend campus-wide events such as RockyPalooza, Syllabi and Spaghetti, and Late Night Breakfast. The entire community 鈥渋s very connected to the arts,鈥� and downtown Asheville is an easy city bus ride away, where students can enjoy 鈥渢he closeness to the city without feeling the hustle and bustle of the city.鈥� The 鈥淩iver Arts District is great,鈥� and students can also find an 鈥渋nviting art scene, culture for foodies, boutique shopping, and lots of group activities/festivals in the area.鈥� There鈥檚 a reinvigoration that comes from knowing 鈥渆ach day has opportunities to鈥�have fun or try something new!鈥�

It's not surprising to learn that UNC Asheville graduates do well on the job market鈥攖hey have access to a premiere career center that operates as a one-stop shop for individuals on the job or internship hunt. First-year students can swing by and spend some time exploring careers and college majors, and juniors and seniors often visit for career coaching and advising. The Career Center also hosts many worthwhile events: students can attend weekly employer and graduate school spotlights as well as information sessions with programs like the Peace Corps. Additionally, the university hosts numerous career fairs each academic year. And it runs a robust internship program in which students can earn course credit (upon successful completion).