Nikolai, UNCG Student, Class of 2026

When I initially was looking for universities to apply for, I looked up the top ranking universities for my major and narrowed it down based on which ones were in my home state, North Carolina, to cut costs. I applied to one higher standard university, one medium level, and one that would be a guarantee to get into. I wound up at UNCG. 

I wish I had known how to navigate public transportation alone before coming to university. I am mostly locked down here on campus since I don’t have a car, so it was vital for me to push myself to use the buses if I wanted to go anywhere. But I was afraid of the system, and the first few attempts ended badly, so I opted to walk to most places rather than attempting to learn. This caused me to walk distances of about an hour to get to appointments, which wasn’t sustainable for a long period. I ended up asking a friend to accompany me on a few bus rides to show me the ropes, and while it is still scary and frustrating, I now at least have a basic grasp of how to use the system.