Student report by Maxim F. – My first few very exciting days at UNCW
I arrived at Wilmington International Airport on a Saturday night with a bunch of international students. We got picked up by our mentors from UNCW and they brought us to our apartments on campus. Most of the internationals students are staying in the Seahawk Crossing 2, including me. The location is very good and not only do you get to meet a lot of internationals, but there are also a lot of Americans in the Crossing. I am sharing an apartment with another German, an Italian and an American. We each have our private bedroom, but we share the kitchen, the bathroom and the living area. We are getting along very well so far.
Apartment on campus
One thing you should know before you come to UNCW is that there will be absolutely nothing in your apartment except from basic furniture. There was just a bed, a desk and a drawer in my room. But no bedding or anything else. Fortunately, my mentor was able to borrow me a blanket and a pillow for the first night. Moreover, we did not have toilet paper, shower curtains or any kitchen supplies such as plates or cutlery. It was a very unique experience that we had to deal with but we truly bonded in these situations.
Therefore, on the next day I went to Walmart with two international students and my mentor. It is very good to have a mentor because they can really help you during your first days at UNCW. For instance, my mentor drove us to Walmart and helped us to get everything we needed.
UNCW campus
On the second day, we explored UNCW’s campus. At first, I was a little bit lost because the campus is actually really big and all buildings look similar. But, I have to say that it is beautiful. Everything is very neat and the atmosphere is amazing. Later that day, we met our neighbors that live right across our apartment. They are really nice and they invited us to go to the beach with them. It is actually not so easy to get to the beach without a car, so it was really useful to meet some people that have one.
The main beach in Wilmington is called Wrightsville Beach and it is absolutely incredible. We were there at like 6:00 pm on the second day and it was still 30° degrees outside. The ocean was also very warm and we really enjoyed the waves. After that, we played soccer on the beach and then we shared pizza while enjoying the sunset. The beach is very big, so you will have plenty of space to play soccer, throw a football or to do other activities.
In conclusion, my first few days at UNCW were really eventful and a lot of fun. I hope the rest of the semester will be just like that. I am really looking forward to enjoy the warm weather and the beach in the next few months.
