Differences between UOM and UNC

By Louis Cotterell, UNC Chapel Hill, USA

The University of Manchester is an urban university, surrounded by a population that has little to do with the university itself. You could live in Manchester for years and never set foot on campus.

In contrast, Chapel Hill is a true campus town. The university is the town. The community, the economy, and even the vibe of Chapel Hill revolve almost entirely around UNC. In fact, UNC is the largest employer in the area—about 40% of jobs in Chapel Hill are tied to the university. That creates a unique, school-central atmosphere. Most students live on or near campus, and you’ll bump into classmates, professors, or Tar Heel fans just about anywhere you go.

At Manchester, campus feels like one part of your life. At UNC, campus is your life.

If there’s one cultural shock I’ll never forget, it’s the sheer scale of school spirit at UNC. In the UK, university sports barely register with the average student. At Manchester, most people couldn’t name a single player on the university’s football team. Sports are something you might play casually, but attending a game is almost unheard of, unless one of your friends is in a team.

But in Chapel Hill school spirit is a lifestyle. UNC students bleed Carolina blue. Basketball games at the Dean Dome feel like Premier League matches. People camp out for tickets, and for the most important game of the year, UNC vs Duke, my friend Chris waited in line from 7am for the 6pm start, along with many others. Professors cancel class after big wins, and our snow day was announced (to a huge uproar) during a basketball game. The energy during March Madness is electric, and I genuinely saw strangers hugging in the streets after a victory. It’s not just students either—the entire town gets involved. 

Uni merch is far more common. I can’t think of anyone wearing it in Manchester, whereas around the UNC campus Tar Heel shirts, hoodies, hats and everything in between are ubiquitous. 

It has been wildly gratifying to study at a university so different from home. While I love studying in a city, it has been a hugely interesting opportunity to study for a year in a campus-based university, and now I can finish my university career with knowledge of both kinds.

For anyone thinking of taking a year abroad next year, I would highly recommend it. While it may seem daunting, you will soon find out how much it is worth. The world is full of wildly different ways to “do university.” And that’s what makes it so worth exploring.