NSCS Chapter School
UNIGO SUMMARY
Despite its reputation as a party school, College of Charleston is a surprisingly well-balanced college.
It’s a moderately sized (10,000 undergraduates) public university that has the feel of a private liberal arts school, with strong business and management programs as well as a thriving arts program. C of C’s picturesque, historic campus is located in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, giving students easy access to the bars, restaurants and cultural scene of this charming Southern city - as well as a nearby beach.
Class sizes are small and academics can be challenging, especially in the upper-level courses, but with the abundance of distractions and the allure of the beach, many students are content with just getting by, earning the school a slacker reputation. Though the majority of students are native South Carolinians, all types of students will find their niche here—from punks to surfers to hippies to frat boys— but the majority are of the Country Club crowd. While sports are not one C of C’s strong suits (there’s no football team and school pride is lukewarm, at best), there is a thriving Greek scene on campus, but with all that Charleston has to offer, the social life doesn’t revolve around the Greeks by any means.
UNIGO REVIEW
One of the College of Charleston’s greatest assets is its location. Students rave about the charming, lively Southern city with its beautiful historic buildings and abundance of nightlife, shopping, and restaurant options. “
Just walking to class every morning, you're surrounded by oaks, Spanish moss, and century-old architecture. Even the newer buildings are aesthetically pleasing,” writes a junior history major. The nearby beaches are also a popular attraction (and distraction), and the temperate climate makes sunbathing possible almost year-round. “
There are so many times when my friends and I are laying out in the sun in October and we remind ourselves that we are living in a vacation destination and how lucky we are to be in such a beautiful place,” writes a psychology major.
All that time spent on the beach, however, has earned C of C a reputation as a school for “
hippies, surfers, and laid back cats” for whom academics run pretty low on the priority list. But while students certainly do live the “
Charleston chill," most agree that the academics are challenging if you put in the effort, particularly in the Honors College, and the standards of excellence are climbing every year. “
We receive a very well-rounded education,” writes a junior education major. “
The downside of that is there are a lot of general education classes that you must take, which can be time consuming.” While many students, particularly those majoring in science-related fields like biology and chemistry, gripe about rigorous requirements like four semesters of a foreign language, most are pleased with C of C’s moderate class sizes (around 30 students on average), which make class participation essential and means professors are always available to provide additional help inside and outside the classroom. “
Most professors strive for accessibility, handing their home phone numbers out with the syllabus, and I've never seen an office door closed,” writes a junior political science major.
The student body at C of C is predominantly white and upper-middle class, but students say a friendly atmosphere pervades the campus, creating a welcoming environment for all. “
Being a minority, it is a bit nerve racking to not see many people of your ethnicity, but once that initial standoffishness is overcome, mingling is easy,” writes a recent alum. C of C students are a diverse bunch, however, at least as far as their interests are concerned. This diversity is reflected in the plethora of activities offered both through the school and within the city of Charleston, ensuring that every student will be able to find his or her niche. “
If you can't find something you like and something to get involved in, then you're trying not to fit in. Whether it's a Greek organization or an animal rights group, every walk of life is represented at C of C,” writes one sophomore majoring in English.
Popular groups on campus include student government, religious clubs, and Greek organizations, but sports teams aren’t met with as much enthusiasm as at other schools, which most students blame on the lack of a football team. “Sporting events/school spirit is not big here. People love the school but not the Cougars,” writes a senior. Perhaps the most ubiquitous extracurricular activity on campus, however, is partying. C of C is known for having a great social scene, both on campus and among the many bars and clubs of Charleston, and students say that if you’re looking, you can find a party any night of the week. “
The stereotypical college house party, complete with kegs and beer pong, is part of the C of C social scene, but there is the entire city of Charleston as well. The bars, clubs, restaurants, and market afford some great nights out on the town,” one senior writes. Probably because two thirds of students are women, the dating scene can leave a bit to be desired, but women on campus find ways to make do. “
The dating scene at the College is interesting because we are right next to the Citadel (military college), Charleston Southern (a Baptist college), and Charleston Law School, so there is a huge variety of people to interact with,” writes one senior.
C of C’s students may have been famously described as so “laid back they would fall over,” but the truth of the matter is that C of C has a lot more to offer than meets the eye, from its picture-perfect historic setting, to its thriving arts community, to a multitude of research and extracurricular opportunities — and the quality of education just keeps getting better. One English major says it best: “
College of Charleston students are laid back, we may even tip over, but the truth is our student body is involved, aware, concerned, and constantly trying to improve the community (both locally and globally) through service projects, awareness campaigns, fundraisers, and outreach.”