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Hi everyone!
I plan on going to Barton College in the fall, and would like to know much as I can. Not necessarily about the college, but the city of Wilson in general, and what it is like living there as a college student. I am usually in interracial relationships (I am black and my relationships have mostly been with white males) Will I encounter any problems in Wilson pertaining to this? and I also wanted to know how diversified is it. I am coming all the way from California and I am very used to diversity.
Sorry for all of the questions, I am just very curious!
I'm a Barton graduate ('96) Wilson isn't a great city. There isn't much around the college, so don't expect the usual college town atmosphere. I was lucky to be local so I could commute. I'm glad I didn't live in Wilson. Even the area the college is in isn't great. The mall there is terrible, the last time I was there (this fall) I didn't feel safe.
Wilson is rather quiet and definitely not a college town. I grew up there and went to school there, so obviously I'm biased and think it's an ok place to live. IMO, it's fast becoming a suburb of the Triangle area. As a result, a lot of growth on the western and some on the northern side of town with some new retail. The mall isn't that great, it had it's heyday back in the 80's and has been on the decline since the early 90's, but an attempt has been made to revitalize it. We'll see how that works.
I have noticed more interracial couples in the area, definitely moreso than the 15 years since I was last attending school. Mostly black/white couples is what I've seen, that can be black male/white female, or white male/black female. I feel it's becoming a more accepted part of the community...but expect that there may be a more visible racial divide in the South than what you may be used to in CA.
Hopefully you'll have access to a car; that should help improve feelings of safety and you'll need one to really get anywhere. I definitely would not walk in the area around the college at night, a shame since Wilson has been recognized for it's architecture in the Barton and downtown neighborhoods. Safety's relative though--I live in West Philly currently so very little surprises me anymore... But seriously, in most places, you'll be absolutely fine.
Keep in mind Wilson is also fairly close to Raleigh if you need something more exciting or more shopping options. You can also catch the Amtrak Carolinian and take a weekend trip to Charlotte for other options or to get a taste of an area that's more metropolitan. I just wouldn't recommend parking your vehicle at the train station overnight.
Curious--you're all the way out in Sacramento...what in the world would bring you to Barton?
Thanks to everyone who replied!
And to answer your question docindigo76, I actually do not really care for Sacramento anymore, or California in general, and would really like to get out of here. I picked Barton because it is a school that I think would suit me. I like that it is a small college in a small town (I'm not really an outgoing person so I think I'll do fine) and even though there are small colleges in California, I checked most of them and even applied to some of them and a lot of them are really hard schools to get into, plus I dont like that most of them are in southern california which is where I definitely don't want to be. (Southern Cal has way too many people!) I am just ready for a change that's all.
And I am actually going to visit Barton next month before I give them my final decision, so I'm hoping that I'll really enjoy what I see.
Thanks to everyone who replied!
And to answer your question docindigo76, I actually do not really care for Sacramento anymore, or California in general, and would really like to get out of here. I picked Barton because it is a school that I think would suit me. I like that it is a small college in a small town (I'm not really an outgoing person so I think I'll do fine) and even though there are small colleges in California, I checked most of them and even applied to some of them and a lot of them are really hard schools to get into, plus I dont like that most of them are in southern california which is where I definitely don't want to be. (Southern Cal has way too many people!) I am just ready for a change that's all.
And I am actually going to visit Barton next month before I give them my final decision, so I'm hoping that I'll really enjoy what I see.
Hi going...since you aren't committed to Barton I thought I'd mention another great small school in NC (though there are more then a few!). Have you heard of Mars Hill College? It is a great little school in a very scenic setting north of Asheville. Just in case you are interested here is a link:
Mars Hill College, in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NC (http://www.mhc.edu/about.asp - broken link)
Thanks for the information lovesmountains! The name of the college sounds familiar but I don't think I ever looked into it. I'll definitely do that. Thanks!
Hi going...since you aren't committed to Barton I thought I'd mention another great small school in NC (though there are more then a few!). Have you heard of Mars Hill College? It is a great little school in a very scenic setting north of Asheville. Just in case you are interested here is a link:
Mars Hill College, in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, NC (http://www.mhc.edu/about.asp - broken link)
And Brevard College too.
· Ranked #41 by US News and World Report Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor's (South)
· Rated one of the 40 Best College Towns by Outside magazine.
· Ranked #2 in the nation for freshman year experience by US News and World Report.
I also have another question. I've noticed a lot of people on the NC message boards referring to something called the triangle? What does the triangle mean?
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Racial Diversity
years since I was last attending school. Mostly black/white couples is what I've seen, that can be black male/white female, or white male/black female. I feel it's becoming a more accepted part of the community...but expect that there may be a more visible racial divide in the South than what you may be used to in CA.
But seriously, in most places, you'll be absolutely fine.
