Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on these past four years at East Carolina University. My time here has quickly flown by, and I’m grateful for every second of my time at ECU. I only have one month left until graduation, and I can say with confidence that choosing to attend this school has been the best decision of my career.

Why I Chose to Attend East Carolina University

Ever since I was a little girl, I always had a big spot in my heart for East Carolina University. My older sister, Jamie, attended ECU for both of her undergrad and masters degrees. So, I grew up being a fan of this awesome university.

While she was in college, my family and I would visit her in Greenville. Sometimes during our visits, we would go to the ECU football games with her, and I was able to experience the many traditions of Pirate Nation. It was easy to fall in love with the campus culture, and I continued to be a big supporter of the school even after she graduated.

 

Culture

East Carolina University is known for its loyal supporters. Anyone who has been to campus or around ECU fans can attest to the strong Pirate pride that students and alumni have. If you don’t believe me, yell, “PURPLE!” to someone wearing Pirate gear, and I can assure you they will yell, “GOLD!” right back to you.

Through my sister’s years at the university, I was able to witness the culture prior to filling out any college applications during high school, and I instantly knew that I would fit in really well with the ECU atmosphere. In fact, my heart was so set on attending ECU that I didn’t apply to any other universities. Looking back, I’m still glad that I didn’t because I absolutely love being a Pirate.

The culture of this university was one of the main reasons for my decision to attend. As an example, it’s easily showcased during the ECU football games. If you’ve ever attended one of these home events, you know exactly what I am referring to. The ECU game day atmosphere is by far one of my favorite things about the university. At each home game, there are many traditions to take part in, and the entire city of Greenville becomes one big, united Pirate family.

After experiencing the culture first-hand as a student, I can officially say that my perceptions of the ECU atmosphere were not wrong. I have connected with many ECU alumni simply through the similarity of both being part of the same family that bleeds purple and gold. Attending this university has solidified the fact that I am now a “family member” of a giant ECU community.

 

Education and Location

At the time when I was applying to college, I had no idea what major I wanted to enroll in. However, I knew that East Carolina provided an awesome education to all of their students. Plus, the university has a great price set for tuition.

I was right to listen to the ECU students that were years ahead of me about the ECU curriculum and the great education that they were receiving. Now, thinking back on my previous classes, I have always had professors who genuinely care about their students’ well-being. Throughout my four years of college, I never once worried about asking a professor too many questions in any class setting. In fact, most of my professors and I are connected on LinkedIn, and I’m sure if I reached out to any of them today for help, they’d be glad to offer it.

As for the location, Greenville is about an hour and 40 minutes away from Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a perfect distance from Raleigh, not too far and not too close. The drive is pretty much a straight shot to Raleigh as well. With that being said, trips to the city on the weekends are very doable.

There are a few other reasons besides the location, culture, and education that led to my decision of attending this university. However, these were definitely the three main decision points that directed my choice in picking a university. I have enjoyed these past four years, and I’m so glad that I decided to spend my entire college career at East Carolina University.

Take a look at some of my photographs from East Carolina University!