A Day in the Life

Nia Doaks | Managing Editor • Photos by Kelly Darden

Welcome to all of our new N.C. State students!

North Carolina State University was founded on March 7, 1887 and from there has expanded to maintain an enrollment population of what is currently 31,000 students. It has many historic buildings, such as the Bell Tower, which has become a monument for the Wolfpack community, and Reynolds Coliseum, one of the “most tradition-filled places” in America to watch college athletics.

This campus is one that promotes academic excellence, professional advancement and social development. There are a variety of celebratory weeks and events that occur on campus, including Pan Afrikan week, Harambee and Packapalooza. This is how a typical day on NC State’s campus might go for you as a student here:

You wake up in Lee Residence Hall, a dorm on central campus. Lee is suite-style– there are four rooms that share a bathroom. The bathroom has two stalls, two sinks, and a shower. You have a roommate, whom you greet with a “good morning”, and then you walk down to the elevator to get to breakfast.

Lee Hall: 2500 Sullivan Drive, located between Sullivan Residence Hall and Fountain Dining Hall.

 

For breakfast you decide to go to Fountain. Fountain Dining Hall is a mere twenty or so steps from Lee Hall. Once inside, you swipe your All-Campus card for your meal plan and pick up a plate and utensils. There are a variety of food options that you can choose from at the buffet— sausage, eggs, bacon, biscuits, and more. There is an omelet station, a cereal bar, and a waffle maker in the buffet area as well. Once you get your food, you grab a drink and sit down at a table.

Fountain Dining Hall: 2520 Sullivan Drive, located between Lee Residence Hall and Bragaw Residence Hall.

 

Once you finish your food, you head to your first class of the day: Spanish. It just so happens that your Spanish class, beginner level, is held in a large lecture hall. Don’t be intimidated, however; the class is informative, and you will get used to the large number of people after a while. The classroom is set up similarly to an auditorium, with chairs that are lined up in rows.

Withers Hall: 101 Lampe Drive, North Campus, located near Park Shops and the 1911 Building.

 

After Spanish, you head to your next class– English. Your English class, thankfully, is in a smaller classroom with twenty or so other students. You walk to Caldwell Hall on North campus and take a seat inside the classroom. The professor places a journaling prompt up on the projector screen and asks you all to respond in your notebooks. After journaling, the class discusses the prompt and the professor begins the lesson for the day.

Caldwell Hall: 2221 Hillsborough Street, North Campus. Located between Winston and Tompkins Hall.

 

Today is a light day of classes for you. You are done with classes for the day around noon! You grab a light lunch and head over to Carmichael Gym for a workout. Once inside, you see that the gym has three levels. On the lower level are dance studios, a sauna, and various rooms with workout equipment. The second level has an indoor track and workout rooms, and the third level is where you will find a welcome desk and an entrance to two of the hardwood courts. The other courts (for a total of eleven) are located up a set of stairs near the welcome desk on the first floor as well. From there, you head up to court three to play a few games of pick-up basketball.

 

Carmichael Gymnasium: Located on the intersection of Morrill Drive and Cates Avenue, past the First Year College (FYC) building.

 

After the gym, you decide to go to Talley to get something to eat. Talley has a variety of options. You can head down to One Earth to get Asian, Mediterranean, or Indian food. Also, you can choose to eat at Los Lobos, Tuffey’s Diner, Red Sky Pizza Company, and Jason’s Deli. You decide to get a sandwich to-go from Jason’s Deli and pay with your meal plan/Dining Dollars. Along with multiple food options, Talley also has other places that you can visit—including several lounge areas, a C-Store, and a ballroom.

 

Talley Student Union: 2610 Cates Ave, located outside of the Freedom Expression Tunnel and near Alexander Residence Hall.

 

Once you get your food, you walk through the Free Expression Tunnel and the Brickyard to D.H. Hill Library. Instead of choosing to study in the Learning Commons or the Silent Reading Room, you walk past the equipment check-out desk to get to the elevators. You take the elevator up to the sixth floor because you want to study in the Bookstacks. After a few hours of studying, you decide that you are ready for your exam and decide to head back to Lee for the night.

 

D.H. Hill Library: 2 W Broughton Drive, located across from Harrelson Hall and beside the Atrium.