Seeing myself as a student and scholar

UNC Bears Seeing myself as a student and scholar

Academic identity, or seeing ourselves as scholars in a college, is an adjustment. If you feel a little out of place, that is normal.

How to tackle challenges in class

You are a scholar now, Bear. You will face new challenges and ideas in your classes, and that is part of being a student and scholar. Whenever you feel lost as a student, answer these questions to ground yourself as a scholar:

Answer these questions on goals:

  1. Where would you like to be on a scale of 1-10? Think about the project or knowledge... how much do you want to understand this topic or how much effort do you want to put into the assignment?
  2. How could you say your goal in a few words?

Share your knowledge with campus

Many of your classes will revolve around traditional papers and exams because those are at the heart of scholarship. Yet you don't have to limit your own learning and sharing. Scholars use posters, blogs, videos, social media, and other projects to share what they know: you can do that too as a form of studying and to share what you learned with your friends, family, and more.

Check out these options for sharing what you've learned:

We have support and recognition for your research and creative projects. Your community wants to hear what you are learning and we can pair you with a mentor through the Office of Undergraduate Research's Research Mentorship Program. Information about the program can be found on the Office of Undergraduate Research's Undergraduate Students Links to an external site. website.

Every spring, the Division for Undergraduate Academic Engagement hosts Research Day Links to an external site., which is a day to celebrate what you are working on as students. You can even win awards that are great for resumes and to show your family what you are accomplishing.

If you walk through the basement of the library or through the halls of Ross, you will see past posters from students.

 Join student organizations

The McNair Scholars Program Links to an external site.is designed to provide you with effective preparation for graduate-level study through research and scholarly activities, summer internships, seminars and workshops, mentoring, and assistance with graduate school admission processes. As a McNair, you will design research topics with mentorship. Check out the projects completed by the 2021-2022 cohort Links to an external site. or explore past projects from current and previous cohorts Links to an external site.!

The Honors Program Links to an external site. lets you develop your own theme of exploration and research path. They can be applied or more creative because you can apply for honors in any major. 

Many programs have a field or major-specific organization you can join to learn and share your knowledge with your peers. Ask your advisor and stop by your department office to find out what societies or organizations you could join.

Bonus materials

Check out these additional resources and ways to apply this content to your life:

Our UNC Libraries Archives & Special Collections Links to an external site. is a great place to find your sense of Bear scholarship by learning our history. You can see work and photographs from the scholars and students who came before you.

You can also check out past student panels and talks from the UNC Community in our Scholarship and Creative Works @ Digital UNC. Links to an external site. Search for student research or browse the webinar library.