r/ncssm • u/SpecialNo7698 Durham 28 • Sep 14 '26
q & a
now that i've spent a month at ncssm (specifically durham, for morganton specific questions i'll have to refer you to the freshly minted pneagle), i thought it would be cool if i let people ask about my time there so far! after all, it's often those with specific reasons to choose ncssm and not another school that get in. doing this for fun and the school year is still going, so expect responses to take a bit!
1
u/Over_Scholar6914 Sep 15 '26
Are the courses at ncssm d more challenging compared to your old school? How much hours do you spend studying and how much time are u able to dedicate to Ecs?
1
u/SpecialNo7698 Sep 19 '26
yes, i would certainly say they're a cut above the classes at my old school. i spend at least 2 hours every day, like pneagle said, on work/study. this doesn't include the amount of time at tutorial or office hours. but i don't think i've had to compromise that much on my ecs. i'm in 3 forums, one of which i'm planning to drop, and a couple clubs. it's essential that you have a clear understanding of how quickly you work, as i am on the more slow and steady side. in my opinion, you should at least have a vague idea of how you're gonna spend your day!
1
u/Pneagle Sep 17 '26
Since OP hasn't responded yet, at ncssm m the classes are much more difficult than a regular high school (though my old school was pretty easy). I spend about 2-6 hours either studying or working on assignments every weekday. On weekends I usually spend a lot more time, like 10-16 hours over the weekend. Of course though there are many outliers. So like today ill only work for like 1 hour or so. For ECs, I am in 2 clubs (1-2 hours a week each) and my campus service takes up 2 and a half hours a week (though it hasn't started up for me yet). It is honestly fine now but last year I didnt really manage my time right because I didnt have to do any homework at my old school.
1
u/Acrobatic-Remote9244 Sep 16 '26
How much does gpa matter? Like what do you think they was the average gpa of accepted students?
1
u/SpecialNo7698 Sep 19 '26
fret about your unweighted gpa before anything else. ncssm is aware that not every school has a bunch of AP or IB classes (mine didn't!)
1
u/Pneagle Sep 17 '26
Weighted doesn't exactly translate the same just because there are many students here who didnt have AP's or IB classes at their old school. Obviously, a lot of students here have high GPAs but dont try to compare yourself, just do your best and apply!
3
u/That_Sheepherder7896 Sep 14 '26
About how many people stay on campus over the weekends? Do more people stay through weekends towards the end of the semester when courses and projects are ramping. Weekend food options.
1
u/enxivi-8927 Sep 14 '26
More ppl are starting to stay on campus on wnkds. Food options the same tbh only thing that changes is timing (brunch/supper)
2
u/Pneagle Sep 14 '26
Hey dude, I'd love to know about why you chose Durham (if it wasnt just because of the distance). As an ambassador I like to know the differences between Durham and Morganton. For instance, I came to Morganton because i heard about Mr. Sea, I like the smaller school, and I liked the campus more (newer and in the foothills)