Hi Pickle, thanks for the offer! I am still waiting to here scholarship selection status as well as selection status for University of Washington. My question is, how do you like living in Seattle? Do you find you drown in a sea of people? Is the city a cool place to go to school? Any cool spots for hiking? And how does being a midshipman play into your experience at UW?
Thanks in advance for any advice you give!
I've lived in Washington my entire life and so I am a little biased. Living at the University of Washington has its ups and downs. Seattle is a unique and friendly city. Since it is so diverse, there will be activities and/or places you have never heard of/seen before. The only downside is that if you don't live in Washington, the unpredictable weather takes some getting used to (you will learn to love it though).
I don't ever find myself drowning in the amount of people. It's weird in the first couple of weeks when you are adjusting to the being in large lectures and having to walk 15 minutes sometimes to class. However, if you get a good rhythm going (i.e. organization, daily routine, study habits), then you will adjust fast.
The city of Seattle is a great place to go to school. The dorms are a great, friendly environment and there are plenty of opportunities to get out and be a part of the community. Also, there is always something to do in Seattle. There is a 25-30 minute bus that goes straight downtown from the U (you will never run out of things to do downtown). There is the Ave on west campus and U-Village on east campus. The gym and other athletic facilities are top-notch and aren't too far of a walk. I don't get off campus much because I am busy studying for Physics and Calculus, but the opportunities are there and if you find you have free time, definitely check out the area.
There are plenty of neat places to go hiking, especially within 30 minutes of the University. There is also the Olympic Mountain Range in Northwest Washington. It is about a 2-3 hour trip but it is well worth it.
Truth be told, being a midshipman in NROTC is tough. It was hard at first trying to balance NROTC with academics since the University of Washington is a very, very TOUGH school. The one key piece of advice I have for you is that you need to be able to prioritize and manage your time. There is no doubt in my mind that if I wasn't in NROTC, I would have a lot more free time. Yet, balancing a huge workload (18 credits) with waking up at 0530 to PT and going to bed at midnight has really helped build me into a better person and better leader. The unit here provides you with A LOT of opportunities so that you do not fall behind or fail.
All in all, I'm glad I made the decision to come to UW. The NROTC unit here is in the top 6 for oldest units in the nation and is undoubtedly the best. Best of luck with your future endeavors!