That's Not My Name

College assignments can be demanding, and the temptation of just copying and pasting a brilliant passage you found on the internet into your paper can be enticing. UNC’s Honor Code has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to plagiarizing, so it’s important to know how to properly cite your sources. In high school, it was usually acceptable to paraphrase information without citing its source because you don’t understand how to formulate the proper citations or whatever reason you may have, but ignorance is no longer an excuse in college. Citing information is crucial, and in our blog we’ll be sure to give credit where it is due. Citations help you develop an argument by integrating others’ ideas and providing credibility to your research by indicating which ideas are your own and which ones came from others. Citations also allow readers (like you!) to follow our information, validate our sources, and further explore the topic for yourself.


There are several formats to help you achieve these goals: APA formatting, MLA formatting, or Chicago style. All three of these formats allow readers to know from what source you gained your information from, where it can be found, and who coined the ideas integrated into your writing. Throughout this blog, we will provide online links to various sites when able; however, when this form of citations in unavailable, we will utilize a variation of MLA formatting. We feel that MLA formatting is the most widespread form for citations and the easiest to learn and implement in your writing.


Most of our sources will be online articles or blog posts; we’ll include the website, author's name, and date of publication so you can find the article for yourself. So here; try it out and check our source! http://www2.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/index.html?section=mla

We R, We R, We R... The Authors

After hours of last minute packing, my entire life was stuffed into the back of a Chrysler Pacifica. Running on just two hours of sleep, I attempted to mentally prepare myself for sharing a bathroom with seven people I had never met before and agonized over what “mystery meat” I would soon have to call dinner. After my roommate and I unpacked our things and our families said goodbye, I slowly began to realize that this was life, the new me, sharing a 13 by 15 foot rectangle with some girl I bumped into on a social networking site. We nervously chatted about generic topics like what we wanted to major in, and why we chose UNC, constantly trying to fill the gap and the uneasiness.

The first few days around campus weren’t any better. My mind was constantly boggled with questions... Are they talking about me? Do I look like I totally don’t know where I am going? Will it be too obvious if I pull up a campus map on my phone? 

We five have been there, have done that, and we get it. Five teens with things to say; that’s about as simple as it gets. From the arts to the sciences to social life, we’ll be covering a variety of topics on our blog to help you survive that daunting first year of the rest of your life. More specifically, we plan to post about the natural sciences, behavioral psychology, and art from the Ackland Museum. While the five of us all have very different personalities and interests, we do have one thing in common: we are all new students at the University of North Carolina and would like to share our experiences with you to help make your transition easier.

My name is Olivia Benson and I am a new student at UNC Chapel Hill. I come from an extremely small town in the mountains of NC, whose population is a fraction of the number of undergraduate students here. This is the first time in ten years that I will not spend every other weekend at a clogging competition. Yes, I did say clogging. I was awarded the title All American Clogger of 2012 and I am currently going through withdrawals from the combination of my loud shoes and even louder banjo music. I have three older brothers, two sister-in-laws, a niece and a nephew and I am the last of them to move away from home. I have a passion for entertaining, nutrition, and philanthropy; however,I am completely undecided about my major, career, and overall future in general. As a freshman, exploring these brick pathways is an everyday adventure. A hot, uncomfortable, and self conscious adventure. I will do my best to share the ups and downs of freshman year and maybe, just maybe, someone else will be able to learn from the many mistakes that I am sure to make.


I’m Kristin Nelson and I am a first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and grew up in a hectic household with 3 brothers and a sister. I am indecisive about many things, such as my favorite candy and what I want to major in. However, there are a handful of things that I am sure about, such as my passion for history and the fact that I am a typical, clueless freshman on campus. I am in a steady relationship with Netflix and coffee is my best friend. When I am not studying or watching netflix I enjoy listening to live music. While I still have a lot to learn about college life, I am happy to share what little knowledge I have with current or incoming freshman. I know how overwhelming the transition to college can be and would love to make that process a little easier for somebody.

I’m Millie Ratliff, a young and energetic teenage girl from Charlotte, North Carolina. I am currently exploring first year as a student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and double majoring in nutrition and global studies with concentrations in global health and Africa. My interests range from fashion to pathology, and I am always interested to learn something new. Involvement in Kandaria, Kenya during the summer has given me a new outlook on what the world has to offer. Since my first visit, I dream of becoming a traveling pediatrician, but if that falls through, my back up plan is to be a wedding planning (the total opposite end of the spectrum, I know). My interest in the medical field led me to enroll in nursing assistant courses, and as of May 2013, I am a certified nurse assistant. Aside from involvement abroad, I enjoy playing volleyball, shopping, and baking recipes I salivate over on Pinterest. I am a member of the UNC Alpha Chi Omega chapter and anticipate to being involved in several other ways throughout my college years. Back in Charlotte, I work at a local deli just down the street from my high school. I love kids, and can often be found teaching Sunday School at my local church or babysitting kids by the pool. I anticipate that hard work at UNC Chapel Hill will lead me to a bright future where I can on day raise a family of my own.

My name is Claire Richie and I’m sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina I have always been a Tar Heel and I’m excited to follow in the footsteps of three generations of my family. I transferred to UNC from Campbell University and I’m currently majoring in journalism, though that is subject to change as soon as I can convince my dad that English and history aren’t worthless. I’m a voracious reader and writer with experience both as a writer and an editor at The Campbell Times in Buies Creek, North Carolina. I’m also the proprietor of The Book Girl Blog on Wordpress where I get to write about books for fun. I have a love for Harry Potter that borders on an obsession and sci-fi TV shows have a hold on me that I can’t explain. I’m also passionate about sports, though I can’t play them and I probably get too excited when my teams win. Starbucks is my main weakness and pretty much anyone can win me over with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Selectively social (not anti-social, thank you very much) I prefer the company of books to most people.

A soccer enthusiast, basketball and football junkie, and all around sports addict, my name is Brenden Rogan and I am a freshman at the University of North Carolina. Before attending Chapel Hill I spent the majority of my life in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and Mililani, Hawaii as my father was moved from station to station serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. I am an alumnus of Camden County High School located in a small farm town with 2 stoplights, 2 gas stations, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. I hope to provide you some insight on what it is like as a first year student at UNC, making the transition from a town where everybody knows everybody to a gigantic campus where you see and meet new people every day. I will share experiences from my day-to-day life learning the ropes of college one step at a time and provide you with tips and tricks to help make your transition smooth as can be.