Student Profile
Tava
- Class: Junior
- Major:
- Gender: F
- High School: Prince George High
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
The best thing about UT is the people! There are so many people from all different walks of life and it's great to learn about different cultures. One thing I would change or get rid of would be the PTS (Parking and Transportation Services). It is pretty much an accepted fact that you will get at least one ticket a year if not a semester. It gets pretty annoying because sometimes you will only be a minute past your metered parking time and you will already have a ticket waiting for you when you get back. UT is definitely a college town. Every one that lives in Austin either goes to UT, went to UT, or is just a hardcore UT fan. We bleed burnt orange, and Longhorn flags can be found at just about every corner. There's definitely a lot of school pride!
Academic Life
A lot of people get turned off by the fact that UT is such a large school. They feel as though they won't get the one-on-one attention that they want, but UT is just like any other school, if you seek out help then it will definitely be available. A lot of your classes will be about 30 people or less, so not only do you build relationships with your fellow classmates but also with your professors as well. The really cool thing is that the professors love it when you go to office hours or introduce yourselves to them. And it's helpful to you as well, because many of the professors are experts in their field and even write their own books that you use in class. They're great resources especially when it comes to finding jobs or internships because they can usually introduce you to someone in the field. Another great thing about UT is our Career Services Center, which is one of the best one's in the country. Each of our colleges has one and they have counselors who help you write cover letters and resums, as well as look for internships and jobs post-graduation. UT really works to take care of their students. UT is often considered a public Ivy League, and that is very much so a true statement. A lot of students will ask what an easy class is to take and get an A in, and you can ask any student here and they will tell you that no classes like that exist. Every class here will challenge you to not just memorize information, but truly learn it and apply it either through class experiments or semester long projects, that the McCombs school of business hosts every year. Academics are very much the most important aspect of the University of Texas at Austin.
Student Body
UT is such an open-minded school with different organizations for just about every ethnicity, religion, and race. We also have a very active LGBTQ community that has forums and events throughout the year. I honestly don't think that it's possible to not fit somewhere on our campus. With a school of about 50,000 students the possibilities and friendships that you make are endless. Most students are from Texas, just like any other public school in other states. However, we do have an organization called the Out-of-State Students Association that many out-of-state students are a member of. UT is also a politically active school, especially since we are located in the state capitol. We have the Texas Conservatives and University Democrats, that hold forums and debates and do a great deal of work with not only local politicians but members of the Texas Legislature as well. They also host vote-a-thons on campus, like the primaries that took place earlier this year.
The Best Things
The people!
The Worst Things
The lack of parking spaces and the hot climate in the summer!
