Meet Kathryn
Starting Over
One of the main reasons I came to UT is because of my dad. I originally wanted to stay in a school in Dallas, close to home, but my dad encouraged me to visit the UT campus. After walking around for what seemed like hours, I realized that not only is this a gorgeous campus, but it is huge. I wanted to go to college and basically start over, and knowing that UT has a large population would allow me to start fresh. It’s also about three and a half hours away from Dallas, so it’s far enough away from home where I can have my independence and freedom to be a college student, but it’s also close enough to where I can drive home whenever I want.
Not a Bad Thing
Before people get here, I wish they knew that it’s not a bad thing that UT is so big. People always say that going to a big school like UT is intimidating and it’s hard to make friends. I say they are completely wrong. I think the reason why UT is so great is because it’s so big. The population is filled with different people from different backgrounds and from different places. The size of this University gives you a great opportunity to meet so many people from diverse backgrounds.
Kathryn’s tips
Stay on top of your reading
The reading material for most of the classes at UT is pretty intense with a chapter from a textbook every day, sometimes two or three chapters every day. While it may seem overwhelming, it’s something that you have to get used to. Stay on top of your reading as best as you can to try to keep up with the material in class. It will make studying for the exams a lot easier. Some exams may consist of 15 chapters of textbook material and it is definitely not fun to do that reading the weekend before the test, especially when you have other exams that week as well.
Live close to the resources
I highly suggest that anyone coming into UT as freshman to live on campus. It’s incredibly helpful being so close to the many resources that are available to you as a student. Food is also available really close to campus, so the cooking is already done for you. While you are living in your dorm, get to know your neighbors and your resident assistant. One way to break the ice the first couple of weeks is to leave the door open while you’re inside to allow for visitors to come into your room.
Dress casual
UT is a very casual campus. You won’t see a lot of students walking around in pajamas, but you will definitely see everyone dressing in a very casual manner. Jeans, shorts, sandals, and t-shirts are the basics a UT college student has in their closet. Burnt orange anything is always allowed.
They Do Care
The biggest misconception that I had about UT is that professors don’t care about students and that we are just a number to them. While that may be kind of true in some aspect, most of it isn’t. The professors are in their offices most days of the week if you need to see them. Most are even available to meet you outside of office hours if you can’t make it to their normal times. They want to get to know you as students and really want to hear what you want to say about their class and other things that are happening around the university. They do care about the students and we really aren’t just a number to them. It is a pretty neat feeling to know that your professor knows you by name out of 300 or 400 students in the class.
Freshman Seminar
The Freshmen Seminar that I participated in was titled “France in Popular American Culture.” The main reason I chose this seminar was because I was enrolled in French language classes at my high school, which made me really interested in the French culture. This class taught us about French culture and how it affected the way Americans lived by way of movies, TV shows, actors and actresses, etc. We watched several movies including Amelie, Marie Antoinette, and several others and had roundtable discussions every class period. The seminar is also one of the few classes that you take as a freshman with less than 100 students, with most ranging from about 20 to 30 people at a time.
The Gene Team
I was enrolled in a FIG through the College of Natural Sciences called the “Gene Team.” This was probably one of the best experiences during my first semester at UT because I was able to get to know my peers, upperclassmen, and some of the faculty. A FIG usually lasts for a semester and some FIGs last for a year, but the main thing to take away from a FIG is the friends you’re going to make by the end of it.
Within a FIG, you are taking the same three or four classes with the same group of people, giving you the opportunity to meet new people and foster study groups. The classes we took together included biology, chemistry, and calculus. These classes aren’t supposed to be easy and are much harder than high school courses, but having that FIG as a support system helps make that transition from high school to college that much easier.
"My friends are what make me feel at home at UT."
Meeting your First Friends
I lived in San Jacinto Residence Hall for two years before I moved to an off campus apartment. I loved living on campus mainly for the sheer convenience of it. I could roll out of bed 15 minutes before class started and get there on time. San Jacinto was close to most of the major bus stops on campus so getting to class was easy when the right bus pulled up to pick students up. I also loved the people I met while living in the dorm as well because there are nights where we would all get together to have a game/movie night or just hang out in each other’s rooms. Living in a dorm your freshman year is where you essentially meet some of your first friends in college so I took advantage of that when I got here.
Itching to Get Back
My friends are what make me feel at home at UT. Every time I go back to my hometown for a holiday, I’m always itching to get back to Austin, just because I want to see my college friends. Seeing the Tower as I drive in from Dallas on I-35 gives me something to look forward to when I come back to Austin.
Kathryn's favorites
Study location off campus
I think the best place to study off campus is Mozart’s on Lake Austin. The reason why it’s such a great place is because, not only can you study there, but it’s also a great place to grab a cup of coffee, a pastry, or just sit out on the lake with friends to have a good time.
Place to eat near campus
My favorite place to eat near campus is Kerbey Lane Cafe. It’s a diner-type place located across the street from campus. My friends and I love going there late night because it’s open 24-hours and who doesn’t love breakfast at 3:00 in the morning.
Book
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Having a Career
My plans after graduation have definitely changed since I got here. I had plans to attend medical school after completing my undergraduate studies at the University. After changing my major to Advertising, I do have plans to work in an advertising agency. However, if I find myself still wanting to attend medical school, I may go back to complete my credits to satisfy the requirements needed to apply. I do hope to be successful in whatever I do. As long as I’m happy and content with what I am doing, I can’t complain.
I think the thing that I am looking forward to the most is having a career. After attending school for the first part of my life, I think the next chapter is to have a career in a field that I love. Whether it is in advertising, medicine, law, anything, I want to be able to use my education and apply it to whatever I do in the best possible way.