Meet Van

My Hometown

Through living in Austin my whole life, I knew almost everything about UT before I got here. I even got lost before I was a student. I love UT and I always knew I would come here since I was a kid.

Interested in Honors?

While I was applying to UT, I knew I was interested in honors and I figured I'd check Liberal Arts Honors and hope I got accepted into it. When I saw that there was an option for Plan II, I thought to myself, "What the heck is Plan II?" After reading a little about it I figured I might as well check that too and see what happens.

When I got my acceptance letter from Plan II I was really excited about the opportunity to be part of one of the most prestigious programs in the state. Being in Plan II dramatically improved my writing ability, as well as opened my eyes to many different fields that I may be interested in, including classics, philosophy, and writing. Plan II also helped me meet a lot of new friends through small classes and numerous social events like "Ice Cream in the Honors Quad." If not for the friends, one should consider honors just for the opportunity to learn in small environments from some of the best professors dealing with very interesting topics.

Time Management

The toughest thing for me to overcome at UT was time management. In high school, I didn't feel the time crunch that I do in college, and I was never really stressed by anything. Naturally, when I came to college, I didn't have a sense of urgency when it came to papers and tests. I would always put them off until the last night (which would turn into mornings in some cases). As time went on though, I learned how to look toward the future and plan my studying accordingly. Once I did that, I was able to have fun when I wanted, and not be so stressed out by multiple tests or papers in the same week. Knowing when to have fun and when to study is definitely the key to success here at UT.

Favorite Experience

My favorite experience at UT has definitely been meeting so many different people, mostly through Liberal Arts Council and some other great student involvement activities. I have met some interesting people as well as some great friends. Walking around campus seeing people I know and even joking around at meetings have made for some funny moments so far.

What I Wish You Knew

I wish more people knew that UT is like its own city, with its own stores, its own infrastructure, its own politics, its own institutions and traditions. It’s easy to get lost in it, and it’s easy to have too much fun. Sometimes it’s hard work, and sometimes it’s stressful. But it’s always worth it in the end.

In Hopes of Becoming

Upon graduation I plan to go to graduate school and eventually get a PhD in Psychology in hopes of becoming a marriage and relationship counselor. I look forward to becoming a proud member of a prestigious club called the Texas Exes.