• Welcome Longhorns!
• A Message from the Dean of Students
• A Note from the Vice President for Student Affairs
• A Welcome from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
• Longhorn Confidential: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at College Life
• For Our Longhorn Families
• For New Longhorns
• Getting the Most Out of Academics
• From Combat to the Classroom
• Things to Bring
• Take Your Finances By The Horns
• FAQs
• Student Integrity
• Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL)
• Important Phone Numbers
• Sponsor this Publication!
• Current Sponsors

Coming to College

Get a glimpse into your future as a college student at The University of Texas at Austin. Ease your worries with advice from staff and faculty.

Navigating a New Landscape

Get a map and learn the lay of the land. It will save you time in the long run. Also, don’t skip class. You are paying for these courses and every day you skip is like throwing away $22.00 (flat rate for 1 hour of class per week). Four or five missed classes and the money starts adding up. One last thing, get to know your professors and advisors as they are critical in your success here. As much as they are busy, keep in mind that they work at a university for a reason; to help you!
-Eric Bowles

Don’t try to do everything at once- pace yourself! Remember that while college is about education and it is also about self-discovery, friendships and becoming a person of genuine integrity. Prioritize from the very beginning and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
-Aurora Chang-Ross

Longhorns make healthy choices. This includes getting enough sleep (7 to 8 hours per night), eating healthy food, exercising, and going to the doctor when you are sick. It also means making choices that are right for you when it comes to alcohol and sex. Over one third of UT Austin freshmen don’t drink. Those who do drink alcohol do something to protect themselves, like setting a limit and sticking to it, arranging for a safe ride home, and eating a meal before drinking. It is important for every student to make sexual choices that are right for them, including the choice to not have sex. If you do choose to have sex, use protection every time. Know that University Health Services, right on campus, has a highly trained medical staff and health education staff to help YOU get the most out of UT Austin.
-Sandi Cleveland

Don’t panic if you don’t get the results here on your first round of tests that you were used to getting in high school. Visit the UT Learning Center to learn how to prepare for university-level exams and get curious about the tasks rather than being critical of yourself or others. (Visit the UT Learning Center online at www.utexas.edu/student/utlc.)
-Darcy Barrick

Students should enter the university ready to grow in order to successfully meet their challenges as students and young adults. This could encompass everything from a student who never shared a room before learning how to effectively address and resolve issues with a roommate, to a student who encounters academic difficulty for the first time, learning to recognize the challenge and seek help from a professor or tutor.
-Marc Musick

Exploring Your Academic Options

Go to class...Do the homework...Ask questions. As intimidating as UT Austin can be, don’t be afraid to talk to the person sitting next to you in class. They may be just as nervous as you but you can be nervous together. Exchange telephone numbers and contact information so that if you have questions you can e-mail or call each other. Plus, you may end up with a friend for life, if not for your time at The University of Texas at Austin. Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors/instructors. They are knowledgeable about many things, but they do not know you until you let them know you. The rewards are incalculable.
-Jennifer Padden

The best advice I give to you as a freshman is to relax…make new friends…meet regularly with your academic advisor…and study more than what you think is necessary. There are so many new and wonderful things to explore at UT Austin, but you can’t do everything all at once. Consider your top five priorities for the semester (I’m assuming your academic success will be on this list), and begin working to achieve them. If you need help prioritizing your goals, talk to your academic advisor.
-Lovelys Powell

Stay on top of your work. Learn to take good notes and review them after every class. Go to the professor or teaching assistant (TA) for help, even when—especially when—you are so confused that you can’t articulate a question. If you don’t find the professor’s explanations during class and office hours adequate, find help elsewhere. We have amazing resources to help you here—the Undergraduate Writing Center, for example—so take advantage of them. Keep in mind that you may have to explore the campus Web site, telephone your advisor, or ask your classmates or professor to find these resources. Be persistent! (Visit the Undergraduate Writing Center online at uwc.utexas.edu.)
-Linda Ferreira-Buckley

Discovering the Possibilities

Embrace change. The next years will be about some of the greatest changes in your life. Your major, friends, goals, address and ideas will all change, but change need not be difficult. Don’t fight the change. Embrace it and realize it will help make you into the person you are meant to be.
-Cassandre Alvarado

College is about so much more than just obtaining a degree. For most students, it is a time where students truly get to know who they are and what they want to do. Although academics are very important, make sure to take advantage of everything this university has to offer, from student organizations to athletic competitions. Do not limit yourself to experiences similar to those you had in high school. Be open to new opportunities and make the most of them. This really will be the best four years of your life.
-Stella Smith

Most likely, you will not have another opportunity in your life where learning will be so highly valued by your extended community, so make the most of it. Informal learning (not part of the syllabus) and formal learning (required by the course syllabus) are important. Informal learning is a natural part of living and observing yourself and your environmental context. You become wise by relating experiences, contexts and outcomes with their implications. Recognize the first step of learning by listening to your inner voice. When it says, “Hum, that’s funny,” you are on the cusp of learning something new, and your curiosity begins working. To exercise both in diverse circumstances, be sure to check with the Undergraduate Studies office and the Bridging Disciplines Program! Take at least one Study Abroad course! Think of the course listings as a huge cafeteria line with only desserts. Earn the privilege of taking extra courses beyond the degree requirements.
-Dick Richardson

And Remember...

You are embarking on what could be one of the most special and memorable journeys of your life. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn who you are as a person, experience new things, meet people from all over the world, learn about new cultures and, most importantly, to learn how to learn and think critically. There is a wealth of diverse opportunities at an institution this size, and you should take advantage of as many as possible. At the same time, learn to balance your life and manage your time wisely. Get involved with student organizations, participate in intramural sports, attend college sporting events, go to the great on-campus museums, study abroad, do an internship or some research. Have fun without forgetting you are here to get an education.
-Steve Alvarez

Diversity Is Life

UT Austin staff members share their thoughts on how important diversity is to our everyday lives.

In what ways do you see a great example of diversity on campus?

I think that one of the best examples of diversity on our campus is the selection of courses taught in the Department of History. The reason there is such a rich diversity of topics taught through the department is because of the partnership it has with the other departments on campus such as the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and many, many more.
-Lovelys Powell

In education, the sharing of ideas unify us and I see this sharing everyday on campus. It is in the simple act of sharing that we embody a commitment to be more humane and human.
-Eric Bowles

What does the phrase “diversity is life” mean to you?

It means that human life is defined by the multitude of identities and experiences that we have. In a social context, we have the opportunity to define ourselves through our ethnicity, our gender, our sexual orientation, our family make-up, our religion, our education, our ancestors’ experiences, etc. I think that life is about exploring the diversity that exists within each of us.
-Lovelys Powell

On campus that means being a student in class, engaging in research, undertaking study abroad and other educational opportunities, and be-coming a leader in student organizations. In life more broadly it means remaining physically active, exploring the world, being an active part of the community, having a rich network of family and friends, and finding time to engage in those pursuits that individual students may find the most fulfilling.
-Marc Musick

What is your favorite diversity-related event held on campus and why?

Texas Revue is a university-wide talent show that features a variety of acts including dancing, music and skits performed by individuals and student organizations. The best example of the amazing diversity that exists at this university unfolds the night Texas Revue debuts on the Main Mall every spring. Every year, Texas Revue provides an opportunity to learn about the diverse talents of students here.
-Lovelys Powell

I enjoy the Center for Mexican-American Studies Pláticas series with visiting professors and lecturers. Every time I have attended one of those Pláticas I learn something new or I see things from a different perspective that I had not considered.
-Eric Bowles

40 Acres Fest. I enjoy walking around this beautiful campus interacting with the students and the various organizations they represent.
-Ben Burnett

How does diversity benefit your interaction with students?

The more I know about people, cultures, religions, and ideas outside of my personal experiences, the better advisor and person I become. I try to take every experience with a student as a learning opportunity for myself, because I know the experiences they share with me will resurface again in another student or in another part of my life and I will have that “ah-ha” moment.
-Lovelys Powell

In what ways do you a see great example of diversity on campus? The College of Liberal Arts is a monument to diversity. Liberal Arts prepares students to interact fully with a diverse world by challenging students to rethink their beliefs about race, ethnicity, religion, class and gender. Many students in Liberal Arts choose to major in subjects that will give them a greater understanding of populations within the United States, such as Women and Gender Studies, Mexican American Studies, African and African American Studies and Asian American Studies, or a foreign language or region of the world. Liberal Arts students study abroad more often than students in any other college.
-Marc Musick

(As a UT Austin staff member) How do you see diversity benefiting your interaction with students?

I am privileged to work with students from around the world everyday that bring unique perspectives to our life on campus.
-Eric Bowles

(As a UT Austin student) How do you see diversity benefiting you when you graduate?

I look forward to taking what I have learned through my graduate research to other parts of the country to help bring people together and share ideas.
-Eric Bowles

Diversity helps administrators, staff, and students by introducing them to people, places, organizations and ways of life they may not otherwise come in contact with. As an institution of higher learning all those associated with the university benefit from learning from each other’s intellect and experiences.
-Ben Burnett