When I was at UT, most people who lived with HS friends the first-year ended up ruining their friendship. Living with someone changes the dynamics drastically. Differences become vast like level of cleanliness for the kitchen or bathroom, having strangers over till really late eating your snacks, loud moaning when the roommate's GF sleeps over, music or TV when you're studying or sleeping, etc. I did study abroad in high school so I got the living-with-other-strangers experience out of my system. Some people can do roommates; others like me can't. I lived by myself at Dobie my freshmen year. I knew a lot of people who lived there so I had a social circle outside my door with the autonomy of having my own place. Congrats to both you and the OP. I was there for undergrad and grad school. The place has really changed with amazing new buildings in the last few years. -Every alum I talk to say they wish they had done things so differently. Go to the various museums on campus, study in a new library every now and then, go to the telescope on top of the engineering building roof, take classes very different from your field, etc. -I recommend going to the PCL religiously though, preferably the quiet floors so you actually get work done. Never fall behind more than a class or two per the syllabus. -Go to office hours often. Network with your professor and TAs. -Start looking for internships the first semester like I did. Most competitors were busy doing other things so I had plenty of choices and no pressure. -Eat very healthy. -Never leave anything valuable in your gym bag when going to Gregory. -Maintain friendships with at least 3 different social circles. Separate the quality friends from acquaintances you'll make in classes who you'll never see again once the class ends in 4 months. -Everyone is very friendly for the first couple of weeks, and during orientation. This is the best time to socialize. After that, the cliques gel and outsider entry is difficult unless you rush. -You can have a blast and still do well in classes. I was hung over frequently for several Friday morning classes. You can only pick two from the following three: sleep, academics, social life. The first year, I recommend the latter two. -If you get a bicycle, get a good U-lock. Learn how to secure it quickly when you're late for class. -Free condoms from the on-campus clinic. -When going to dirty 6th or dt, go to an ATM first and withdraw $20 or however many dollars you plan to spend that night. Don't use your credit or debit card when you're dt. You can only use the funds you withdrew. -Don't screw the girls next door. Become friends and get them to introduce you to other girls. Go out in large groups. -Be very picky in general. A gorgeous girl as your platonic buddy will pay dividends down the road. I had two such friends. I could've hooked up with them initially, but they were not GF material. However, they introduced me to many girls that were.
