The Best Things About Life at UT
Every University of Texas student and alumnus has something they love about life on the Forty Acres and beyond. Some favorites are perennial (cheering yourself hoarse at a football game) while others are new (paddle-boarding on Lady Bird Lake), but there has always been something for everyone. UT students on Reddit, the popular news aggregating/time-sucking website, recently put together a list of their favorite things about UT-Austin. Surprisingly, a few of the flashier spots, like the pool at Gregory Gym or the SAC, didn’t get a mention, while obscure places like the secret print room at the Blanton Museum of Art did. Here are some of the highlights:
Stir fry at J2
J2, the buffet-style dining hall on the second floor of Jester, has some hits (the VIP line, steak night) and some misses (the pizza), but their stir fry station is always on point. It’s made fresh to order, and there are dozens of ingredient options. Order it with noodles instead of rice, though; you’ll get more bang for your buck. Or just go back for seconds.
Napping in the Union
The Union’s third floor is the unofficial napping headquarters for students. Push some of the plush chairs together, curl up, put some headphones on, and float off to dreamland. Perfect for those odd, unpredictable moments of downtime.
The Life Science Library
Besides the Architecture Library in Battle Hall (which deserves an honorable mention), this library is the closest UT gets to Hogwarts. It’s the self-proclaimed “most beautiful library” on campus, and the high ceilings and exquisite decorations that fill the library back that up.
Office Hours
As one user put it, “Your profs are some of the coolest, smartest, most interesting people you’ll ever meet.”
Sports!
Admittedly, football and basketball have been, at best, disappointing to watch over the last few years. But those are only two sports at a school that excels in a so many others. Swimming and diving, volleyball, soccer, baseball, even Quidditch—all are storied teams with national titles under their belts. And if simply spectating sports doesn’t do it for you, there are always the intramural leagues for us mere mortals.
Campus (All of It)
If you don’t think the Forty Acres is beautiful, take a trip to College Station. From studying (read: sleeping) on the South Mall with a beautiful view of the Tower on one side and the Capitol on the other to the pick-up games and picnic dates on the grass in front of the LBJ Library, the UT campus is by far one of the best things about going to Texas.
People Watching
With 55,000 students on campus during the school year, it’s impossible not to notice some interesting people walking around. Maybe you’ll see a girl walking her bunny around campus. Maybe you’ll come across the slacklining club practicing on the West Mall. There’s never a dull moment.
Austin
Come for the school, stay for the city. Where else in Texas can you forgo class in favor of jumping into one of a dozen gorgeous swimming holes? Where else will no one judge you as you rush to your 8 a.m. class with bed head and unkempt clothes? Where else will you run into Elijah Wood outside his $1 million house or Ryan Gosling in line for Mrs. P’s? Longhorns take full advantage of the privileges offered by such a weird, wonderful city.
Agree? Disagree? Post your favorite thing about UT in the comments.
Above: The Life Science Library.
Photo by Sandy Carson.
