University of Texas at Austin

I had a lecturer who let us use a cheat sheet on exams. It basically told you exactly how to do the problems, which made exams so much easier. Highly recommend taking their class!

I took Perspectives on the History of Science and this lecturer is excellent. I learned a ton about how scientific discoveries have been received historically. Highly recommend taking any course with them.

I took a professor for SDS320E, and she was amazing at giving feedback and always available for her students. Really appreciated her dedication.

I took a course through the business foundations certificate program—I think it was Business Law. It felt like a law school course but tailored for non-law majors, focusing on contract law and torts. I really enjoyed it.

As someone who also had the last orientation, don't stress! If you're in CNS, they'll offer you a FIG that reserves key classes. Last year, I only needed to register for calc, and I got the best professor who's usually impossible to get. You can't change much, so just go with the flow.

I was transitioning when I came to UT. People were generally respectful about using my preferred name and pronouns, even before I started to pass. If someone is rude, you don't want to hang around them anyway. Just be yourself. Fair warning, some people can be rude—I've had negative interactions with students, professors, staff, and the occasional hate preacher. But lead with kindness and be confident in your values. Enjoy your time as a Longhorn!

Don't come into UT thinking any class is an easy A. Getting a 4.0 is genuinely difficult. I've worked as a teaching assistant and I can tell you, the students who never show up are always the most shocked by their grades. You're expected to put in real work here. Some classes are easier than others, but there are no free rides. Manage your expectations and show up prepared to work.

Organic chemistry has a reputation for being brutal, especially with all the premed anxiety around it. I found it tough but not the hardest class I took. My first professor was awful—I barely learned anything—but the second was a wake-up call that made it manageable. If you're premed, remember that tougher courses and exams are ahead, so don't let the anticipation ruin your summer.

The low out-of-state acceptance is one thing, but honestly, the Texas legislature is the bigger issue. In just two months working at the capitol, I've seen three bills trying to defund UT and two trying to outlaw certain subjects. In terms of caliber, prestige, and job outcomes, we already deserve top 25. But the government's instability and uncertainty about funding and academic freedom are what hold us back.

I ended up staying with my lease because it was my last year. Renewing is easier than moving, but honestly, West Campus housing is terrible. I lived at The Block on Leon, which is the worst, and before that, my apartment on Rio flooded. Austin and especially West Campus sucks. Good luck.

This experience has convinced me it's time to leave. The pay doesn't reflect my worth, and there's too much political interference from state leadership. I'm ready to find a job that values me fairly without the external meddling. This university isn't the right place for me anymore.

I pay an insane amount of money to go here, and they keep finding new ways to take more while giving up your rights. In the end, you get a piece of paper and some graduation photos. Is it worth it? Barely.

I really regret living in San Jacinto. It's incredibly antisocial and isolating—hard to make friends. The water situation is a constant issue, and honestly, the private bathroom is absolutely not worth it. 0/10 experience.