Some other ideas of things to do in and around Gainesville, depending on your interests and the weather:
-Watch the Bats leave the bat houses on campus at dusk. On campus near Frat row and next to Lake Alice. It may not sound like it, but it is pretty impressive.
-Depot Park - just south of downtown and East of sorority row - usually packed with students on nice weekend days hanging out, walking, playing, etc.
-Eat lunch or dinner at one of the many downtown establishments (near Depot Park)
-Devil’s Millhopper State Park - Northwest part of Gainesville, neat geological area, mini rainforest, check what is accessible due to COVID before going.
-Sweetwater Wetlands - South edge of Gainesville, nice park to walk with lots of birds and gators in their natural habitat.
-If not part of the self tour - Go into The Swamp (football stadium) and O Dome (basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, swimming & diving). Take pictures with the bull gator and 3 Heisman winners statues on West side of the stadium.
-Visit new $70M baseball stadium that opened last weekend
-Check out the Southwest Recreation complex if student is interested in working out
-Harn Museum of Art on campus - has a new exhibit of Florida-themed art donated last year which is the largest collection of its kind
-Satchel’s pizza is a unique spot and good pizza. A bit far from campus (northeast), but worth the drive.
-Watch the sunset at Paynes Prairie - few miles south of Gainesville on 441, (13th street). People just pull over on the side of the road (441) and watch.
This is not a comprehensive list, but a good start. If others have ideas, please add!
Wow! This is a lot of information. I will take it to plan my visit. I can see that we will have a full day schedule with all these. It’s a good reference for every family who is planning a self-guided tour. Thanks a lot!
Anyone know if you applied after the deadline if you really have any chance of an acceptance at the end of March? My DD was late and I want to set her expectations.
Looks like they added additional sessions starting March 23rd for the admitted student tours. @Melissa96 , do you know if any additional sessions will be added in the week of March 8th? We already have flight tickets to visit UF on March 12th? Both my husband and I have work obligations the rest of March and April. Thanks!
Thank you for this, managed to get on one, but they were disappearing fast. Took several tries before I got one that wasn’t gone by the time I put in our information.
I felt like I won the lottery - kind of almost like I felt when I went on the costco site just seconds before everyone told me and was able to secure a ps5…maybe my obsessive email and portal checking pays off :)…
They Renovated Jennings a few years ago. Of course it still looks the same as when I lived there in 83-84.
Here is the “plan” for the next 10 years…
UF plans to finish the honors college and athletics dorm by fall 2023. It’s projected to cost $60 million.
Also in 2023, UF plans to demolish Rawlings Hall, a 352-bed dorm, and start renovating Beaty Towers east. UF says renovating the existing building will cost about 65% of the tab for new construction.
Within 10 years, UF plans to renovate Beaty West, Yulee Hall, Mallory Hall, Fletcher Hall and Sledd Hall. It also plans to demolish Trusler Hall and Simpson Hall.
@MomofBoysFL Six days ago, on posting # 643, Melissa96, who works at UF, posted that merit scholarships would be out in one week. If that is correct, it should be tomorrow.
That sounds about right. During the admitted student virtual information session my daughter and I attended yesterday, they said financial aid decisions will be in the one.uf portal in mid march.
I know, and I am trying to find the post for it but can’t find it. It was from UF financial aid office. As soon as I find it, I will post a picture here.
This bill is up for its first hearing on Tuesday in the Education committee. I think we need to flood them with emails against it. Please each do unique emails with different subject headings from each of you and anyone else to whom you pass this along. (You can do the same email to each senator). The democrats will vote against the bill, I’m sure. We need to turn just one Republican to kill the bill. The Republican members of the Education committee are listed below. Here is the bill. You should read so you understand what it does: https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/86/BillText/Filed/PDF. Underlined words are new language added to the current statutes.
This is the key provision they added:
(c) Eligibility for state financial aid awards and tuition assistance grants must be reevaluated each term based on the program of study to which the student has been admitted and in which he or she is enrolled. Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year and thereafter, eligibility for such awards and grants is contingent on the student’s enrollment in a career certificate or degree program on an approved list developed pursuant to s. 1009.46(2)(a).
