What I learned in college freshman year

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
1

<p>I made this list at the end of my freshman year of college (so, back in 2004… whew, I’m old…) Perhaps it will be helpful to someone. </p>

<p>Things I’ve learned in college</p>

<li> If you mix liquor with diet soda or sugar-free juice, you’re less likely to get sick. Drinking beer only is best of all because it’s mostly water. DRINK WATER before you go to bed. At least a full glass.</li>
<li> Don’t look at the sodium content of Ramen noodles. There are some things you’re better off not knowing. Ditto for Kraft mac and cheese.</li>
<li> Don’t attempt to drive to class if you only live 3 blocks from campus. Any parking spot you find will probably be further away than where you started from. </li>
<li> If you have dine-in dollars, don’t spend them all in your first semester on 10-dollar meals from Jester City Limits. Eat in the cafeterias, or you’ll have no money left by March. </li>
<li> Bevo Bucks are the biggest scam ever. Don’t forget that they are real money. </li>
<li> Wal-Mart is cheaper than HEB, but HEB is closer to campus and has better produce. </li>
<li> Parking in downtown Austin may seem expensive, but 5 to 10 dollars is nothing compared to other big cities. Be grateful. Or take the 1 bus. It goes straight down Guadalupe, is free, and takes about 15 minutes. Do not fear public transportation.</li>
<li> If you put a knocker on your dorm room door, everyone who walks by will knock, even if they don’t want to come in. </li>
<li> If you are walking and see a bike coming toward you, don’t try to move out of the way. They will steer around you. </li>
<li>Even if the libraries are open, the circulation desk may not be, so make sure you can check out book when you need to. </li>
<li>Never take the elevator up or down one floor. </li>
<li>If you must get a job, get a job working on campus. It’s a short commute, and working for a public institution means no taxes get taken out of your paycheck. </li>
<li>Gas in East Austin is usually at least a few cents cheaper per gallon than the stations right near campus. </li>
<li>Don’t store clear liquor in unmarked water bottles in your fridge. A tragic mix-up is bound to occur one hung-over morning. </li>
<li>If something in the Daily Texan ****es you off, instead of just fuming about it, write a Firing Line and let your voice be heard. </li>
<li>E-mail your professors. It’s less scary and time-consuming than going into office hours, but it still gives the impression that you care. Plus, when it comes time to assign final grades, they’ll have your name right there in writing to remind them who sent them that insightful comment or question. </li>
<li>Don’t sit in the back of huge lecture halls, particularly Burdine 106. Sure, it’s easier to sleep, but you’re going to hear or learn anything. </li>
<li>Austin has an incredibly diverse restaurant selection. Don’t get caught in the rut of going to Jack in the Box and Taco Cabana for every meal; take advantage of what the city has to offer.</li>
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2

<p>Wow, I copied this list and showed it to my friends. It's great. Thanks!</p>

3

<p>Please explain dine-in dollars vs bevo bucks.</p>

4

<p>Good list, but HEB's--I suspect that you are referring to the one just off of 35 North of Campus--produce is usually absolutely terrible or it has been recently. Even Fiesta has a better produce selection than that HEB.</p>

<p>lealdragon:</p>

<p>When you live in the dorms, you automatically buy a meal plan. You get two kinds of currencies: bevo bucks and dine-in-dollars. Dine-in-dollars can only be used on campus and even then only at certain places--I don't believe the chains accept dine-in-dollars, but I may be wrong. However you are not limited to only cafeteria style options. You can have a la carte and some pretty good ones at places like Jester City Limits and Cypress Bend. OP rightly warns that cannot eat these places without running out of dine-in-dollars.</p>

<p>Bevo Bucks on the other hand can be used at both places on campus and off campus. You can also convert Bevo Bucks to Dine-in-dollars to take advantage of the discount given to residents of dorms. You cannot convert the other way though. Places that take Bevo Bucks include CVS, Chipotle, Which-Which, Starbucks, etc. </p>

<p>I think the split in the dining plan is 300 Bevo Bucks and 1200 Dine-in-dollars. </p>

<p>The University tries to convince ALL parents to give money to their kids through Bevo Bucks. It's a bad deal. You get no interest on the money you put in that account and your kid is limited to what he can buy somewhat. However, one can still buy alcohol with bevo bucks and theoretically could buy other things by buying pre-paid credit cards... Fortunately, you can get whatever is left in the account when you take a leave of absence or graduate. I concur with the opinion that they are a terrible deal.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the info! Can students living off-campus get dine-in-dollars?</p>

6

<p>I was afraid you might ask that question. I don't know for certain if non-dorm residents can purchase dine-in-dollars, but I am fairly certain it is NOT possible.</p>

<p>
[quote]

After a student leaves the residence hall any remaining Dine In Dollars are transferred to a roll over plan and can be used at Bevo Bucks prices in DHFS operated dining centers for one semester.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What this doesn't tell you is that after that semester dollars remaining in the account are forfeited...</p>

7

<p>They cannot.</p>

<p>Best way around it is to get someone else to pay for you, and you don't have to pay that exorbitant amount (6.50 compared to 3.50 [estimates of course])</p>