I have been told countless times that spending freshman year on campus is the best decision for a college student. In theory, this advice makes sense: dorm life helps students deal with living independently while keeping them close to class. But with these advantages comes a price — paid for both in literal dollars and in quality of life. When choosing where to live next year, UT students should...
Scattered amongst the bustling campus and connected by the yellow brick road are the University’s unsung dorm halls. Jester halls stand strong and tall. The Honors Quad, on the other side of campus, is humble with a hint of birds chirping and proximity to Littlefield Cafe on a vibrant spring morning. Students move out of dorms for a reason. And yes, I agree, there are limitations to dorm life. Even...
A report from the University showed that almost 40% of first-time in college (FTIC) freshmen lived off campus in Fall 2021. The report did not list the specific reasons why students chose to live off campus. According to the University’s 2021-22 Common Data Set, 61% of FTIC freshmen — which does not include first-year transfer students — lived in “college-owned, operated, or affiliated...
Every time Vivian Garza-Lash stood in her dimly-lit shoe-box sized kitchen, anxiety coursed through her veins. She couldn’t even stand comfortably with her roommate in the small space. While the biology sophomore grew up believing the kitchen serves as the heart of the home, there, practically chest-to-chest with the appliances, the space felt flattening. “The kitchen is supposed to be open,...
Austin residents can now apply for up to six months of rent assistance from the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, expanded from the three months it previously covered. The Relief of Emergency Needs for Tenant program provides up to six months of rent repayment for Austin residents experiencing COVID-19-related income loss, said Pilar Sanchez, vice president of Housing and Community Development...
Even though her first semester of college is only just drawing to a close, government freshman Sydney Murray already knows where she's living next year. After meeting her future roommates through her sorority, Murray has already signed a lease for an apartment in West Campus for her sophomore year. “It felt that within the first month of being here, everybody had their roommates already figured...
Since classes began, Nakhia Hall has received regular texts from her mom warning her about rising COVID-19 cases in on-campus dormitories. With the number of cases in the UT community rising, some students such as biomedical engineering freshman Hall are concerned for their health and considering moving from the dorms to single-occupancy apartments. Since classes started Aug. 26, a total of 647...
Sure Walk is changing their operations this semester to reduce health risks. Sure Walk, which provides free walks and rides from on-campus locations to home at night, resumed services Aug. 20 after a break following the University’s transition to remote learning in March. It will be available seven days a week from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Masks will be required for staff and patrons, and vehicle use will...
As students begin the fall semester, many may feel uncertain about how they will navigate the virtual college experience while caring for their mental health. The Daily Texan spoke to Kathryn Redd, the associate director for Prevention, Development and Media Relations for the Counseling and Mental Health Center, about resources and advice students can use to practice self-care. The Daily Texan: How...
Weekly club meetings, late nights at the library and catching up with friends on Speedway are all part of the usual social atmosphere on campus. However, because of current Travis County orders prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people, most of campus social life will be virtual this fall. After UT-Austin’s reopening plan was released on June 29, a few students and campus departments began...