To live on campus or move off...Great Question!

Hi All!

I know I have been bad about blogging recently, but I have been SUPER busy with school and everything else going on! Even though is it Spring Break right now, there is still so much to do with only 57 days til graduation! I just got an e-mail today about ordering class rings...I didn't know people still did that! My dad has his class ring from college, but he graduated in 1978 (What an old guy, huh?) UT is also offering packages for students who would like to order memerobilia such as notecards, a diploma cover, as well as pre-ordered photos of students crossing the stage at graduation. All of these things are great to have for the furture.

Speaking of the future, I am starting to look into getting a new apartment once I graduate! I currently live with my best friend, Christie, in a 2 bedroom apartment about 2 miles from campus. I really like the location as it is close to Hyde Park and South Howard (local areas that have all the night spots!), but Christie is going to the Peacecorps after graduation, so I need to find a 1 bedroom apartment for myself (kind of scary, huh?). There are SOO many places around the Tampa Bay area that I would be interesting in living at, but I have narrowed it down to a few places that are close to UT. Even though I will graduate in May, I'd still like to be close to campus as it has become my home for the past 4 years. I am far enough away from my real home back in Massachuestts, so I don't think I'd do too well very far from my new home at Ut, right after graduation at least!

I have only lived off campus since this past summer. Even though having my own apartment is great, I lived on campus my other three years and loved every minute of it. Freshman year, I started out in McKay Hall, community side. Now before you start to cringe and think, "oh wow, she got the short end of the stick", let me tell you a little secret: McKay is the most fun dorm on campus for freshman. Students come for visits and are so dazzled by the beautifully renovated dorms, such as Austin Hall and Staduim Center, that when they reach McKay hall, everyone tends to turn up their noses and think of that dorm as their least favorite. Surprisingly enough, if you talk to any student who has lived in McKay, almost every student will agree that McKay was an amazing experience and they would not have traded the fun times they had or the friends they met in McKay for a nicer dorm like the Vaughn Center. McKay is one of the only dorms on campus, besides Smiley Hall, that has the capabilty of leaving your doors open. The other dorms have automatic shutting doors. Most students in McKay leave their doors open, much like I did freshman year, and all hang out in the hallways. The community bathrooms in McKay also tend to turn prospective students away, but I will be the first to tell you that I met a lot of my friends that I am still friends with now in the bathroom. It may sound wierd, but it's true! I would recommend McKay hall to any freshman coming to UT!

When it came to living arragement sophomore year, I was a little disappointed when I wasn't able to live in Brevard Hall. Most sophomores live in either Brevard or Stadium Center where the rooms are set up with 2 double bedrooms connected by a common livingroom and a shared bathroom. Other sophomores live in the Vaughn Center, like I did. Christie and I got a double room in Vaughn with each other and although we wanted to be with our friends in Brevard, Vaughn was a great time as well!

As a Junior, it is good to know you have more pull when it comes to selecting a dorm. Most Juniors and Seniors live in either Rescom or Straz Hall where the dorms are setup apartment-style: 4 single bedrooms with a common livingroom area, kitchen, and shared bathroom. I lived in Straz Hall my Junior year with Christie and our two other friends Nichole and Kristen. We would have dinner and movie nights when we'd all cook dinner and hang out at night! The apartment style living gives students a feel for what it is like to live in an actual apartment while still having the safety and amenities of a college campus.

Although it is not required to live on campus at UT, I HIGHLY recommend it! There is always something going on on campus that you wouldn't want to miss out on as well as the opprotunity to interact with your collegues. Being on campus is a great way to make friends and be a part of the Spartan Community!

Happy Thursday :)