Hey Ohioan! What part of Ohio? I grew up in North Olmsted… a wholesome little ‘burb on the west side of Cleveland.

“What was it like coming from Ohio to Austin?” For me it was ridiculously easy- but my situation was probably different than the one you’re facing.

For starters I had moved far away from the ole OH before, and had been dreaming about grad school for awhile. I also have three very good friends from Ohio who moved to Austin before me– they are the main reason my transition was so seamless. I would have been much more nervous without friends to show me cute places to live, work and eat… not to mention call when I ran out of gas (oh yeah, I did that), or needed a cup of sugar (didn’t do that, I am a silly awful cook, but you get the idea.)

For fun (and also to procrastinate finals) I compiled a list of reasons why you should not worry about moving to Austin

1. Austin is special. I can’t describe it, but there is a lack of competitive striving and one-upmanship here that is really refreshing. Yesterday I went to Wheatsville Co-op for a smoothie and left feeling as if I had known the cashier my whole life. That’s how people are in Austin.

2. The drive here is fantastic. Take a whole week, and see some sites. We went to some caves in WV, stopped at my Aunt’s in Tennessee, spent a day in Hot Springs AK, and hit up the roadside museums all along Hwy 35 once we entered TX.

3. The weather! In Cleveland the forecast varies between clouds, rain and snow. My first few months in TX, I did everything outside except sleep… even in 110 degrees. As I saw it, I had years of vitamin D deficiency to make up for.

4. You are coming as an undergrad, and that is a good thing! In graduate school you kind of show up and they’re like: “Here’s a map and ID… have at it!” Conversely, YOU will get the whole shebang of orientation events, parties with free food, tours, and the conveniences of campus… which is surrounded by awesome things to do in walking or bus distance.

I hope this helps, I really think you’ll like it here. Best wishes on your application!

Rebecca

UT is a great school. If you love sports, then I’m sure you know every sport is different. The good things about cycling are different than the good things about football.

College is the same way. The trick is finding which school has the qualities that fit with your personality. Is there anything about UT you would like to know?

I can tell you a few reasons I chose UT:

1. It’s one of the biggest schools in the country- and I love being around large groups of different people, who do different things, and have different interests.

2. UT has a special program in Art Teaching that no other colleges offer.

3. I love Austin! The weather, and the funky people who live here fit really well with my personality. I love “Keep Austin Weird!”

4. I liked that UT was in a different state. My first degree was at a school near my home in Ohio, and I wanted a change. I also have friends in Austin, so moving here to be close to them was exciting.

Ever since First Grade, I loved making art, which helped me choose a school when I grew older.

What things do you love to do?