What you need for College: What you pack for college depends primarily on whether you will stay in a dorm or in an apartment. I will follow the assumption that you will stay in the dorm (otherwise bring a bed). First, unless you will never return home, you might not need to bring everything that you ever owned to you dorm room. Most likely the room will be crowded regardless. For the first couple of months, Austin is warm and until Thanksgiving, the fifth sweater will probably be unnecessary. Your dorm room will have a small refrigerator to store food and a microwave, which will save you money when you become hungry after 7:00 PM when the cafeteria closes. In terms of actual supplies, some pens, some pencils and scratch paper is usually enough. Don't worry if you don't have a computer because they are available in the computer labs in the UGL, some of the dorms, and various departments around campus. Printers are also available. You might bring books that you like to read, pictures, and whatever makes you feel comfortable (like a small carpet) because the dorm room will be your new home. For example, a fan might be useful if you like to sleep in a very cold room.

With regards to buying books for classes, it's best to get them as soon as possible. Used copies are cheaper than new ones, but there's limited amounts and they go fast. Note that some books are optional and will be marked as such; depending on your ability in the subject and your interest in exploring additional topics, you often won't need them. Don't worry if you later decide to drop the class, since all the stores will let you return books for a full refund (with receipt) until the 12th class day. Books can be found on the drag (Guadalupe) at the CO-OP. Additionally, you can buy used books directly from other students using the official online service at TexBooks. At the end of the semester, when you go to sell your books, be sure to check it out as well--you can get much better prices than you can from the bookstores. When buying, you might also want to ask fellow Dean's Scholars if they had those classes and might have kept their books. In fact, other Dean's Scholars are going to be good sources of information in general. They can give information about things to do and classes to take. There is also a reference book about professors and classes available in the Dean's Scholars room that you might want to peruse before final registration, as well as the online course instructor surveys. Along with my books, I usually bought notebooks with pockets. These are good to hold the syllabus and returned assignments. But, note taking is a personal subject and up to you.

What to Wear: As in any place, the situation dictates your attire. For the most part, UT is very informal and comfort is the key. Shorts and shirts are acceptable to most classes and, depending on the weather, are the most commonly seen items. For colder days, jeans and jacket or sweatshirt will do just fine.

Dressing for parties and 6th street is more of a personal choice. Again, however, jeans and button-ups are the main outfits seen. There are very few restaurants that will require jackets and ties and you probably won't be going to any of them on a student budget. Common sense should play a large role in your decisions, but don't be afraid to ask what the attire will be. For example, certain school functions usually recommend ties and jackets, though these are rare.

What to do in Austin: Besides the parties that occasionally occur in Austin, there is a wide variety of activities which you will discover as you reside in the city for a while. I will name a few but I probably haven't even seen most of the local attractions. There are quite a few natural escapes including Barton Springs, Zilker Park, Eastwoods Park, Pease Park and Mt. Bonnel. Most locations in the city can be reached by various buses that are free with your student ID. For more cultural attractions the city offers a wide venue of musical and theatrical performances. Most of the newspapers will list the bands playing in the local pubs and theaters. This will usually come out on Thursday in the Daily Texan, but performances occur on all weeknights. The UT drama department produces several shows a year but there are other venues such as At-Random shows and shows that perform in places like the Chicago House. These will be listed in the Daily Texan as well. For dancing, 6th street contains most of the clubs. However, there are clubs in other areas of the downtown. The music is also spread out but mostly in the downtown area. As a warning, most places will let students over 18 enter but are very strict with regard to alcohol, especially around 6th street, which has a large number of minors.

Extracurricular Activities: UT has a tremendous amount of clubs and there is something for everyone. In fact, if they don't have your particular hobby or interest represented, it only takes three interested individuals to set up an organization. The listing for the organizations can be found online. Likewise, the Daily Texan lists the activities that go on daily if a club wishes to publicize them. Also, the recreational sports division organizes trips to various locations and there are informal classes that are usually organized by the student union. These activities can greatly enhance your college experience, and it is never too late to try something new. There is plenty of time in college to explore.

Studying: A chief concern at a University is getting good grades. College is different from high school in several ways. The studying is more independent and usually more challenging. Also, there are fewer assignments and thus it is harder for you to pace yourself before an exam. Math, chemistry and physics courses usually give homework assignments, but these are rare for biology classes. The best way to study is to keep the same study habits that worked for you in high school. Usually, the exams and major assignments are in cycles about three weeks to a month apart. This gives plenty of time to plan ahead and design a schedule that facilitates studying. There is a danger that you will procrastinate and try to attack all the information at once. The exams are usually more difficult than high school, and this method which might have worked in the past will probably fail now. At times, there are great amounts of information given in a month, and the best way to study is to gradually try to learn the information and then study it intensively for several hours each day of the week before a test. Many professors leave old exams in the libraries or on the class web pages, and these offer good sources for studying as well as your notes.

Placing out of classes: With regard to placement tests, I recommend placing out of as many hours as possible. Many beginning classes at UT are very introductory and quite crowded. Unless a class is in an area where you are weak, placement hours can offer you flexibility with regard to your degree and let you lighten your load. For example, by placing out of Freshman English one can take a more advanced and interesting English course. Most of the advanced classes are smaller, more specific, and thus more interesting. Similarly, you might not want to take any English at all. A second benefit of placement hours is that certain classes can only be taken when you have an upper division status and placement hours will hasten your ability to attain this status. Thirdly, if you are interested in doing research then you probably want to take a smaller number of hours during that semester. Getting ahead of the game plan can never hurt.

Going to Class: Another temptation in college is to skip classes. Except for a few classes that take attendance, most professors will not take roll and will not notice your absence. UT is a little impersonal with its large classes and one tends to feel insignificant and detached from the professors. I can vouch for the fact that most professors like teaching and like their students. A good hint is to try to sit in the first three rows and ignore the masses behind you. Also, I recommend that you don't skip class until at least after the first round of tests. First off, until you become familiar with your professor, there is no telling whether or not he will choose to take attendance or give a quiz. Secondly, unlike high school where most information resides in books, many professors lecture and test from their own notes and use books as additional rather than main sources. Thirdly, lectures offers another means learning the material which is different from just reading. Finally and perhaps most importantly, classes are a good place to meet students and socialize. I have found and formed many study groups in classes.

Discussion sessions: Most classes have discussion sessions that accompany them. To tell the truth, most of your real learning will come from these sessions. For the most part, they are smaller and much more personal. The TAs are accessible and usually knowledgeable. They almost invariably grade a lot of the assignments, and it is important that you attend these sessions. The professor and TAs will make it clear whether attendance is required, but it usually is. Feel free to ask any questions that come up. The TAs and professors are usually open to questions (or at least should be). Few professors and TAs mind questions during their sessions and most prefer them. Questions by students let them know how much of their lectures are getting through. Regardless, both offer office hours where they are very ready to answer questions. Don't hesitate to go to office hours. You are not going to bother teachers and even "easy" questions won't make you look unworthy.

Where to Study: Studying is a very personal habit and therefore the time and place of your studies depends on you. The dorms are usually fairly noisy, so there are quite a few alternatives. A casual place to study that is a median between a silent and social atmosphere is the Texas Union. The second, third and fourth floors offer couches and tables that are fairly quiet and are near food and coffee. A close second is the PCL and lounge of the UGL. The PCL can get fairly noisy and rather than getting annoyed with people, the best bet is to avoid it. The UGL is quiet on the higher floors. Likewise, the life science library in the main building is very quiet, especially in the stacks area located in the back. There are also libraries in Welch, RLM and various other buildings that offer more specialized information and quiet. Many libraries also have conference rooms that can be used for group study: the PCL, UGL, and chemistry libraries among them.

Dealing with Stress and staying alive: College like any time of your life can be a stressful time. The key to minimizing stress is to stay healthy. It is very easy to become distracted in college and lose track of yourself. Most students leave their parents behind and are unsupervised, which is probably for the best. However, it is a good idea to try to maintain a lifestyle that fits you. In other words, make time for yourself and keep habits that let you relax. If you are used to exercising then keep it up. If you like to read then make time for that. New pressures will arise in college and it is important for you to allow your brain a chance to feel comfortable. Other aspects of your life that change include eating and sleeping habits. There is a tendency to start staying up until 2:00 AM and ordering cheap pizzas. From experience, I can say that your body will not tolerate this for long. Listening to your body and following your best instincts are the best pieces of advice to staying fit and well. If you do happen to become ill, the student health center is open at all times and can offer assistance.