5 Things Every University of Arizona Student Must Do

Why does seemingly every Arizona student rave about their experience in Tucson? Students don’t have a ton of great things to say about the city; there’s no beach, no big market club scene. The answer is simple; there are events at UofA that no other school offers, traditions that instill the strongest school spirit, and a campus that is always improving student life. As you embark on your 4 years, there will be outings and options that you will always be reminded of, but these 5 are musts and will only reinforce your already validated decision to become a wildcat.

1. You must attend basketball and football games.

This one might seem obvious because who doesn’t want to be a part of the raucous student section for a big athletic school? But I’m here to remind you to cherish every opportunity you have to get an awesome seat for awesome sports, because when you graduate you won’t get it back. Even if you do scrape together the $3,000+ to get 50-yard-line season tickets for football or a $10,000 athletic department donation to be considered for the basketball season ticket list, being surrounded by such enthusiasm is something that you will always remember from your time as a student.

2. You must actually use the Campus Recreation Center.

As you have undoubtedly been introduced to during a campus tour, the Campus Recreation center at Arizona is one of the newest in the country. With a giant weight room, classes for both outdoor and indoor activities, and a pool that can actually be used for most months of the school year, there is something for everyone. Start with the best lifting equipment possible, head over to one of several basketball courts that are always going, and end with a custom protein shake from the in-house smoothie restaurant. The view definitely won’t demotivate you either.

3. You must wake up early for class registration.

Listing something academic in the “Must Do’s” list for UofA can be tough to justify, but hear me out. Every time you have to register for next semester’s classes, you are given a day and usually a 6 am time slot to wake up and claim the courses you want. Don’t wake up in time, and chances are you’re going to be slammed with 8 am classes and a full slate on Fridays. So, for the sake of enjoying the rest of this list and everything else you encounter, make sure you get the class schedule that fits a socially active student life.

4. You must go to the Star Pass Pool Party.

Just Google (or YouTube) “Star Pass Pool Party Arizona” and you can skip the rest of this section. It’s the biggest party of the year, and it always delivers. I can honestly say it is one of the only parties I ever went to that I could actually say “oh, this is actually like those parties in the movie” and mean it. Generally the party is in April, and the weather is great, making for perfect brag posts to your friends bundled up around the country.

5. You must go to Dirtbag’s at 6am on graduation day.

One of the most storied traditions at Arizona is the morning drinking that takes place for seniors and their families on graduation day at Dirtbag’s.  You can only do it once, really. Are you in for a hangover setting in at noon? Probably. But considering everyone will be there and the opportunity comes at the end of a 4-year run that you will surely be craving to experience again in 6 months, don’t let it slip by.

Honorable mention: Pi Phi Pizookie Night. Every sorority has a late-night philanthropy event where they make food and host other students to raise money. They are all good, but this is cookies and ice cream and the only legitimate opportunity most guys have to talk to girls that look like the girls in Pi Phi.

Wrapping up, I could probably go on for 2,000 more words on what you have to do during your time as a wildcat. Choosing only 5 wasn’t easy. Go out and meet as many people as you can and attend as many events as you can. Don’t stay in and Netflix more than twice a month, and you will have a list 10 times longer than this one before the summer of your sophomore year.

Sean Wendt graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Spanish, Sports Management, and an Entrepreneurship certificate. When he isn’t listening to sports talk radio, he’s most likely working on one of his apps or researching startups.