During my four years until graduating in 2012, I spent my time in Tucson, Arizona,immersing myself in school spirit like it was required for a participation grade. I took advantage of upperclassmen contacts and by the end of my first semester I knew which restaurants had the cheapest appetizers, which libraries always had an open computer, and which professors showed the most mercy while grading papers. These are the type of school hacks everyone learns with time, but there are still five things I wish I knew before attending at the University of Arizona that would have made the experience even better.
1.) Mama’s BBQ has good, healthy food late night.
This might not seem imperative, but as with most cities, a vast majority of the restaurants open after midnight in Tucson are fast food joints. Usually this is fine if you’re stumbling home from the bars or after a party, but college life isn’t conducive to an early bedtime even if it is not a social night.
Whether you’re up late because it’s a paper you’ve procrastinated on or your group project turned into a solo project, you will get used to wanting some real food as an option in the wee hours of the morning and Mama’s BBQ on Park and Speedway is just that. Taco Shop and Los Betos are Tucson staples, don’t get me wrong, but I wish I knew of a dish that didn’t come with a side of grease before my junior year.
2.) The best internships are in the athletic department.
Interning with a University affiliated program will allow you to meet people your age and have flexibility once midterms, finals, and spring breaks come around. Among the best of these programs is the athletic department. You can get involved with everything from finance, marketing, in-game promotions, or even technical equipment in game day operations.
You will still get to attend football and basketball games which is great because they don’t let freshmen touch those, and each department is so tightly knit it’s the best way to experience many roles and responsibilities in a short amount of time to learn what you like, and more importantly what you don’t like.
3. Miracle Mile Bowling Alley has the best “Thirsty Thursday” pregame special.
This is more relevant for those old enough to drink, but junior and senior year are usually no different from the first two years in that money is tight for anything past groceries and rent. Most of the popular bars near campus that tout “Thirsty Thursday” specials are so packed you’re lucky to get two Dixie cups of PBR before 10 o clock. This is where Miracle Mile Bowling Alley comes in.
Their Thursday special involves $4 games of bowling and unlimited $1 beers. If you can put up with karaoke that sounds like a fork against your teeth, then you and your friends can really take advantage of an underutilized bar before heading out for the night.
4.) Make yourself wake up and go to Cactus Grill for breakfast.
Cactus Grill has the best breakfast of any option on campus and no one knows about it because it’s upstairs and stops serving around 10 o clock in the morning, and there’s very little you can get to-go. With almost every student under the spell of waking up, going to class, then getting breakfast, or just grabbing a bagel in the Student Union, this usually means having to go without a real breakfast.
Cactus grill has unbelievable breakfast sandwiches and a buffet line every morning with every hot option from custom omelets to biscuits and gravy. Do it for the stats that show your grades and productivity will be improve, or just do it to start your day in a great mood with good food. I wish I had known about that breakfast early on.
5.) Bursars receipts are not itemized.
Perhaps the most important thing to know going into your first semester is how to make the most of the bookstore. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I found out I could charge anything to my Bursars account and it would still show up as books as far as my parents were concerned. I don’t own a single textbook from my time as an undergrad, but I still have speakers, a printer and an external hard drive that have served me well.
The University of Arizona has so much to offer, I advise not letting any time slip by. Don’t let grades get in your way of an education. Classes are hugely important, but getting involved was the only way I learned about these tricks and hidden gems instead of hanging out with the same people every weekend. You will be thankful you did, and you will develop a much longer list than this to enhance your Tucson stay.
Sean Wendt graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors 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.