The University of Texas at Arlington has plenty of good things going in its favor, but the school is not immune to things to avoid. There are some places you just don’t bother going and some things you shouldn’t do while on campus. Here are five things to avoid at UTA.
1.) Avoid University Hall if cell phone reception or internet access is important.
The building is a good place for a tornado shelter. Unfortunately, the thick walls and multiple stories aren’t conducive for good service. If you’re expecting an important call during a class in University Hall, you may want to skip class that day, or try to schedule the call to come in when you won’t be in the building. As one of my friends put it: if you’re dying, that’s not the building to be in, because you won’t be able to call for help.
2.) If you need to study, the library may seem like a good option.
But you should avoid the first floor and the fourth floor. The first floor has a coffee bar and it’s not library quiet. There are usually several people on the first floor trying to get internet access. The fourth floor is the Greek floor. Same thing: people huddled in groups, studying or not, except they are all members of a sorority or a fraternity.
3.) If you want to use the parking garage, it’s going to take advanced planning.
The parking garage is across the street from the business building and next to the nursing building. It’s almost in the middle of campus. The streets to and from the parking garage are one way and you end up passing several parking lots to get to it. It’s not set off to the side of campus. It’s surrounded by buildings.
There is always a line of vehicles waiting to get in and a line of vehicles exiting. It’s not a big garage either and the cost can be steep considering all the other expenses of going to school.
4.) Avoid eating lunch at the University Center at noon.
It gets packed fast. Waiting 30 minutes before going in can make all the difference in how quickly you get food and find a place to sit. Also avoid the Starbucks in the University Center. The line is always long. There is not enough time between classes to get a cup of coffee.
If you’re in desperate need of coffee, wait until you are either done for the day or at least have free time between classes. Otherwise, visit one of the many other non-Starbucks coffee shops on campus.
5.) Don’t self-advise: every department at UTA has advisors.
They will put you on a degree plan. They will tell you which classes you still need and which ones don’t apply toward your degree. I’ve heard from advisors and students alike that self-advising results in unnecessary classes and ultimately pushes back your anticipated graduation date.
See your advisor once a year and make sure you keep your graduation on track. Otherwise you’ll end up on the 9-year plan that I was on.
Elizabeth Page graduated from UTA in 2011 with a degree in Communications-Journalism.
Key takeaways
- University Hall's thick walls and multiple stories make for poor cell and internet service, so skip class if an important call is coming in.
- For quiet study, dodge the library's first floor (coffee bar, not library quiet) and the fourth floor, the Greek floor.
- The parking garage sits mid-campus surrounded by buildings on one-way streets, with lines both entering and exiting, and the cost is steep.
- The University Center gets packed fast at noon; waiting 30 minutes helps, and the UC Starbucks line is always too long between classes.
- Every UTA department has advisors who put you on a degree plan, so self-advising just adds unnecessary classes and can push back graduation.
Frequently asked questions
- Why avoid University Hall at UTA if you need phone service?
- Its thick walls and multiple stories aren't conducive to good cell or internet service. The author's friend put it bluntly: if you're dying, that's not the building to be in, because you won't be able to call for help.
- Which library floors should you avoid for quiet study at UTA?
- The first floor, which has a coffee bar and isn't library quiet, and the fourth floor, the Greek floor, where sorority and fraternity members huddle in groups, studying or not.
- Why does parking at the UTA garage take advanced planning?
- The garage sits mid-campus surrounded by buildings, the streets to and from it are one-way, and you pass several lots to reach it. There's always a line waiting to get in and another exiting, it's not big, and the cost is steep considering other school expenses.
- When should you avoid the University Center at UTA?
- At noon for lunch, when it gets packed fast; waiting 30 minutes makes all the difference. Also avoid the UC Starbucks, whose line is always too long to get coffee between classes.
- Why shouldn't you self-advise at UTA?
- Every department has advisors who put you on a degree plan and tell you which classes count. Self-advising produces unnecessary classes and pushes back your graduation date; the author ended up on the 9-year plan.
- Why is University Hall described as a good tornado shelter but bad for service?
- Its thick walls and multiple stories make it good for sheltering from a tornado, but those same walls aren't conducive to good cell or internet service.
- Where can UTA students get coffee besides the UC Starbucks?
- If you're in desperate need of coffee, wait until you're done for the day or have free time between classes, or visit one of the many other non-Starbucks coffee shops on campus.