I am officially a Comet!  

Over spring break, I toured the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) for the first time and absolutely fell in love with it. My expectations weren’t very high going into the tour because, based on both word of mouth and social media, UTD doesn’t always have the best reputation. So, I was honestly expecting an unattractive campus that I wouldn’t like very much at all. 

When I first arrived, I noticed a lot of construction, which made me think the memes online might actually be true. However, my tour guide quickly informed us that construction included a 360,000-square-foot Student Success Center and Student Union, a 125,000-square-foot Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM) III expansion and the ongoing construction of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum. Fortunately, all of this is expected to be completed by the start of the fall semester, so incoming freshmen like me will get to enjoy a construction-free environment (at least for a little while). 

UTD is one of those schools that is almost always renovating something, as seen through its campus transformation timeline. Our tour guide mentioned that this is part of an ongoing “beautification project,” which began after the campus was notoriously labeled as the 17th “least beautiful campus.” Since then, Margaret McDermott donated 50 million dollars towards “beautifying” the campus by turning it into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly environment. 

As I explored, I noticed many hidden gems around campus: food delivery robots, ping pong and pool tables, TV lounges, and a free-to-use gym with access to a pool, basketball, volleyball, badminton, racquetball/squash, and even outdoor fitness areas (not just for athletes). There are also free rentals for various retro and modern gaming consoles and their games, a dedicated gaming space called Comets LANding, and free flu shots and health checkups. 

I also loved how there were plenty of indoor and outdoor study spaces, along with lots of food options to fuel long study sessions, including Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Firehouse Subs, The Halal Shack, Smoothie King, and Taco Bell Cantina. 

Academically, out of all the schools I applied to, UTD has the strongest curricula I’ve seen. 

I especially love that JSOM (business) students are required to complete a major-related internship and at least 100 volunteer hours. I feel like those requirements will push me to put myself out there more and take advantage of opportunities. It’s also reassuring that they don’t just expect students to figure it out on their own: they require an internship prep class and offer plenty of clubs and organizations to help students meet those goals. 

During my tour, I got to talk to so many club leaders, current students, and prospective students, and honestly, I didn’t have a single negative experience as everyone seemed so kind and welcoming. 

So, almost immediately after I returned from my tour, I committed to UTD and will be receiving a Bachelor of Science in Global Business! I can’t wait to spend the next four years as a Comet (as cringy as that sounds) and meet new people, try out new clubs, and take advantage of all the opportunities ahead. 

However, the stress for a senior does not stop here. Because now I have to worry about the superficial stuff: shopping for prom, getting senior pictures done, and finding a graduation dress… all while trying to maintain a solid GPA so my offer doesn’t get rescinded. 

Before I Lea-ve, 

Thank you for reading and following along with this exciting new chapter! More updates coming soon!