One of my favorite aspects of MPA thus far is the family you form within it. Only three months into my first semester of MPA and I already have made friends I know will last a lifetime. I met these people in my MPA classes at the beginning of this semester. I think we came together naturally because we all had the same classes and we all shared the same look of fear on our faces during the first few weeks. We started out by forming a study group on Facebook. We made reservations at PCL for study rooms (Great tool, you should utilize this!!), then went over our homework and studied together. It was all pretty formal at first because we did not know each other very well, but then we became good friends as we bonded over stress and hard work. Sometimes, we would have (and still do!) miniature freak-outs before each test and then once the tests were over we’d celebrate together. We also created a group text for when we need to ask quick questions of each other about homework or any course material. The four of us have planned to live together next year as well.

The point is, you will meet a lot of people in MPA and you will make a lot of new friends. The best friends you make are ones that will be with you through tough times and we all know MPA can be a tough program. You will need people who understand your situation, so who better to be a friend to you than someone who is in the very same situation?! And having study groups in this program is a MUST. I cannot stress enough how much it has helped me. I have NEVER in my past years here at UT had a study group. I just did work independently and asked questions from my classmates here and there. So go out and make new friends because you will be so happy you did! MPA just makes the process of making these friends that much easier!