Category Archives: Student Life

extracurricular activites, UT sports and other campus events, student organizations, recreation, etc.

TeXercise Time

October 14, 2015 meganwagner Leave a comment

September has always been a slow month for me, but with recruitment in full swing and a heavy fall course load, it absolutely flew by this year. I would not believe it was October if not for the Halloween candy and orange Oreos that have become my frequent study snacks.

With the significant amount of stress that comes with a busy semester and the significant amount of sweets I consume while studying, I had to find a way to stay healthy. The answer for me was “TeXercise.”

TeXercise is UT’s group exercise program. As a student, you have free, unlimited access to the university’s recreation facilities on campus. I frequent the Gregory gym weight room and have began to take small steps towards my goal of running a half marathon on the treadmills. However for the days I am feeling unmotivated or too busy to plan a workout for myself, I like to attend an exercise class.

I purchased the semester pass for $85 at the beginning of the semester and received free access to the Group Cycling classes as a bonus for purchasing the pass early. If you have ever paid for a single cycling class or gym membership, you recognize that this is a great bargain. More details including prices and a class schedule can be found at the Division of Recreational Sports website.

I have attended multiple yoga classes (Sunrise, Vinyasa) as well as Nike+ Training Club and group cycling classes. The cycling classes are definitely my favorite, but I have enjoyed the ability to get to try out a little bit of every type of exercise. For instance, I had never attended a yoga class before this semester and it is nice to learn the basics in a judgement free environment. During a stressful week, hitting the gym is the way I like to stay calm and focused.

Even better for MPA students? The Gregory Gym is just across the street from McCombs, making it even easier to incorporate a TeXercise class or two into your day.

Academics, Bingchao, Student Life

Discomfort with Mental Discomfort is a Liability

October 1, 2015 bingchaoyang 2 Comments

Nine out of ten times, I go to the writing center seeking help before turning in any writing assignments. “English is my second language” is no longer an excuse after five+ years (Yes, I learned some Texan slang, “How are ya’ll doing?” or “Hook’em Horns!”). But writing still makes me uncomfortable.

Paradoxically, when I saw the MPA blogger application opened, I jumped right in. This responsibility involves quite a bit of writing in addition to my class assignments (approximately 30 to 35 blogs per school year). Different from school work, the blog posts will have a broad audience. AND this is not just about me getting a good or bad grade, but my posts may leave a small impression on prospective students about the MPA program. Despite all that, I eagerly applied and was grateful that April, our Marketing Director, gave me this opportunity. So why did I do this? Besides wanting to share information and MPA experience with blog readers, I want to confront my mental discomfort with writing.

Cal Newport, who is an expert in learning techniques, once said in his book So Good They Cannot Ignore You, “Discomfort with mental discomfort is a liability.” Immersed in my accounting class, I immediately try to define liability in accounting terms: the future sacrifice. It makes perfect sense in this context. If you let your mental discomfort turn you away from improving yourself, then you will sacrifice opportunities to cultivate important skills, whether it is career-related or a more personal goal.

Choose something that is essential and challenging to you and work on it. Turn it into an asset (in accounting, the probable future benefit) of yours.

Some on-campus learning resources that may be helpful:

1) Writing appointments for graduate students: excellent tutors who are graduate students in Journalism, English, and Communication, among others.

2) Writing center for undergraduate students: similar to 1), but for undergrads.

3) Meet a learning specialist: Learning specialists assist students with study-related questions or concerns, including preparation for presentations, improving grade, dealing with exam stress, etc.

4) UT Sciences Toastmasters: “a club where people gather to gain experiences in public speaking and leadership in a fun and encouraging environment.” Highly recommend if you want to improve public speaking or communication in general.

Academics, Bingchao, Student Life

Healthy Horns Take Naps

September 17, 2015 bingchaoyang 2 Comments

What is the worst time of the day? The consensus is early afternoon. Why? Because most people feel drowsy, sluggish, and exhausted after lunch. While it makes biological sense, it makes no sense to Horns’ busy lifestyles. If you invest 30 minutes in napping instead of working inefficiently, you might save hours in productivity.

From my past three years of experience taking naps almost daily on campus, here is a list of my favorite spots rated on a combination of factors, such quietness, distance to the business school, availability, etc.

Main tower 2^nd floor- Life Science Library. With more than 12 genuine leather couches and quiet, high-ceiling open study space, you can nap comfortably.
Union 2^nd floor. This place is designed for taking naps. It is a blessing that Wifi in this small part of building does not work well, so no extra noise is generated.
As the “living room” of UT, SAC has a lot going on and can get noisy and crowded sometimes. But it is still on my list, because it has so many comfortable chairs and couches.
PCL 2^nd floor (and scattered couches throughout the building). Great napping spot if you are short on time.

If you want to know more, University Health Services website provides a map of the most popular nap spots as voted on by UT students.

A few tips:

Bring a light cover or jacket. You may feel cold when taking a nap or even catch a cold because of the powerful AC systems in many of these places.

Secure your things. Nothing of mine has ever been stolen on campus, but it is good to be alert rather than sorry.

Megan, Student Life

Texas Fight

September 15, 2015 meganwagner Leave a comment

This past Saturday night, I found myself standing in an ocean of burnt orange as it was the first UT football home game of the season. Having attended a university without a football team as an undergraduate, I was eager to experience a UT game since my acceptance to the MPA program and I was not disappointed. Obviously, my enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that we beat the Rice Owls 42-28, and the Tower was lit orange in celebration.

#lightitup

My favorite part of the evening was attempting to learn the words to the crowd’s chants and then the appropriate time to sing each one. I was successful in getting a few of the songs down at the right time, but I was mostly just good at yelling when our defense was on the field. My voice was a bit horse on Sunday morning as a result. If you ever consider going to a game, I recommend checking out the chants before you go, however it was fun to attempt to learn them with the other MPA students.

As students, we are offered what is called the “Big Ticket,” and for $175 (this year’s rate) you are given admission to all UT home football games as well as all other UT sports throughout the year. As graduate students, we have second selection (behind current seniors) for seat placement at the stadium, so we were placed in the sixth, seventh and eighth rows on the northern goal line. The view was pretty fantastic as seen below.

My first game was an excellent experience, and I am so glad I made the decision to buy the Big Ticket. I look forward to attending the rest of the games this season. Hook ’em.

Academics, Karin, Student Life

Jumping Right In

August 6, 2015 karinschultz Leave a comment

Hi y’all! My name is Karin Schultz and I’m a Louisiana native that came to the MPA program by way of New York and California. I’m currently enrolled in two summer courses with about 30 other tMPA students gearing up for the fall semester. I’m happy to say that I’ve survived my first three weeks of class, including a Financial Accounting test and a Tax test! In our short summer sessions we have our second tests in both courses coming up this week.

Tax Present — We even got a present our first day of tax!

Coming into the program I wasn’t sure what to expect: I took my prerequisites at a local California university, and honestly, they weren’t very challenging. Being out of a rigorous academic environment for two years had led to some mental shock that can be best described using phrases such as, “Will the ratio of 10 chapters of reading/5 hours of sleep=coffee?” and “I’ve been doing my taxes wrong all this time.” Both professors, Lendecky (but please, call him Brian) and Holbrook, are excellent; they take time to explain things that students don’t understand and have office hours multiple days a week for us to come ask our ever mounting questions.

While these classes are pushing me to get my mind in shape, I’m already finding areas of accounting that appeal to me. This is fantastic, given that recruiting starts in less than a month! Three weeks from now I’ll be meeting with faculty, classmates, and recruiters as I try to figure out where I want to be when I graduate. I’ve heard it’s a wild ride, but this intensity is part of what drew me to the MPA program. I want to learn with the best, from the best, and be recruited by the best. (In case you didn’t know, my use of “best” is warranted.) In my short time on campus I’ve even learned a little phrase that will make you friends wherever you go:

Hook ‘em Horns

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