#utk16

[carlislerussell]

August 20, 2015

Starting my last first day of school today. It's crazy how much 17 years of school both has and has not taught me. I'm extremely proud to be a Tennessee Volunteer today.

[astormragesinmysoul]

Are you an Anthropology major/interested in it and attend UTK?

Then you should definitely join the Undergraduate Anthropology Association! We're a social organization who's main purpose is to create an environment where students can meet professors, engage with other students, attend lectures, trip and other events. Our first meeting is tomorrow night at 5:15 in the LRC under the stadium. There will be free pizza and refreshments. Speaking of events, we will be discussing the upcoming Dr. Bass lecture. So tell your friends and if you're not really interested, just come for free pizza! So it doesn't go to waste. (And follow us on Twitter @utanthro)

[leauxrynn]

FREE FOOD•ROCK WALL•COTTON CANDY•DUNK TANK•DOOR PRIZES•PUPPIES Come out for Frank G. Clement Day Saturday April 26, 2014 1-5 pm #GoVols #FrankGDay #UTK14 #UTK15 #UTK16 #UTK17 #BigOrangeCountry #GBO

[thetennesseesophomore]

Move in, night one, night two....aksjflkajf

So. 

I decided today that I want to sort of chronicle my college experience more than I usually would on my other blog. Maybe reading all the stuff that happens to me will help seniors graduating next year or people who decide to go to University of Tennessee Knoxville or just anyone starting college.

To start with, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I moved over 1,000 miles away from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Knoxville, Tennessee. I know absolutely no one here. I've always been independent, but I've never been away from my friends and family for more than 3 weeks at a time. I'm kind of just diving into this whole thing headfirst, and I wanted to write about all the stuff that I experience so that in 4 years I can look back and laugh or see how much I learned, how naive I probably am.

This might end up kind of ramble-y or long or disorganized, but 

Anyways. 

On Thursday of last week, my dad and I woke up bright and early at 7 am and drove 10 hours straight to Indianapolis, Indiana. On Friday we woke up slightly less early and drove about 5 hours to Knoxville. It was a long drive, but we survived, not much to comment about it. On Saturday morning we woke up and drove to UTK. Move in for my hall (Massey) started for girls at 8 am and went until 12, and guys began move in at 2. We drove into the Massey parking lot and were directed to unload all my stuff onto the curb and to go park the car in a garage somewhere else. I had to check in in Massey, go up to my floor and get my key from my RA, and then come back to the parking lot to start carrying all my stuff. Luckily I'm on floor 3, so we could pretty much take the stairs and not die waiting for the elevator, because when hundreds of people are trying to use 2 elevators it gets extremely slow. I hadn't originally been assigned a roommate, but when I got to my room a girl was unlocking the door and I ended up with one. Her name is Joanna, shes from Nashville. My first impression was that she was kind of nerdy and different, but after talking to her, she doesn't mind partying or "salad" or anything else and she turned out to be pretty cool. Her best friend does live on our floor though, so its been a little awkward navigating when and when I shouldn't hang out with them. We moved all our stuff in and set up the room which didn't take as long as I expected, maybe 2 or 3 hours. If you're moving into college, bring some kind of wheeling cart, it makes getting everything up to the dorm from the parking lot so much easier! Dad and I ended up having to make a trip to Target to get random stuff I had forgotten, like silverware, tape to hang up posters, food, and a shower curtain to hang in front of the closet (if you're going to UTK, note, the closets in certain dorms have no doors.) That night we had welcome activities and lame get to know you stuff, most people in my group were acting like they were too cool and so above everything which made it kind of suck. Just go with it, damn it. We had to all go out onto the floor of the bball court and play get to know you games, and at one point I was standing crowded on the court and talking to a girl next to me, when some other girl started talking to me, and somehow we just decided on a whim to all go out and get pizza together. So me and 3 other girls who had never met each other before ended up going to the Mellow Mushroom on The Strip. It kind of reminded me of Mesa Pizza in MN, but less stoner/dive y and the pizza wasn't as good, but it was still pretty decent. So I guess the first thing I learned at college is that sometimes going out on a whim and hanging out with people you've never seen in your life can be pretty fun. 

Yesterday my dad left and there were more lame welcome week activities. My welcome group leader led our group on a tour of campus, which took an hour and 45 minutes and resulted in our whole group sweating our asses off and complaining. I also have cute blisters from my Sperry's. Tip number two: Do not try to look cute on a walking campus tour. Wear yoga pants and sneakers and a tshirt, you will look like shit by the end anyways. I went back to my dorm and watched the Hunger Games with my roommate and her best friend, Maggie, instead of going to the "carribean splash jam" welcome week pool party. Joanna and Maggie went to Maggie's room and I was walking over there a little later when I walked past the floor lounge and as I passed some guy called me in and asked if I wanted to play apples to apples with him and the two girls he was with. I grabbed Maggie and Joanna and we literally sat there for like 2 and a half hours talking to Bekkah, Alex, and Adam. It was really fun, everyone was just joking around and laughing. Tip number 3: Walk around the halls, don't hole up in your room, you might meet 3 random new friends. At like 1 am we went to Adam's dorm and met his roommate, then walked back to Massey and saw large amounts of drunk people, includin one girl who was being carried into her dorm by some guy as she screamed "FUCK ME!" and he goes to us "welcome to college" hahaha.

Outside our dorm some wasted girl came up and introduced herself to us, and some guy came over and asked if we knew her. He said he was trying to help her, her friends had left her there and she was too drunk to go back to her dorm. She was a hot mess and there was a cop in the dorm so Bekkah went and got the cop and the poor drunk girl probably ended up getting a minor her second night in college. Rough. I was supposed to get up this morning at 7 to go to this "big day out" volunteering thing, but I didn't get to bed until 3 so I gave up on that, which I feel bad about but its life. 

Wow I'm going off here. Today I biked to the TRECS which is the big rec center and worked out. You have to swipe your vol card to get in and then you can work out for free. Its a really nice gym, kind of like LA in Roseville. Its damn far away from my dorm though which sucks. I got back and went to this welcome activity in Circle Park on campus where they had dogs for us to play with and pet hahaha. It was actually fun. Maggie and Joanna and I ran into Bekkah and Alex and ended up getting food with them and then everyone went back to their dorms to relax. 

My third welcome team meeting was at 530 and I had to bike my ass all the way to the ag campus to meet. And we were there for like 15 minutes tops. What a pointless thing. 

Biking on the campus is ROUGH. Its so damn hilly! 

I didn't really do anything tonight, everyone is at the Light the Torch ceremony and some dance party which I didn't really have an interest in going to, but now I feel like I should have because I've been doing nothing for 3 hours and you get bored and start to miss your friends when you're sitting around.

I've made like 4 walgreens trips already in the past 2 days, I should start a list of all the shit I forgot to bring lols. 

I think that's it for now. Sorry this went on so long and good job if you made it through. Tomorrow we have a mandatory speaker presentation and discussion, and then I think I'm gonna watch Pretty Little Liars with my roommate from orientation. 

I'm a college student. This is so weird.

[homotopies]

On my way to Knoxville and I'm almost there! Today is gonna be too great :) can't wait for all these new experiences while I'm at UT!