They say high school is the best four years of your life, but then you get to the University of Louisville. Every college student struggles with balancing their social status, mediocre grades, and their spending amounts. You’ll soon realize how difficult it is to be an adult which your parents have told you about for years. Get ready to have the best four (or five or eight) years of your life here in the place I call home. Here’s 20 tips, tricks, and life hacks at the University of Louisville to help everybody make the most of their college experience in the 502.
Take it from somebody who has more parking tickets than she does credit hours – UofL parking will get you when you least expect it. When parking in the Visitor’s lot between Kurz Hall and Bettie Johnson, don’t be stressed about the ridiculous prices. If it’s after 7pm on any day, press the “Call for Assistance” button before you put in your ticket. The arm will raise after a few minutes because nobody is in the parking office to assist you.
Not only do you pay roughly $400 extra for unlimited swipes, you get less flex points. You will not want to eat Ville Grill (aka VG) enough times to get your money’s worth. The real deal is in the flex points. Sticking with the 135 plan gives you $410 flex points that can be used at any dining place on campus. With unlimited, you only get $175 flex points. Trust me, you’ll want Twisted Taco every day and that meal swipe of only 2 tacos won’t fill you up.
Sure, having the luxury of getting to leave campus is amazing. But the cost of a parking pass for your car to sit in for 5 out of the 7 days with no use is a waste. You also become the friend with the car. That means driving everyone and their uncle around town. Most of the parties are within walking distance. Download the Uber app and get around town that way. Ask for Uber gift cards and then you won’t even be using your own money. Much more cost-effective!
Absolutely don’t buy your books from the campus bookstore. They rob you of money on books and iclickers. Look on Chegg, Amazon, or Gray’s Bookstore (even they can be pricey). You’ll be thankful for not giving up your kidney to do math homework online.
See that cute boy sitting next to you in English 101? You want to talk to him but don’t know how. Whip out a bag of goldfish around lunch time and I’m sure he’ll snag a few. If you find yourself socially awkward at frat parties, invest in cheez-its and other snacks. Walk around the party and I’m sure people will stop you for a handful. Key to starting convos and making friends.
Don’t you dare pay for a paper cup at Wendy’s just to fill it with water. Get a reusable water bottle, refuse the drink at checkout, and fill up your water bottle for free.
They tell you this at orientation and on campus tours, but I can’t stress it enough. Don’t ever step on that cardinal bird on the ground. People will give you mean looks and hope you transfer. We need all the good luck we can get, especially on game day.
With laundry being $1.50 for each wash and dry cycle, you’re going to be broke because of washing clothes. Combine your laundry loads with your roommates and split the cost.
When signing up for classes, start with www.ratemyprofessor.com. This website lets you search for your college and then find out all the details about your professors. Most of the reviews are accurate. Don’t get stuck taking that one Math 180 professor when the other one does a better job.
You might think tutoring is not for you. Tutoring could be seen as a weakness, but at UofL, it’s how you get that 4.0 gpa. Reach is located in Strickler Hall and Ekstrom Library. They do a great job in assisting you in all entry level course/gen eds. Take the help from previous students that have been in your shoes before.
Although the idea of getting to shorten your travel time to class sounds amazing when you’re lying in bed at 7:50 with an 8 AM class, leave your bike at home. Not only are there more bike thefts recorded than any other crime, the other kids walking to class are annoyed by you. If you can’t possibly come to college without your set of wheels, make sure to ride a safe distance away that won’t scare the walking kids. We hate feeling like we’re going to be run over by the parkour guy behind us.
Ekstrom Library is open 24/7 except for on holidays. They also have a Starbucks open until Midnight on the weekdays. That’s a luxury most colleges don’t have. They also bring in puppies on exam week to help relieve some stress from studying. You can print anything for $0.11 cents a page.
Check out www.louisville.edu/alerts to sign up for alerts to be sent to your phone by email or text. These can be weather alerts, danger threats, and other emergency information that needs to be sent out ASAP. They also let you know when class is cancelled which is a life saver!
The student ID number is located on your Cardinal card. Treat this as if it were your second name that only the University calls you. The earlier you memorize it, the better. You won’t spend 2 minutes looking it up when the desk lady asks for it.
Say goodbye to home cooked meals ready for you at any point in the day from your mom. Not to mention the lack of a decent sized refrigerator full of food that your house once had. Now you’re stuck walking to VG for every meal. Buy snacks and other food you can make in the kitchen in the lobby of your dorm complex. Sometimes UofL likes to close all of the places to eat on campus at 5 pm and you’re left eating sleep for dinner.
Although they ruin the aesthetic of your phone, cardholders are the greatest invention in the college community. It simply sticks to the back of your phone and can hold about 5 cards. Keep your cardinal card in the holder because then you can just stick your phone up to the sensor and your dorm room will open. The cardinal card is also needed on exam days for most professors. Lastly, the card is the only way to buy food using your meal plan. No more raiding the bottom of your backpack to find your wallet.
Nobody wants to wait in the 3-mile-long line at McAlister’s at lunch time. Simply Tapingo your order and they’ll have it ready for you to-go. It even can connect to your cardinal card, so you can still use your meal plan.
For anyone starting college, making friends can be difficult at a huge state school like Louisville. I recommend experiencing rush week for Sororities and Fraternities. The week-long rush helps introduce you to new people and can help you make friends right at the start of the semester. It also helps expand your network which is important after college.
If your grades fit the requirements and you’re willing to write a few essays, apply to be in the honors program. You’ll gain access to small class sizes and the ability to live in Kurz Hall (aka the second-best dorm on campus). You also get to register for classes with the graduate students. This might not sound that exciting, but all of the other freshmen students will register for classes two weeks after you if you’re an honors student. Don’t get stuck taking your third option class.
If you’re worried about gaining a few pounds from all the Chic-fil-a nuggets, take advantage of the Student Rec Center to work out or run around the track. They also offer intramurals on weekdays and fitness classes. Our facilities are some of the best and you pay a fee every semester for the building so use it!
If nothing else, just remember, GO CARDS.
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