Meet Analyssa
Name: Analyssa Arredondo
Hometown: Laredo, TX
Major: Communication Studies
Favorite place to eat near campus: Freebirds
Journalism Led Me to UT
I come from a family of Aggies, and up until early high school thought I would just go to Texas A&M. However, during my junior and senior year of high school I became very interested in journalism. I even competed in the state University Interscholastic League tournament held in Austin. The exposure that I got to UT was invaluable. I learned that UT had an excellent communications school with many different major options.
Find a Campus Job, Find Yourself
As a career assistant at the Career Exploration Center I have developed skills that I will be able to apply throughout my academic and professional career, like time management, presentation skills, confidence in front of my peers, customer service, and knowledge of the expectations and responsibilities that come with a job. But beyond that, I have learned about myself, including the values and personality traits that make me unique.
Forty Acres Fest
My favorite experience so far has been discovering Forty Acres Fest and getting to be a part of it. I love the idea of an event put on by students, for students, and think that this will be both my largest contribution to UT, and my favorite experience.
Analyssa's advice on...
Success
Be involved, go outside, do things. Everybody starts in their little bubble, but I think the truly successful students break out of their original comfort zone and discover a lot about themselves in the process.
Studying
DO IT! I remember freaking out when I took my first test and got a B. I was a straight A student all through high school. But that made me realize that I needed to actually develop study habits and put more effort in if I wanted better results.
Living on campus or off
I lived on campus for my first two years, and this is my first year off campus. I am really glad that I had the experience of living on campus, and I think everyone should do it for at least their first year. It really helps to get into the feel of college life, providing just enough freedom (and a good meal plan), but also reminding you what you came here for. I met so many people by living in the dorms and have made some good friends. That being said, living off campus provides its own unique set of challenges and experiences, so I think it is great that I’ve experienced both.
Parking
Parking is hard to find and expensive. If you live on campus your first year, you really don’t need a car.
More about Analyssa
Biggest challenge in college
Realizing that in college I actually have to work to get good grades.
Best unexpected thing that's happened
Finding an on-campus job that I absolutely love.
Favorites
- Book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- Thing about Austin: The open-minded and relaxed atmosphere
- Fill in the blank: I can’t ____ without _______.
Answer: I can't ride the UT bus without my mp3 player.
Send Analyssa an e-mail at analyssa_arredondo@hotmail.com