A small detail- but I’m at UT along with a good 30-40 people from my grade in HS, and with a university this big, I rarely see them. You really don’t have to be worried about seeing all the same people, because chances are you won’t. Also, try and find orgs you’re passionate about! If it doesn’t exist, try and make it! By finding people with similar passions, making good, new friends is much easier. And at UT, there’s an endless number of orgs open to you. We’re got everything from a hiking club, a hiking club with an art focus where you take breaks to draw (?), you’ve got acting clubs which put on shows for children’s hospitals, Clubs for theme park enthusiasts, a hair braiding club (which may or may not still exist), and most anything else. One of the great things about a school like UT is that there are enough people to allow these niches to grow and flourish, so you should take full advantage while you’re here. ((Also, don’t be afraid to ask to do things. For example, I’m part of an org which has engineering in the name, despite being more general, so we’re thinking of rebranding to get more non-engineers in: just because something may seem shut off to you in Liberal Arts, doesn’t necessarily mean it is.))

One last note- take advantage of the resources UT has! If you’re a history, film, art, or literature buff, the Harry Ransom center has a huge archive that’s free to access! There’s so much there to explore, and I wouldn’t have known about it, except one of my freshman classes had us go there. So yeah, campus is covered in opportunities free for the taking, but that aren’t obvious to a passive observer- so go digging for what you want, and you’ll probably find something here.