From its humble beginnings as a small college of mines, to one of the largest universities in the state of Texas. UTEP is a culturally diverse campus that offers some of the best opportunities for the bold students that search for them.
Newcomers to our campus can enjoy a variety of endless opportunities, starting with our six colleges and two schools for majors. Colleges of Liberal Arts, Business, Engineering, Science, Education and Health Sciences offer over 166 majors, with major flexibility for schedules and classes. If you feel like changing your career path, pick another major with a single call from your advisor. UTEP prides itself in its communication and opportunities with its professional staff available during all workdays.
Clubs, organizations, fraternities and sororities are great places to keep in mind. Making friends, colleagues or future business partners are critical aspects of success and UTEP encourages these interactions. The Student Government Association (SGA), overlooks the creation of further clubs while also being a great experience for students interested in government. Keeping an open mind, not only for others but yourself, can really help develop skills one never thought capable here at UTEP.
Building friendships is not only great advice for any newcomer but extends to the fundamental basis of the university. UTEP stands as the only campus in the United States with Bhutanese architecture, a friendship that developed with the Kingdom of Bhutan back during UTEP’s foundation in 1917. UTEP’s original campus was burned down in a tragic fire and had to be relocated to the Franklin Mountains. Taking inspiration from a National Geography article “Castles in the Sky” about the Buddhist Bhutanese temples, the new campus was conceived. This not only stands as a unique literal feature of the campus, but an extended metaphor of how a single tragic event can be recovered into a century of success and a long-time friendship between two nations.
Still, the first semester at UTEP does not need to start with tragedy to develop into success, however, there are things one simply cannot control. Hopefully, the first major you pick is your all-time passion, but do not think of yourself as a failure if it is not. A big part of your first semester is to discover the world outside the precautions of your school and parents, which is why it is so important to get involved and try as many activities as possible.
So, as the first piece of advice, try as many things as you can and meet as many people as you can. Another great hint would be taking advantage of the online resources, especially in your UTEP email. There are a lot of job offers, club invitations and communications you can set up by paying attention to your online components.
Finally, make sure to always have plenty of school spirit. UTEP is a welcoming institution that is always ready to offer you more opportunities for success.
Showing initiative and motivation for the school can go a long way to keeping your heart humble and your mind focused.
Eugenio Cantu is a contributor and may be reached at [email protected].
