Starting your freshman year of college can feel like stepping into uncharted waters. Between Hollywood portrayals of campus life, gossip from older siblings and the occasional horror story from high school teachers, it is easy for incoming students to carry misconceptions about what college will actually be like.
To help incoming Volunteers ease into their first semester, several UT upperclassmen opened up about the myths they once believed and the truths they discovered along the way.
“Every class will be a giant lecture hall.”
When he first came to UT, sophomore Colby Fields braced himself for classrooms packed with hundreds of students, imagining himself lost in a sea of laptops and note-takers.
“A myth I believed was that most college classes would be auditorium classes, while most of them are more like typical high school classrooms,” Fields said.
While some introductory courses in subjects like biology or political science do meet in large lecture halls, smaller discussion-based classes are the norm, especially after freshman year.
For Fields, the reality turned out to be far more personal, and that closeness led to busting another common myth.
“Professors are unapproachable and only care about research.”
For many freshmen, the word ‘professor’ conjures images of intimidating academics who are too busy writing books or running labs to bother with their students. Some even imagine professors as unbending authority figures who will not take the time to learn their names.
With smaller classes, Fields and other students found it easier to connect with faculty.
“I used to believe that most of the professors here are hyper-professional people, and while some of them are, most of them are actually pretty down to earth and nice,” Fields said.
This myth often stems from the image of massive lecture halls, where it seems impossible for professors to know hundreds of students individually. But at UT, many first-year classes are smaller, and even in the larger ones, professors often rely on discussion sections, group projects or personal outreach to foster connection.
Students emphasize that professors notice effort and appreciate when students take initiative. Something as simple as introducing yourself after class, showing up to office hours or sending a thoughtful email can break down the wall of intimidation.
“Step on the library seal, and you’ll graduate late.”
The seal outside Hodges Library is one of UT’s most well-known myths. Legend says that if you step on it, you’ll curse yourself to a delayed graduation.
Caleb Lantz, a fifth-year theatre and history major, admits that he is one of the students who would go out of his way to avoid stepping on the seal.
“I never did step on it but I’m still graduating a semester late, so do with that what you will,” Lantz said. “The other one is the Haslam seal, as I was told that anyone who stepped on it would switch into being a business major before they graduated. I did manage to avoid that fate though.”
The seal may remain a fun piece of UT lore, but upperclassmen agree that graduation timelines come down to things like course loads, advising and personal choices — not where your feet land on the way to class.
“Your freshman year community is your only community.”
Freshman year is often when students find their first circle of friends, but many worry that their social lives will stay locked in forever after that. Senior marketing major, Kylie Johnson, says that could not be further from the truth.
”As a senior, it is truly wild to see how my relationships have evolved over my four years. I was blessed to find my current roommate my freshman year, but many of the people I spent time with my freshman year are not the people I am closest with today,” Johnson said. “It is never too late to try something new.”
Upperclassmen stress that students should permit themselves to explore beyond their initial communities. With hundreds of clubs, organizations and events on campus, it’s normal to continue building friendships throughout all four years.
“You have to join Greek life to make friends, and you have to rush as a freshman.”
Perhaps one of the most persistent myths on campus is that Greek life is the only way to make friends, and that if you don’t rush right away, you’ll miss your chance. Johnson, who rushed as a junior, says that she had plenty of friends before rushing, and that by rushing, she made even more.
”I made many friends in my dorm, through honors programs, and just other events around campus before joining Greek life,” Johnson said. “It is also never too late to join. I met so many wonderful women through Alpha Gam and they have become some of my closest friends in just one short year.”
Clubs, student organizations, intramural sports and campus jobs all offer ways to meet people. For many, Greek life is just one of many options. For those who do eventually pursue Greek life, upperclassmen remind freshmen that there’s no expiration date.
