For many of us, classes and school work take up a majority of our day—which is okay because, after all, that is the reason we are here, right? Yes, we are here to get the best education, but what about life outside of engineering?

There are many components of Texas A&M that go beyond the glass walls of the Zachry building.

ON-CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT

There are over 1,000 active organizations at Texas A&M. The university offers social, professional, cultural, sporting, leadership, service and many more types of organizations to give the best opportunities possible. Commitments range in time with some requiring large amounts to others requiring minimal time, and everything in between. Engineering is a time consuming major, so I recommend finding an organization that suits both your interests and your availability. Personally, joining organizations has forced me to get out of my normal comfort zone and form new relationships.

HACKS of CSTAT

College can be a crazy time of struggling with money and time, but I, along with some friends, brainstormed some of the best hacks and tips that apply to places around the area:

• First off: DON’T PARK ILLEGALLY on or off campus. College Station and Bryan are very quick to tow and it can cost over $300 in charges.
• Movies are discounted on Tuesdays for college students.
• Gumby’s has $0.75 pizza rolls every Tuesday.
• Chuy’s has a free nacho bar Monday-Friday (5-7 p.m.)

PSA

DO NOT stop your car on top of the train tracks, I know we were all taught this in Drivers Ed but it seems to be somewhat of an issue around here.

TUTORING

Although this is still within schooling, there are tons of tutoring options that I did not know were available to me. There are SI (Supplemental Instruction) sessions for many classes that are a recap of the class material and a test of your knowledge with a student who previously did well in the same course. Your professor should let you know if there is one and you will get a schedule for when they meet.

Texas A&M offers student tutoring for a vast majority of the day, and they help with almost all subjects!! This is perfect for a question about your homework or a concept that you can’t seem to grasp. Explore Tutor Hubs to find when and where they meet.

There are also some off-campus tutors that can be beneficial such as A-Plus Tutoring.