With the dawn of another new class of students entering UCF, I think it's time to give them the tips I never got.
Freshmen, take notes. I am here to help you out.
1. You are allowed to park in the employee parking spots (Red Zone Lots) after 5:30 p.m., which is especially helpful to know if you're taking night classes.
2. Some classroom buildings have rooms that are never locked. Feel free to study in them.
3. Use the 10 for 10 Taxi instead of Uber/Lyft when going out to the bars. Ten bucks for any ride five miles and under is pretty good.
4. Genius Scan is a free PDF scanner for your phone. Please download it to save yourself some money.
5. All Knight Study, SGA Express Lab and the SGA Computer Lab all have free printing. You get 100 pages a day. No need for a printer.
6. The SGA Office has free scantrons. The SGA Office is only open on weekdays util 5 p.m. , so if you need some at another time, All Knight Study has them too.
7. All Knight Study is open 24/5. PLEASE USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.
8. Are you in a tough spot and can't afford to buy food? Go to All Knights Pantry. They can give you food as long as you have your UCF ID.
9. The Student Union sells discounted theme park tickets and free taxi vouchers. USE THEM.
10. Party Tutor will be a handy app to have when you want to go out. It tells you all the food and drink specials, along with other deals around the UCF area.
11. Wawa has a zero convenience fee ATM inside the store ... and, I mean, it's Wawa. You can't beat it.
12. The Chipotle on University Boulevard is always crowded. Try to get there during the most random times of the day (avoid the lunch and dinner rush) or go to the one near Waterford.
13. The McDonald's across the street from campus is open 24/7.
14. In need of some cash? Donate plasma at Biotest Plasma Center in Research Park. So many students do it because it's such a quick way to get cash, but please ... DRINK LOTS OF WATER!
15. Homecoming events are the bee's knees. There are concerts, comedy shows, movies, and most importantly, Spirit Splash. You should try to go to all of them.
16. DO NOT get caught drinking on-campus during tailgates if you're underage. Getting arrested for alcohol possession is the last thing you want.
17. Go Greek. No explanation for this one.
18. Do you want to feel one with the wilderness? The Arboretum has over three miles of walking trails that are available to you for free.
19. Never park your car backwards in a parking garage. YOU WILL GET A TICKET.
20. The easiest way to get a duck during Spirit Splash is to fight your way to the front.
21. Universal Knights is when UCF rents out Universal Studios Orlando for an entire day so students can have some fun at no cost! Get your tickets early, because those things disappear faster than LeBron's hairline.
22. It should be a goal that every UCF student goes to Lazy Moon at least once before they graduate.
23. Don't step on the seal. Do. Not. Do. It.
24. Take a picture with Knightro anytime you see him—he loves the paparazzi.
25. Most importantly, have fun, and enjoy college while it lasts!
