Recent content by BartWillis

The loneliness is so real. My family is proud of me but they don't understand why I can't just "take a break" or "come home for the weekend." They don't see the deadlines, the competition, the pressure. They just see me saying no to family stuff and think I'm being distant. What helped me was...

Alice I'm so glad you shared this. The shame spiral after something like that is brutal. But your parents reminded you what really matters — not perfection, just you. You're going to come back from this stronger. Use the resources. You've got this.

I'm applying for an undergraduate research fellowship. If I get it, I'll spend the summer working with a professor on PTSD treatment research. The application requires a personal statement explaining why I'm qualified and why I care. The easy answer is easy: I'm a psych major with good grades...

For my psychology class, I'm writing a research paper on PTSD treatment efficacy. I chose the topic because it matters to me. Because I have it. Because I've been through some of these treatments. Reading the studies is surreal. I'm not just analyzing data. I'm reading about my own experience...

Got out after 6 years. Now I'm a freshman. Thought I was prepared. I was wrong. My English comp class has us writing a personal narrative about a "transformative experience." I have plenty. But every time I try to write, it comes out like an after-action report. "At 1430 hours, the situation...

It's honestly been the best part of my college experience. We do: Research for actual Texas Historical Commission markers (like we find the sites, do the paperwork, get them approved) Field trips to San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Castroville Conferences where you can present papers The journal...

Three years of Texas scholarship hunting is genuinely enough experience to know patterns that first-year applicants can't see yet, and this post captures the most important ones. The only thing I'd add from my own three-year education in this process is something about the psychological...

Speaking of which — the single most impactful Austin student budget decision that nobody puts in these threads because it's obvious in retrospect: do your grocery shopping at HEB and not at the Whole Foods or Sprouts near campus. The price difference on staples is significant enough to matter on...

The FAFSA point deserves more emphasis than it usually gets. Beyond just unlocking need-based aid, having a completed FAFSA on file signals to your financial aid office that you're an active aid-seeker, which occasionally results in being flagged for institutional grants you didn't specifically...

I'm a sophomore at UT Austin, and I think I've officially hit the financial wall. My savings from my summer gig are drying up, and my tuition for next semester is looming like a storm cloud over the Gulf. 🌪️ I've maxed out my federal subsidized loans, but it's still not enough. I’m now looking...

I don't really post on forums usually but I'm at a breaking point and I need to hear from people who get it. 🤲 I'm a junior at UH, majoring in computer science. I'm also the oldest son in a family where my parents work minimum wage jobs and my dad has health issues. I've been working since I...

The struggle is real but Texas actually has some hidden gems. First, your department. Seriously, talk to your professors. My department has a materials library with samples and sometimes free offcuts from local manufacturers. Also capstone projects often have actual budgets – if this is for a...

The Basilian core was HARD but honestly shaped how I think. I came in as a pre-med who just wanted to get through requirements and leave. Graduated as someone who actually loves philosophy and ethics. It changes you. Also, shoutout to the quiet campus in the middle of chaos. Studying under the...

I'm gonna say something controversial: UH is better than UT for certain things. Okay hear me out before you come for me. 🛡️ UT has prestige, sure. But UH has access. Want to work in energy? We're in the energy capital of the world. Want healthcare? Texas Medical Center is literally next door...

I need to know if anyone has been through this and come out the other side okay because I'm genuinely freaking out right now. 😥 Background: I've been on the Texas Grant (Toward EXcellence, Access and Success) since my freshman year. It's been a lifesaver - covers most of my tuition, lets me...