Written by Tue Tran
UT Dallas isn't all about academics: Its coursework isn't the heaviest of the region; professors are lenient on students at times; and there are few reasons to pull more than three all-nighters a semester. Neither is it a party school where the frats rule campus, nor an athlete's school of big games or a cultural center of arts and literature. It is a little bit of everything. In fact, UTD is so hard to define that many students struggle at first to identify with it. They once dreamed of the Ivies, Rice, or UT Austin, then either failed or could not afford the education, and "ended up" at UTD. And yet, a vast majority of students say they would still choose UTD were they to do it again—more than 80 percent returns every year. Strange as it seems, the mysterious appeal that is UT Dallas eventually touches students' hearts and souls.
If one takes some time to think about it, UT Dallas has always been amazing, if not extraordinary, throughout its history. The face of the campus changes constantly, with new buildings, renovations, and expansions, many of which are fueled by student activities. After all, the hidden connection that begins to bond UTD students and faculty together probably isn't academic rigor, financial aid, or aesthetic qualities, but a burning aspiration for and determined will to change—for the better, that is. How this journey will end—or whether it will end at all—no one can tell. Nevertheless, at this moment, the belief is strong that UTD, as well as its members, will succeed in its mission to shatter the status quo.