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Look Hard

There are lots of places to live off-campus, the only problem is finding one at a decent price in a good area. The landlords know they can charge you higher because you have nowhere else to go. Also, be careful about where you decide to live, especially if you choose to live in Fort Sanders (the Fort). There are some sketchy places in that area. Overall though the off-campus living isn't bad, you just have to know what you're looking for.

You Know It's There

As with all colleges and universities, people are doing and selling drugs. Usually it's just smoking pot, but there are people who do some hardcore stuff like tripping on acid or molly but it really depends on the people you hang out with. UTK is technically a dry campus, but it's the wettest dry campus you'll ever see. UTPD is pretty cool about letting alcohol slide as long as it is in a cup and not like a beer can or something like that. If you do get busted for alcohol or drugs you can get in pretty serious trouble, like expulsion from the school, though you usually get a warning first.

Watch Where You Park

There are a lot of random parking lots spread around throughout campus as well as parking on the streets. You just have to be really careful because if you park in certain areas without a parking permit you can get hit with a big ticket. Sometimes when you get fined, you don't know it until you get a letter in the mail saying that you have an overdue parking ticket that started as $17 but is now $72. Unless you live off campus or just really want one with you, a car is not necessary at UTK. Walking, biking, or taking the bus or trolley are the main forms of transportation.

Lots of Options

Knoxville is an awesome place to go to school! While the social activities are limited to campus and the few bars on Cumberland, the scenery and outdoor activities are endless. You can hike, swim, sail, fish, climb, camp, and pretty much anything you can do outside. Downtown Knoxville is really cool and has some interesting sites to see, like World's Fair Park, but if you go the opposite direction into West Knoxville, you'll find a typical suburban area with a gigantic shopping complex called Turkey Creek.