questions: life for UTK student (Knoxville, Oak Ridge: houses, unemployment, school)

[BeenEverywhere2011]

Hello! I am a 20-something moving to Knoxville this summer to attend grad school at UTK (engineering). I am not from TN, but I'm not too concerned about moving to uncharted territory. I've lived in the NE, the South, Pacific NW, Socal, Norcal...I've learned that I can adjust pretty well anywhere if it has a good university, an airport, a rowing club, and decent weather at least 4 months of the year. Knoxville is smaller than I'd prefer, but I think it will work out!

I do have questions though!
(1) Does anyone have rowing club recommendations/ feedback? I would just like to row recreationally as I doubt I'll have time to be at the competitive level.

(2) What is the best way to get involved in community volunteerism? I would prefer non-denominational opportunities that relate to education/ environment/ arts/ culture.

(3) What is the culture like for young professionals? As a grad student, I will feel removed from the cliche undergrad experience (been there already!). I know there will be plenty of law students, med students, and other grad students at the university to interact with. Does anyone know about the quality of school "mixer" events? How hard will it be to meet people outside of my department?

(4) How often do people really go hiking/camping while they are in school? Is it convenient? Are there any good adventure clubs that organize trips?

I'm the type to hit the ground running! Tell me where to go, and I'll be there with a smile on my face to meet new ppl Thanks for reading!

[BeenEverywhere2011]

Maybe my questions were too specific? Feel free to just give general feedback and advice about graduate student life at UT Knoxville

[DubbleT]

My kid is still an undergrad in engineering (hopefully graduating in January) but I think I might be able give you a general response to a few of your questions.

Volunteering: Well you are in the 'volunteer state' now and opportunities abound.
DS simply continued with some of the groups he was involved with before he went to Knoxville. If you are not already involved with groups such as Habitat for Humanity, Bridges, etc you might want to look here City of Knoxville - Volunteer Opportunities
If you are a member of one of the engineering fraternities I hear that some of the grad students occasionally are involved in some of the volunteer work the fraternities do.

Camping/Hiking: Lots of opportunities for all kinds of outdoor activities within 2-3 hours of Knoxville. How often you choose to participate probably depends on a lot of factors. DS used to go quite often, once or twice a month, but as classes have become more intense and his workload has increased it has dropped way off.YMMV
His trips usually involved the fraternity or friends/roommates so I don't know about any groups. Maybe try this Hiking Meetups near Knoxville

Mixers: Campus events, dances, tailgate parties, that type of thing? For whatever reason the Black Cultural Center seems to handle a lot of those types of things, even though they are intended for all students and not just the minority students. In any event my son has been to some, said they were okay. Maybe they just aren't the kind of things that interest him, IDK. Minority Student Affairs | Welcome

Good luck, and I hope you get a few, more knowledgeable, responses.

[BeenEverywhere2011]

Dubble T,

Thanks for your feedback! I might be checking with the sororities for volunteering...maybe I should have specified I am female

That hiking link is GREAT. That's why I am on here, to find the good local info!

I'll keep my eyes on the Black Cultural Center for student events. Mixers can be hit or miss, I agree. I'm not usually a regular at those things, but I expect I'll have to be a bit more proactive to meet people as a grad student. When I was an undergrad, it seemed like everything was geared to Freshman to help them get established.

It would be nice to meet young working people, too. Are there many young professionals in Knoxville? Or do most UTK graduates leave the city when they finish school? I've definitely lived in cities that do not tend to retain young people...and other cities that attract a lot of young professionals. Not sure where Knoxville fits on that scale.

Thanks again!

[nashvols]

To address camping/hiking...there are a number of opportunities that are relatively convenient.

If you simply want to go for a walk/run outdoors, the Third Creek Greenway is within walking distance of campus, and connects to the rest of the greenway system. There is also a nice 2 mile circle at Lakeshore Park about 7-10 minutes away.

As far as actual "hiking," you're probably looking at driving between 45 minutes and 2 hours away.

House Mountain State Park, on the NE side of Knoxville (near Blaine) is a nice little 1,000' climb that is not too strenuous, and not too long. It's about 40-50 minutes from campus. The area is not overly scenic, but it's pleasant, not too crowded, and on a clear day, offers a pretty nice view of the valley and surrounding mountains.

If you want a longer hike, I'd suggest Frozen Head State Park, which is a good hour away from Knoxville to the northwest (near Wartburg). This area is a bit more secluded and "in the boonies." The trails are well marked and not too hazardous, but this 2000' climb takes a bit more time (I think it's 6.5-7 miles round trip), so plan on spending half the day (and bring some snacks!). The view at the top is well worth it, as there is a fire tower that is used as an observation deck with a panoramic view of the entire area. On a clear day, a spectacular view of probably 100 miles in every direction. Camping is available at this park, but I've never done it, so I can't really offer much advice there.

Lastly, if you're looking at spending a weekend hiking, or want a more challenging day hike, check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are miles upon miles of trails here, as well as camping opportunities. Mount Le Conte is one of the few (if any places) in the East with a hike of a vertical mile, with a rise from 1,300 ft to 6,500 ft. You'll probably find the Smokies to be the most scenic, most breathtaking of the hikes...but they are usually a little more crowded (let's not forget that this is the most visited National Park in America).

Anyways, you can check out any of these options...I suggest looking at the park websites for info about camping, trail maps, specifics, rules, etc.




In short, for your other questions:
1) I'm not sure. There are a number of clubs at UT...so check them out first. For this (as well as the hiking), check out this link:
UT Knoxville | RecSports

2) I'm not sure exactly where to start (since I no longer live in Knoxville), but I know there are a number of volunteer opportunities for what you are looking for. There is probably a campus organization you can get involved in...or, you might just ask one of the professors (they probably know who to contact).

3) UT has a fairly large grad population (something like 7,000 IIRC), so I really don't think it will be hard to mingle with other grad students. I know the law students have a seemingly organized social structure for parties and events...I'm sure some of the other larger grad departments are the same. As a former student, I would say you have to try hard to not be social.

[DubbleT]

Theta Tau is a co-ed engineering fraternity recenty established @UTK, not a lot of young women yet, but they are welcome engr.utk.edu/news/atcoe/images

Other groups to possibly look into: UT Knoxville | College of Engineering | Student Organizations

[BeenEverywhere2011]

Originally Posted by nashvols

As a former student, I would say you have to try hard to not be social.

haha, fair enough!


Nashvols,
Thank you for the detailed hiking trails feedback. That is really useful information! I will have some time before classes start to explore these places, it sounds great.

Would you consider House Mountain State Park to be safe for a female to go alone during the day?

[BeenEverywhere2011]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

Theta Tau is a co-ed engineering fraternity recenty established @UTK, not a lot of young women yet, but they are welcome engr.utk.edu/news/atcoe/images

Other groups to possibly look into: UT Knoxville | College of Engineering | Student Organizations

I'll check out the engineering frat... but, as an undergrad I tended to take part in extracurriculars that weren't just for engineers. I always seem to end up being better friends with people who aren't so technical. haha

I read that the engineering undergrad class was 86% male. I suppose that is pretty standard...and it's pretty standard in the workforce too. It's another reason I look forward to meeting people outside the engineering department...find some female friends!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by BeenEverywhere2011

Would you consider House Mountain State Park to be safe for a female to go alone during the day?

VERY, says I, the mother of five.

It's also very scenic, it's surrounded by farms. It's not in the middle of a mountain range, though, and that is probably what NashVols - a very helpful person! - means.

UTK retains a lot of its grads just because the cost of living and housing around here is very affordable. A lot of students are locals but the people that come from other places fall in love with the people and the prices and don't want to leave.

Unemployment is currently about 7.2 percent; better than a lot of places, but not all, so of course students will move away if they can't find jobs. Fortunately, we are also right next door to Oak Ridge and The National Laboratory, which employs a lot of graduates, too.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by BeenEverywhere2011

haha, fair enough!


Nashvols,
Thank you for the detailed hiking trails feedback. That is really useful information! I will have some time before classes start to explore these places, it sounds great.

Would you consider House Mountain State Park to be safe for a female to go alone during the day?

I would think so. There were enough people there where you didn't feel too alone, but definitely not crowded.

I (being a male, who is taller and heavier than about 97% of the population) actually felt a little more unnerved when I hiked at Frozen Head alone one time. I didn't pass a soul during a 7 mile hike. Almost too silent....too secluded. While Frozen Head is probably pretty safe, I found it was much more rewarding to go with a few friends.

Originally Posted by hiknapster

VERY, says I, the mother of five.

It's also very scenic, it's surrounded by farms. It's not in the middle of a mountain range, though, and that is probably what NashVols - a very helpful person! - means.

Yeah, by "not as scenic", I mean it's not like GSMNP. There are houses around there...even leading up to the park. It's a state natural area -- kind of like Radnor Lake is for Nashville -- so it has some groomed trails and they have basically let everything else just kind of grow out naturally. It would've been nice if they could move the telephone poles near the top.....but at least they didn't let WBIR build their broadcast tower there in the 60s...as with protecting a lot of parks and natural areas: better late than never!

Cool wikipedia info:

House Mountain (Knox County, Tennessee) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You're right that it's not part of a mountain range....but it used to be.