Student Rules for Attending the University of Memphis

Welcome to Tiger High! That's the moniker that has stuck with the Univ. of Memphis since the '70s when students saw then-Memphis State University as just an extension of the high school experience. While the university has tried to shed that image and its name, there are some things that have changed while others have remained the same.

Having changed its name in 1994, the Univ. of Memphis is the largest college/university in the city of Memphis. Smaller than the Univ. of Tennessee-Knoxville and Middle Tennessee State, the Univ. of Memphis offers an exciting, engaging environment for every college student. Of course you know there are rules to attending every school, pay attention to the rules, they will never let you down.

Rule #1

With the campus boarded to the north by the busiest street in the city, Poplar Avenue, and to the south by a railroad, it is always wise to get to campus twenty minutes ahead of your scheduled class. There is nothing worst than pulling up to Southern Avenue on the south end of campus and seeing a train, sitting still on the tracks, when you are racing to get to class.

Rule #2

The party scene in Memphis is a bit different than other cities. Immediately off campus, is the Highland Strip. With a bustling nightlife similar to Sixth Street in Austin at the Univ. of Texas, the Highland Strip offers a nice variety of venues. But, the Highland Strip pales in comparison to Beale Street downtown. Memphis' answer to Bourbon Street, Beale Street is home to any and every kind of music you could want to hear. If you are going to get trashed, do your drinking on Highland, it is a lot easier to walk home from there than it is from Beale.

Rule #3

Don't live near campus. If you are looking to live in an apartment setting, there is no complex within ten minutes of campus that is worth living at if safety and amenities are important to you. The better complexes to live in are off of the interstate after ten minutes away as you come into the city near the Sycamore View exit. You can get a nice two bedroom for around six hundred dollars. Anything near the University of Memphis is not the best kind of place to live in. Just because they are close to campus does not mean they are the kind of places you want to stay in. Stay away from the Campus View Properties. They will treat you like a college student. Charge you like a college student. And make you live like a college student.

Rule #4

If you are going to stay on campus, dorm life hinges on where you are and what you want to do. Richardson Towers is two high-rise buildings on the north end of campus. One tower is for the guys the other is for the girls. The student apartments, Carpenter Complex, are cool places if you can get one. Because there are not a lot of them they are harder to come by. There are some dorms that you need to stay away from. Mynders is in a section of the University of Memphis called the ghetto. And that is the one dorm that has a ghost. Since it was built ninety-five years ago, countless students have expressed encounters of the unknown in that dorm. South Hall is an especially good place for guys. For many years it was the student complex for all the athletes who lived on campus. They have not changed much about it so it is filled with everything the athletes had including pool tables, extra televisions and the lot.

Rule #5

If you are looking for places to shop, Oak Court Mall is about a mile away from campus. There is also an Old Navy near where Poplar and Highland intersect. Oak Court is the chic mall in Memphis, so it has the cool, trendy fashion spots. On the other hand, if you are looking for Wal-Mart get ready to make a drive. The world's largest discount store is not within a fifteen minute drive. Target does have a store half a mile past the Oak Court Mall.

Rule #6

Eat before you get to campus. With construction going on in the heart of campus, the University Center was demolished during the spring. With that gone, the only place to eat on campus is the small cafeteria past the administration building. The cafeteria has good food but can you imagine trying to eat there when it is the only place to eat on campus? Yikes!

Rule #7

Sports are big at the University of Memphis. With John Calipari's basketball team ranked number one in the preseason after two consecutive trips to college basketball's Elite Eight. The FedEx Forum where they play is as cushy as they come for a college sports venue. The football team on the other hand, suffered through a dismal season last year. The city is hoping for a better season this year. If you want to be comfortable attending a football at the Liberty Bowl, take a chair back with you. It is bleacher seating throughout.