Congratulations!

The Class of December 2011 is on their way to becoming official University of Texas alumni*. Following are the Top 5 Things to Do When you Graduate from UT to ensure a successful, smooth transition from student to alumnus.

Top 5 Things to Do When you Graduate from UT

• Update your address, win a $300 gift card

  Update your post-graduation address today and you will be entered to win a $300 pre-paid visa card. You will be asked to log in to our Alumni directory as a first time user and will be sent a password by email. Even if there are no changes to make to your contact information, you will still be entered in to the random drawing by just logging in to the Alumni directory. The winner will be notified the week of December 19, 2011

  Update your address today »
  
  
• Act fast to take part in the Special Class of 2011 Life Member offer (ends December 15)

  To commemorate your graduation, we are extending a Class of December 2011 Special Offer to you. For a limited time you are invited to join the tradition of Texas Exes Life Membership for $550 – that's $200 off the standard $750 membership. Plus, you can pay in installments, with $50 down and $25 monthly payments. But don't delay, because this special, one-time offer ends soon (11:59pm on December 15, 2011).

  Become a Life Member today »
  Give the gift of Life Membership to a December 2011 graduate »
  The perfect graduation gift! Share this with your family and friends »
  
  
• Attend The Great Texas Exit, toast the future (slideshow)

  The champagne glasses have been raised and the mortarboard tassels have been turned — cheers to the newest University of Texas alumni!

  Can't see the slideshow? Click here.

  The Alumni Center played host to new grads and their guests during the Commencement open house, otherwise known as the Great Texas Exit. Bundles of grads toasted their journey, updated their post-graduation address, and signed up as Life Members at a $200 savings.

  Check out the above slideshow to see the pride, happiness, and inventiveness we saw in the Texas Exes photo booth.

• A bucket list of things to do in Austin
  
  
  

  1. The Tower -This icon of the Austin skyline isn't actually taller than the Capitol building, but it's higher.
  2. Barton Springs & Zilker Park - There's just nowhere better to enjoy the Texas heat — and escape it.
  3. The State Capitol Building and Grounds - Undulating lawns surround the elegant edifice of pink Texas granite. Laws are also written there.
  4. Lady Bird Lake (formerly "Town Lake") & The Hike & Bike Trail - A place to walk, a place to run, a place to paddle, a place to sun.
  5. DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium - Events are held here on several Saturdays during the fall, usually pretty well attended.
  6. Sixth Street - Austin's most (in)famous strip of pavement.
  7. Lake Travis - More than 60 miles long, it is the most-used of the Hill Country's Highland Lakes Chain.
  8. The Bob Bullock State History Museum - There's no story Texans love to hear more than the story of Texas.
  9. Mount Bonnell - The snogging headquarters of Austin.
  10. The University Co-op - Any and everything UT. Really. Anything.
  11. LBJ Presidential Library and Museum - If ever there was a character big enough to devote an entire library to, Lyndon Johnson was the one.
  12. The Oasis - Half-restaurant, half-scenic overlook, half-institution. Three halves, we know. It's complicated.
  13. The Drag - Churches, coffee houses, sandwich shops, retail stores, open-air market, bookstores, right next to campus.
  14. Alamo Drafthouse - Hitchcock and Heineken go well together. Five locations.
  15. The Bats at Ann Richards (Congress Avenue) Bridge - An otherworldly event.

  First published in the January 2007 issue of The Alcalde.
  
  
• Do. These. Things. - grads share their UT Bucket lists

  From the turtle pond and Fun,Fun,Fun Fest, to campus statues and favorite hangouts, explore what recent grads have listed as their ultimate UT Bucket List. Do you have a favorite spot on campus, gameday ritual, or class you couldn't live without? What do you treasure most from your time at UT?

  Read shared stories >>
  Share your UT bucket list >>

Life Member Stories

Submitted by: KimmyLonghorn
From: Los Angeles, CA

Texas Changes People, We Change the World

The Texas Exes is more than an organization. It's more than a sticker on your car. It's more than that key tag to get you into the alumni center on game day. I like to call it your safety net. Wherever you go in the world, there they are. The exes for me has lead to world travel, lifelong friends, and helping build my life and career on both coasts. It was instrumental in my getting settled and established in both places. It's a family unrivaled by other institutions.

Read full story »

Submitted by: Shahin1992
From: Houston, TX

First Generation Life Member

When I started my education at The University, I was afforded an opportunity to succeed despite my lack of means. I worked and put myself through the engineering school and subsequently after a two year stint with duPont, attended medical school at UTMB (I guess you can say I continued to bleed Burnt Orange) and continued on to become a cardiologist. Today, when I look back, none of what I do for my patients would have been possible without the opportunities my school afforded me at the beginning. I always have and always will, feel indebted to The University of Texas, and becoming a Life Member was the least I could do to show my appreciation.

Read full story »

Submitted by: LonghornJosh
From: Jackson, TN

Life Membership was a mere technicality...

I have been a Life Member since the day I was born. One of the first songs I knew as a child was Texas Fight, and the alma mater was soon to follow. While other graduates get cars, computers, money, etc., as gifts upon graduation, the one thing I asked for was a Life Membership from my parents...

Read full story »

The 6 Top Hitting Member Benefits for Recent Grads.

Visit our Graduating Student FAQ page to find out answers to membership questions.