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Krystle Gibbons

Junior from Wylie, Texas
Interdisciplinary studies with a focus on communications

Do you live on campus?
Yes, I live on campus. I like the convenience of being near my classes and it makes me feel a little more independent.

List some of the clubs or organizations you are involved in at UT Dallas.
I am secretary of Perpetual Praise Gospel Choir, a mentor in the Comet S.T.A.R.S. program, a member of Ideal Women and I am a member of Black Student Alliance. I am also in the Academic Bridge Program.

List some of your hobbies.
My hobbies include playing basketball, listening to music, karaoke and reading.

Why did you decide to become a First-Year Leader?
I decided to become a First-Year Leader because I know I can be helpful to the incoming freshmen. I can be that “college voice” that they so desperately want to hear. My opinions about college life are based on the fact that I am presently experiencing the situation.

What advice do you have for the freshman class coming into UT Dallas?
The advice I have for the freshman class coming into UT Dallas is to study hard, but not to the point of having no social life, and get involved, but not too involved where you will not have a good GPA. You need to balance both!

What do you wish you did during your freshman year at UT Dallas?
I wish I had been more involved. I spent the majority of my freshman year like many freshman and just went to class, work and then home. If I was not studying, I was watching television. Instead, I wish I went to more events and played intramural football.

What do you like about UT Dallas?
What I like about UT Dallas is that it is a large enough campus that you meet new people every day, but it is small enough that most classes are not too large. I also like the location.

Why did you decide to attend UT Dallas?
I decided to attend UT Dallas because I took summer classes here through the Academic Bridge Program and I was able to experience campus life. I took college algebra and two Rhetoric classes while living on campus in the summer of 2006. Those experiences were good enough to convince me to spend the next four years of my life at UT Dallas.

What has been your favorite/best UT Dallas experience so far?
My favorite experience at UT Dallas was participating in the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship pageant as a freshman. I had to step out of my comfort level and speak, dance and answer questions in front of a crowd of people wearing heels and a dress. That experience taught me to have more faith and confidence in myself. It also taught me that you can come out on top in your experiences even if you did not completely obtain your goal to win.

What did you learn about college life that you didn’t know before?
What I learned about college life that I didn’t know before is that college is very different from high school. You generally enter college with preconceived notions and myths that are revealed to be at least somewhat false. It is not just fun and freedom — there is a lot of work, and generally speaking, no professors give you exceptions. With college comes more responsibility.

What do you like to do to unwind after class?
To unwind after class, I like to listen to my favorite songs and watch General Hospital. I need a break at first to escape from all of the information just given to me in my last class. After I feel like my break is over, I get my books and notes together to study or do essays.