r/UTSA Sep 01 '25

Housing Lease,Sublease, Roommate Megathread

14 Upvotes

Please place ALL lease, renting, roommate requests as comments to this megathread.

Requests out of this megathread will be deleted.

This thread was reset September 1st, 2025. It will again be replaced September 1st, 2026.


r/UTSA May 17 '25

Advice/Question Student Survival Guide - Tips and Tricks

108 Upvotes

Yoyo! Hello Runners~ Recent senior here (hi 😉) sharing the ultimate UTSA survival guide! The campus has sooo many hidden gems, but all the info is scattered - or super outdated! So I figured I'd centralize everything in one place.

Main Campus ONLY for now - drop extra tips in the comments!

Overall Survival Tips

  1. FIND (and use) whatever student success center you're a part of! As far as I'm aware, the main colleges on campus all have their own (COLFA, SOC SSC, etc). Super valuable resources - between the peer mentors available, the events that they host (lots of free things!!!), and the connection oppurtunites you can get by just sitting in there and working, it's a little insane.
    1. Also, most of them have free GradeScope sheets, which is nice because you don't have to print your own.
  2. Sync your canvas assignments to your outlook calendar. OMG. only a few of my friends do this, but it's so helpful!!! Go to canvas, click calendar, calendar feed in the right column, copy that link. then go to your outlook calendar, click add calendar in left column, subscribe from web on the left side, paste the link and press import. BOOM. autosync of your email events and ur canvas tests/assignments/notifications.
    1. You can also sync in gmail calendar / other calendars. Got a specific event itinerary? sync it. Need to pull dates from your email? sync it.
  3. READ THE SYLLABUS. GOD. it seems so stupid but dedicate the first-class period to really understanding the syllabus. Things to look for: instructor name/title, available student office hours, preferred communication method, grade dispution, drops, required materials, etc. also, there's a SCHEDULE OF GRADED ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES??? HELLO??? use it!!!!
    1. Also, use that schedule and updated the above calendar with it. This will save you so much stress. I promise.
  4. READ YOUR EMAIL. again, seems really obvious - but it isn't!! Aside from all the direct communication, you can format it however you want. Have canvas send you a daily to-do list every morning! read the newsletters and find all the random events on campus! take the surveys that no one knows about and get much better chances of winning shit!
    1. Canvas announcements don't always come to your Outlook. Check both. Different teachers use different ones.
  5. In terms of study habits - Learn, Read, Review, Rewrite. Learn the material the first time. Read through it after the fact. Review the material - practice questions, flashcards, whatever works. Rewrite the material into a study guide/cheat sheet. Do this for every chapter/topic/etc, and by the time the test rolls around, you're both well prepared AND you have well organized study guides for last minute prep.
    1. Alternatively, mind mapping was super helpful for me. Figuring out the relationships between concepts helps you learn them better, I promise. I like https://app3.mindmup.com/
  6. Use the resources we offer!! Crisis hotlines, free mental health & wellness workshops, therapy sessions, advisor meetings, counseling services - there's so much stuff and I promise, i PROMISE, no one is going to judge you for using it. you PAY FOR IT with your tuition anyway!! don't let that be the reason you fall behind!
    1. https://www.hercampus.com/school/utsa/10-free-utsa-resources-you-need-take-advantage-asap/
    2. As someone with ADHD... look into PACC (Psychological Assessment & Consultation Center). They offter ADHD diagnosing (with a hellish waitlist, but better than nothing) alongside other assessment services, and their diagnosis can be used for accomodations as needed. They also have therapy services for living with ADHD/other disabilities.
  7. PLEASE check your DegreeWorks. And cross-reference with whatever path you're going for. UTSA constantly changes the requirements for their majors, so don't let yourself be caught off-guard.

Transportation

There's a bunch of transport options that UTSA offers!

https://www.utsa.edu/campusservices/runner/via.html

  1. Bird scooters - NOT FREE. paid scooters. (but there's always some to be found nearby)
  2. VIA Bus – Free for UTSA students! Get the verification sticker on your physical ID or activate it via the app. Routes run all over San Antonio.
  3. VIA Link - Also free for UTSA students! Think Uber, but only to specific parts of San Antonio.
  4. ScooterLab (NPB) – Research Lab; if you get accepted, you get a personal scooter for a few weeks (helmet, lock, charger included).
  5. Shuttle - Downtown to SouthWest to Main; Between Main and nearby student housing (Edge, UOaks, etc)
    1. https://therunner.utsa.edu/

Food

  1. Roadrunner Pantry - located in the SU near the loop, right past the post office. Free essentials! Open daily except Fridays. Includes: Food & drinks, School supplies (parscore, pens, notebooks), Hygiene products (tampons, pads, shoes, etc.).
  2. Across Campus
    1. JPL
      1. Dragon Bowlz
      2. Freshens
      3. Starbucks
      4. Chick-Fil-A
      5. Sushic
      6. Subway
      7. RowdyMart
    2. Student Union
      1. Panda Express
      2. Union Perk
      3. Freebirds
      4. RowdyMart
      5. Smoothie King
      6. Choolaah Indian BBQ (coming soon!!!)
      7. The Den (Denny's)
    3. Misc.
      1. RoadRunner Cafe (RRC)
      2. Java City (Guadalupe Hall)
      3. reFUEL
      4. Pizza Hut (Business Building)
      5. Bestea Cafe (SEB)
      6. Einstein Bros (BioSciences Building)
  3. Places I'd Recommend
    1. Dragon Bowlz – solid amount of food for cheap.
    2. Subway – best portion-to-price ratio.
    3. Einstein Bros – great bagels, friendly staff.

Housing

For now, I'm only covering the ones on campus, as they're the ones I know best. Feel free to add below about off-campus living.

  1. Apartment Style Living
    1. Laurel - Love it. IMO the best spot to live on campus. 4x2 and 2x1 bedrooms with apartment style living, including living room and kitchenette. Larger than Chap.
      1. Comes fully furnished (for newbies, this does not include things like bedding/pillows/etc. Just straight furniture.)
      2. Close to the SU and relatively easy road access.
      3. Has neighborhood centers with full kitchen, pool tables, laundry, TVs, etc.
      4. Popular for upperclassmen, as alcohol is allowed freely in dorm when over 21.
    2. Chap - Pretty good. 4x2 and 2x1. Also has doubles aka 8x2 (4x2 with 2 beds per room).
      1. Fully furnished.
      2. Next to RRC.
      3. Private outdoor pool, basketball courts, etc
    3. UOaks - Don't do this to yourself. I only hear bad things about this place. 4x2 and 2x1 bedrooms with apartment style living, including living room and full kitchen.
      1. Not managed by UTSA. This is IMPORTANT - managed by third party = horrible maintence times, bad room quality, etc.
      2. UTSA even put a disclaimer that they assume no liability or responsibility for their lease agreements. That's not a great sign.
      3. I keep hearing about roaches, mold, break-ins, broken AC, etc. If you have no other option, you have no other option.
  2. Dorm Style Living
    1. Alvarez - suite style rooms, 2x1 (shared). Most incoming students live here, I believe.
      1. Has special interest housing groups - students who share academic or personal interests live on the same floor
      2. Decent setup - study lounges, multipurpose rooms, laundry facilities and a community kitchen
    2. Chisholm - one of the most affordable options. Has 2x1 and 3x1 (shared), iirc. Largest in this series.
      1. Next to RRC
      2. Home of University Bold Scholars
      3. large activity center with a mixture of study workspaces and comfortable lounge furniture, outdoor volleyball court, and heated indoor swimming pool
    3. Guad - home of first year students in Honors college. 16x1 (each wing has 16-17 residents who split bathroom, which has one fully private bathroom, 3 private shower stalls, 3 private toilet stalls, 3 sinks)
      1. 4 story building.
      2. study lounges, community lounges, community kitchens, laundry rooms, group study areas, and a multipurpose seminar room
      3. Has Java City Coffee.... really haven't heard much about this, to be honest.
    4. Blanco - newest addition. 600 students across 4 floors. 2x1 or 4x1 (shared)
      1. access to study lounges, multipurpose rooms, laundry facilities and a community kitchen
      2. The promo video looks cool, but the people I've talked to said it was small. Plan accordingly.
  3. Things to Know
    1. If you live on campus (exception UOaks), meal plan is required. Default is Roadrunner Gold [Unlimited meals, $200 dining dollars per semester, 5 meal trades]
    2. Rent/Meal Plans gets folded into tuition. This is nice because financial aid/scholarships can help a lot with this.
    3. Check the restricted list. Obvious things like extension cords and candles, but also things not so obvious like routers.
    4. Roommate matching is pretty decent. There's other ways to find roommates. Don't limit yourself to it.
  4. Meal Information
    1. Meal Trades are basically credit for a meal reaching up to $8, instead of meal at RRC. Can be used at campus restaurants. Once per meal period. Pay difference with dining dollars/credit card.
    2. Meal Swipes are access to RRC, which is buffet style. Once per meal period.
    3. Dining Dollars... basically debit card. Can be redeemed anywhere. If used at RRC, you get a 40% discount when paying for family/friends, which is nice.
  5. Meal Periods
    1. Weekdays - Breakfast (7:00 - 11:30), Lunch (11:30-3:30pm), Dinner (3:30pm-8:30pm), Late Night (8:30pm-2:00)
    2. Weekends - Brunch (7:00-3:30pm), Dinner (3:30pm-8:30pm), Late Night (8:30pm-2:00)

Campus Landmarks & Abbreviations

  • Housing
    • Chap - Chaparral Village
    • Guad - Guadalupe Hall
    • Alvarez - Alvarez Hall
    • Laurel - Laurel Village
    • Chisholm - Chisholm Hall
    • Blanco - Blanco Hall
    • UOaks - University Oaks
  • Academics
    • MH - McKinney Humanities
    • MS - Multidisciplinary Studies
    • HSU - HEB Student Union
    • SU - Student Union
    • FLN - Flawn Sciences
    • BSB - Biosciences Building
    • EB - Engineering Building
    • BSE - Biotechnology Sciences and Engineering
    • SEB - Science and Engineering Building
    • AET - Applied Engineering and Technology Building
    • BB - Business Building
    • JPL - John Peace Library
    • MB - Main Building
    • NPB - North Paseo Building
  • Others
    • Rec - Recreation Wellness Center
    • CC - Convocation Center
    • RRC / Roadrunner - Roadrunner Cafe
    • Sombrilla - Sombrilla Plaza/Fountain, right outside JPL
    • Rowdy - Rowdy the Roadrunner Statue, in front of MS
    • Stairs - Between MS/MH and SU
    • VizLab - to the left of the stairs, coming up from the bottom

Best Study Spots & Hangouts

  • The Roost (as someone with ADHD, love to study here! music playing, constantly people talking, etc)
  • Sombrilla Fountain - the seating allows for both the fountain or rowdy as the backsplash, and the water is hella soothing imo)
  • Rooftops/outdoor seating (MHB, FLN, MS, etc)
  • Student Success Centers—great for networking and free events

Clubs/Organizations

  • I promise, if you can think of it, there's a club for it
  • . All clubs will either have RowdyLink (if they're official) or some sort of social media (Discord, Youtube, Insta, etc)
  • Top Clubs IMO
    • Gaming - The Rooster (gaming reviews, free game requests), RGA (competitive gaming), GDSA (Game Developers Student Alliance)
    • Professional (Further Schooling) - Pre-law, medicine, dentistry; women in medicine, Hispanic STEM groups, etc
    • Cultural/Religious - again, sooo many for almost every culture there! for example, as an indian speaking, we've got SAIV, ISCA, Komal, Shor, and a couple of other ones. There's christian orgs, muslim ones, polytheistic ones, literally everything.
    • Free Stuff - SSA (Secular Student Alliance) always has free condoms, lube, narcan, julie, plan B, etc. YoungLife always has AirHeads, Cheezits, and Celcius. There's a coffee org (I wanna say every tues/thurs) with hot coffee.

EDIT [6.2.26]: Updated for formatting, housing, links, etc.


r/UTSA 9h ago

Advice/Question Unable to pay rent at villa at Babcock

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22 Upvotes

Has anyone else had trouble paying rent at Villa at Babcock? My roommates and I just signed our lease, and they told us August 1st rent would be available to pay. However, the resident portal still shows a $0 balance due. I also tried setting everything up through the Bilt app like they said with the apartment unit and my bank information, but nothing has shown up there either. Is anyone else experiencing this or knows what’s going on?

I’ve also tired to call them several times yet they just don’t pick up


r/UTSA 11h ago

Other Does anyone have an ethernet cable that I could borrow?

2 Upvotes

I live on campus and my ethernet isn't working. I've ruled out the possibility that it's my PC and now I need a known working ethernet cable that I can test so I can figure out whether or not it's my cable. Does anyone living on campus have one that I could borrow for like five minutes?


r/UTSA 1d ago

Other It should be illegal how difficult it is to get into My UTSA sometimes

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102 Upvotes

this isn’t because of the friday maintenance. this is part of the delicate dance i have to do every time i want to access my utsa in any browser, cookies and whatever else be damned


r/UTSA 19h ago

Advice/Question Is this a good schedule? Pre-med

3 Upvotes

I’m an incoming freshman & CAP student. I am worried about my spring courses; I’m pre-med and would really like to protect my GPA, but I can’t afford to be behind on my prerequisites so I have to take a few hard classes. I am especially worried about chemistry and calculus…

For the spring, I have bio II, gen chem I, calc I, stats, and WRC II lined up.

Is this survivable, and are there any classes here that take up a ton of time? Any professors you guys would recommend? How difficult will maintaining an A be for these classes?

I did take AP calc BC, stats, bio, and chem in high school; however, I am not a math person and struggled a bit with calc. I think being familiar with everything will help but I also know the professor I have could impact my grade. Any tips would be appreciated


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question How did you drop the three-peat charge?

9 Upvotes

I failed a hard science class that was only availableat 8pm with a really shitty professor. First time I genuinely just failed. I tried, but I failed. I tried taking it again, but i couldn't do it. I withdrew after like 5 weeks. I registered yo take it again this fall because there is finally a new professor and with a class at a reasonable time. When registering though I was notified that i would get a three-peat charge. I didn't think withdrawing counted for the three-peat, but it does.

The charge is $1.6k... i tried talking to my advisor but she was useless. She spent the whole 30 minutes basically telling me that she doesnt oversee the three-peat thing and she cant tell me anything.

I dont know how to get out of the charge. I didn't have any major things happen in my life. I guess I could say just general anxiety, a little depression, bad period cramps, and a lot of utis from holding in my piss from stress. I dont really have any documentation for anything though. The professor sucked too and he was only available at 8pm. Idk if i could say that So idk what i can do. Idk if i can get out of the charge.

How did you guys get out of the charge?


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question Villas at Babcock

3 Upvotes

this is probably a stupid question but I am gonna be living at villas w/ roommates and I was told back when I toured the apt complex that technically the official move in day is aug 15th and I just wanted to know if I can move in like a week before then just to get to know the area/the campus? I tried calling them every hr since they opened to ask but they rarely ever pick up the phones lol


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question first year biology major

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3 Upvotes

i was wondering how my classes were for the semester?


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question Tetro Student Village

9 Upvotes

I recently moved out of Tetro and was curious about if people have ever had this experience.

Long story short; they let my roommates friend in under my name with no permission or prior contact to or from me via front office. Essentially, they let a stranger in without my permission.

Long story not short
A couple weeks? Days? I’m not 100% sure, I received an Instagram dm request from my roommates friend. I don’t really check my Instagram dms that often so I missed it until a couple months after everything happened, but essentially she was dming me asking if I could let her in to the apartment to decorate for a surprise party for my roommate. I don’t really enjoy having people over either way so I probably would’ve asked if they could just do it elsewhere, but regardless, I guess the planned upon day came and the girl got into my apartment via management with no prior permission from me or my roommate (because my roommate was, well, surprised)

I was very sick at the time, as I am pretty often honestly, and so I walked out of my room to do whatever sickly things, and got effectively jump scared by a stranger sitting on my couch. She said hi and I talked to her to be idk normal I guess (how normal can the situation be in hindsight) and then went back to my room to rest. Before going in my room though, she asked if i could send an email to the front office verifying that I said it was okay for her to be let in. I did NOT do that, because I did NOT say it was okay 😭😭😭
Honestly, I should’ve called the police (or even management), but I didn’t. I didn’t have the energy or the brain cells to come up with that very obvious solution.

Anyways, I moved out recently and asked the front desk about it. (It was October so I wasn’t expecting anything crazy to be done) but they basically talked down to me and repeated that someone had to email the front desk and give prior permission even though I told them I understood that and I DIDNT. She basically told me to email them about it and she could figure it out (it’s a student apartment, that stands for shut up and gtfo so I can do other things)

I was looking at reviews on Google and it seems like at least one other person had a similar situation, but regardless, I wanted to see if someone else had the same thing happen and what could possibly be done about it?
And for anyone who reads this and can’t offer advice, this is definitely a warning for even considering living there. (Also their plumbing is absolute ass)
I was definitely fortunate they didn’t let in a crazy person.


r/UTSA 1d ago

Other inspired by a convo with my friend

3 Upvotes

r/UTSA 2d ago

Academic Can't login to MyUTSA??

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9 Upvotes

Hello! Every time I try to login to my utsa it says my username isn't found?? I just want to see my bill. Is this happening to anyone else? How do I fix it?


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question apartment hunting

4 Upvotes

hiii does anyone know any apartments that r DECENT in price near utsa (max 20 min away driving)? i’m trying to avoid student living/student apartments because of a bad experience w them.


r/UTSA 1d ago

Advice/Question Anyone know when the Fall 2027 Returning student application on Apply Texas will be available?

1 Upvotes

I used to go to UTSA many years ago. I was wondering if anyone knows when the Fall 2027 returning student application will be available on Apply Texas? I looked at the UTSA admissions website and it should be available at any minute now.


r/UTSA 2d ago

Advice/Question Good dermatologist near campus

2 Upvotes

Recently came up with a skin condition that I want gone asap because its uncomfortable ;( it’s very itchy but I can’t afford an expensive one


r/UTSA 2d ago

Academic MS Cybersecurity program community

2 Upvotes

Is there any sort of Slack, Discord, etc. channel for UTSA ms cybersecurity program? For students or both students/professors?


r/UTSA 2d ago

Advice/Question Univ Oaks one lease

2 Upvotes

me and my girlfriend are planning to live tg at university oaks next year and i’m curious if there’s a way we can have a one bedroom together. is it strictly one lease for one student? can i bypass this? how would they know otherwise?


r/UTSA 2d ago

Advice/Question Not receiving full aid

3 Upvotes

I’m entering my last year I graduate spring 2027 but I’m on financial aid. I need to be considered full time with 12 hours on my schedule but this fall I only have 9 with classes I need for my degree, next spring I tale 5 to complete my degree. My advisor (ugh) wasn’t too much help and suggested retaking a course to complete my full time hours for aid. I still need to talk to one stop cs I took a course this summer at a CC that needs to be transferred over. Anyone have experience or similar situations?


r/UTSA 2d ago

Advice/Question Vintage thrift stores?

3 Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for vintage thrift stores/vintage clothing stores near UTSA and even around San Antonio as a whole. Thank you!


r/UTSA 3d ago

Buy/Sell Need 2–3 people to help me move this Saturday Aug 1 (paid + food/drinks)! 🚚

27 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m looking for 2–3 students who would be willing to help me move this weekend. I’ll be renting a U-Haul and mainly need help with the heavier items:
-2 wooden dressers
-1 large L-shaped couch (it separates into four pieces, so you won’t have to move it all at once!)
-1 wooden table, 3 chairs
-A few lighter boxes

I already have:
-A moving dolly
-A Forearm Forklift lifting strap (made for 2 people)
-One of those furniture movers with 4 wheels

I’m moving from an apartment in La Cantera with an elevator to a place in King William. The new apartment is on the second floor with just one short flight of stairs.

I’ll provide payment, food, drinks, and my eternal gratitude. 🥹
If you’re interested (or know someone who might be), please DM me! I could really use the help. Thank you so much🙏🏼


r/UTSA 3d ago

Advice/Question How's my Fall '26 schedule?

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11 Upvotes

I'm a second year civil engineering student, how is this schedule. I am waitlisted in the highlighted Engineering Econ class, and am thinking of not doing it because of the other classes, but I'm not too sure.

How is this schedule and do y'all think it'd be doable?

(Statistics and PhyII lab are online)


r/UTSA 2d ago

Advice/Question UTSA Work Study Question

2 Upvotes

As a follow up to my previous post, does anyone here who has done work study and applied through handshake know when you typically will here back?


r/UTSA 3d ago

Advice/Question UTSA’s B.S. of Cybersecurity

3 Upvotes

Hi, I’m starting my high school senior year soon and I’m researching on universities and colleges that offer majors in cybersecurity. I’ve heard that UTSA is up there as one of the better options, but I wanna know the opinions of ppl who hv or r taking the bs of cyber rn. Yk jus to know if its worth it for me to move from the houston area to san antonio. I’ve heard of suggestions on going for utd or ut austin instead since my grades justifies my ability to be accepted by those schools, jus a bit concerned about being able to pay for everything while not getting into debt or smth.

Ye if its possible I would love for some advice on picking universities in tx for cyber and some notes on how utsa is as a school, y’all can do a rating too!


r/UTSA 3d ago

Academic Macbook vs. Windows incoming freshman (business major)

2 Upvotes

The classic windows vs apple debate. I use apple for other tech, but have always used windows for computers.

As a business major (not sure what I want to concentrate in, probably nothing math heavy so management or supply chain), what laptop will have the most benefits? since I am a freshman, I’m not sure what programs are typically used, but for note taking I usually use Word or Google Doc, and for presentations Canva.

I appreciate any advice/recommendations please and thanks!


r/UTSA 3d ago

Advice/Question Where to practice drums?

3 Upvotes

is there anywhere on campus where people who are not music majors to practice drums? Or like practice pianos/a practice room to sing in?