I Have a New Favorite Restaurant in Tyler

           This weekend the girlfriend and I went to this little diner in Tyler called The Diner located just past Buffalo Wild Wings on Broadway. I would have to say it's probably my new favorite restaurant in Tyler. Stanley's would easily be my favorite- if they had better hours. If you haven't had Stanley's yet then I highly recommend you go there ASAP, and make sure that you get there early.
             I had a sandwich called The Flatliner, and it definitely deserved the name. I could feel my arteries clogging just looking at it. It was a cheeseburger with two grilled cheese sandwiches in place of the buns. It was the most delicious hamburger that I have ever put in my mouth. Lory just got a chicken fried steak, but she says that it was phenomenal and easily in her top five places to get a chicken fried steak. So next time you're looking for a place to eat, give this place a try. You won't regret it.

P.S. If you're brave enough to try it they have a pancake eating challenge. Eat 15 buttermilk pancakes and it's free, and they'll even post your picture on the wall.

How to Save Money On a New Computer

      One thing that most college students have in common is that they have a personal computer of some sort. Unfortunately, almost all of them spent more money on their computer than they needed to spend. By building your own you can easily save you up to $500 getting a new computer. (I saved almost $800 when building my own computer). 
        This can seem like a daunting task to most people, but once you have all the right parts it's as simple as assembling furniture from IKEA. The only "hard" part about building your own computer is knowing what parts you need, and making sure that all the parts are compatible. I put "hard" in quotation marks because it's only hard in relation to how easy it is to assemble all the pieces together once you have them. So to get down to it, here's a list of all the items you'll need to build your own computer.

• DVD or Blu-Ray Drive: What kind you get depends on what you plan on using it for. They can cost anywhere from $20-$100
• Hard Drive: Again choosing this piece is based on personal preference. Get whatever size you expect to need. They cost anywhere from $50-$125 on average.
• Power Supply: This is another item that is up to you. I would suggest at least 400W, and expect to spend $20-$40 on it.
• Operating System: Get whatever version of Windows or Macintosh that you prefer. Costs around $100-$200
• Graphics Card: This can easily be one of the cheapest or most expensive items in your computer. It all depends on if you want a high-end gaming computer or just a machine to check email and facebook on. Expect to spend anywhere from $30-$300 on this.
• Processor (CPU): When selecting your CPU there are two things you need to write down for later. You need to know if it's an AMD or Intel processor and what kind of CPU socket type it is. This determines what kind of motherboard you'll need. This could cost you $50-$300 depending on how much power you want your computer to have.
• Motherboard: This is the most important piece of your computer. You need to make sure that both the case, processor, and memory (RAM) all fit with your motherboard. They have two features you need to be aware of; the size and the brand.The sizes are labeled as Micro ATX and ATX. Micro ATX is just a smaller version of ATX motherboards. The brand will either be AMD or Intel. Which brand you purchase is based on the brand of processor you selected. Expect to spend $50-$100 on this.
• Computer Case: This is where you need to start paying attention to what you're buying. Some motherboards will not fit in smaller cases. Cases will either be labeled as ATX or Micro ATX, and if you get a Micro ATX case you need to purchase a Micro ATX motherboard. Both sizes of motherboards fit into full-sized ATX cases, so I would suggest buying a full-sized case if possible.This is also another piece whose price can fluctuate wildly depending on what you get. They have simple basic cases for as little as $20-$40, and they have fancy case with all the bells and whistles for as much as $200. Expect to spend around $50-$75 on average. 
• Memory (RAM): This is another piece that you need to be careful of when selecting what you kind you purchase. In the name of the RAM you'll see something along the lines of 2GB 240 PIN DDR3 ####. That #### needs to match the supported memory (or memory standard) of the motherboard you selected. I'd suggest 2GB-4GB or DDR3. Expect to spend $20-$40 on this.
• CPU Heat Sink: This is basically just a high-tech fan to keep your CPU from overheating. Any type will work. Costs around $10-$30.

Once you buy all of this you'll be ready to assemble your computer. Here's a nice walk-through guide on how to do all of this. Also if you have any questions the IT Department on campus is a great resource.

What is there to do in Tyler, Texas?

One of my favorite things to do in my free time is to explore Tyler and the surrounding area and see what new fun things I can find to do. Tyler has a lot of activities to check out. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

Liberty Hall Movie Theater is an amazing little theater in downtown Tyler that has about two movie showings every week. They show movies ranging from Cinderella to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and it's always a fun experience.
The Center for Earth & Space Science Education at Tyler Junior College is a must-see for anyone who finds the stars and the universe to be incredible. They have a nice museum and top of the line planetarium shows daily. They even have laser rock shows every week.
The Cowan Center is easily my favorite extracurricular features of UT Tyler. They have events ranging from Broadway musicals to guest speakers like George W. Bush and Bill Cosby. And to make it even better, students can get free tickets to many of the events!
The Cliffs in Lindale, Texas are a great place to go during the summer. It's an old abandoned rock quarry that has been filled with spring water over time, and they have opened it to the public to use as a swimming area. The main attraction to The Cliffs is that they have several cliffs ranging from five to sixty feet around the "pond" that are safe to dive from. It's a scary load of fun!
Sky Dive East Texas is another adventure for those looking for an adrenaline rush. It's located at the Gladewater Airport about thirty minutes outside of Tyler, and Outdoor Adventures at the HPC normally does a group trip there every semester for only $150 (about $70 less than the usual fee).
Tyler State Park is located just north of I-20, and is about 20 minutes from campus. It has wonderful hiking and biking trails as well as beautiful camp sites. To help you enjoy the beautiful lake the park office rents out everything from kayaks to small fishing boats on the weekend, for a small fee.
The Tyler Rose Garden is Tyler's claim to fame. It's a great place to go for a leisurely walk and enjoy the scenery. The best part of it is that it's always free year round.
Tiger Creek is a great local non-profit whose goal is "To provide rescue and rehabilitation of big cats that have been abused, neglected or displaced." It's only $10 to enter and you get the experience of a zoo without the crowds, and they have guided tours Monday through Saturday.
Caldwell Zoo is a classic entertainment destination in Tyler. With over two thousand animals on eighty five acres, Caldwell Zoo is a prefect place to go if you're a fan of all things animal related.

UT Tyler Summer Checklist

Now that the stress of finals is over and summer is here it’s all too easy to sit back and enjoy the break and forget to prepare for the fall semester. So here’s a quick checklist of things you might want to do before the fall semester starts up.

• Register for classes here. This one seems a little obvious, but there’s always a massively long line in front of the registrar’s office the first week of classes.
• Look up what books you’re going to need and see where you can buy them. The bookstore on campus is always a good place to go, or if you would rather buy them online then Amazon and Chegg are both a good place to look. 
•       Fill out your FAFSA. Remember, you have to fill a new FAFSA every school year.
    ·     Renew your school parking permit. With the school restriping the parking lots on campus, parking will be easier than ever.
     ·   Go ahead and skim through your text books for next semester. Don’t try and understand the material. Just try and get a basic understanding of what concepts the class will be covering. I find this to be very helpful when I’m taking classes that I have no previous background in, like Engineering Fundamentals of Thermodynamics.         

UT Tyler Student Blogger Vlog

This is a short vlog of Patrick's new bike! Staring Patrick, Megan, and Ryan from the Student Blogging Team.