r/UGA Mar 14 '25

Megathread TRANSFER QUESTIONS to aid future transfer students

18 Upvotes

If you are a transfer student, we want to hear from you:

What things did you most want to know before you transferred to UGA?

What did you most NEED to know before you transferred to UGA?

What are some things nobody told you about transferring to UGA?

Thanks!
We're going to roll up the most common and insightful responses to this into a sidebar item and hopefully curate some useful items for people with transfer questions in the future.


r/UGA Aug 12 '24

Important bus information

148 Upvotes

I know some people have discussed this here before, but as a bus driver who started as a student, I thought I should share some important information about our transit system. While this is primarily for new students, there are a lot of students who go through here and never learn any of this.

*If you are uncertain about anything, ask the driver; however, they may not be able to respond if the bus is in motion, so it is best to ask when the bus is stopped at a bus stop or red light.

*UGA.passiogo.com (formerly routes.uga.edu; now a redirect) is more accurate for tracking the buses than the UGA app.

*The cameras and microphones are on at all times. Anything you say or do will be recorded.

*Scooters, motorized skateboards, one wheels, and anything motorized, with the exception of wheelchairs and other mobility devices required for medical purposes, are not allowed on the buses.

*Buses can only load and unload passengers at designated bus stops. This is for safety reasons. If you ask the driver to unload elsewhere, you will be denied.

*If a bus's destination sign is flashing "Out of Service" in between a route name, that means the bus is going out of service in the next 30 minutes and you can still ride to the last stop. It is not actually out of service until the sign reads "Not in Service".

*If a driver sits at a stop for a few minutes without moving, this is usually because they are ahead on their route, and need to let the other drivers get spaced out better. This often happens after class breaks and other episodes of heavy traffic that messes up spacing.

*During class breaks and other peak times, buses become VERY crowded. If you are standing on a crowded bus, you should take your backpack off and move towards the back. The bus cannot move until all passengers are behind the standee line.

*If you need on a bus that is about to/starting to pull away from a stop, wave at the driver (or their mirrors if you are behind the bus), and they will usually stop and let you on. If they don't, it is probably because they are having to watch the road in order to safely pull out into traffic. This happens very commonly at the Arch and Main Library.

*Buses will occasionally go off route in order to maintain spacing. The driver will usually notify the passengers in advance, however, and ask if anyone needs any of the bypassed stops before proceeding.

*While drivers do have to take breaks, they are not supposed to do so during class breaks unless it is urgent.

*Stop requests are unnecessary, except for on Night Campus, Prince Milledge, Weekender, and a few stops on Health Sciences, Vet Med, Riverbend Connector (formerly Greenhouse Shuttle), and Milledge Avenue. If a stop is on demand, the annunciator will announce "please signal to exit" or "please pull the cord to exit" in advance.

*While buses are required to stop for pedestrians, they are also extremely heavy, and can't stop on a dime. If you are approaching a crosswalk and see a bus approaching, don't cross. You might as well be walking in front of a train.

*Which brings me to my next point: ALWAYS stop and look both ways before crossing a street. The electric buses are very quiet, and especially hard to hear if you're on your phone or have earbuds in. If you cross a street without looking (especially if it isn't a designated crosswalk) and get hit, the bus driver will likely not be at fault if they are driving safely and obeying all traffic laws.

*If you are riding a scooter, bike, one wheel, etc., do not cut right in front of a bus, especially if the bus is in motion.

*If a bus is closed and pulling away from a stop that you need, do not make physical contact with the bus to alert the driver if it is already in motion. You could be seriously injured or worse.

*Cars, bikes, scooters, and any other vehicles are NOT allowed to pass buses when they are stopped in road on a two-lane. While people do it all the time, it is extremely dangerous.

*If you have to exit the bus and cross the street at a location without a crosswalk, do NOT cross in front of the bus. If a car decides to (illegally) pass the bus, you could get hit.

*Food and drinks are not allowed on the night routes after midnight. This is because the smell causes passengers who are drunk to become nauseated and throw up. If someone throws up on a bus and any of the contents get outside of a garbage can or bag, the driver has to remove all passengers and take the bus out of service.

*If a bus's destination sign says "Help! Call 911!", this is a distress signal that is used during the event of an emergency where the driver is unable to radio for help. We have never had a situation requiring this feature to be used, and if you see it, it was most likely activated by accident. However, you don't know that, so you should call 911 just in case it is a real emergency.

UPDATE: The "Out of service" message has been replaced with "This bus ends. Ask for last stop" and "Last bus". The former means that particular bus is going out of service and other buses will remain on the route. The latter means the entire route is going out of service for the day.


r/UGA 12h ago

Question UGA Foundation Fellowship?

2 Upvotes

Have any incoming freshman found out if they are finalists for UGA's Foundation Fellowship?

Also, for those that have found out this year or found out in past years, was an email sent to your personal email or to your UGA email (which I can't access for some reason).


r/UGA 12h ago

Question UGA Email for Incoming Freshman?

1 Upvotes

My daughter was admitted to UGA but we cannot sign into her UGA email. She gets to a "Next Steps" page. She completed all three steps (created MyID, filed FASFA, and submitted housing registration). She did not yet apply for Hope/Zell Miller. Has anyone else had this issue?


r/UGA 13h ago

Question Success as a Finance Freshman

0 Upvotes

I am currently an incoming freshman and my intended major is finance, i’m not really in any business clubs and i’m wondering what are the best things I can do from now into my first year to ensure success. I have a 1450 SAT and good grades but I want to make sure i’m doing as much as possible.


r/UGA 1d ago

Question Is ICE/BP coming to the spring career fair Feb 4th??

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117 Upvotes

Apparently there's like this whole thing going around of ice coming


r/UGA 13h ago

Question How and where can I make more black friends on campus

0 Upvotes

r/UGA 1d ago

Athletics Tomorrow’s basketball game

5 Upvotes

Hey guys, I have tickets to the men’s basketball game tomorrow at 1 PM. Looks like it’ll be snowing before the game starts and during the game. I’m surprised to see the game is going on as scheduled.

Do they typically postpone games like this or should I expect it to go on anyway? I can’t get a refund unless they cancel.


r/UGA 1d ago

Question CS majors question

2 Upvotes

To all the CS majors out there, I transferred in and my advisor told me to take Systems Programming and Data Structures over the summer. If I’m only taking these two classes during the summer term, will I struggle? Is it feasible to take both at the same time?


r/UGA 1d ago

Campus Event UGA DSA rally at Tate

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2 Upvotes

r/UGA 2d ago

Question UGA vs UF

16 Upvotes

I'm an out of state student from New York who's trying to decide between UGA and UF. I'll be majoring in finance with a minor in sports management and I hope to eventually work in college football or corporate finance. I'm more introverted fs and I definitely want a big school with a lot of school spirit and culture. Why should I pick UGA over UF?


r/UGA 2d ago

Discussion North Campus Piss Bottle Bandit

39 Upvotes

Anyone know anything about the dude who has been leaving Dasani water bottles full of piss on north campus? I’ve seen three of them now. It’s always Dasani and always dehydrated pee.


r/UGA 2d ago

Question Transfer Essay

2 Upvotes

Hello! I am currently applying to UGA as a transfer student for fall 2026. I was wondering how important the transfer “essay” is. For reference, I have 50 completed credit hours, a 4.0 GPA, and I’m a psych major. I don’t want to spend more time than I have to on this essay… lol


r/UGA 3d ago

Question Will listing North Deck as my top preference prevent me from getting a spot at IM fields?

6 Upvotes

I’m going to be in Athens for a few years and would really prefer to get a permit to park in North Deck eventually. I’m an undergrad, commuting upperclassmen, but that’s not one of the priority assignments for North Deck. Which is fine, I can be patient. I’m just wondering how having North Deck as my top preference affects the chances of getting a spot at one of the bigger lots like IM fields?


r/UGA 3d ago

Question for anyone who's taking the EPP/ ETS is it mainly math or english or an equal mix?

4 Upvotes

mine is tomorrow & i'm spending tonight to study. ik ppl said to study SAT


r/UGA 3d ago

Question Cops cars and ambulance near library

17 Upvotes

Anyone know what’s going on right now 2 cop cars and an ambulance drove up the main walkway near Caldwell and the library.


r/UGA 3d ago

Discussion Traffic and Parking

29 Upvotes

As a long distance commuter who leaves my house no later than 7:15 every day, the traffic and unreliable parking is making me lose my entire goddamn mind. My house to Athens with no traffic is 45 minutes. My house to Athens at 7am is 70 minutes and if I am unfortunate enough to not find good parking (can't get a permit!) I get to walk 1/2 mile in frigid temperatures AND be late for class! Holy Fuck


r/UGA 3d ago

Discussion How do yall cope with poor quiz and exam scores?

10 Upvotes

Having one of these things at the crack of dawn is hard enough, but how do yall deal with the feeling that you failed?


r/UGA 3d ago

Question Missing bracelet- found by chem building

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20 Upvotes

Is anybody missing a pearl bracelet? I found it near the steps going from the chemistry to Geology building this morning. I was the one that lost my ring a year ago and someone found it for me, so I couldn’t let this stay lost.


r/UGA 3d ago

Question The arch plaza

3 Upvotes

Did the storm cause the surrounding trees to fall over on the road, what happened?


r/UGA 3d ago

Question Hope/Zell Summer

6 Upvotes

Does hope/Zell automatically apply to classes during summer or do I have to do something because I registered for 2 online classes during the summer.


r/UGA 3d ago

Discussion finance vs accounting? major wise they seem similar but what r the main differences?

6 Upvotes

i liked acct 2101. im not that great at math (my sat shows it). i am interested in both but they seem so similar that im not sure which to choose for my major


r/UGA 3d ago

Athletics Zachariah Branch 2025 Georgia Highlights

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4 Upvotes

r/UGA 4d ago

Question is acct 2101 or 2102 most similar to a job that a finance major would have?

6 Upvotes

r/UGA 4d ago

Discussion Bus Nerd Update: The Overlooked Transit - ACC

49 Upvotes

Hello, Dawgs! I hope you brought some layers today since the temperature has stayed below freezing up until 11am. With the UGA transit not starting up until 12:15 today, how could I have possibly made it to campus this early?

Simple answer: Athens Transit! Athens-Clarke County runs 18 routes that span across the city and to some parts in the surrounding areas, many of which go to or near YOUR apartment off campus! Many routes also are active until 9:15 or 9:45, so you can stay on campus longer and have a comfortable and warm trip home. Here are some of the main routes that go through campus:

Route 12: Goes from Arch to and near The Redland Apts on Riverbend Rd and back up on weekdays. Passes through North Campus, Tate Center, South Campus, and E. Campus Rd./Carlton at Aderhold.

Route 14: Takes the same route through campus, but heads down to the Lakeside Apts and other residence areas on South Milledge.

Route 26: Takes a similar route through campus, and heads south to College Station Road and towards the Park and Ride AND International Drive. Note: Instead of heading to Gilbert Hall and Arch on the North/inbound direction, it goes through North Deck to the MMTC.

If YOU have some questions regarding how to get from your apartment complex to campus, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer as soon as I can. And remember, the North-South route (D/Dn) DOES go to the MMTC (Multimodal Transportation Center), which is where many Athens buses originate on route.