Skipping the Dorms at Texas A&M: Freshman Independence & Apartment Living From Day One [Carlos]

In this episode of The Best Four Podcast, Laura chats with Carlos, a Texas A&M architectural engineering graduate who is staying in College Station to earn his master’s degree. Carlos shares why A&M was not initially his first choice, how its engineering program and scholarship opportunities won him over, and how he ultimately chose A&M despite growing up in a University of Texas household.

Carlos walks through his full housing journey, starting with applying too late for on-campus housing and landing in a studio apartment at 12 North in Northgate. He explains how living alone freshman year taught him to cook, clean, manage his time, and become more independent. Carlos also challenges the idea that students must live in a dorm to make friends, sharing how he built community through his apartment, student organizations, and a collegiate solar vehicle design team. He later moved into The Standard with friends, then chose a house for junior and senior year for cheaper rent, more space, and a better place to host. He also reflects on balancing engineering classes, social life, transportation, and housing as college became more demanding.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Carlos chose Texas A&M over UT for engineering and scholarships
• Applying too late for on-campus housing and ending up in Northgate
• What living alone freshman year taught him about independence
• Why students can still make friends without living in a dorm
• Balancing engineering classes, student organizations, and social life
• Why house living was cheaper and better for hosting
• Navigating transportation between his house and campus
• Carlos’ advice to apply for housing early and learn from failure