Hello, I am a sophomore in high school. I am almost certain to attend UT-Austin. I am at a very safe standing academically to get in, so now I want to focus on social and lifestyle factors to help me at UT. What talents/hobbies should I pick up? The only thing I do is play basketball, but since I didn’t make the team this year, I have lots of free time and I really want to pick a new hobby up. Any suggestions? Right now for me, my top options are cooking and working out.
The talents and hobbies that you should pick up are the ones that interest you. That’s the simple answer.
Being biased, I would say reading! Being able to discuss books and ideas will prepare you for a lot of situations. And it’s fun escapism.
But yeah, join a rec basketball team that doesn’t have tryouts? Cooking and working out both sound great, if they interest you.
There’s around 1300 registered student organizations at UT as well as many different sporting organizations of all skill levels. You can be a beginner or an expert at an activity and there will be a place for you. I wouldn’t worry about it for now since it’s very easy to pick up whatever it is you want to do once you get here.
UT Registered Student Organizations directory:
https://utexas.collegiatelink.net/Organizations
I do not think that this database includes the intramural/club sports teams but I could be wrong.
Cut the letter off your letterman’s jacket?
Maybe it was just because I hung out with Asian people at UT, but hiphop dancing was very popular among students. Almost every on-campus event I attended showcased some type of hiphop choreography (or singing, but its easier to learn how dance than to sing).
Athleticism is very high among UT students. Many of the basketball players for several organizations’ intramural teams also played football, volleyball, softball, soccer, etc.
Thanks for the suggestions and input guys. It was really helpful and assuring knowing that there is opportunity for me at amateur and competitive levels. Right now, I’m looking for an art to pick up(art, music, dancing, but I’m unsure. I just want to be as well rounded as possible
I’m going to offer a slightly different suggestion: explore a bunch of interests, even if they aren’t strong interests yet. If something sounds even vaguely interesting, check it out. Fencing? Hanggliding? Beekeeping? Falconry? Aircraft construction? Curling? Go wild! Anything goes!
Make a long list, find out something about each of them. Then start checking out meetings and events nearby and talk to some people actually doing them.
Everything is exciting and fascinating to someone. Check out the things that, right now, just seem weird to you, and find out why they motivate some people.
Make an effort to break out of your comfort zone. If you like heavy metal, go to a bluegrass concert. If you like athletics, go sit in with a book club. If you’re into math and science, try painting a portrait.
Hmm…this may be a bit odd one, but why not try to befriend RAs?
It may be just my dorm, but it seems like RAs tend to socialize with themselves, and if you manage to get to know them, it’s quite fun. I hang out with some desk assistances and RAs frequently
My advice would be to try everything out - give everything a shot, see what you like and what you don’t like. College is a great place to try out new things.
I don’t think there’s anything you can do as a sophomore, two and a half years til you’re in college, that would improve your college social life other to learn to make friends now and explore your interests.
This is more about the adjustment to the lifestyle of college. My daughter had been involved in local activites until her sophomore year and had never lived away from home for any length of time. I thought that it broadened her a great deal when she took part in a summer program that took place on a large campus, had her living in a dorm, and interacting with a mixed bag of people that were not from her home turf. It definitely gave her a taste of what it would be like when she went to college and helped her start figuring out when to roll with it, when to compromise and when not to. The academics were good but imho what she experienced outside of the classroom was just as important. Down the road when she arrived on campus as a freshman she was not as stressed as she might have been…a much better place to be when in a new environment and trying to make friends.
I am a senior right now and will be heading off to college next fall. I too worry about this sometimes. I live in a very rural area that doesn’t offer much to do, so I am kind of inexperienced when it comes to actually making friends with new people and trying new activities. I am totally open minded to all of this, but I am just worried that I will be inexperienced compared to the rest of my new classmates.
I have just recently bought a longboard though, and plan on getting good enough to be able to ride it to class next year. You could always take up longboarding @MeNameisJeff 
I think people sometimes make a bigger deal out of this than is necessary. People expect some drastically different type of social life, and it is different in many ways, but it’s still just a bunch of people being people.
Honestly, for me it was fun to just be thrown into it and to learn how to adjust.
You can’t always prepare for everything, and part of growing up is learning how to just figure it out. 
My advice for you is to embrace the present. Don’t let the FOMO get you.
Just focus on whatever you want to in the moment. Trust me, a lot will probably change about you in the next few years and what you want or enjoy may not be the same.
I think you’re very wise to ask now.
You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here.
Let me add: learn how to talk to people you don’t know. That will stand you in good stead whether you’re applying for a job, working at a new job, talking to people at a party etc. Here’s an old but very good book to help: “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie. It’s short and easy to read - lots of anecdotes and it keeps moving.
Best of luck to you!
learn to hold your liquor …immediately.
The OP is a 10th grader, so that is the one piece of advice that is probably a bad idea.