Name: Sky Martin
Age: 18
Year: Freshman
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Gainesville, FL
Her Campus: How often did you visit the UF campus before you became a student here?Sky Martin: “UF has been a big part of my life since I was little. I visited campus for numerous basketball and football games every year and have attended many summer camps here as well. I also used to have sport practices on campus, so I have definitely spent a lot of time here.”
HC: How is going to UF and living on-campus different from living in the Gainesville community?SM: “It seems like two different worlds. Most of the time it feels like I am very far from where I grew up. The majority of Gainesville feels like any other town without a huge university. There is a different atmosphere on campus and in surrounding areas than in the rest of Gainesville that sets the campus apart.”
HC: What is the most memorable thing that has happened while you have been at UF thus far?SM: “No one thing stands out, but I think everyone will remember their first weeks of college. They are just very hectic and exciting with everyone trying to figure out the campus and meeting so many new people.”
HC: As a native to the area, what is the best advice you can give to students coming to Gainesville from out of town as far as weather is concerned?SM: “In the winter, by the time the afternoon comes around, it will usually be extremely hot and humid, so always dress in layers. You can also count on it raining at least once a week during the summer, so a rain jacket and umbrella are necessities. You definitely don’t need a lot of winter clothes considering it is pretty hot out even during winter.”
HC: What are some of your favorite places to eat that you can only find in Gainesville?SM: “One of my favorite places is Boca Fiesta, which is a Mexican restaurant downtown. The environment is really cool, and most weekends they have bands playing outside. My other favorite is Satchel’s Pizza. Everyone in Gainesville loves it. You can’t drive for more than five minutes without seeing one of their bumper stickers on a car. It’s a really cool and unique restaurant with really good pizza.”
HC: Where are the best places to casually hang out with friends?SM: “ I grew up on Lake Santa Fe, so that will always be my favorite nature spot. I also really like going to Blue Springs with friends. There is a really fun dock to jump off of and a boardwalk that you can take out to see the main river. I also love taking some tubes floating down the Ichetucknee River for a more relaxing day in nature.”
HC: Lastly, is there any way to hack the crazy traffic on game day?SM: “ I don’t think there is anyway around that. To get a decent parking spot you would have to get here extremely early so I just usually park further away and walk.”