College is starting back soon, so we thought we’d list a few things that we think all Chattanooga college students should know about — from free bus rides to library resources + cheap eats.

Bike Chattanooga

If you’re going carless, Bike Chattanooga is a lifesaver with year-long passes for $90. On UTC’s campus, you can find bike stations near the UTC Amphitheatre (Oak Street + Greenway), Johnson Obear dorms (Oak + Houston), and just past the library on Douglas Street. The closest station to ChattState is at the Hubert Fry Center.

CARTA

For rainy days when a bike won’t suffice, CARTA is the way to go. Don’t let it be too daunting — here’s everything you need to know to take your first CARTA bus ride.

Bonus: CARTA offers a free Mocs Express shuttle that takes students around UTC’s campus. A validated UTC ID also gets you unlimited, free access to ride CARTA.

Museum access

With a valid college or university ID, you can get half off admission to the Tennessee Aquarium during College Days, enjoy a $15 year-long membership to the Hunter Museum (it’s usually $50 — this is a steal), and grab a discounted $30 membership to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.

Library

Besides offering numerous literary resources for projects and papers, the Chattanooga Library also offers free notary services, meeting rooms, WiFi, a full makerspace, tool loaning, and lots more. Take a peek.

Cheap eats

A few cheap eats we enjoyed during our college days (and still do):

City Cafe Diner | Pick from 500+ menu items, 24/7 — don't skip out on the cake
Amigo Mexican Restaurant | Head to the East Ridge location for $1.35 tacos on Mondays
Mean Mug | $3.50 buttermilk biscuits are what dreams are made of.
Shangri-la | Cheap sushi, combos under $10 + big portion sizes — Editor Brianna recommends General Tso’s Tofu

News

Subscribing to the best local newsletter certainly doesn’t hurt your college experience. We’ll be here Monday-Friday to give you quick news bursts, weekly events, and more — plus, it’s totally free to subscribe. Don’t forget to support your school paper, too (as a former News Editor for the UTC Echo, I know how much hard work goes into keeping the campus informed.)

Locals’ advice

“I graduated from UTC in 2013 and my advice is to use all campus resources, especially the UTC Outdoors program! I went skiing, kayaking and more with random groups of students for very low or no cost and they are still some of my best memories! It’s a great way to make friends and get outside at the same time! Link to sign up for trips.” — Dr. Nicole P., Reader

"Depending on where you're attending college or university, don't feel too reliant on a car. One of my favorite parts of college was exploring a new place by walking or biking all around town. My friends and I loved walking from our on-campus dorms to Totto in NorthShore (even in the dead of winter, which is admittedly not something I'd choose to do now), and I enjoyed riding my bike to try out different coffee shops for studying." — Editor Brianna