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Unofficial campus guide · 2026-27
The Tennessee freshman guide
The unofficial first-year playbook for life in Knoxville.
- 27 chapters
- 23 step-by-step fixes
- 44 tools included
- PDF + online
Fact-checked against official sources, October 31, 2026.
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From the guide
Tennessee, by the numbers
$329
A term for Total Access course materials, unless you opt out in Canvas.
$2,250
HOPE pays up to this per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore.
2.75
The cumulative HOPE GPA you need at the end of the semester you attempt 24 and 48 hours.
$2,751
Per semester for either first-year meal plan, a two-semester commitment.
Jan 1
The spring 2027 immunization deadline for new students. Miss it and a hold blocks registration and grades.
Dec 1
Last day to withdraw this fall. There is no University drop for non-attendance.
Every figure has its official source in the guide. Details change, so the guide links to each one.
What's inside
The stuff orientation skips.
- No drop for skipping: the bill that follows you anyway
- Keep HOPE: a 2.75 at 24 and 48 hours, full time every term
- Total Access at $329 a term, and the meal plan contract
- T-Credits, the $25 student lottery, and the Vol Walk
- Flash floods, tornado warnings, and UT Alert, handled
Coming up at Tennessee
The next registration, money, and academic dates.
From the guide's verified calendar. Always confirm on the school's official page.
Contents
- 1Start here
- 2Your first 48 hours
- 3Holds and bills that cancel your classesFree sample
- 4Class rules that bite
- 5Registering for spring
- 6Money defense
- 7Where to study
- 8Eat well without going broke
- 9Getting around and getting home
- 10Game day
- 11Traditions and free fun
- 12Halloween, holidays, and spring
- 13Get outside
- 14Social apps and finding your people
- 15Roommates
- 16Your support team
- 17Stay healthy
- 18Storms, flash floods, and winter weather
- 19Career and working through college
- 20Health careers: nursing, pre-med, PA, and NP
- 21Military and college
- 22Beyond your first year
- 23Key dates 2026-27
- 24For parents and families
- 25The rules that matter most
- 26Quick reference
- 27Sources and how this was checked
Free sample chapter
Look inside.
One whole chapter from the Tennessee guide, word for word. The interactive tools in it come with the guide.
That's 1 of 27 chapters.
The rest covers class rules, spring registration, money, food, getting around, game day, health, weather, and every key date for the year.
Tell me when it opensFree vs. the Tennessee guide
The free guides and tools work for any college. The Tennessee guide adds everything specific to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Freshman101 is independent. This guide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The school's name is used only to say which campus it covers.
| What you get | Free | Tennessee guide, $24.99 |
|---|---|---|
| Free Student Guide (PDF, any college) | Included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Free Parent Guide (PDF) | Included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Planning tools | 16 free tools | All 44 tools |
| Your school's deadlines, with a countdown and calendar export | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Holds and hidden charges at your school, and how to clear them | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Your school's class rules: drops, withdrawals, repeats | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Game day planner with the home schedule and stadium rules | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Where to Eat near campus, plus student deals and freebies | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| A first 48 hours checklist built for your campus | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Advising prep, study planners, and the résumé and letter studio | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |
| Online pages for your phone, plus the magazine-style PDF | Not included in the free version | Included in the campus guide |