first year of college

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

Basically, looking back at what I did this year, I feel like I accomplished a lot. I think I am going to classify my freshman year into three stages. The first stage is fitting in and this is what happened first quarter. I felt nervous and insecure when I first moved out of my house and into the dorms. I am lucky in a way that I only live an hour away so I can always get back home on weekends whenever I needed to. I was unsure of how my roomates and I were going to interact. Also, the first quarter also meant meeting tons and tons of new people for the first time and also finding out how classes were like here at UCLA. I felt like I accomplished a lot by meeting new friends and just enjoying my classes my first quarter.

The second quarter of my freshman year became study intensive. I decided to take four classes because I felt like I handled three classes in the first quarter quite well. I disliked my second quarter a lot because I felt like I was doing way too much work and not having enough free time. I would normally go to class, come back do homework for 2 hours, eat and just play basketball for a little while before getting back to studying. I also felt like I could've participated in a lot more im sports if I didn't choose to take four classes.

The past quarter has been quite hard actually. Even though I only took three classes, I took up two part time jobs in order to give myself extra responsibility. I met a lot more new friends at work and at the same time felt the pressure of always having to balance my work and finding time to study and complete my homework. One thing I regret about taking up two jobs is that I really didn't find anytime to play sports at all. This is a big disappointment because all through my life I had participated in sports regularly.

Overall though, as finals are quickly approaching. I felt like I had a wonderful freshman year and just felt like sharing.

[Anonymous]

Hey Michael! What a good post, I'm glad to have done the GE Cluster, because I have made some of my closest friends through the experience.

Going back to what you said: Schoolwork, sports, work. Reminds us of high school, right?

I got along w/ my roommates very well & we even have a "Quote Wall" where we write down all the memorable/dumb things that came out of our mouths. Friend-wise, I've always been social and make time to have dinner, go see a show, or watch movies in the dorm. I've even had Chinese tea parties where I served dried fruit (mee jian) & had fruit and green tea. It was a lot of fun & I enjoyed sharing my culture.

I also did work-study & that took up some time and energy. HOWEVER, I always enjoy the personal freedom and independence when I make money on my own. The work experience wasn't that bad either.

Schoolwork. I did 3 classes my 1st quarter, and 4 classes 2nd & 3rd quarter. This summer I also plan on doing a full load by taking 2 classes & an internship (195-series) where I have to create reports on my work experience.

Extracurriculars. I have a Group-x pass & enjoy taking classes to help me become stronger and able to tackle the workload. I'm also Vice President of three clubs, one of which I co-founded with some graduate students & created a Communication Workshop for. In my spare time, I mentor high school students and do free-lance writing. I did a series of transformational work in Landmark Education, and took Yoga w/ my boyfriend. Spending time with my boyfriend also constitutes a significant portion of my daily routine..... there were times where both of us were busy, but still wanted to spend time together & I would just hang out at the bioengineering lab with him. Not a fun place..... but I get work done!

This year went by very quickly. 3 more years and we're out in the "real world"! Congrats on all that we've accomplished this year =)

-Ames

[Anonymous]

My first year at a real university was quite an experience. At first i wasn't used to being so far away from home, even though i was sure i was going to be ok. I was really homesick and was having a hard time adjusting to my new surroundings. After making it through my first quarter, i saw myself getting more comfortable, and even reached a point where i missed my dorm when i went back home to visit. College is tough, and i don't think a lot of people realize that. I mean, we are really growing up here and being more independent by the day. Pretty soon, we're all going to step into the real world, and i hope when that day comes, we'll all survive and succeed...haha.

[Anonymous]

My first year of college has been quite memorable. I love the people that I live with ( I live on a transfer floor, and so i'm one of the only few freshmen). I met tons of new people and got to know some really well. However, I still feel that I haven't been involved enough, and I think partly it was because I felt like I needed to adjust to the new environment before really getting into everything. One of the best things I was involved with this year was Project Literacy, where I tutor underprivileged kids for a few hours a week. Although it wasn't much on my part, I think it's really great to just help out in the community. One of my goals next year is to get more involved in clubs and especially do MUCH MORE community service. For some reason, I think doing things for the community ties in with everything else. With the education that we get here and later on, we can definitely lend a hand in the community. Hopefully, I'll stick to my goals! =)

[Anonymous]

My first year at UCLA has definitely been a life-changing and memorable time for me. Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky as Amy, and had a difficult time dealing with my roommates. Two of us were unhappy with the third one, but we were too scared to bring it up with her. Finally, in the 8th week of Spring Quarter we had a meeting with her, and things are now much better. Looking back, I'm actually thankful for this experience. The whole process really allowed me to grow as a person as I learned that I can't always be nonconfrontational because then I get stepped on by others. I definitely think college has taught me how to stand up for myself when it's necessary and to be more assertive. This year also showed me how incredibly BUSY college life is! So many obligations crammed into one day plus the time spent walking up and down that giant hill has been a real adjustment from the good old days of high school. However, I've also enjoyed the greater sense of responsibility and freedom that comes with being in college.

I spent most of this year trying to adjust to college life (academics especially!), so I regret not joining enough programs. However, I'm really looking forward to next year as a SHA in Delta Terrace and hopefully doing more activities.

Good luck on finals everyone and have a great summer!

-Sally

[Anonymous]

My first year of college was definitely an experience. Although it had its ups and downs, the college life should be an experience that no one should miss out on. One of the perks of being a college student is the freedom, the freedom to do whatever it is we want whenever we want without having to worry about our parents WORRYING about us.

My first year in college was way harder than my four years of high school in general, but the social aspect of college balanced it all out. I wasn't that involved like I was in high school, but being involved in Project Lit. and my Catholic group was very rewarding in terms of meeting and reaching out to people. I wish I had time to do more things my first year, like attend one of those movie premieres in Westwood (I can't believe I missed out on seeing Brad Pitt!). 😐 But I guess college is all about learning time management and using our time wisely.

Have a good summer guys and good luck!

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