Undecided/Undeclared Anteaters Blog

Hey, there Anteaters! Guess who was at the Keystone Leadership Conference this weekend? I was! The Keystone Leadership Conference is a one-day event full of helpful workshops and informational sessions to aid first-years transition from life in the dorm to living independently in their second year of college. This exciting event took place last Saturday on May, 11th. I started off my day, waking up at 7 AM to get ready and headed to the Mesa Court Multi-Purpose Room at 8 AM to check-in and eat breakfast. Yes, I know it sounds dreadful to wake up SO EARLY on a Saturday morning, but believe me, it was worth dragging myself out of bed. At check-in, I got a nametag, a Keystone booklet, a cool red bag, a t-shirt, and pens. I got my plate of breakfast and sat at a table with a few familiar faces of Mesa Court residents. There was a few residents from Middle Earth, but Mesa Court topped it off (woohooo! Mesa Court!). Throughout the day, there was icebreakers to get to know each other, and we were later broken up into small groups based on our interests ranging from our majors or intended majors, which made it easier to network with our mentors during the conference.

As the day went on, we had a workshop called “Avoiding the Sophomore Slump” which informed us about different time management techniques and how to cope with stress. We also had a Professionalism workshop that helped polish our resumes and informed us what to do and NOT do to during interviews. Afterwards, we headed to the ARC for a fun cooking class! This was my favorite part of the conference not only because I wanted to cook some food, but because I knew it would be useful now that I won’t be depending on Mesa Commons, Pippins, or Brandywine for food. Next year, I’m gonna have to learn how to survive without a meal plan. Chef Jessica Vanroo walked us through the steps to make a few Mexican dishes, including green chicken enchiladas, guacamole, quesadillas, and baked churros ALL FROM SCRATCH. Not only did we learn how to cook, but we also had the chance to eat it and it turned out pretty good! With our tummies full and satisfied, we headed to Middle Earth to listen to a keynote speaker, followed by a money management workshop and a panelist of students.

Overall, this was wonderful experience filled with opportunities and learning! It’s true when they say that the whole college experience is about growing as an individual, and I can proudly say that I’ve grown to be responsible and independent in college. Now I’m ready to finish my last quarter as a freshman and tackle my sophomore year! This conference was a memorable experience that I recommend for all incoming freshman! You will not regret it, even if you have to set 2 alarms to wake up and be ready by 8 AM Hope you all have a GREAT WEEK 7! By the way, the Vendor Fair is on campus, so go check it out!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

Goblins, ghouls, and witches, oh my! How should I spend my night on this holiday that I decree the scariest night of them all? We all have traditions on Halloween. We might go with our friends trick or treating (because we can never get too old for that), or every year we help our parents decorate our houses so we can scare little children. UCI does not want you to lose any of your traditions, so they let you keep them, but have you make whole new memories with entirely new people.

Mesa Court has this activity called Haunt the Halls, people compete to have the most petrifying hall it is actually extremely fun. If you feel you are too old to go trick or treating definitely partake in this activity. My hall actually did it, and even though we did not win, they sure did scare me!

My Halloween night was spent with some of my dorm mates and one of my friends that commutes (you can still have a lot of fun here if you commute). We went trick or treating! Yes, because we are 7 at heart! It might not look like there is anywhere to go trick or treating in Irvine, but to my surprise there was! There is this community that is called University Hills where professors and students live, and what is scarier than seeing your professor outside of class? I am urging all of you guys to go to University Hills your freshman year! Dress up, and have fun, if you don’t feel like buying a costume you don’t have to; just look what most of my new friends did (the hats are from In ‘n Out and everyone loved them)!

xoxo for now,

Or as we anteaters say zot,zot,zot

Sabina Goldstein

Halloween is coming up in 5 months, and I say it is best to prepared!

Hey Everyone!

In this blog, I want to talk about the transition into college. I can’t really speak for everyone but I have my own thoughts about this. Right now, for all those high school seniors out their applying for colleges and getting their acceptance/ rejection letters, props to all of you! Amazing on job on taking the initiative for that next step in your life in higher education For me, I always had the idea that I was going to attend college since I was probably in elementary. Honestly, I never fathomed the idea of not going on because it was instilled in me since then. But now, as I look at it and see all of my other friends, I step into the real world and understand that some people do not continue on after high school to college. The fact of the matter is, not everyone gets to college and reasons for this are many. I have a friend that stopped because they could not afford it or they chose the military. Yes, reality hit. So feel proud and privileged that you are choosing college as your path.

My story of my own college transition? Summer before school started, I was immersed with online paper work and websites and things I had to know and at times, I could not handle it. It was so much thrown at me! But good thing that I learned to use my resources…. i.e facebook and my friends. In SPOP (Student Parent Orientation Program), which is a 2 day orientation all freshman are required to attend, you do not learn EVERYTHING that you need to know when entering UCI. Probably you get a glimpse of it, but not fully. Well for me at least that was the case. Before I go on, why do you need to attend SPOP? You choose your classes there! There are peer academic advisers that help you decide which classes to pick and for your first time in college, I am sure you will need guidance of what to choose. But do not get me wrong though, class registration is entirely online so you could do this at home, too, but you just might not be exactly sure what classes to get (unless you have a really nice upperclassmen friend in your major that is willing to help). Anyway, I faced so many websites regarding UCI (zot account, zot portal, zot link, EEE, financial aid, web reg, uci bookstore, antplanner). Here is a little breakdown of what those websites are.

Zot account: Here is where you can view what money you owe to the school. This money includes your housing, tuition, and other fees like lab or technology.

https://zotaccount.uci.edu/

Zot portal: This website basically helps you keep organized of all your other websites such as your finances, academics, and campus life.

https://portal.uci.edu/uPortal/f/u30l1s4/normal/render.uP

Zot link: Looking for a job? Either off campus or on campus, you can apply to jobs in this website. It is good for people with work study! Just upload your resume and apply to as many positions you want.

http://www.career.uci.edu/zotlink.aspx

EEE: For me, probably the most used website. Known as electronic educational environment, your classes will be listed on this site (updated every quarter since you get new classes each quarter). Sometimes, homework is submitted online so features such as “Dropbox” and “Messageboard” could be used based on the professor. In Dropbox, you upload your homework files and in messageboard, you just post messages for the topic. Grades are shown online too. Plenty of professors have their own website and you can find them through EEE.

https://eee.uci.edu/myeee/

Financial Aid: View your financial aid here! You can also see when your deadlines are what paperwork you need. You can also find scholarships, etc.

http://www.ofas.uci.edu/content/

Web Reg: Here is where you register for classes and view the class schedule. Super helpful when planning out what classes you will take for the future. Also, you can view your unofficial transcript under “Student Access”

http://www.reg.uci.edu/

UCI Bookstore: Well, the place is called “The Hill” and was formerly known as the bookstore. Find your course books here and other merchandise that you want to buy. Remember though, that you can buy books elsewhere! Sometimes, the bookstore is expensive. So know your resources (amazon, buy from upperclassmen, etc). Note that if you buy books through the bookstore, it is not charged with your UCI account .You pay separately

http://book.uci.edu/

Antplanner: Not an official UCI website, but EXTREMELY useful when deciding classes and knowing your schedule. Everyone has a different class schedule so its important to know when you have to get to class and when you have free time. This online planner helps you stay organized. Plus, it is color coded and very neat . The following is a picture of my spring quarter classes using antplanner.  I am Undecided/ Undeclared hopefully going into biological sciences and psychology and social behavior double major.

http://antplanner.appspot.com/

It may seem a lot for now, but you will get used to it! I am sure every college has as many websites as UCI. Okay, to get into a more personal level, this is how I feel every time I leave home for the weekends and then come back to school that Sunday night. It has been 8 or so months that I have been at UCI and it has become a different world. I live an hour and a half away in Sylmar (San Fernando Valley) and my life has been in Glendale, a suburb in LA, since I lived there for 14 years of my life. Being in the OC and meeting so many new people and being super involved, I feel like my life changes once I leave UCI and go home. I think about my friends at UCI and to be honest, I can only imagine them at UCI or no farther than Orange County. I feel like they only exist there,  not in Glendale or Sylmar. And when I get to see my friends from my old high school, I feel like I am entering a different world. I can only imagine those out of state students and international students and how they feel. Let my little story not make anyone be afraid about college, let it be a lesson. College is without a doubt a new chapter in your life. You are starting new! There is only one a half more months of my first year here and at times, I do not want to go back to school after a weekend home. But when I do settle back in my dorm, see my roommate, talk about our weekend, text my friends about our plans the following day/ week, and see my hall mates, I fall back in love with UCI. Hey, sometimes, I do not want to go back home! It takes some getting used to. Some people deal with it faster than others and do not feel bad if you take more time. I know I am adjusted to college. The idea of dorming those not scare me anymore as much as it did the first week of school. As with the different worlds, like I said, it is a different chapter in your life. Some old friends might leave. Those people you talked to in high school might not be available anymore. And it is partly because both of you are on different paths. I barely talk to my old high school group of friends because I left the city and it is not that easy to hang out anymore. It does not mean they are not my friends anymore, just that I can not see them as much as I want. I did not replace them with my new friends here at Irvine either. They are still part of my life and I am sure I will see them again in the summer. Life is full of chapters, stages, phases, whatever you may call it. It is really up to you how you decide to turn the pages of your life story. Just remember, a story is meant to move forward.

Hope you all liked this blog. It is definitely different from my past blogs when I talked about involvements and campus activities/ opportunities.

-Maryann Adraincem

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Anteaters! I didn’t do anything special today other than work on my essay for Writing 39C, and oh boy, it’s A LOT of work. I love writing… for fun, of course- without any deadlines or pressure to check for grammatical errors and what not. Yeah, this is college for you. Not to scare any incoming freshman but it can be overwhelming sometimes, and just know that this is normal in college. For the next few weeks, I will be preparing for my last two midterms of the quarter and working on this research paper. It’s manageable if you manage your time wisely and learn not to get distracted by social networks and friends. I have yet to master that skill, but I’m progressing

Believe it or not, it’s Week 6. I’m a little sad now that I have a few weeks left living in the dorms. Sometimes I wonder where the time went, and I dearly miss fall quarter. WELCOME WEEK was truly memorable- getting to know everyone in my hall, exploring the campus by day and night with friends, and a lot of hall bonding! For most of us, classes weren’t in session so we had a lot of free time to just get acquainted with the campus and with each other. Now, it seems as though we’re all busy studying for midterms. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and alone, but do NOT isolate yourself! Make time to study and time for friends. It can be as simple as having dinner as a hall ( AVOID taking out food from the dining commons! It will become a bad habit and you’ll be isolating yourself!). Another important thing is to keep yourself busy! If you have some free time, head to the gym and exercise before you start studying (get that blood pumping and de-stress yourself!). Also, make sure you have something to look forward to… it can be something you planned for the week like heading to the beach with friends or the next anticipated party. Let’s not forget that rewarding yourself for your hard work is essential! Treat yourself to that yummy frozen yogurt at Yogurtland or to a frappuccino at Starbucks (my favorite is the Mocha Coconut frappuccino!). I personally have the Keystone Leadership Conference to look forward to on Saturday, which I’ll be talking about next week Last but not least, finish strong this quarter, Anteater! You earned your spot here and you deserve to be here, so you’re more than capable of getting that essay done and getting a good grade on that midterm. You’re almost done! I hope these tips help you along the way!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

   This is crucial advice, so please listen close. College is a place where we envision something like what we saw in the movie “Accepted.” If you haven’t seen it yet watch it, but do not believe that is what college is like. I, on the other hand, succumbed to trusting that movie.

Packing day came and I spent the whole summer buying clothes for parties. I even gave some of my dresses the title of “clubbing clothes.” I brought approximately fifty dresses with me. My clothes do not fit in my closet. Let this be a warning the closets in the dorms only fit what is necessary. Leave the glittery scarves, the “clubbing dresses,” anything you don’t really need at home(the rooms are not that spacious either).

Bring tennis shoes, not heels. This is embarrassing, but to be honest, I had to buy tennis shoes in Orange County, because all I brought was wedges, and stilettos. There is a lot of walking to get to your classes, and there is no way you can go through Aldrich Park (the biggest short cut to get to your classes—do take it!) in heels without twisting your ankle.

UCI has a lot more studying than partying, so plan on bringing a lot of sweats: comfort clothes. J Don’t get depressed just yet though; there are parties if you look for them, I can guarantee you! The other night Mesa Court (I recommend living there because it is very involved in making sure that the students get a once in a while break from studying, and yes the coolest people live there too!) hosted a Casino night, where I actually got to wear one of my clubbing dresses. Yay!!!It was a lot of fun. My crucial advice don’t overdo it while packing, bring a couple of fancy dresses (this goes for guys too, there is a guy in my dorm that brought so much clothing that is all over his floor). Trust me you won’t miss them that much!

xoxo for now,

Or as we anteaters say zot,zot,zot

Sabina Goldstein

Hey Anteaters! How are you guys doing? This post is going to be sort of like a double-post, because I wasn’t able to post last week. Sorry! Anyways, last Sunday, I went to an end of the year banquet for a club at Irvine called Circle K. The banquet was held for members, and it was just a nice way for old board members to “retire,” and to welcome the new board members of 2013-2014. The theme of the banquet was “Once Upon A Time.” At the banquet, there was yummy food, good music, and also a few performances. For example, for any of you Circle K/Key Club members out there, some of the members showed us the dance that they performed at DCON again.

At the event, we were able to catch up with other members. I was really happy that I went to the event, because recently I haven’t been able to see many of my “family members” (I will explain later) because I’ve been so busy. I haven’t been going to the meetings…so that’s my fault, and therefore I feel like I haven’t seen anybody in so long! In Circle K, if one chooses to join the club as a member, one will be placed into a family, with two “parents,” a “big brother/sister” and also a bunch of other “siblings.” I love being in a family because I’m really able to get to know a few members and develop a stronger bond with those people. Also, being put into families introduces friendly competition because many families like to compete with others at Family Day. Family Day is a day dedicated to Circle K, where all the members go to a park and participate in different types of games, etc. It’s so fun and it’s another great opportunity to get to know your family members and also different club members better.

If any of you guys are interested in joining Circle K, I strongly suggest that you guys do! It’s really fun and it has really made my first year here at UC Irvine better.

Another event that took place on Sunday was Ken-Ya Dance, which is a charity dance showcase that is held at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center. At the event, there were different performances from dance crews at UCI such as MCIA, Urban Motus, INSA, etc. Also, Philip Want from WongFu Productions, Yuri Tag from Kaba Modern, and DanAKADan from Afterschool Special. Poreotics, MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Season 5 winning team, was also there! Unfortunately, I was not able to go to the event because I already RSVP’d to go to the Circle K event. I really wanted to go to Ken-Ya Dance, because some of my friends who were on the dance teams were performing…and, because Philip from WongFu went to my high school!

So far, I’ve been really busy because the school year is coming to an end. I have to find a balance between schoolwork, friends, time for myself, and also other things such as the ASUCI commission I am in, Anteaters in Action. On Friday, we had an event called Senior Prom, and it was where we went to the Inn at the Park Senior Citizen Homes, and we danced with the senior citizens. The event was super fun, and it was a great way to de-stress and just enjoy the start of my weekend. Also, yesterday my RA planned a fun tie-dying event for our hall, and it was also a great time to de-stress on a sunny Friday afternoon.

As time passes and all of us realize that our freshman year is soon to be over, I think it’s important to make the most out of every moment. I can’t believe we’re starting Week 6 of our Spring quarter, and there are only 5 weeks of school left. It’s crazy, because I remember when we had 5 months of school left…it really seems like just yesterday when we moved into our dorms and had Welcome Week. Well, I hope you all have a great weekend and good luck Week 6! Study hard, and play hard.

See you guys soon,

Mimi

“Life is what you make of it.”

Senior Prom.

Senior Prom.

Circle K Banquet! Me & my family.

Ken-Ya Dance 2013

Tie-dying with the hall!

Hola, Anteaters! Week 5 has made its way to let us know we’re halfway done with spring quarter and most importantly, our freshman year. With that said, it’s time to make each day count, make each moment memorable! For starters, I decided to do things a little differently last weekend. I made last minute plans to go to Huntington Beach to see Emblem 3 from X-Factor! Huntington Beach is approximately 20 minutes away from UCI, so it’s convenient if you have a car to head down there for a bonfire or just to tan by the ocean. So let me tell you about my little adventure to see Emblem 3

I woke up that Saturday morning feeling spontaneous. I thought to myself, how cool would it be to see Emblem 3 while I’m down here in SoCal? since, you know, I’m from Norcal. So right then and there, I jumped out of bed and got ready, packed sunscreen, snacks, and water for the day. I already knew what I was getting myself into. When you think of Justin Bieber, you probably think of a crowd of squirmy girls with posters, right? Well, it wasn’t any different with Emblem 3 fans. My hallmates and I arrived at Huntington Beach to find ourselves in a line of over 500 girls, and this was just 12 PM. Let me just inform you that the concert started at 7 PM. Yes, we got in line, and waited. And waited. And waited… but I didn’t mind. We tanned meanwhile, and we had alternating shifts to check out the beach and grab some food from the little shops.

Time passed by really fast, actually. Before I knew it, we were a few rows away from the stage seeing Emblem 3 perform. It’s amazing how they started performing at Huntington Beach a few years ago, and some people praised their music and others probably walked right passed them. But look at them now! The X-Factor brought them fame and now people have recognized their potential. I can’t say I’m a “huge fan” of them, but I enjoyed listening to their music. Some of my favorite songs by Emblem 3 include the famous “Sunset Blvd” and “Curious”. To be honest, I don’t know what’s the deal with their top-hit single “Chloe” haha.

But yeah, I wrapped up Week 4 with an Emblem 3 concert, which was very memorable and worth it! This just comes to show that there are things to do on the weekends if you’re a student at UCI, whether it means going to the nearby beaches, malls, or exploring Downtown LA. Anything is possible (especially if you have a car or know a person with a car, but there’s alway buses and shuttles!). On that note, explore! Go out! Be spontaneous! Freshman year is coming to an end, so plan something out with your friends and make it memorable! College isn’t always about studying; sometimes you gotta make time to go out and have FUN!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey Anteaters,

It is week five already of third quarter, and I have yet to tell you what my suitemates did for me on my birthday, April 8, so I must say! My birthday was on a Monday and I have Mondays off so I was home for most of my birthday. I came back on Monday night and there on top of my desk were balloons, delectable Sprinkle’s cupcakes (if you have not tried these you must, find a friend that drives and force them to drive you hahah, I recommend the Smores, it has this huge piece of chocolate in the middle ), and a card that sang in Italian signed by all them it was too cute! The next day, I had so much reading to do, but my friend, Nicole, insisted that we go out to eat as we had gone out to eat the previous Tuesday because we craved some “real” food. When I say “real” food, we just did not want to eat from the commons that day because to be frank if you eat there EVERYDAY, you will get sick of it. So, she came to my room and told me I needed to get dressed up, I was a little skeptical of why I needed to do so but I complied with her demand. We went to her car, and then we got to the restaurant. It was called Buca Di Beppo, if you have not gone there go, order the baked ziti, it is the best. So, we got to the host and Nicole said table for two, we walked to the tables and you would not believe it, my entire suite was there, they surprised me! They did this all for my birthday. The cupcakes and the balloons were enough, but they went out of their way and did this too! My friends in Irvine are simply amazing. They have taught me something I will remember forever; put down the pen once in a while and have fun. Trust them, sometimes you will regret saying no. I still cannot fathom they kept a secret from me, I still do not see how they managed to do it. I am like a detective when it comes to these things. I love each and every one of them with all my heart and I still cannot believe we only have six more weeks together as we are all going our separate ways with housing next year. We need to make them last! Freshman year, where did you go?

Well that’s it for now.
Talk to you next week
XOXO,
Or as we Anteaters say ZOT ZOT ZOT,
Sabina G.

My friend Robert and I at Buca Di Bepo celebrating my 19th birthday!

Hey Anteaters!

So sorry for posting so late but this week has just been so busy for me! Anyway, from my fellow zot bloggers, you can see that UCI had our annual Wayzgoose fair last Saturday, April 20^th. Also known as Celebrate UCI, this is a huge outdoor festival located at our huge Aldrich Park (which is located at the center of our main campus), in which prospective students and curious parents have the opportunity to see the many clubs that are offered at UCI as well as other activities such as Greek Life. There were dance crew performances and live music! Families walked around and was able to buy food or play games because the park was covered with booths for clubs. This fair is just like the Anteater Involvement Fair in the beginning of the school year but instead of being during the first week of school, it is during the weekend in which anyone is welcome to come!

Adding on to all the fun that was at wayzgoose/ celebrate UCI, wow it was a hot day! But the shade from our numerous trees and the cold drinks, lemonade, smoothies, coconut juice, etc being sold at various booths definitely helped! Not only were there beverages, but plenty of food ranging from corned beef sliders, pad thai, steak, spam musubi, etc. I personally helped make corned beef sliders for Kababayan club, which is the Filipino cultural club on campus. Even more, wayzgoose/ celebrate UCI has themes! This year’s theme was circus and so the different club booths were able to decorate their booth in a “circus” fashion. I remember seeing some booths even offering carnival games. Oh! And I have to mention the fact that many booths gave away free items such as t-shirts to fans. Not only did campus clubs have the opportunity for display, but so did other programs on campus such as Student Ambassadors to the on-campus apartment living (known as ACC, or American Campus Community).

Another reason why my first wayzgoose/ celebrate UCI was memorable was the fact that my mom drove to UCI. She stayed over for the weekend and yes, she stayed and slept in my dorm. Without a doubt, you can have people come over your dorm and just spend nights! Just as long as you follow your RA’s rules and that your roommate is ok with it . Anyway, not only did my mom come to wayzgoose/ celebrate UCI with me, but she went to my show the night before (Fri night). The show was UCI’s 34^th annual PACN (Pilipino-American Culture Night) and this is organized by Kababayan. After two months of practice, I performed in three cultural Filipino dances and it was such an amazing experience! I have gotten so much closer to people in the club and started to really gain a better understanding about my culture. I am sure my mom enjoyed it too because of the fact that her daughter is still in touch with her roots!

And with that being said, I have two points to make. One, college is an opportunity to be independent but every once in a while, family is important. Being with family, though, does not always have to mean that you are going home for the weekend! It can mean them coming over and going to your events on campus. And second, college is an opportunity for discovery and by extension, rediscovery. I discovered how ambitious and involved I am and by that, rediscovered my cultural roots. So don’t be afraid of college! It is a step in life that you will not regret taking

Until my next update,

Maryann

Greetings, fellow Anteaters! For those who don’t know, it’s Week 4 already! I still feel as though Spring Break was last week or something, but no, the quarter system has a way of making time fly, which is a good thing as long as you keep yourself busy.

ONDAS is the way to go! The theme is First Year Excellence Program (FYEP), so you can’t go wrong!

Anyways, last Saturday was CELEBRATE UCI and I had a wonderful experience. That morning, I volunteered to be on the U/U student panel and spoke before prospective students and their families. Afterwards, I participated in a housing tour and showed my single dorm in Ondas to prospective students. This by far has been one of the best experiences at UCI! I enjoyed answering questions and giving these future Anteaters an insight to dorm life. It makes me a little sad that MY freshman year will come to an end in a matter of weeks. I’ve had so much fun these past quarters, and I can definitely say that I’ve grown a lot as a person. If anything, I hope to mentor freshman next year

Now let me tell you about Celebrate UCI and Wayzgoose! I had no idea what to expect as I stepped into Aldrich Park. Of course, there were numerous booths selling cookies, ice cream, $2 boba, you name it! I saw arts and crafts here and there, family picnics, and smiles everywhere. The coolest part was the car show! If only I could actually get inside the cars, but we weren’t even allowed to touch them :/ I guess you can look, but can’t touch. Oh well. Maybe next lifetime…

Baile Folklorico

I was a little sad that Wayzgoose ended at 4 PM, which seemed really early to me because I spent most of the day volunteering. However, I did catch a few dance performances on stage, and I must admit, I was so happy to see a group of girls dance “baile folklorico”. It brought me back to the days I used to watch my little cousins perform, and it also reminded me of back home and my Hispanic heritage.

Overall, I really enjoyed celebrating UCI! I hope all the prospective students who were present consider becoming an Anteater! UCI has a lot to offer and you’ll feel at home if you do the following: dorm (Did I hear Mesa Court? Yay! ONDAS is the way to go!), get involved (clubs, greek life, work-study, intramurals, ZotBlogger!) make new friends (outside of Facebook lol), and of course, study hard (you didn’t buy those books for nothing, right?). I hope everyone has a wonderful WEEK 4! Make the best of it, Anteaters!

Until next time,

BIANCA RAMOS

Hey guys!

Sorry for the all-caps title, but I was just too excited for Celebrate UCI/Wayzgoose 2013. Celebrate UCI was on April 20, 2013, which was yesterday. It was probably one of the best days of my freshman year, because I was able to volunteer the whole day for Middle Earth, which is one out of two freshmen housing communities at UCI. I volunteered as a tour guide, and I spent the day giving tours of my room and hall, Grey Havens. My friend and I woke up at 7am to arrive at the Middle Earth Basketball Courts at 8am, and then we volunteered until 4pm. It was quite a busy day, but like I said, it was so fun.

Celebrate UCI 2013

At 8am, we helped set up everything. We tied balloons all around Middle Earth, prepared the snow cone and cotton candy machines, made posters, and created a balloon arch. Then the tours officially started at 10am! I have to admit I was pretty nervous for my first tour, but then after I gave my first tour, I was constantly looking for any opportunity to get a group of parents/students. I wanted to give as many tours as possible, because it was such an exciting and memorable experience. I really underestimated how tired I would be after walking backwards for a few minutes, and often times when I was giving tours I found myself partially out of breath as I was walking uphill…which is crazy and made me think about how tired actual Campus Representatives are when they give their tours around the entire campus.

Middle Earth’s balloon arch! So pretty, yeah?

After I gave each tour, I would go help out at the snow cone station, and then when another group of freshmen came in, I would run back and give a tour. I actually really wish that I was able to give more tours, because I loved it so much. One thing that I remember that made me super happy was when I asked one of my tour groups if they had visited Mesa Court already, and one student said yes. I then proceeded to ask him which one he thought he was going to choose, and he said “Middle Earth, because of this tour.” This made me super happy and I felt proud that I was able to have a positive influence on both the Middle Earth community and the prospective students. It was one of the best feelings in the world. Hopefully next year some of the prospective students that I gave tours to will see me and let me know. Go baby Anteaters!

I hope everybody is doing well, and is having a good time, as we approach the end of our freshman year. Time for Week 4!

Until next time,

Mimi

Just a little motivation. Make the most out of everything.

Hey Anteaters,

Spring Break; College students go to Florida to ride the waves, sunbathe by the water, and have those romantic one week affairs. The one week seems as though it is forever; literally, Spring Break on those television shows can last up to a whole season. So, how could I not think my break would be just as mesmeric as those I have watched all my life on television? I thought that I would maybe go on a road trip, and supplement the whole “college experience.” But truth be told, this was all an illusion for me. I could not believe that I did not venture out like those college kids I had seen do so much. Now that I look back on Spring Break I acknowledge that the choice was in my hands to do something riveting. So it was my entire fault my Spring Break was not the picture-perfect one I had in my mind.  I regret what I spent my Spring Break doing.  With the quarter system, time flies by like three times faster. It is difficult to even fathom. Spring Break was no different. The week went by just as fast as it always does at UCI. Except for the fact that I was at home. It literally flashed before my very eyes; I do not know how I ended up back in classes. So let me tell you just what I did on my Spring break; the first day, I was beat from taking tests so I watched “Gossip Girl” on Netflix. Days passed and I was still on the couch watching the same show. Incessantly I told myself that I would get up off the couch and go do something fun. I told myself that I would go drive somewhere impulsively, but that never happened. It was already Thursday and the week off was almost done. I had not even finished watching the season of “Gossip Girl” yet. So what do you think I did for the rest of my break? That’s right, I watched the whole season until Saturday.  So basically all I did all break was sleep, eat, and watch “Gossip Girl.” This break did not differ at all from high school; I did the same thing. For some of you watching television for ten hours of the day during a break is picture-perfect, but for me it was not.  My goal in college was to move past the predictability and become a whole new person that lives each day as though it is my last. I still cannot believe I did not do that.

****So here is my tip to you my fellow anteaters…

During breaks, DO NOT be couch potatoes. Get dressed and leave the house. Even if it is just to run errands, you are still being productive. Who knows who you will end up running into. Even though I absolutely love  ”Gossip Girl,” the characters in this show are not real people and they are not my friends, even though I may think so when I am watching it. I needed to be with my friends. During breaks connect with your friends from high school, go have fun with them. I know during the quarter I am way too busy to see them. The most I do is send them a text every so often. Make the most of your breaks because once you are back in class, you cannot go back to “chilling.” It is all serious again…

Well that’s it for now.
Talk to you next week
XOXO,
Or as we Anteaters say ZOT ZOT ZOT,
Sabina G.

(BTW I still love “Gossip Girl” even though it was part of the reason I did not do anything all break)