Grad life is very different from undergraduate studies, especially when you are doing it in a foreign country! During my first year here, I have to dedicate time to communicate with students outside my department. It has been very helpful for me. Not only because a group of supportive friends is good for mental and emotional health, but discussing issues with them help me understand more about what I do, and what I don’t understand, both academically and culturally.
The International Coffee Hour (ICH) is a good time for me to relax and talk to people from different cultural and academic backgrounds. It is different every term, consisting of both undergraduate and graduate students. People chat about their experience with UCI and sometimes become good friends that end up having road trips together. Many undergraduate international students actually are required to go to ICH a couple times to fulfill a conversation assignment for a class. If you want to take a break from your lab, office, or studio, maybe you should make your way to the Science library on a Friday and have a conversation.
Departmental Seminar and Talks
There are different kind of conferences happening on campus all the time, sometimes jamming the entire parking system! The upside for that is to have opportunities to listen to lectures you are curious about. Personally, I have signed up for an Informatics seminar class, which brings a visiting speaker every week, with a short networking session afterward. I was able to learn some familiar concept from a different perspective and talk to people who think from a different angle.
As a graduate student, you should also be able to sign up to classes from other departments. Many of my cohort in the Art Department takes Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Humanity, Philosophy, and Informatics classes that became friends after a quarter of hard work together. There are also cross-listed classes that are results of interdisciplinary collaboration, where you can meet people from different departments, or different schools on campus.
Academic Courses and Certificate Programs at the GRC
As you know, the very organization that brought you this blog and the mentorship is the Graduate Resource Center. The GRC offers many programs throughout the year. They are not just classes that enhances your resume. Many of the classes are helpful and gives you advantages in mentorship, teaching, team working, or grant writing. And most of the students there are like-minded people from different departments. After a few classes at the GRC, I was able to see familiar faces on campus way more frequently.
Take ARC Classes and Join a Club!
Right after orientation, there should be an event where all the registered club on-campus set up their booths and recruit new members. The clubs ranging from triathlon to road biking; from Swing-dance to make-up enthusiast. If you have some time to spare, join one or a few clubs on-campus.
The Anteater Recreation Center, also known as the ARC, is the main gym we have on campus. They host many classes at very reasonable price. They have martial arts, dance, cooking, sports classes, and group fitness. They even have scuba diving and sailing classes that you can take at a satellite location near Newport Beach. I’ve had some good conversation with the people I met at swing dance class and intermediate swimming. I strongly recommend you to take advantage of these resources for networking and self-care.
Yubo DongHome Country: ChinaClaire Trevor School of the Arts
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