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Taking Advantage of FYEP

As many of you readers begin to SIR to UCI, you’ll begin the process of applying for housing. With so many different choices, I understand how difficult it can be to choose. I personally didn’t even know that there were differences between dorms aside from the obvious differences between Mesa Court and Middle Earth. When the application website told me to decide a housing option, I was taken aback. There were dorms that were researched based, outdoor/exercise based, and one that was even centered around video game players. In the end however, I decided to choose the First Year Excellence Dorm. I found the idea of extra assistance and counseling for undeclared students like myself very attractive, and I’m really glad that I made the choice that I did.

The FYEP dorm for Middle Earth this year was Grey Havens, and it has offered a ton of opportunities and resources to help me succeed as an undeclared student trying to transfer into business administration. I know it probably sounds like I’m trying to sell FYEP to you, but I’ve honestly found it incredibly helpful. One of my favorite parts about living in the first year hall is that every Thursday, undeclared/undergraduate academic adviser Andrea Licata comes to the dorm and provides counseling to whoever wants it. Normally, you have to go to the undeclared office and schedule and appointment to meet with a counselor, but FYEP makes it super convenient to meet up and discuss next quarter’s schedule or any other issues. Knowing what classes to take can be pretty confusing, so having Andrea there to help us whenever has taken a big burden off of our scheduling confusions.

One of  the other cool things that we had was the philanthropy project. It’s basically a voluntary project where you and your dorm mates help to organize and execute a philanthropy/community service oriented event. I know you’re probably thinking, “Dude I already have so many other obligations and responsibilities. I thought community service ended in high school.” To be honest, that’s what I thought when I first heard about the project too. I was reluctant,  but after going to the first meeting I kind of liked the sound of it. It not only serves to better the community, but it also helps to get something on your resume, which is likely relatively barren at this point in your college career. For us, we organized a roaring 20’s themed dance party at Brookdale Senior Living, and it went awesome. I was initially worried that we wouldn’t have enough participants, but the event ended up going really well. If you choose to go for FYEP, I urge you to at least check out the first meeting for your philanthropy project. You may find it to be a lot more interesting than it seems.

I’m sure that all the other dorms offer a lot of great things for you incoming freshman, but for undeclared students specifically, I would absolutely recommend choosing FYEP. It’s helped me to become way more acquainted with my counselors and undeclared peers than I would have otherwise.

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For Those Moments Where You Feel Like Your Essay is Trash

The Writing Center is a resource that I try to take advantage of as much as possible. The reason being is that instead of awkwardly asking your roommate or friends to read your flaming trash can of an essay, you can ask someone who is contractually obligated to tell you what’s wrong with it so you have a chance to turn it into something that will get you that A. Because we all know the first draft is the worst draft. That being said, there obviously those of you that can write an A grade paper on the first try so kudos to you, I unfortunately am not one of those people.

In in the Fall Quarter, I was taking Writing 39C which is the last lower-division writing class that everyone has to take. While in Writing 39C there are two projects that involve a lot of writing and will pretty much be your ticket out of that class with an A or with a just passing grade. My writing professor actually recommended everyone in the class to go to the Writing Center at least once so I took him up on that offer. After setting up an appointment with an experienced professional, full time writing specialist, my essay got ripped apart but I ended up getting a better grade in the end for it. For those of you who are planning on going this route, a word of caution: definitely set up the appointment way before the deadlines of your essays because they will go in depth about your writing so there may not be enough time for you to implement all the recommendations if you set the appointment too late. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, the Writing Center and all its services are FREE for UCI students. Yes that’s right ladies and gentlemen the price of getting professional help is zero dollars.

Now you are probably wondering, where can I find such a GREAT and FREE resource? Well dear reader, I’ll tell you. There’s a place on campus called the Ayala Science Library which is across Aldrich Park from Middle Earth Housing. As for future Mesa Court residents you are going to have to walk a bit further. After a quick Google Search I found a nice map that highlights where Ayala Science Library is.

The Writing Center should definitely be something everyone tries at least once since they offer more than just writing help. Some other services they offer are drop-in peer tutors, help with scholarships, and even email consultations. All of which are FREE by the way since the good folks at UCI understand that we as students, are BROKE 100% of the time.

Zot On Anteaters!
Josh

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Summer Bridge

 

Summer Bridge is by far one of the most amazing programs I have ever been a part of and I would highly recommend it to any incoming UCI freshman. It’s a program specifically for first generation, low income students to get adjusted to living on campus and taking college classes. Participants get to take two college classes, Bridges to Success and the Making of Modern Science, that covers one GE, to get used to the fast pace and rigor of college classes on the quarter system. These classes were super beneficial to me the eight units, boosted me up to sophomore standing, resulting in an earlier registration window which meant a better schedule and better professors. It also helps that every Summer Bridge student takes the same classes so you can talk to your housemates about the assignments and work together to succeed.

One of the best parts about Summer Bridge is that it is completely free, making it possible for low income, first generation students to make the most of their college experience, without worrying about the cost. Everything is covered from the housing in Arroyo Vista to tuition for the classes. It even includes $450 zot bucks to cover food throughout the summer and a bus pass to get to and from campus. These benefits also extend beyond the program, following you throughout your freshman year. During the year, there are still workshops that work on skills like time management and talking to professors where you can gain skills to excel in college. You also get a peer mentor to help you throughout the year with any questions you may have and a group to bond with. In addition to a peer mentor, you also have a personal guide, either Tamekya or Janet, that checks up on you once a quarter to support you and make your transition smooth. Other benefits during the year include free LARC (usually $110 each quarter), a free book loan program, the opportunity to rent chromebooks, and access to free writing tutors. Summer Bridge offers so many benefits and provides amazing support to its students. But by far, building community is one of the most important parts of Summer Bridge for me.

Moving away and starting college is challenging enough, but when you are a first generation, low income student, it is so easy to feel out of place without a sense of community. Everyone in the program comes from similar socioeconomic backgrounds which makes it easy for you to relate to each other. A majority of people I met were very down to earth and humble due to where they have come from and share many of my values because we realize how lucky we are to have the opportunity to go to college. Because of this, it’s so easy to build a genuine relationship with other students in the program and have a support system that understands many of the issues you may face. This extends to the staff as well, everyone is really adamant about helping you succeed and wants you to do well. This support has gotten me through so much during this first year and I am eternally grateful for this program, hoping to do anything I can to give back to future Summer Bridge Students.

Thanks to Summer Bridge, I was able to ease into college better and get a head start. It helped me to build a community of support that I can relate to and confide in. Additionally, I have so much support from the additional resources available to me through Bridge along with connections to other programs like TRIO! Incoming freshmen: please sign up for Summer Bridge and do not miss this amazing opportunity!u

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Spring Break , Spring Quarter, and New Students

 

Spring break this year was mellow, but enjoyable nonetheless. I was in a situation similar to Nancy, where both of my siblings were still in school, and as a matter of fact, a lot of my friends were as well. Most were either still in school or had just finished break, so I was only able to hang with a few. Either way, it’s always nice to decompress after finals, and just being at home is therapeutic enough. There’s something very comforting about sleeping in your old bed and going through your old routines. I find that when I’m home for break I spend a lot of time reflecting, and something that I’ve been thinking about a lot is how these breaks are some of the last times I’ll be able to spend at home with my family. I mean, I still have a decent amount of time. I’m only eighteen after all. But as I get older and start taking on more responsibilities, I’ll have less opportunities to visit home, and before I know it I’ll be living completely on my own. The though of that actually makes me really sad. Honestly, part of me wishes I could be really young again, just so I could go back and appreciate my home and family more than I did. It’s mostly sad for me because I feel like I took everything back home for granted before I came to college, and I just regret that so much. Now I really want to try and cherish all the time I have left. Although breaks do get boring after some time, I try my best to savor every moment of boredom. I would much rather be bored at home chilling with my dog than in my dorm stressing over finals. And I know once the tests start rolling up, I’ll be wishing I was at home bored out of my mind.

On another note, to any recently admitted UCI students, congratulations! That’s an awesome accomplishment and UCI really is a great school. If you decide to come, I know for sure that you’ll love it. There are so many opportunities to learn and connect with all kinds of different people. In terms of advice, I know you all know how important it is to study hard and study early, so I don’t really want to give academic advice right now. My advice to you as a student preparing to leave home would be to really enjoy the rest of your time in  high school and with your family. You will never get that time back, so make the most of it. Make sure that your parents, or whoever supports you, know that you’re thankful for everything they’ve done for you. As lame and cheesy as that sounds, I think it’s so important and it’s something that I feel we don’t think about enough until we’re out of the house.  I know I certainly didn’t and I really wish I did.

This quarter for me is an important one. At the end of it, I’m going to be applying to get into the business administration major, so it’s more important than ever that I study hard and get good grades. Business administration is one of the most competitive majors here at UCI, so I’m going to need to work hard to get in. It’s exciting though, and I’m looking forward to applying and hopefully getting in. I’m also looking forward to taking ICS 31, the intro computer science class. I’ve always been curious about computer science, and now I finally get to take it. Hopefully I find it’s as interesting as it sounds.

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That One Week of Spring Break

As the title suggests, we only have one week off here at UCI for Spring Break. That being said, I was able to go home and just relax for a while which is a nice change of pace from the usual hustle and bustle of campus. Since I only had a week to do things I just mainly hung out with my friends. That week was actually my birthday week so I celebrated leveling up in the game of Life along with two of my other friends surprisingly. Although their birthday was before mine we all celebrated in the same week so that was a good time. Compared to Winter Break, I’d definitely say that it was less rejuvenating and more of a short break. By that I mean that with the two weeks from Winter Break, I was able to fully unwind and relax but with only a week there was only so much relaxing you can do so what I’m getting at is that it definitely felt too short. This Spring Quarter however, I can look forward to starting to take classes that are related to the Education major I am thinking about attempting alongside my Computer Science major. This will be my first steps towards that goal so I’m hoping that the class will be interesting. Since this is arguably my last quarter as a Freshman here at UCI I believe that I should try and impart some knowledge to the incoming class of 2022.
1. Don’t worry about the stigma of being Undergraduate/Undeclared, it just means you are not sure of what you want to do yet. So take advantage of that and explore!

2. Avoid getting a Reduced Double room if you are in Mesa Court unless you are living with someone who you know well because there is zero extra space in my reduced double at the moment.

3. Participate in some kind of way. By that I mean while you are here at UCI, you are in charge of what kind of experience you are going to get. So be proactive and try new things. Maybe join ZotBlog for those sweet 1.3 course credits every quarter so that you can almost get out of taking another class

4. This one is going to be in regards to food. Yes you will get tired of the Anteatery’s or Pippin’s food after a while but that doesn’t mean you are stuck without options, instead think of combining different ingredients together to make something good. For example the Anteatery has both cheeseburgers and thousand island dressing and you know what you can make with those two? A budget In-n-Out burger that technically didn’t cost you anything! Throw in unlimited fries and you got a meal worthy of any fast food aficionado.

5. This one should go without saying but GO TO LECTURE and TALK TO YOUR CLASSMATES and PROFESSORS. Yes, it will be intimidating to talk to your professors about something and possibly look stupid but so what? After talking to the professor, you are probably going to end up with a better understanding of the subjects than if you didn’t so what is there to lose? Also talk to your classmates because you’re all on that college grind anyway might as well make it as enjoyable as possible. As for attending lectures you already paid for the professor to be there and teach you something so you risk wasting hard-earned money should you skip too often.

That’s all the tips I got for now, I’ll add more in later posts if anything comes to mind.

Zot On!
Josh