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Dear Past Kylie,

Get excited, you’re moving into UCI soon! I know that you’re terrified to start this new chapter of your life. College is an experience like no other. You really get to learn many lessons and more about yourself. In this letter, I’ll go over everything that I know so far about college life (even though there’s so much more to learn).

Since the pandemic, school has looked very different for everyone. Throughout our senior year, most of our work through zoom and a computer screen. For this fall quarter, I did most of my classes online. I was scared knowing that my classes were going to be virtual remote and asynchronous. In the first 2 weeks of class, I realized that I had poor time management skills. It seemed like I wasn’t getting my work done efficiently. For example, I would get work from one class and not finish work from another. However, you do get into a rhythm of things. I was able to balance out different classes as well as add in times for myself to relax. 

It’s very important to add time to something other than homework. I found that sitting all day staring at a computer can be very mentally draining. I try to work out as much as I can at the Pippin Community Center. Another thing I do is hang out with my friends in the common room. Whether it’s having a conversation with them or playing just dance on the tv. It’s a great way to get your mind off of school. 

Speaking of hanging with friends, I remember being terrified about social life on campus. Don’t worry, you’re going to meet so many new friends! By the end of week 0, I was socially drained. I met so many new people from different events I went to, like workshops and club meetings. I especially got very close to people in my hall in the Middle Earth Towers. I really enjoyed meeting new people and hope to make even more friends next quarter.

One last thing I feel is important to talk about is learning about personal responsibility. Living on my own away from my family was scary to think of. So far, living in the dorms hasn’t been a bad experience at all. I’ve learned the importance of time management, responsibility when making decisions and scheduling appointments, etc. Family is one call away if you need anything. It’s important to stay connected with them too!

I’m excited for you to begin your college journey. Don’t be afraid to do things out of your comfort zone. Explore places on and off-campus. Attend sports events, club meetings, etc. Take a walk around Aldrich Park or walk to UTC to get a late-night snack. Just remember to maintain a healthy balance between school and social life. Take care of yourself physically and mentally. You’re going to have a great time at UCI! 

Best wishes,

Kylie from the End of Fall Quarter

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A Letter to Myself Ten Weeks Ago

This week is the tenth week of my college life, and there is only one weekend and the final week left in my quarter. During these ten weeks, I lived a relatively abundant life and adapted to life in college. In the following part, I will briefly introduce my feelings and what I think is useful for freshmen.

Ten weeks ago, I had no idea what college was like. Have a problem to ask elder sister, but afraid of causing trouble to others. As an international student, I was quite different from my local friends. Not only in language, but also in living habits and cultural differences, I was very nervous. I always worry about what others think of me or do things that are impolite to others, so I only limit myself to getting to know Chinese people socially. But thanks to some Chinese friends in my writing and reading classes, I gradually got used to living here.

In retrospect, I think my worries were quite legitimate. Most people take some time to get used to a new environment when they first move into it. It is not a very difficult thing, but we need to take the initiative to learn and accept the new life. I now wish I had been more proactive and met more friends instead of worrying about what others thought of me. In addition, I sometimes ignore some emails or notifications due to language problems. Thus, I think we should remind each other with our friends to avoid some unnecessary trouble (such as course-dropping and choosing). As students, we continue our learning career in university. Learning is of course important and should not be taken lightly, but university is also the epitome of society, an important dividing line for us to transition from youth to adulthood, and the best “internship” before we enter society. Therefore, in addition to continuing our academic life, we should also learn to balance the relationship between study and life and pay attention to time management. After I came to university, I no longer had teachers or parents around to supervise my study and care about my life. Therefore, one of the problems I faced at the very beginning was that I could not arrange my time properly. I’ve come to find that organizing a schedule or task list is a very effective way to do it. 

I hope that new students reading this blog can learn a little bit about college life so that they are able to be better prepared for college life. Thank you very much for reading and wish you a happy life and every success you desire!