A major goal that I set for myself at the beginning of this year was to find an academic passion that I would be willing to dedicate my undergraduate career to. Throughout my four years at an arts high school prior to entering UCI, I focused on the single art that I was admitted to the school for: Creative Writing. I attended a variety of Creative Writing courses after my academic classes, I based several of my extracurricular activities on Creative Writing, and I built my college applications around my writing experiences. After realizing that I did not want to major in English or a related subject in college, it seemed that I had lost an intrinsic sense of direction that had guided me during high school and even middle school, when I held aspirations of being a professional author. This loss compelled me to apply to Undeclared programs, although I felt that my decision would ultimately set me behind other peers who had already developed the sense of direction that I longed for.
However, the insight that I have received from mentors and faculty encouraged me to dispel the belief that equated being Undeclared with being behind, and I gained greater confidence in my ability to find an academic subject I am passionate about. I took classes in Psychology and Sociology that piqued my interest, discovering a curiosity for these subjects that I did not explore as much as I wanted to in high school. I enjoy learning about both the micro-level cognitive processes that enable complex human functioning, as well as the macro-level interactions between different groups of people. My interest in these subjects has also been facilitated by the astounding array of professors that have taught me. The opportunity to listen to lecturers who are so knowledgeable about their fields of study has been a fascinating experience, especially when looking into the extensive research that professors have completed. As my experiences in office hours have shown, displaying interest in a professor’s research projects is an effective method of establishing a relationship with them. One psychology professor I met with during the beginning of this quarter sensed my interest in research from my questions about her projects and proposed that I contact her at the beginning of next year to potentially take on a Research Assistant position in her lab. I have found that my professors genuinely care for students and their success, taking the initiative to connect us with opportunities that can advance our academic or vocational goals.
Even courses outside of the social sciences have been highly impactful for me, such as the challenging yet thought-provoking Humanities Core program. Humanities Core incorporates aspects of literature, philosophy, history, film studies, and several other disciplines to examine the course theme of Animals, People, and Power. Humanities Core is distinct not only in its interdisciplinary approach, but also in the intellectually stimulating questions it poses to its students. The curriculum urges us to shift our perceptions of the relationships between humans and animals in such a profound way that it has even motivated some students to alter their diets or consumption patterns to be more environmentally conscious. I believe that the most powerful college courses are the ones that inspire students to change their own lives in response to the material learned, and Humanities Core exemplifies this notion.Â
Although I decided not to further pursue writing academically, I still sought to incorporate it into my extracurricular activities at UCI. This led me to the U/U Zot Blog, which I have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in during my first year here. It is vital to reflect on new experiences, particularly ones that entail as much change as college does, and I am grateful that the Zot Blog has given me the opportunity to do so. Thus, this last blog post of the year serves as bittersweet closure for me. I hope that future Zot Bloggers will also recognize the value of self-reflection and entertain themselves through their Zot Blog writing. Thank you for following me on the journey of my first year in college and I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors!
Your friendly neighborhood Unaffiliated major,
Sabrina