Hello Anteaters! Although school has only been in session for about a month, my experience at UCI has consisted of meeting new people, adjusting to the college lifestyle, and balancing school work with outside activities.
Because my STEM courses are taught in the “flipped classroom” style, I have been adjusting to learning material independently and creating a consistent routine when it comes to watching online lecture videos. I learned early on in my General Chemistry course that missing one lecture video will result in a difficult class session. Thankfully, this occurred during week two, so I had time to change my study habits and no longer had to “play the catch up game” (which was a sigh of relief). Trust me, you do not want to fall behind, especially in STEM courses!
Another new piece of information is that I had the opportunity to declare Math as my major! During week two, I worked alongside the supportive Undecided/Undeclared staff and the Physical Sciences Department to switch from an Undeclared major to a Mathematics major. Although this process included physically knocking on the Math Department’s office doors just to hear the same answer, “no, you have to wait until you meet the requirements,” my last attempt was successful! I was greeted by an academic counselor and given a strict deadline to switch into Math by the end of that week. I am grateful that I can continue to blog, even as a new Math major!
Furthermore, a significant part of the college lifestyle is the food at UCI and around the city of Irvine.
My ultimate study snack is from Brandywine, and it is their delicious vegan pumpkin bread. Every time I eat at this dining hall, I take two or three pieces because they are not only tasty, but are already saran wrapped, which makes for a quick snack after a long day of classes. I also have my friends try the bread, and believe me when I tell you that they all would give it a 10/10:)
Yum!!
TIP!!!
You may be wondering why I included a photo of a doorstop. If you are living in the Mesa court classics I recommend buying or asking for one! By keeping the door open, I have met several students in my dorm building. This was great during week 0 when everyone was moving in and meeting each other.