“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift…
that’s why they call it present” – Master Oogway (Kung Fu Panda)
When my mother left on her very first business trip when I was a toddler, I remember crying my eyes out. Tears streaming down my face as she grabbed her suitcases, started her car, and backed out of the driveway. Now, I’m very used to it, my mom’s business trip being just a normal procedure in our family. A hug goodbye and remembering to text and call whenever I can is all I need until she comes back home. Ironically, now I’m the one leaving home. We had a goodbye sendoff and there were many tears as I headed off to Irvine for the first time. And just like before, it’s now just a common occurrence leaving and coming back home. Of course I feel homesick every so often, not as frequently as before, but nothing a text or a call back home wouldn’t fix.
Getting used to the new school system was hard at first, but now I’ve got it down in stride. Along with the much shorter quarter system, I now had classes that didn’t take up my entire day but was each densely packed with so much to learn. With so much more free time and the millions of clubs and programs offered here, I chose to join 3 things, the UC Irvine Dragon Boat Club, the Anteater Band, and the Undeclared/Undecided Mentorship Program. I made it in for the Anteater Band and UUMP; playing saxophone, the same instrument I played in junior and high school, and meeting my wonderful mentor, a person I can share my insight with and follow down a path they’ve walked through. Although I didn’t make it into the Dragon Boat team, I go to the gym and play basketball. With so much free time and so many different programs to try out. I found out time management is super important. I use google calendar, keeping the important things and events to do per day ie. class times, school events, meeting up with friends or professors during their office hours. You can definitely have fun, just as long as you can organize the time to relax with the time to get to work.
Speaking of having fun, there’s so many things to do in your free time! I’ve said in an earlier post that I’ve picked up longboarding and I now use it to get across the campus. Over a month using it, but I’ve gotten good enough I think I could even teach people how to longboard myself. Speaking of around school, be sure to hit the fairs when you get the chance. Every so often, UCI will have fairs and events as a way to get all the more involved in school as well as getting the chance to meet new people. Don’t be shy, everyone is always super friendly and on the same boat as you, so don’t be afraid to always meeting new people.
That’s all I have to catch you up with for today’s blog, but I have much more to share with you in the future!
Till next time,
Nick