Dear Reader,
These two weeks have been the most chaotic and the ones I have enjoyed the most. After having my appointment with my U/U advisor, I have decided to double major. I have been finding my bio-sci classes fulfilling (even my mood changes after going to lectures), and I feel more knowledgeable and confident about what I want. I have decided to continue with the bio major pathway, specializing in neurobiology and double majoring in Spanish. I headed to the Spanish Department early in the morning to get more guidance. Along the way, I had to stop several times, amazed by the fauna that Aldrich Park houses (see pics attached). A short 10-minute walk cleared up my convoluted mind (I had midterms and quizzes that week). Even though I found that the office was closed, I felt revitalized and motivated to keep shaping my academic journey.
Later that week, I found another opportunity to boost my college experience: studying abroad. I went to the fair to check out some programs. I collected brochures and stickers and added going abroad to my must-do list. There were summer, semester, and quarter-long programs for specific majors and specific classes in specific universities. I concluded that taking some G.E classes in the summer can be very strategic, in this way, I don’t have to worry about adjusting my quarterly schedule to semester programs or missing out on my experience at UCI (but I still have some questions about financial aid so I’m going to have an appointment with an academic advisor before making a final decision–all keep you updated).
I had my last club meetings for the quarter. I am an official member of IMED and Teddy Bear Hospital! In IMED, we had panels going over involvement in research. In my notes, I circled that 1) the fall quarter is the best time to apply 2) when being interviewed, do not pretend to be savvy on matters you are not 3) Be careful about researching Professors (make sure they are main contributors in the publication and that you chose a recent one). On the other hand, with TBH I went over medical study cases. Despite the poor performance and cooperation of my patient and my amateur expertise in medical conditions, I was able to “diagnose” my UCI medical school “patient” with rabies and inquire about his journey. When it comes to volunteering, he advised me to consider commitment over quantity, join a few clubs but stay engaged with them until my undergraduate journey expires. Furthermore, he commented that going to Med school is possible even without publications under your belt unless you have some specific universities in mind. His wisdom alleviated some of the stress that haunted me for not having joined many clubs or labs this quarter; however, this gave some insight in how to adjust my priorities and give more shape into my academic journey.
Once more and as always, thanks for reading me. Make this journey enjoyable and meaningful to you. Join clubs in which you feel included and do it because you want to be there, not because it will make your resume look better. Appreciate your uniqueness and nourish it by focusing on activities that require you to apply your strengths and enrich your passion.
Write to you soon,
Glenda Orozco.