🌱Advice From an Anteater🌱

Hey future Anteater! 

I hope you are doing well, and I hope you are so excited to start your college journey at the University of California, Irvine!🤗

From what has been announced, it seems like next year will be a hybrid of online classes and in-person classes so I will be talking about both my online experience and my on-campus experience because I did decide to dorm this year. 

I would like to make a disclaimer though: because this year is my first year and it is the first year that everything has been online, I do not know what the “normal” is. 

That being said, I really enjoyed living on-campus. It is extremely beneficial for me to have my own space (because of COVID, everyone was granted their own room) to study and to relax as well. While I was an undeclared student for the majority of my first year, I would consider my classes to be intense in terms of workload. For Fall quarter, I took Math 2D, Bio Sci 93, Writing 39C and Psych 7A. One thing I did learn from Fall quarter is to take classes that are different in terms of subject. Compared to Winter and Spring quarter where I did/am taking Chemistry and Physics classes as well as their respective labs, I was less stressed during fall quarter due to the variety of classes I decided to take. 

I also joined one organization on campus which is ASUCI, specifically their Student Services office. I interned in their Content Creation commission and they are all super welcoming. I did plan to join more, but looking back, I’m glad I didn’t because, at that time, I was still unsure about what I wanted to major in. So, don’t panic about not doing a lot; I know it seems like you have to join a lot, but also keep in mind that this is your first year. It will take some adjusting especially if you are going from a semester system to a quarter system. 

Speaking of the quarter system, I know it seems intimidating, but it’s very easy to adjust, in my opinion. I originally did like the quarter system; I felt like the semester system was very slow for me and I could forget information easily, but everyone’s different so take that with a grain of salt. 

Another tip I have is that because the quarter goes by so quickly, if you need help and/or you’re stuck on a concept in class, do not hesitate to find help from your professor, TA or go to LARC. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust how you study for each class, and do not be too hard on yourself if you go badly on one test. There are more tests, midterms and the final to improve!

I also decided to work during my Spring quarter and… that has been quite challenging. It is my first job and I am taking two labs this quarter so I felt very overwhelmed. Not to mislead you though; I do have time for everything I have planned for myself and that is due to just managing my time and acknowledging my priorities. One thing I would recommend to do before starting college is to make a list of your priorities. I think we all have an idea of what we want, but it reinforces it when you write it down because I think, in general, it is easy to forget if you just think about it from time to time. My priorities from the start of the quarter were getting good grades in my classes, making the most out of my on-campus experience, and having time for family and my good friends. I would say I accomplished all those goals (then again…it is the sixth week of Spring quarter so I’m almost there). In the end, it is important to know that as long as you try your best, it will all work out in the end. 

In terms of actually dorming, I know a lot of us go into it wanting to make a ton of friends and, this year it was hard because very few of us were dorming, and classes, where you would typically make friends, are online…as we all know, making friends online can be very awkward and intimidating. To this, I will say that you don’t need a lot of friends; just a couple of people who appreciate and understand you. I did not hang out with a lot of people, and that was because I simply did not have the time to. For example, this quarter, I am taking 16 units which includes two labs (if you don’t understand the emphasis on labs…it is okay; just know it is very time consuming especially the chem labs😭), I am working in a lab, I am in a school organization and I am prioritizing going home as much as I can. There are some people who do not understand this, and I respect that, but please know, there will people who do acknowledge your priorities and will not hold them against you. 

Last, but not least, there will be times where it feels tough and it’s completely normal. Three quotes that helped me through my first year are (actually there are several more quotes, but I’ll spare you and just share these three):

1. Don’t give yourself a reason to regret anything. 
2. Staying positive does not mean to always be happy; it means knowing better days will come on the worst of days.
3. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison

If you do have any questions about anything at all, please feel free to reach out on Facebook messenger or Instagram (@mia_dimalanta)!

I wish you the best! Take care!🤗Zot zot zot!

Sincerely,

Mia 

P.S. take advantage of the fact that our UTC (University Town Center) is walking distance from our campus…UCSD students have to drive to their UTC🤪Also, Cha for Tea >>>> ShareTea