Author: Ron

UCI has just begun what can be considered the strangest quarter to date. The shift this quarter to remote learning is an unprecedented change for the majority of UCI, and students and staff alike have had to adjust accordingly.  So with zoom replacing the lecture halls, and my on-campus walk shortening to one where I go from my bed to my desk, let’s recount how the beginning of this quarter has gone!

This shift from on-campus to at-home life has given me more time to myself which I oddly have appreciated. I used to rely on social activities as my preferred medium of self-care but from last quarter especially, I seemed to sense that there was less time to sit and reflect. I was incredibly fortunate during spring break that I could return to the comfort of my home and take a substantial amount of time to retract from the chaos of college life and think of what I could be doing to stay on track.

So given this three goals I formed for this quarter were:

1. Stay organized
   • Though I set goals to stay motivated and committed to my work this quarter, I obviously could not predict how online learning would really be like until actually beginning instruction. So whether a class requires online attendance or is non-synchronous (gives a deadline for homework but relies on the student to learn material through pre-recorded material), school has called for little more organization and discipline. This is where an even more detailed schedule comes in handy as I continue to navigate an at-home routine as the visualization of deadlines helps remind me of pacing and other factors necessary for effective learning
2. Recognize the need for self-care and set aside time to practice it.
   • Now more than ever is a time where self-care is the most important. I’ve noticed many occasions where I start to get antsy or bored and wonder what I should be doing. Having more time to myself means there are more ways to approach self-care: develop a home workout, cook a new recipe, clean, play some video games, or most of all, practice mindfulness. There are a lot of options to daily life at home but sometimes what is really needed is the time to just think instead of doing. This time for reflection allows me to feel centered and composed which is essentially what must come out of self-care.
3. Stay connected.
   • Of course being at home can get lonely as well so I set a goal to be able to have time for my family and friends of all sorts. Along with spending time with my family at home I have been managing the large amount of time on zoom. Socialization and extracurriculars are basically now all on zoom and while I am grateful for this platform to be able to provide moments of connection, the time spent on my devices does take a toll. This will be the challenge of this quarter- finding the balance between all three of my goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Nevertheless I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. With college life continuing to take place off-campus (ASUCI elections, new admitted Anteaters) I am glad to see that our community is still connected. I encourage everyone to continue to likewise reach out to others this quarter and help quarantine feel a little less lonely. We got this. *Virtual Zot Zot Zot*

The end of this quarter has been one of unprecedented history. As the news of the coronavirus becoming a pandemic came out, many schools closed (including UCI) to prevent matters from getting worse. Although I won’t be writing on the extent of the situations nationwide and internationally, I can at least comment on my own experience on campus. 

Since March 10 the UCI community faced the news that winter quarter finals and the entirety of spring quarter instruction will be done remotely. The days following that decision consisted of the mixed reactions of almost all the UCI community. The staff, for example, had to consider the administration of online finals. Given the stress of the uncertainty about plans for next quarter my professors in particular decided to make finals optional or cancel them entirely. I am grateful that amid the stress of dealing with their own off-campus concerns that my professors made the best decisions for their students, as this was a stressful time and a lot of students communicated the concern of not being able to perform to the best of their ability on finals. 

While other students took their finals or waited to see they were cancelled or optional, it dawned on me and my hall that our time spent in the dorms would be coming to an end. For students like me who were living in the dorms we questioned whether we would be staying for spring quarter – given that spring quarter instruction would be done online some students may not need to continue to stay on campus and pay for housing. Of course students were fortunately given the option to continue to dorm and so some of my hall mates are as of now staying, but it was saddening and abrupt realization that life on campus this school year was basically done.

As I realized that on-campus life for spring quarter would not be taking place it made me sad to think about the potential events for next quarter and what could have been. As a student involved in the performing arts it was concerning too how the arts community would be affected as art is typically done tangibly and in person (the faculty of the school of arts is now fortunately making a plan for online learning next quarter). However I realize that matters are worse for other students given situations of unemployment, family concerns, and even the question of whether commencement is taking place; beyond this campus the virus is affecting individuals even more greatly as well. Given this I want to recognize that my situation is one that is more privileged and fortunate than others, and that I am not seeking pity- just documenting my experiences. 

Looking back on what has been a crazy week, though, I am glad that after I made the decision to move out of my dorm and learn from my home, me and my hall graciously spent our last days in the hall making unforgettable memories so that saying goodbye for the year was easier. I have to also thank the staff at UCI because during this unprecedented situation, they made and are still making well thought out decisions for the students and our education next quarter.

So yes, this was and is still a stressful time but moving forward I encourage everyone to be patient with each other. As a community at UCI we are each paving our own path and each individual has and will continue to make important decisions- everyone should thus support each other as these decisions are made. I have hope that as we all practice the right precautions (social distancing, washing hands) that circumstances will get better. For now as we spend more time to ourselves let us take some time for self-reflection. Social distancing is a great time to get creative, think about what impactful things you’re going to down after things get better, and keep in touch with others through our many means of social media. This is quite the unexpected end to this quarter and start to next quarter, but I am hopeful for the future and when students get to return to UCI in the fall.

At UCI, winter quarter is typically referred to as “application season” because it is during this term that campus organizations (ex. the orientation program, SPOP, and the campus tour program, Campus Representatives) recruit members to train during spring quarter so that they are prepared for their role in the next school year. Though there may have been many clubs and organizations welcoming new members for this quarter, it has been interesting for me to already think about my activities for my next year in college. At this point of the year it seems as if I am transitioning from wanting to get involved in everything interesting to me, to now prioritizing how these extracurriculars fit within my personal and academic life.

This speculation of my academic and extracurricular life for next year was somewhat challenging because as a student who is undeclared, it was not entirely clear what my academic career looks like. Fortunately for me, I received inspiration of how my career might look like if I pursued a particular major. 

This past week I attended UCI Drama’s phenomenal production of The Penelopiad. It was essentially a retelling of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective (for those familiar with the epic). The season theme for drama shows this school year is a centennial celebration of the women’s right to vote and it was inspiring to see many women involved in a feminist production because the struggles of females in history is an important message to relay and help resonate within society. The play was particularly inspirational to me however, because the cast consisted not only of artists who were evidently passionate and enjoyed their work, but also ones who knew how to cooperate and communicate to create art. I enjoyed how there was an evident sense of community and creativity within the cast and crew of the show and it overall reminded me of the beauty of this art. As I take drama classes at UCI I always find something valuable to learn in my work but I am often conflicted to pursue this as a major because it is not clear of what my future in it may be. 

So as I am currently involved in ASUCI I can practice the recreational and logistical side to providing art and entertainment to students which I find enriching and enjoyable. However, whenever I attend performing arts shows I am reminded of how I might want to be a part of the show-making process in the future. Whether this might mean declaring a major in drama or simply in the shows itself, I hope as I plan for the next school year that getting more involved in this art is included in that future.

Ah yes. Week 5 of winter quarter. Halfway through the quarter (and the year!) which also means the return of those dreaded midterms. This quarter I have found that now that I am relatively adjusted to college life, my attention seems to be more consumed by academics. A downside to the quarter system is that in such a small amount of time, it is easy to get wrapped into the fast pace of your courses, and in that process you might forget to tend to your own well-being.

While it is easy to get overwhelmed and stressed by the neverending workload, I always remember self-care first. I am the type of person who finds relief in little things, and so despite feeling like I am constantly stuck on a schedule, the moments in which I have time to myself makes me feel better.

When it comes to self-care or stress relief I enjoy the moments of college where everything I can just forget about work for even just a moment. During passing periods between classes for example, I love getting to listen to music and admire the scenery of UCI. Also, taking advantage of resources such as the fitness center in Mesa Court or the ARC gives me time to channel my stress into exercise.

If there are two things that can really make me happy, though, it is food and friends- two things that go really well together. Quality time with people is one of the aspects of college that provides me with the most stress relief, and when food is involved this experience goes to whole new levels. While I do love getting food at places near campus such as Student Center and University Town Center, I am the type to be open to adventures and so weekend getaways to Diamond Jamboree for some sushi, or to Newport Beach for pizza, are great opportunities for me to discover life beyond my bubble at UCI. 

Some might argue that adventures as a UCI student aren’t entirely completely without a golden ticket to the Happiest Place on Earth. The highlight of this quarter has probably been getting an annual pass to Disneyland and so my friends and I have gone to visit the park several times already. Disneyland is about a 20 minute drive from UCI and so not only is it near to campus but the entertainment and the food (especially!) are what helps me escape from my classes and get back in touch with my inner child.

With all things considered, self care stays true to its name- tending to one’s own needs. In terms of stress relief I am more extroverted and so I look to socializing and thrills to (ironically) help me relax. To others however, self care might mean reading a book, taking a nap in Aldrich Park, or simply binging a favorite TV show. College is about self-discovery and that in turn involves learning what works best for you in terms of destressing. I just like to remember that any time spent away from academics is not time wasted but rather time dedicated to your own well-being. This February let’s show ourselves some self-love 🙂

Reflecting back on last quarter as a whole I feel like personally, it was relatively successful. With all the excitement and anticipation of having to start my college career off right, I had a lot of motivation to find a good balance between my personal, social, and academic life. I was fortunate enough to begin my first weeks last quarter with a routine schedule that worked for me and so I settled into a comfortable groove early on. Of course, life hit in unpredictable ways and so I still had to prioritize things over my own sleep schedule. 

The end of the quarter (a.k.a. finals season) was a blur of all-nighters and consequential illnesses and was overall an experience I prefer to not go through again, but unfortunately will have to in the coming quarters (but hey, that’s college for ya). Nevertheless, I am grateful to have had a relaxing break after finals to recover from all the stress and also reconnect with my family and friends back home.

Now that the break is over and a new quarter has been in session for three weeks, I firstly have to admit that I have yet to resolve the sleep deprivation issue of last quarter. I am also taking more challenging classes but they are all very interesting to me and so I feel like I am adequately engaged. My goal this quarter is to be able to begin to experiment with different schedules so as to prioritize my sleep and overall health among this bigger workload. 

Despite this initial bump in the road to my new year (and new quarter) resolutions, I see that the biggest difference coming back to school this term is that after meeting so many new people last year, I feel like this quarter will have many opportunities to solidify many friendships. So along with exploring my interests academically I am excited to further relationships with my peers. The excitement of a new school may not be as present but as I become more comfortable with my life at UCI I can begin to find my role in my school community through my upcoming pursuits so stay tuned!