Author: Rebecca Nguyen

Well that was incredibly fast. Look at us. We’ve made it to the end yet the journey has just begun…

Last week an incoming UCI freshman, total stranger, DM’ed me and asked for college advice. Whoa what? I didn’t think I was qualified to give advice, but actually I was. Right then I realized that I had so much to say and so much more that I knew compared to when I first began. As a first generation college student, I couldn’t go to my parents for college advice. I instead resorted to older friends, youtube videos, reddit forms, etc. That was the main thing that helped me navigate my first year, advice and information. If you are an incoming/continuing student, the most effective thing you could do to prepare for the future, in my opinion, is ask people with experience for their advice. You’d be surprised at how useful it is later. 

I realized that writing these reflections really helped me organize my messy thoughts. But most importantly, this method of journaling allows me to track my progress. I am able to look back on detailed entries and see how I have grown and how I’ve overcome obstacles. I can record what I’ve learned from my experiences. It is the closest thing to a time machine for my thoughts. You don’t have to be a Zot blogger to write your reflections. I keep a separate journal at home for my personal life too. I suggest keeping a physical/digital journal and writing a reflection every week or so. Write anything that is on your mind, your worries, dreams, accomplishments big or small. Trust me, when you get to look back and realize how far you’ve come, it is the most rewarding feeling ever. 

One thing I think I’ve done successfully is that I came mentally prepared for the rigor of college academic work. I expected classes to be difficult. I anticipated the late nights of studying and finishing assignments. I knew that I had to really manage my time well and be responsible for my own future. Having these realistic expectations, I felt ready to take on anything that I put my mind to. It’s all about your mindset. One thing I wish I could have done better is connecting with my professors more. I hear that it is important to build a network of people in your field of study/career, but I just haven’t taken the initiative to do that yet. Hopefully with in-person school next year, I’ll have a better opportunity to do that. 

My final piece of advice: Remember that everything will be alright, trust me on that. Sometimes it seems like it won’t, but if you work hard and keep your head up, you’ll get to the other side and be okay 🙂

I hope this helps someone out there. I hope you know that you’re not facing these difficulties alone. Okay, it has been a pleasure to share my experiences with you on the Zot Blog. Thank you for reading, and good luck!!

Signing off, 

Rebecca Nguyen <3

I now understand why Calculus 2B is the most failed class at UCI. I just don’t get it; the homework is do-able and I really do understand the material, but when it’s exam time, I totally blank. I think it’s the anxiety that takes over and makes me completely forget the practice problems I crammed just moments before the exam. Or maybe it’s knowing that Lockdown Browser is watching and recording through the camera so I try not to make any sudden noises. During the exam review sessions with the professor or TA, I realized that I took the correct steps to solve the problem, yet I often made small algebraic mistakes that caused the whole answer to be incorrect. And because the exams are multiple choice, there is no room for any error. I was told that before remote learning, math exams were written and graded partly on the work shown and on the final answer. That way if the student has used the correct approach but made a small error somewhere, they would still get partial credit. But now making a small error would mean zero points. Bad news for me and my GPA. 

On a happier note I’m doing well in my other classes. And a few weeks ago, most Undeclared students transitioned out of the Undeclared program to be affiliated with another school of their interest. My number one choice was the Paul Merage School of Business, but because it was already saturated with students, I decided to settle with the School of Social Sciences to hopefully land a major in Business Economics. For the past year, the Undeclared Program has provided a lot of guidance for me and allowed a smooth transition towards eventually declaring a major that I am passionate about. Hopefully my experience is able to help an incoming U/U student.

Alright that’s my little update in the highs and lows of remote learning. Thanks for reading!

During spring break my sister, who is a senior in high school, got accepted to the university that she wanted to attend (woohoo!). It was so nostalgic for me to experience that suspense/excitement with her again, remembering what it was like when I first opened my college admission letters. High school feels like it was years ago, but at the same time it’s mind-boggling to realize that I am almost done with my first year of college (whaaat?). But here I am, beginning my last quarter as a first-year in college, yet I feel like I haven’t really begun college.

I feel a sort of awkwardness thinking about finally being on campus in the fall. What will it be like to resume normal life again? And how will the transition to in-person school affect my academic performance? An honest part of me will really miss remote classes. Soon I won’t be able to watch the lecture in 2x speed or pause and replay something I missed, because it will all be live. What will it be like to live with a stranger as a roommate? And how do I make friends on campus? All of these questions have been racing through my mind as that anticipated college experience dream gets closer and more real. Strangely, I feel like a high school senior about to enter college again. Weird. 

But although it wasn’t ideal at first, this unusual experience has become my norm, a routine that I’ve adopted in my daily life, and it has really tested my endurance and my ability to be independent. I like to look at this past year as a practice run for the real deal. I learned how to enroll in classes by myself. I experienced the rigor of college courses. I learned to manage my time and prepare for midterms and finals. Reminding myself of how well-equipped I actually am encourages me to finish this year on a high note and began next year with confidence. 

Ah, the end of another great quarter. Admittedly, Winter Quarter was more challenging than the Fall, but I have discovered more about what routine works for me and what my strengths and weaknesses are academically. Spring is my absolute favorite season, and now that the sun is out and birds are chirping, I’m feeling a refreshing positive attitude for the Spring Quarter. Also seeing business and stores starting to open up again gives me hope for the year. I’m looking forward to things going back to normal now that more and more people are getting vaccinated.

As for my academic goals, I want to keep the same momentum that I have now. I am taking slightly more challenging classes for the Spring so I really have to stay focused and try to power through the quarter. But not only do I want to keep my grades up, I also want to start looking for internships and other extracurricular activities. Working on my career goals is just as important as working on my school goals to me.

I also want to start reading more books in my free time. Reading productivity and life books will help me become more knowledgeable about how to improve my mindset in different situations. Reading is great way to invest in my future self.

As for personal goals, I really want to start really exercising again. I realized that over the past two quarters, I’ve spent 70% of my day at my desk, mindlessly snacking on whatever food was closest. It puts a whole new twist on the “freshman 15.” While focusing so much on school, I’ve pushed my health to the side and forgot to take care of my body. But recently I’ve felt a sudden urge to get in shape again now that spring and summer are almost here. I’m starting by exercising four days a week and incorporating cardio into my workouts. I’m also trying to take my water bottle everywhere I go to encourage myself to drink water.

I think it’s safe to say that school takes up most of the thoughts in my mind right now. With many assignments to complete and finals coming up soon, I’ve been really focused on trying to finish the winter quarter strong. It has been a matter of telling myself to just push through this week, but every week is just as stressful.

I’m always keeping my family in mind, especially my grandparents and my parents because the coronavirus is still lurking around our area. I’m spending more quality time with them and making sure they keep themselves as healthy as possible. 

Chatting with my friends helps me take my mind off of school. It seems that even though we can’t hang out in person, we can always find other ways to have fun, like video calling or playing online games. 

If you’ve been following the stock market lately, you know that it has been quite volatile. I’ve recently hopped on the bandwagon and entered the world of investing in stocks. I figured that while I’m young with few responsibilities I could afford to take some risks and test my luck. But to be completely honest, I have no idea what I’m doing. I still have a lot to learn and it’s been rather interesting. 

A few weeks ago while grocery shopping, I walked past a Korean BBQ restaurant, and the smell of the grilling pork was enough to make me crave it for weeks. I’m hoping that the pandemic will resolve soon so I can enjoy some nice bulgogi with my friends. 

I’ve been asked to play the piano at my church for the first time and since then, I’ve been practicing non-stop. Honestly the song is easy but I’ve even been practicing with my eyes closed, just in case I freeze from stage fright. That way, my muscle memory kicks in and playing on stage is manageable. 

And finally like any other digital natives now, social media occupies a generous chunk of my mind. I mean how can it not? It keeps me updated on trends, the news, Gen Z culture, and keeps me inspired to be educated and stay productive.