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Springing into Goal Setting

Countless can attest to the issue that plagues the vast population of students regardless of their academic standing, major, how many years they have pursued their education, and so on: procrastination. One goal that I would like to set for myself during the Spring 2022 quarter is to continue with the time management methods that I have developed over my last two quarters at UCI, as well as during my high school career. For instance, I can motivate myself to prioritize work by rewarding myself with breaks after completing an assignment or studying for a certain amount of time. Instead of seeing these breaks as procrastinating, I approach them as a way to recharge my energy before beginning a new assignment or continuing to study for an important exam.

Furthermore, I want to become involved in more on-campus opportunities that open during the Spring quarter. There is an abundance of student-run organizations that can allow me to connect with other students who have similar interests or goals as me. I would like to look into more opportunities to do research on campus, and begin setting myself up for success there by familiarizing myself with more faculty and professors that I will meet during the Spring quarter. I am currently enrolled in the UROP Research Discovery Program, which consists of several workshops and mentor meetings to prepare participants academically, professionally, and personally for conducting research on campus. I have enjoyed the information sessions and student researcher panels that I have attended, and I am looking forward to continuing with the program into the Spring quarter.

Goal setting can be a useful tool in keeping us motivated and on track for another successful quarter. Although the process may seem unnecessary, I would encourage all my peers to reflect on their past undergraduate experiences and make mental or physical notes of what they would like to accomplish in the coming quarter.

Your friendly neighborhood Undeclared major,
Sabrina

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The Pieces of Your Puzzle

I imagine that the significant elements of our daily lives fit together like a puzzle, the pieces relating to each other to some extent and constituting our individual selves. The puzzle differs widely from person to person, but the three major pieces of my puzzle are academics, family, and hobbies. I placed these pieces along the center of the brain map, with other related puzzle pieces branching out above or below them. 

The first element, academics, is most relevant to my status as a full-time student. I have strived for academic success throughout my time in school, and it is a major factor that I dedicate most of my time to. Branching off from this core puzzle piece are grades and my major. Grades are a fundamental part of academic success that many students often experience pressure to maintain. Furthermore, as an Undeclared student who had no clear direction at the beginning of this academic year, I have been giving thought to the major that I would like to pursue. 

A second aspect that I consider important is family. Spending time with my immediate and extended family during birthday parties on the weekends has created an abundance of cherished memories for me. The same applies to gatherings with friends, a puzzle piece that branches off from family. One essential part of any such gathering is the food that we can make and enjoy together.

Thirdly, the way that I spend my free time outside of the classroom or family gatherings is critical for my own relaxation. I have found games and TV shows to be the most entertaining for me. It may be interesting to think how similar or different your own brain map is from mine. This activity is an effective way to examine what aspects of your life are vital for you and perhaps what you are most grateful for. 

Your friendly neighborhood Undeclared major,

Sabrina

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“On Your Marks, Get Set, Bake”

Introduction:

The warmth emanating from the oven as you watch the dessert within rise and become a perfect golden brown. The heavy, nearly palpable smell of sugar lingering in the air. The anticipation of finally taking your first bite of the sweet treat. From cakes to cookies to bread, baking is a hobby that I have been involved in for years. Although I am far from professional, my simple desserts are often found at friends’ birthday parties, family gatherings, and class potlucks.

Overview:

You are likely already familiar with baking from watching your relatives or binging shows like Sugar Rush, Nailed it!, and The Great British Bake Off. Many consider baking an art due to the creative flair involved in assembling and decorating aesthetically pleasing desserts. It can simultaneously be viewed as a science because of the precision needed to calculate the correct amount of each ingredient. Add too much of an ingredient like baking powder, for instance, and the dessert’s taste and texture will be manipulated. Thus, baking requires a great amount of skill, especially on a professional level.

Personal Thoughts:

For my family and many others, baking has served as a means of coming together and creating something delicious that we can all enjoy after a meal. I inherited a love of baking from my mother, who would always make desserts for family gatherings before I adopted the responsibility. Furthermore, baking is an enjoyable and even therapeutic activity that allows me to unwind on the weekends after a stressful week of school.

How to Get Started:

There are countless recipes on websites and social media platforms such as Pinterest, Tiktok, and YouTube. One recipe that my family constantly requests is the Kentucky Butter Cake (recipe linked here), a moist pound cake that is both delicious and extremely easy to make.

Furthermore, I often use recipes from the website, Joy of Baking, which contains countless desserts ranging from cakes to muffins to pies to bread. I recently made a carrot cake from this website for my mother’s birthday, and it was a hit at her party. The sweetness of the carrots, spice of the cinnamon, and crunch of pecans all complemented the tangy cream cheese frosting. I would recommend this recipe and the many others found on the Joy of Baking website.

I understand that it may be difficult to bake when living in the dorms. However, there are alternatives that you may want to consider, such as mug cakes that can be made in the microwave. Although I have never made them myself, I’ve linked some from Tasty, a helpful website that features a variety of recipes and videos. Happy baking!

Your friendly neighborhood Undeclared major,

Sabrina

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Walking for Self-Care

Every morning, I have the opportunity to smell the freshly-cut grass outside and feel a blanket of cold air against my cheeks. Walking my dog in the morning has become a vital part of my daily routine, and I now consider it a form of self-care. I find that waking up earlier than I typically would to take a walk creates structure for my schedule, as opposed to waking up a few minutes before my first class. In my experience, what I do in the morning can set the tone for the entire day, so practicing self-care at that time – by taking a walk, in my case – can be conducive to a productive day. 

Even if the walk is as brief as 15 minutes, you can still reap the benefits that exercise brings, such as decreased stress, improved mental health, and enhanced physical health overall. While I walk, I tend to observe my surroundings in order to take my mind off of the stresses that the coming day might bring, focusing on the birds chirping, the people passing by, or the other dogs that we might encounter during our walk. Alternatively, I sometimes treat the walk as a time to mentally plan out my day and prepare myself for the events and tasks I will have to attend to later. Either strategy, or a combination of both, can be used to make the most of the walk.

I looked into the UCI trails that friends on campus can take advantage of:

https://www.campusrec.uci.edu/stepup/trails/ant-trails.pdf

The guide above, courtesy of the UCI Campus Recreation Center, includes routes for long or short walks. While I have not followed these specific trials, as I do not live on campus, I would recommend them to anyone who seeks to incorporate walks or runs into their routine and support their self-care.

Your friendly neighborhood Undeclared major,

Sabrina

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New Quarter, New Goals

As a high school senior anxiously anticipating my assimilation into college life, I asked any current college student willing to converse with me about the tips and tricks they picked up over the course of their undergraduate years. A recurring theme I found among them was: “Go to office hours. Go to office hours. Go to office hours.” Although I did take this advice occasionally during the fall quarter, I was far from a frequent visitor to my professors’ office hours. One of my goals for winter quarter is to allocate more of my schedule to attending office hours or extra help sessions. From my brief experiences in office hours during my first quarter, I have found it valuable to expose myself to the material outside of lectures, as well as acquaint myself with my knowledgeable professors.

Furthermore, I plan to investigate more of the resource centers and facilities available on campus, such as the Commuter Lounge at the Information Center, the Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC) Locus, and the Center for Excellence in Writing and Communication. I feel that I did not take full advantage of these resources during the fall quarter due to my unfamiliarity with UCI’s campus. However, the only way to build that familiarity is to explore. It is commonly said that “college is what you make of it.” In other words, the college experience at least partially relies on visiting campus faculties that are designed to support me and my peers in our academic or personal lives.

Granted, this all depends on when it becomes safe to return to in-person classes. Despite the fact that I do sometimes prefer the self-paced nature of online learning, I also recognize the benefits of face-to-face interaction within a physical classroom setting. I look forward to when clubs and student organizations can hold meetings in person. A third goal to accomplish during the winter is to get involved in more community service or leisure activities on campus, as these clubs are the perfect opportunity to get to know peers with similar interests. One of the priorities that I will keep in mind throughout my undergraduate years is the importance of a strong social network of friendships that can last even beyond college graduation. Online learning has made it difficult to make progress in doing so, but hopefully, the number of COVID-19 cases will gradually lessen and we will once again experience the sense of normalcy we felt before the pandemic.

Your friendly neighborhood Undeclared major,
Sabrina