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Roll Credits

Hello, ZotBlog readers.  It’s a bit bittersweet, but here I am – for the final time – to reflect on the last first-year quarter of my life (as far as I know)  (the future is full of possibility).  I’ve enjoyed writing and reflecting and I hope my experience is of some value to someone, even if it’s just 

I think, all in all, it’s been a bit of a cocoon year for me; as a commuter, entering college wasn’t the huge, fresh restart that it is for people who move across state borders into a new school with different weather and different people and a whole different culture surrounding it.  For me, it was more of a subtle change, brought about in more purposeful class meetings and assignments (you had to be there every day in high school; in college, a lot of my classes have only met twice a week, with the teacher covering several topics in one lecture) and a heightened sense of independence.

The reason why I said this was a “cocoon year” is because due to the way that college is structured, I’ve had the opportunity to step back more, to think (and to sometimes avoid thinking) in ways that the flurry of high school did not allow.  I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about what I want to do, not only in the realm of major/career plans, but also with regards to hobbies and interests, thinking about who I want to be (and how I want to express that) in addition to what matters to me.  So, it’s been a year of self-development!  The goals I set at the beginning of the school year have morphed and changed as I’ve gotten used to the flow of college life, but that’s okay because I have a little more certainty about who I am and how I’m going.

I think that that is the one piece of advice I’d impart on you all: move forward, try new things, have new experiences (this is college, after all!  The first taste of independence…) but also take the time to think about those new experiences – especially those that might leave you feeling weird (in both a good or bad way) – and learn more about yourself from them.  The quarter system can move even faster than you might think it can, and it’s easy for things to creep up on you or come back to haunt you during its less frantic periods, so try to set aside time to be with yourself and think despite it all.

With regards to being Undeclared, I think my advice would be to have as much fun as you can when it comes to choosing courses; personally, I came into college with a lot of credits due to AP exams, so I had already satisfied quite a few of my GE requirements.  So, rather than worrying about taking the easiest GE’s with the nicest professors, I had a bit more leniency to take random classes that I thought would be fun and ended up learning about things that I wouldn’t have thought twice about otherwise.  I think based on who I am, if I had come into college with a major, I probably would have focused on progressing towards graduation as quickly as I could, but that was sometimes not possible due to restrictions and limits on course enrollment, so I ended up taking courses that I wasn’t anticipating and learned more about myself and the world around me in the process.

Closing off this post, I ask that you all keep me in your thoughts because as of right now, I’m still Undeclared.  I’ll be taking the final for the last change of major requirement – the class that will decide whether or not I’ll be able to declare Computer Science sorta by the end of my first year at UCI – on Tuesday.  I’ve been studying hard and coding diligently, but I need all the well wishes and good energy I can get.  

It’s been super great writing for you all this year; I’ve enjoyed my experience very much.  Writing for ZotBlog has been like a savepoint in a video game for me, as being a ZotBlogger forced me to set aside time to sit down and take inventory of where I am and where I intend to go (this is something I may have avoided doing otherwise, so I’m grateful).  It’s a shame that our time is coming to an end, but I’m glad we’ve spent it well and I hope you all will look forward to the adventures of the next set of ZotBloggers!

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My last entry….

Hello everyone,

It is crazy to say that we have reached the end of Week 10 of Spring Quarter, and this means that we are so close to finishing the school year. Some of you may or may not already be graduated, so this is an exciting summer for you as you prepare for the college school year. I know it is exciting and sparks curiosity, but I also want you all to enjoy the summer. Spend some time with your family, friends, siblings, cousins, with people who bring joy to you. Also, this will be a nice and long summer, so enjoy sleeping a lot! 

I just wanted to thank you all for reading not only my posts, but all of the other bloggers. We loved writing down our stories and advice for you all. I hope you learned something new and feel a little more excited about coming to this university! Being a Zot Blogger has honestly been a huge highlight for me this academic school year. I can not only give advice and share my stories, but I can always look back and remember these memories. 

I just wanted to reflect on a few accomplishments and memories. 

I think one of the biggest accomplishments for me was making the decision early on in my college life to switch my major to Mathematics with a concentration in secondary education. I took a small leap of faith and I am proud that I was able to complete this year as a Mathematics major. I am grateful for the UCI CalTeach program for welcoming me and providing me with a support system. 

I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to not only have taken a course with a prestigious professor, but had supportive professors. Starting with Fall Quarter, one of my professors had a class discord and was always, and I mean always available to answer any quick questions on any class material. This was an interactive learning environment because students were able to bounce ideas and learn new information from one another. During my Winter Quarter, one of my professors was new and she told us students from day one that she was there to help us succeed, and she kept her word for the full ten weeks. I think what meant a lot to me was that she intentionally wanted to remember her students’ names and when she would say hi and repeat my name in office hours, it provided a productive and more comfortable learning environment. During this quarter, one of my professors and TA have not only held countless office hours to provide academic support for us students, but have been there for me if I needed extra assistance for days outside of lecture. When I asked for an extra tutoring session or for one of them to check one of my homework problems, they have been active and have gladly been there for me. 

During this school year, I feel like I have majority of the time enjoyed the moment. I have enjoyed birthday parties, gone to formals , the bowling alley, the beach, gone to the outdoor shopping centers such as Spectrum and Fashion Island, going to Mariners Church on Sundays, and enjoyed spending time with friends and family. I have had a really enjoyable year and am content at UCI. 

One of my favorite routines was grabbing cereal at the dining halls with my friends at night. When we are studying, we have our study breaks and this consists of going to the Anteatery or sometimes Brandywine and grabbing a bowl of cereal. It is a light snack and gives us a well deserved brain break. 

I think some of my last pieces of advice would be to take advantage of all of the resources that are available at UCI. I know I have said this before, but please go to your professor’s or TA’s office hours. Office hours are beneficial because you can ask questions about lecture notes, advice for studying for the exams, and can listen to your peers and their questions. Sometimes I go to office hours to listen to my classmates and their questions and this has helped me study for exams. I know that I mentioned this before, but I would also practice consistently reading your school emails. There are always school events taking place or emails about when it is time to register for classes or pay for your student fees. It is always important to be up to date and aware of what is going on. There are Alumni Dinners, Night Markets, and sometimes celebrity guest speaker events that you definitely do not want to miss. 

I cannot believe this is the end of my term as a Zot Blogger. 

Thank you again for sticking with all of us this academic year. 

Enjoy the summer, spend time with your loved ones, and get excited about spending the next four years at UCI.

As always….

ZOTZOTZOT! 

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Interview with Don Hill

Hi everyone!

I’m back again, and this time I have some real content—an interview! The person I chose to interview was Don Hill, who is the chair of the drama department here at UCI. More importantly, however, he teaches my University Studies 3: How to be a Star class that I’ve loved this entire quarter. In this class, I learned how to value myself, how to prepare for the future, and most importantly, how to enjoy my time at UCI. When tasked with choosing an interview candidate, I thought, who better than Professor Hill? 

Considering my audience of undeclared freshmen and incoming freshmen, I asked Professor Hill a few questions regarding his time in college and the idea of being “undeclared.” One of the questions asked was, “What are some things that you wish you had known when you were still in college?” His response? “I wished I knew that it was all going to be possible.” He then talked about young students are “scared about not making it” or “feeling that they’re not good enough.” Personally, I agree with his statements. Self-validation is incredibly important, and I have always found things are easier to do when I am confident. In Professor Hill’s insightful words, “There’s enough for everybody, there’s plenty of opportunity, and it’s a matter of creating that opportunity for yourself.”

When I asked about undeclared students finding a career to pursue, Professor Hill’s advice surprised me. His advice was to explore meditation. Although I was confused, at first, his explanations brought me to understand the depth of his advice. In essence, meditation would allow a person to “get clarity.” Rather than think about meeting unwanted expectations, clarity would allow said person to answer the question, “What do I really want to do?” While there is merit to pursuing a set career path with minimal risk, Professor Hill advises students to “give themselves personal permission to make the choices they want to make.” The most important part of a field of work should be enjoyment, not money.

Lastly, since he is the Chair of UCI’s Drama Department, I asked Professor Hill about his program, and what makes it so special. In response, he talked about how the brilliance of their undergraduate musical theater, BA, and BFA program acted as the “calling card” for the UCI drama program. He also talked about the network of graduates from the School of the Arts: “I mean, any given night on Broadway, for 10 years now, except for COVID. We’ve had somebody on a Broadway stage from UCI, whether they’re there as a performer or an understudy or in the booth calling the show.” And aside from the quality education, Professor Hill notes: “We’re in California, and we’re close to the beach. How bad can it be?

If you’ve made it down here, thanks for taking the time to read this! I really enjoyed my interview, and one more shoutout to Professor Don Hill, who took the time out of his day to be my interviewee. If you ever get the chance, I recommend taking his class, Uni Studies 3: How to be a Star. Anyways, that’s it from me, and I hope everyone has a great rest of the quarter! I’ll see y’all one last time, so bye for now!

Zot Zot Zot,

Ian

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Embrace Uncertainty

Hi all!  We’re around a month away from the halfway point of 2023, as the school year ends and summer begins and students are caught in the limbo between one year and the next.  I know that by this point, UCI’s class of 2027 have committed to becoming anteaters and are enjoying the limbo between high school and college.  And to that I say congratulations!  I’d imagine that during this time, you’d probably want to know a bit more about the place where you’re going to spend the next few years of your life.  UCI is a relatively big school, with the number of students in the quintuple digits, so I wanted to zoom in and give you a glimpse of Undergraduate/Undeclared.

For this reason, I spoke with David Spight, who has served as the Director of the Undergraduate/Undeclared Office here at UCI for the past three and a half years.  This isn’t David’s first rodeo – he’s worked with undeclared students at two other universities in two different states (University of Texas, Austin and Colorado State University).  So, know that not only are you in good hands at U/U, you’re also not alone, as though every undeclared experience is unique, there’s a universality that transcends schools and even states.

One of the first things I wanted to ask David was what he majored in – I always enjoy asking this question as I feel it’s such an easy way to learn a lot about a person, what they value, and the experiences that have shaped them, and maybe it’s because I’ve spent a year as Undeclared myself, but I like testing those experiences and values against my own reasons for declaring the major I intend to declare.  David said that  he initially majored in History “as the result of having some great teachers in high school and a love of the stories” and intended on becoming a history teacher himself.  

As you might be able to tell, David did not end up becoming a history teacher, instead figuring out that he would rather work with college students as opposed to high school students and eventually finding his way into working with undeclared undergraduate students.  This ties into one thing that David wished he knew when he was in college, which is, “That major doesn’t matter. There’s so much focus on what we’re all going to major in while we are in college and in the end, we find out later, after changing careers more than once, that major didn’t really matter beyond needing to declare something in order to graduate.”

I think this is very important to remember although it’s a bit of a daunting idea, considering that major is something relatively easy to cling onto in college, considering that it’s what dictates the classes you take while and creates this bubble of being immersed in a path to a career related to said major.  However, one thing I’ve taken away from speaking to David is that it’s okay, even good, to be uncertain, as long as you don’t let that deter you and continue moving forward and continuously setting yourself back on a path that is right for you.  I’m someone who is prone to freezing (or trying to escape) in the face of anxiety, so I found that to be a very valuable message.

One thing I wanted to highlight is the motivation behind David’s work: he says, “I am motivated in my work by the chance to help a student find their path to becoming who they want to be; I have a great job in that I get to come to work each day to try to make the student experience better.”  I think it’s quite reassuring to know that there’s someone rooting for you on the journey to finding yourself.  For any soon-to-be U/U students reading this, know that you always have support behind you and people who have seen experiences similar (but never identical– your uncertainty is unique to you and your values, as daunting as that thought might seem) to yours.  The people at U/U are here to support you and cheer you on!

And, finally, a piece of advice from David: “Participate. The reason to engage in and out of class, is that life offers up so much more to you when you try and put yourself out there. Participate in life and it rewards you in ways that can’t fully be explained. Don’t limit yourself because it seems to much work to participate. Don’t avoid engaging in life simply because you are nervous, anxious, or fearful of what might happen if it doesn’t go as you hope or plan. Be kind. Be generous. Be empathetic. [Carrie Newcomer once said,] ‘What we give in love and kindness is all we’ll ever leave behind’”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.  Shoutout to David for taking the time to talk to me and provide thoughtful answers!  I really appreciated it 🙂

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There is always room for learning, even in adulthood!

Hello everyone! Happy end of Week 8!

I am so excited to share my interview experience with Miss Stephanie Vaca. She is the UCI CalTeach Student Services Advisor, and she has been a wonderful mentor and support system for me during my first year at UCI. If you are interested in a field in education or are curious about the UCI CalTeach program, then Stephanie is one of the best resources to talk to. She is positive and wants to help you out! 

The first question I asked was, “How did you become interested in this field/career?”

Stephanie talked about how her older brother was an inspiration to her as she always would notice him studying psychology, and she was fascinated by his books. She continued with this curiousity by taking community college courses in psychology with a focus on the behavioral branch. She was drawn to the relationship part of psychology and the different ways people interact with one another. 

The second question that I asked was, “Were you part of student organizations while at UCI?” 

Another fact about Stephanie was that she is a UCI alumni. She knows a lot of the same professors that students are currently taking and understands life as a UCI undergraduate student. As an undergraduate, she was extremely invoved on campus. She was a peer academic advisor under the Education school. She was also a member of Jump Start, which was an organization that helped bridge the gap between literacy and education in underdeveloped communities. Not only was she already involved with these two activities, but she was in the fraternity, Lambda Theta Alpha, and she served as the secretary and treasurer.

The next question I asked was, “Did you overcome any obstacles or personal challenges?” 

Stephanie is such a strong individual as she academically overcame the personal struggle of being the first generation student. She learned as a young adult in college about how education at a public university does not necessarily mean that you will be at an equitable opportunity as everyone else. Because she was going through this college experience alone, she had to remain strong and advocate for herself as she did not really have anyone to lean on. During her first year this affected her physical and mental health and she not only would compare herself to her classmates, but felt socially behind as well. However, she did find her community in her involvement in student organizations and they became her support system and her site managers were even first generation students they understood. 

The last question that I asked was, “What do you love about UCI?”

Stephanie loves how UCI broadened her worldview as it is so diverse and is filled with students and faculty members from all different backgrounds and walks of live. She loves how there is always room for growth, even as an adult. She loves that everyday she gets to work with students and not only be an advisor and a mentor, but a learner and listener as well.

Stephanie, if you are reading this, thank you for sharing your story to our readers!

As always…

#ZOTZOTZOT