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(A Little More Than) A Halfway Through Update

As I am writing this, a couple weeks have passed since week 5 (the week of Halloween!) which also marks the halfway point of my first quarter at UCI. That is crazy to think about because this quarter really has gone by faster than anyone could have expected, and I think all of us freshmen are caught by surprise. Nevertheless, I feel like I have surprisingly managed to find a balance among all the chaos of this quarter.

Despite the many assignments, club events, and personal matters I have had to attend to, I feel relatively accomplished with what I’ve done with my first quarter so far. If you are a student you might be aware of the equilateral triangle meme for students (included below). Many might agree this is pretty accurate- and unfortunately for me, the one that had to go was sleep. Although, I would say that I sleep more now than I did in high school as you are able to pick your own schedule (according to availability of classes, at least) and so if you know you are a night owl (like me) you can decide to take an afternoon class and avoid feeling like a zombie in the morning. 

Sleep-deprivation can be prevented though if you stay organized. Google calendar has continued to be my best friend this quarter as it keeps me notified of due dates for assignments, or events that I may have forgotten about. Looking at my schedule for the week allows me to plan my study days accordingly so I wouldn’t be neglecting any assignments if I were to go to that Halloween party or club social. 

Also, after almost seven weeks of being away from my family I got to travel seven hours back to my hometown to see them in real life rather than through FaceTime. Going back home is a great feeling because something about home cooked meals hits different from the Anteatery (not that the dining hall isn’t great, it’s just that nothing can beat your parents’ cooking).  My friends from high school were also back home for the Veteran’s Day long weekend and so it was great to catch up with all of them and hang out as if we never left for college. 

Overall, the events the past couple weeks have prepared me for this upcoming final stretch of the quarter. I feel like I have gotten my fair share of fun and now as finals week quickly approaches, it is time to get my super productive hat on and make sure to keep staying on track of all my work. Here’s to the rest of the quarter!

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New Discoveries

Imagining being so oblivious to the fact that there were faster pathways going from one part of campus to another? Or that you had been taking the longest route to get from point A to point B? Well … that was me for most of this quarter.

 It was a Wednesday at around 2 p.m and I had just finished up with a lecture. I decided to grab a bite at University Center, directly across campus. Now at this point, I usually took the bridge, but I remembered a few days prior, a friend of mine briefly mentioned that there was a hidden Starbucks behind the Social Sciences Plaza. I figured I would take a look into it, so as I make my way there, I verify that there is indeed this Starbucks, the green umbrellas outside giving it away.

In case you were wondering, I’m definitely not a huge coffee drinker, so this discovery wasn’t too exciting. There are plenty of coffeeshops on and off campus to fuel the bodies of procrastinating students or caffeine addicts.

 It was the moment I looked ahead and realized that I could end up at University Center that sparked my interest, since I typically grab a quick lunch from there. They have fast-food chains, sit-down restaurants, and so many other amenities. You may be wondering why this is such a big deal to me. Having this shorter route to grab lunch saves me half as much time, meaning I have more time to enjoy a meal between classes, and less time walking. And if you’re someone like me who likes to be early to class, this shorter path would definitely ensure that getting to class more than a few minutes early would be possible.

So, I guess the biggest lesson I learned is to explore as much as possible! You never know what you might find. 

Till next time,

Celeste 

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Lessons I have learned during my fall quarter of my freshman year at UCI

Lesson One: Always check RateMyProfessors when signing up for classes!

I have done research on professors that I currently have for classes, professors that people have raved about, and professors that people have complained about and wished that they would’ve never taken their classes to begin with. The website ratemyprofessors.com is very accurate when it comes to describing what it will be like to take a professor’s class. In fact, everything that I have experienced so far in my classes was exactly stated by other students on the website.

Lesson Two: If you live in Arroyo Vista or any of the ACC apartments (VDCN, VDC, CDS, PDS, PV), stick with FlexDine Dollars.

Dining hall swipes are expensive. That’s an extra $800 that I didn’t have to spend on the 85 block plan that I bought. In fact, I hardly have time to go to the dining hall since I don’t live in Mesa Court nor Middle Earth this year (I live in the Academic Excellence Black Scholars House, a first-year themed house in Arroyo Vista).

Lesson Three: Watch what you eat!

For those who have the dreaded 8 a.m. or even 9 a.m. classes like me, make sure to eat a good breakfast before you come to class. If you have a hard time doing this, make sure to sign up for later classes next quarter. Trust me, even if I sit at the front of the lecture hall during Arasasingham’s 9 a.m. lectures, if I don’t eat a good breakfast, I have a hard time staying focused. I feel very tired and bored, just like I did in high school in the mornings. Also, give yourself time for your meals to digest before you study or go to class, or try to avoid eating too fast. Otherwise, you will get very tired during your next class, like me during my Thrive@UCI classes.

Lesson Four: Stop sleeping on LARC tutorials and peer tutor worksheets!

I cannot thank LARC tutorial leader Jerry Zhang enough for making the concepts covered in Arasasingham’s lectures easier to understand. I also cannot thank Thais Bouchereau and Adisa Ajamu enough for sponsoring these tutorials. Although LARC tutorials are $110 per session, if you don’t want to pay, or don’t have a sponsor, you can ask your professors or TA’s if peer tutoring is offered for your general education classes. The peer tutors usually offer free worksheets for you to print out and use so that you can study for midterms and finals easier– I printed out all of them for Bio 93! Here are some peer tutors for general chemistry and biology.

Lesson Five: Know where and how to study

The upper floors of Langson Library and the Courtyard Study Lounge are some of my go-to spots for studying because I focus better in quiet environments. Gateway Study Center has touchscreen monitors, but the people there can get pretty chatty, so I would bring headphones and prepare to blast some chillhop or classical or whatever music gets your focus going.