My first quarter at UCLA was somewhat challenging because I was really shy and hesitant to talk to anyone. I did not make connections around with people on campus and faculty members, which was a BIG mistake. Not making connections with students on campus, you do not know about the tricks around campus. Yes, tricks. What I mean by that is specific classes to take/ avoid and studying habits. Eventually, I was lucky enough to land a job on campus that exposed me to the resources at UCLA. I think it really helped me because I learned the resources UCLA offered, how the school was structured (so I could reach out to specific staff members), and how I could be more involved with different retention and outreach programs within UCLA. Through my job, I met a lot of students who were enrolled in the same courses with me. We formed study groups, which were effective because you are able to learn about details that you never knew and the things you do know, you could emphasize more on it by explaining it to other students.
The biggest moment for me at UCLA was attending office hours. I always told myself that I would go to office hours, and I would, but I would never go for chemistry. I was intimidated by my chemistry professor because I felt that I did not have the knowledge like other students did, so he would be wasting his time catching me up with the course’s material. However, I built my confidence and approached my professor in office hours. Before coming into office hours, I would prepare a list of questions and examples that I want him to clarify and explain to me. I felt more prepared for my exams because he would explain things to me in great details that were not explained in lecture.
I feel like I’m slowly adjusting into UCLA. I feel more prepared now and know what to expect. I know exactly who to go to when I have questions weather it is questions for the professors or faculty members.
