I knew that I had not been challenged enough in high school and that transitioning into college would be hard. Classes at the university level require much more time, effort, and tutoring. Back in high school I hardly ever needed help with my homework and I never had trouble with learning the material taught in class. In fact, I was the one helping other students understand the material. I knew that in order to succeed in college I had to get into the habit of taking advantage of tutoring, office hours with my professors, and group-study sessions with my peers. This approach would allow me to learn the material and also teach it to others. This hard work and persistence resulted in me doing well on my midterm examinations.
I wish I had learned good study habits in high school because I received failing grades on my first essays. In high school all you could do is go to class, pay attention, take notes, and pass quizzes. In high school, unlike college, I was allowed to turn in work late, and I was lucky enough to get enough extra credit to end up with a good grade in my classes. Going into college with this mindset was not a good approach. You have to learn the material or else you will not do well on your papers or exams—and you cannot count on extra credit. I also felt that most learning in college is done by students reading the book and attending lecture. Homework problems are not done by looking at examples in the book; instead, solving them requires knowing the concepts and applying them. As far as reading goes, I read a lot! I would sometimes complain about the amount of readings that was assigned in high school, which were about less than 20 pages per week. This semester per class I would get double the amount.
If I could talk to myself back in the fall I would have set up my schedule differently. Having 8 AM classes everyday can be brutal since I didn’t sleep enough. Also, having classes 8 AM to 1 PM back-to-back 3 times a week was not a good idea. This upcoming semester I plan to set up my schedule so I have a break in between my classes.
Yeah, transitioning from Richmond High School to Cal has been difficult but I’m learning to adjust. It has been a struggle but Berkeley made me realize that with hard work and determination si se puede! Round two awaits next semester and I'm going to continue to work hard and take advantage of the resources available to me.
- Maria, UC Berkeley '15
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
First Semester at Sonoma State
Being the first in my family to attend a four year university was a challenge not only academically, but also mentally and emotionally. Something that I enjoyed about my first semester in Sonoma State University was meeting new people. I am a very outgoing and outspoken person so getting to know a lot of people was not much of a challenge. I told myself that I wanted to start fresh and hang out only with positive people. Making the decision to surround myself with optimistic people has definitely made a positive difference on my work ethic. I also really enjoy the independence that I have in college because it is a constant reminder that my parents are not always going to be by my side, and even though it sounds sad to say I take advantage of the situation and because I know that it is going benefit me in the future.
Something that I see myself doing differently this semester is getting more organized and getting my homework done as soon as I can. Socially, I plan to stay involved with the Queer Straight Alliance at the school, the TRUST fellows in San Quentin, MOSIC and all of my other extracurricular activities that I am involved in.
Finally, the advice that I would give myself back in August 2011 as I was starting school is to not worry as much because even though college is something that you can work towards, you can never get fully prepared because you cannot ready yourself for the unexpected.
- Yadira, Sonoma State '15
Something that I see myself doing differently this semester is getting more organized and getting my homework done as soon as I can. Socially, I plan to stay involved with the Queer Straight Alliance at the school, the TRUST fellows in San Quentin, MOSIC and all of my other extracurricular activities that I am involved in.
Finally, the advice that I would give myself back in August 2011 as I was starting school is to not worry as much because even though college is something that you can work towards, you can never get fully prepared because you cannot ready yourself for the unexpected.
- Yadira, Sonoma State '15
Friday, January 20, 2012
College Life in Berkeley
My first few months’ part of the long journey I will have of my college life was unimaginably easy actually. I didn’t think it was going to be anything like that, I was very lucky though. I know it will get harder for my next semester because I took the easy way out for my first semester. I chose easy classes and I recommend that it’s better to take at least one difficult one first. Yeah it was easy and I had a lot of fun actually because I go to Berkeley and the environment is wonderful but all my spring classes are hard. I unfortunately didn’t really bond with my campus which as I think the down fall of going to the college I went to since it is a community college and the building is very small. I loved that it is nothing like high school though! It is so much better, you have more liberty but have to manage your time very well because I still battle with that. College is something everyone has to go to, for education, social bonding and personal growth reasons I believe. I hope and want to be more involved in school for next semester, for example in clubs or volunteering.
If I could speak to myself again in August of 2011 I would tell myself that time will be very scare now that your life is going to change and you have to learn how to manage it and balance everything in your life. Also that to not give up your dreams, my hope one day is to live in campus when I transfer since right now I am still at home. I would love and really want to experience that because it really helps you to grow up and just be away for a little. I can’t stress enough how happy I am to have graduated high school, yeah it was easy but we all have to mature at some point. You will feel really special when you get to take to your laptop and even use it in a class, different experience worth going through.
- Janeth, Berkeley City College '13
If I could speak to myself again in August of 2011 I would tell myself that time will be very scare now that your life is going to change and you have to learn how to manage it and balance everything in your life. Also that to not give up your dreams, my hope one day is to live in campus when I transfer since right now I am still at home. I would love and really want to experience that because it really helps you to grow up and just be away for a little. I can’t stress enough how happy I am to have graduated high school, yeah it was easy but we all have to mature at some point. You will feel really special when you get to take to your laptop and even use it in a class, different experience worth going through.
- Janeth, Berkeley City College '13
What I Like About Santa Cruz
I liked the community UC Santa Cruz has. It's not just one big campus; it's split into lots of colleges. For example, I had a lecture with my whole college and it's pretty cool doing homework with your building and going to class with your new friends. I loved how it was really hot the first month of the quarter, there was a beach near by and trees for shade. I liked how my writing teacher gave me a whole page of what she wanted specifically from her students because I thought professors were going to be hard on us. I also like how there are academic advisors at every college who are going to be there for you until you graduate.
I would not do anything differently if I had to do my first quarter again because I took advantage of everything available to me. I attended a lot of tutoring sessions to get the grades I needed. Especially when it came to 3 hours review sessions before midterms and finals, I turned down plans with friends to make sure I had everything reviewed and covered. All the time I put into going to tutoring and review sessions paid off because I got more than I expected from my grades. I'm very proud of myself.
I met my myspace friend in my writing class. Her name is Stephanie, and I believe it is fate that we ended up in the same university, college and class. Because of her, I met her roommate. I've met 3 awesome trustworthy girls that I believe will be by my side until the day I graduate.
If I could give myself advice, I would say to not go home as often. Next quarter, I am planning to only go home 2-3 times a quarter or less. During Fall 2011 quarter I went home almost every other weekend and for a moment, it was every weekend due to a death in my family. Although I should be there for my family, I want to focus on my studies. I also want to stay in Santa Cruz more because it is such a hassle to transfer to 3 different buses then BART home. Although it is cheaper than driving, the cost adds up. So staying in Santa Cruz will help me focus more and save a lot of money. I am attending every event my college put for the students to make sure I am enjoying every moment of my first year. So with that, I already feel successful and I am also very joyful with my experience.
- Stacy, UC Santa Cruz '15
I would not do anything differently if I had to do my first quarter again because I took advantage of everything available to me. I attended a lot of tutoring sessions to get the grades I needed. Especially when it came to 3 hours review sessions before midterms and finals, I turned down plans with friends to make sure I had everything reviewed and covered. All the time I put into going to tutoring and review sessions paid off because I got more than I expected from my grades. I'm very proud of myself.
I met my myspace friend in my writing class. Her name is Stephanie, and I believe it is fate that we ended up in the same university, college and class. Because of her, I met her roommate. I've met 3 awesome trustworthy girls that I believe will be by my side until the day I graduate.
If I could give myself advice, I would say to not go home as often. Next quarter, I am planning to only go home 2-3 times a quarter or less. During Fall 2011 quarter I went home almost every other weekend and for a moment, it was every weekend due to a death in my family. Although I should be there for my family, I want to focus on my studies. I also want to stay in Santa Cruz more because it is such a hassle to transfer to 3 different buses then BART home. Although it is cheaper than driving, the cost adds up. So staying in Santa Cruz will help me focus more and save a lot of money. I am attending every event my college put for the students to make sure I am enjoying every moment of my first year. So with that, I already feel successful and I am also very joyful with my experience.
- Stacy, UC Santa Cruz '15
Thursday, January 12, 2012
My First Quarter at Cal Poly
My first quarter at Cal Poly was more difficult than I have imagined. Giving adequate time for every class was a challenge. Sometimes when I focus on a specific class too much, I paid less attention to other classes. I also realized that some classes needed more attention than others. The biggest cause for this difficulty was due to the lack of organization, as well as adapting to a whole new environment.
This quarter I was focused in academics, but not too much socially. I was involved in Team Tech within Society of Women Engineering (SWE) that relates to my major because it allows me to interact with more engineering majors. I also joined SlOpers, a club that involves in bouldering, because it relates to my interests.
If there was one thing I could tell myself back in August 2011, I would tell myself to join more clubs of my interest, explore San Luis Obispo, and learn how to effectively take notes and study. I missed out on a lot of events and activities trying to improve my grades. I should have given myself more breaks to relax and enjoy the outdoor activities around San Luis Obispo.
Although these were some of the difficulties, I also enjoyed the college environment. College gave me more freedom to control myself and I was able to find what I wanted to do. Next quarter, I would study harder with the skills I learned from Fall 2011 quarter, and know when to give myself a break.
- Lisa, Cal Poly '15
This quarter I was focused in academics, but not too much socially. I was involved in Team Tech within Society of Women Engineering (SWE) that relates to my major because it allows me to interact with more engineering majors. I also joined SlOpers, a club that involves in bouldering, because it relates to my interests.
If there was one thing I could tell myself back in August 2011, I would tell myself to join more clubs of my interest, explore San Luis Obispo, and learn how to effectively take notes and study. I missed out on a lot of events and activities trying to improve my grades. I should have given myself more breaks to relax and enjoy the outdoor activities around San Luis Obispo.
Although these were some of the difficulties, I also enjoyed the college environment. College gave me more freedom to control myself and I was able to find what I wanted to do. Next quarter, I would study harder with the skills I learned from Fall 2011 quarter, and know when to give myself a break.
- Lisa, Cal Poly '15
What I've Learned After One Quarter at Cal Poly
Finishing first quarter of college was quite an eye-opener and difficult but it was also very exciting. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, being a small university, makes it very easy for me to move from one destination to the other. For example, I can stay up late at night doing my homework at the library. My dorm is quite close to the library, which makes it very convenient. I also enjoy the environment very much. It is usually quite sunny. This makes it very fun to study outside closed walls. However, I do believe that there is a great support system in the campus. First of all, I am a participant of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Whenever, I have difficulties or questions regarding academics or the campus, I consult my EOP counselor. It is also very easy to communicate with the student body and the instructors. I really liked Cal Poly’s rule of mandatory office hours by the instructors.
There are many things that I will do differently next quarter to succeed academically and socially. One of the most important factors to succeed in college is time management. Next quarter, I will manage my time better by using a planner. I will also try to gain at least eight hours of sleep per night because if I do not gain enough sleep, it will very difficult to function efficiently. This means that on the weekdays, I will go to bed at 11 pm. I also plan to exercise at least forty five minutes every day. Consuming the junk food and not exercising has made me quite unhealthy. I plan on eating healthy food like fresh vegetables and avoiding junk food, like soda and french-fries. I will train my mind to work on avoiding distractions as well.
If I had the chance to speak to myself back in August 2011, then I will emphasize the importance of time management, getting enough sleep, and getting enough exercise.
- Utsav, Cal Poly '15
There are many things that I will do differently next quarter to succeed academically and socially. One of the most important factors to succeed in college is time management. Next quarter, I will manage my time better by using a planner. I will also try to gain at least eight hours of sleep per night because if I do not gain enough sleep, it will very difficult to function efficiently. This means that on the weekdays, I will go to bed at 11 pm. I also plan to exercise at least forty five minutes every day. Consuming the junk food and not exercising has made me quite unhealthy. I plan on eating healthy food like fresh vegetables and avoiding junk food, like soda and french-fries. I will train my mind to work on avoiding distractions as well.
If I had the chance to speak to myself back in August 2011, then I will emphasize the importance of time management, getting enough sleep, and getting enough exercise.
- Utsav, Cal Poly '15
Reflections on UCLA
After finishing my first quarter at UCLA, the first word that comes to mind if relief. I'm so relieved I've survived the most intense 10 weeks where I was incredibly busy getting lost on campus, reading hundreds of pages for my classes (procrastinating the readings a little too), making new friends and adjusting to being away from home. One things that I'm sure just about everyone starting college would say is important is time management. To be a good student, and person in general, you have to be able to balance academics, clubs and other school affairs, and your social life--and you need a social life to maintain your sanity.
I think the social factor on campus is something I need to work on looking onward to next quarter. Although I did make friends and explore campus clubs and activities, I couldn't find much to commit to. The only thing I stayed consistent with was UNICEF at UCLA, which looks to educate the local community about global issues affecting children and mobilize the community to take action. This is very unlike the high school me who was incredibly involved with everything around campus. I spent so much time worrying about academics, I lacked participation on campus. So as the Winter quarter approaches, I'm on the hunt for more clubs and positions.
Something I'm happy to have done this quarter is arrange an appointment with an academic counselor. Together we decided which classes would be best for me to take in the upcoming quarter, figure out which courses I've taken at Contra Costa College that qualify as a General Education-- or GE-- requirement, and discuss my potential major. As of now, I'm considering double majoring in International Development Studies and Economics. Because I attended Middle College High School, most of my GEs have already been completed, so taking just three classes each quarter without counting summers, I can still graduate in four years. That sounds like a great plan to me! Without the direction and motivating words from my counselor, I don't think I would be as confident as I am to continue with my UCLA education.
Overall, I'm really glad I chose UCLA. Sure, the size of the campus and its distance from home are intimidating, but so is the rest of the world, and living in fear of these things is just silly. I don't think I would go back and change a thing because after all, college is a learning experience. Each day I go down Bruin Walk I am discovering something new and unique to my experience.
- Michelle, UCLA '15
I think the social factor on campus is something I need to work on looking onward to next quarter. Although I did make friends and explore campus clubs and activities, I couldn't find much to commit to. The only thing I stayed consistent with was UNICEF at UCLA, which looks to educate the local community about global issues affecting children and mobilize the community to take action. This is very unlike the high school me who was incredibly involved with everything around campus. I spent so much time worrying about academics, I lacked participation on campus. So as the Winter quarter approaches, I'm on the hunt for more clubs and positions.
Something I'm happy to have done this quarter is arrange an appointment with an academic counselor. Together we decided which classes would be best for me to take in the upcoming quarter, figure out which courses I've taken at Contra Costa College that qualify as a General Education-- or GE-- requirement, and discuss my potential major. As of now, I'm considering double majoring in International Development Studies and Economics. Because I attended Middle College High School, most of my GEs have already been completed, so taking just three classes each quarter without counting summers, I can still graduate in four years. That sounds like a great plan to me! Without the direction and motivating words from my counselor, I don't think I would be as confident as I am to continue with my UCLA education.
Overall, I'm really glad I chose UCLA. Sure, the size of the campus and its distance from home are intimidating, but so is the rest of the world, and living in fear of these things is just silly. I don't think I would go back and change a thing because after all, college is a learning experience. Each day I go down Bruin Walk I am discovering something new and unique to my experience.
- Michelle, UCLA '15
My First Quarter at UC Santa Cruz
What I liked best about my first quarter at UC Santa Cruz was taking an introductory course to Latin American and Latino Studies with Professor Hector Perla. I learned the most from this course because it taught me about the relationships wealthier countries such as the United States and European countries have with poorer Latin American countries. I found this very interesting because Latinos, and Latin Americans continue to be affected by the policies wealthy countries impose on their native countries. It also opened my eyes to how important economics is and how much it affects our daily lives. Taking this course allowed me to realize that as much as I am passionate about Latino Studies, I’d rather major Business Management Economics because it is more stable than LALS and it will allow me to learn how economic policies affect people, especially poorer communities that are usually comprised of ethnic minorities such as Latinos.
Aside from this, I really liked the relationship I established with Professor Perla because we were able to discus topics that were interesting to both of us. We had lunch one day and were able to talk about our experiences at UCSC, which was very helpful to me because I was able to see things from the focal point of a UC professor.
Next quarter, in order to be a more successful student, I am going to stop procrastinating as much as I did fall quarter. I’m going to manage my time better and not go home as much as I did before so that I can focus more on my academic success and myself. I’m also going to make a stronger effort to talk to my professors and teaching assistants (TAs) outside of class so that I can get more help and establish stronger bonds with them. I’m also considering joining a club for Latinos in Business. It may help me to feel more like I am part of a community. This is something I lacked fall quarter.
If I had a chance to speak to myself in September when I entered UCSC, I would have told myself to invest more time and effort in the work I completed and to not go home as much as I did. In high school I had everything under control, but I became lazy over the summer. Looking back, I would have told myself to not let go of the driven student I was in high school. After completing my first quarter, I feel that I am beginning to settle down to the person I was before college. I’m a lot more motivated than I was last quarter and am very excited for the winter. I know I will be more successful this quarter and will enjoy my time at college a lot more.
- Margarita, UC Santa Cruz '15
Aside from this, I really liked the relationship I established with Professor Perla because we were able to discus topics that were interesting to both of us. We had lunch one day and were able to talk about our experiences at UCSC, which was very helpful to me because I was able to see things from the focal point of a UC professor.
Next quarter, in order to be a more successful student, I am going to stop procrastinating as much as I did fall quarter. I’m going to manage my time better and not go home as much as I did before so that I can focus more on my academic success and myself. I’m also going to make a stronger effort to talk to my professors and teaching assistants (TAs) outside of class so that I can get more help and establish stronger bonds with them. I’m also considering joining a club for Latinos in Business. It may help me to feel more like I am part of a community. This is something I lacked fall quarter.
If I had a chance to speak to myself in September when I entered UCSC, I would have told myself to invest more time and effort in the work I completed and to not go home as much as I did. In high school I had everything under control, but I became lazy over the summer. Looking back, I would have told myself to not let go of the driven student I was in high school. After completing my first quarter, I feel that I am beginning to settle down to the person I was before college. I’m a lot more motivated than I was last quarter and am very excited for the winter. I know I will be more successful this quarter and will enjoy my time at college a lot more.
- Margarita, UC Santa Cruz '15
Reflecting on My First Term at Whitman
This first semester in college has honestly passed quicker than I thought. I remember thinking I was going to have such a hard time adjusting to living in a new state so far from my family, but surprisingly I had an amazing time. I love my college because it is small and I feel like I was able to adapt quicker because of the small size. I feel that in a bigger school I would have felt lost in the huge crowds of students and I would have been more homesick. Fortunately, I have met amazing people not only in my dorm section, but also in the Latino Club I joined. Thanks to the people in Club Latino I didn’t feel so homesick this first semester because they immediately made me feel like a part of their family. I guess that would be another thing I love about Whitman, everyone is so nice and always willing to help with anything at all, it’s like we are all family.
In order to have next semester be more successful I am going to definitely manage my time more wisely. I feel that because my schedule this past semester consisted of mainly morning classes, I had a lot of free time, which made me procrastinate and leave assignments for the last minute. Another thing that I will change next semester is to go to my Chemistry professor’s office hours before my first exam. This past semester I didn’t go to my professor for help with my first exam, so I failed it and I did really poor in my homework assignments and quizzes. As soon as the professor told me I failed my first exam she encouraged me to go to her office hours, so ever since that I went three times a week to her office and I would do my homework on the spot with her. Thanks to her helping me with the homework I was able to understand the material much better and I improved on my quizzes, too. Next semester I will definitely go to my professors’ office hours for any help I might need, without waiting until the last minute or when I have already failed an exam.
The advice I would give myself back in August 2011 would be to make sure I always use my planner to write all upcoming deadlines for papers and exams, so that I can prepare for them ahead of time. I would also tell myself to organize all of my notes better by keeping them all in only one place, so that it is easier to look back on them when I study.
- Fabiola, Whitman College '15
In order to have next semester be more successful I am going to definitely manage my time more wisely. I feel that because my schedule this past semester consisted of mainly morning classes, I had a lot of free time, which made me procrastinate and leave assignments for the last minute. Another thing that I will change next semester is to go to my Chemistry professor’s office hours before my first exam. This past semester I didn’t go to my professor for help with my first exam, so I failed it and I did really poor in my homework assignments and quizzes. As soon as the professor told me I failed my first exam she encouraged me to go to her office hours, so ever since that I went three times a week to her office and I would do my homework on the spot with her. Thanks to her helping me with the homework I was able to understand the material much better and I improved on my quizzes, too. Next semester I will definitely go to my professors’ office hours for any help I might need, without waiting until the last minute or when I have already failed an exam.
The advice I would give myself back in August 2011 would be to make sure I always use my planner to write all upcoming deadlines for papers and exams, so that I can prepare for them ahead of time. I would also tell myself to organize all of my notes better by keeping them all in only one place, so that it is easier to look back on them when I study.
- Fabiola, Whitman College '15
Reflections On My First Term Of College
Reminiscing on my first semester of college, I’m very thankful for having the right to pursue a higher education. The semester allowed me to not just grow academically but also socially. One of the many experiences that I enjoyed this semester in college is living on campus. Living on campus not only exposed me much more to the campus environment but also to my college community. I’ve made many friendships from freshmen to graduate students through this experience of living on campus. I’ve truly enjoyed it so much.
Every week there’s always new opportunities to meet others and get involved on campus. This semester I became a part of the EOP volunteer program at my school where I helped recruit high school seniors to apply to EOP and also participated in panels to answer questions that students might have with my experience with EOP. I’m also part of a peer mentoring program in my school called FE where I visit a high school senior at a local high school in San Jose every Friday morning to make sure he’s fulfilling all his college duties such as college applications, scholarship applications, etc which I’m also helping him with. I plan to continue these programs for the spring semester and future semesters.
Looking towards the spring semester I’m going to be working at my school’s student store which will allow me to not only gain job experience but also meet more people that maybe don’t live on campus. Academically I plan to take more advantage of the many tutoring services that’s provided at my school especially since I’m going to be taking more challenging courses such as calculus and chemistry. Also, I will take more advantage of the office hours of my professors if problems in my classes were to arise. If I had the opportunity to speak to myself back in August 2011, I would tell myself to really strive for the grades that I’m capable of getting and to not just settle for a B when I can achieve higher than that. Also I would tell myself to get involved with just one program on campus because it’s very time consuming and most of my time should be dedicated to my courses.
- Edgar, San Jose State '15
Every week there’s always new opportunities to meet others and get involved on campus. This semester I became a part of the EOP volunteer program at my school where I helped recruit high school seniors to apply to EOP and also participated in panels to answer questions that students might have with my experience with EOP. I’m also part of a peer mentoring program in my school called FE where I visit a high school senior at a local high school in San Jose every Friday morning to make sure he’s fulfilling all his college duties such as college applications, scholarship applications, etc which I’m also helping him with. I plan to continue these programs for the spring semester and future semesters.
Looking towards the spring semester I’m going to be working at my school’s student store which will allow me to not only gain job experience but also meet more people that maybe don’t live on campus. Academically I plan to take more advantage of the many tutoring services that’s provided at my school especially since I’m going to be taking more challenging courses such as calculus and chemistry. Also, I will take more advantage of the office hours of my professors if problems in my classes were to arise. If I had the opportunity to speak to myself back in August 2011, I would tell myself to really strive for the grades that I’m capable of getting and to not just settle for a B when I can achieve higher than that. Also I would tell myself to get involved with just one program on campus because it’s very time consuming and most of my time should be dedicated to my courses.
- Edgar, San Jose State '15
Reflections on the First Quarter at UC Santa Cruz
As soon as I entered UC Santa Cruz I realized that I was going to have a new life not only academically but in any aspect. I don’t know if I was or I am still fully prepared for the “college life” however, I know I will soon get there.
Being the first in my family to go to college has been tough because I do not have a person in my family who can give me advice. But I consider myself fortunate because I am part of the program EOP-Bridge. EOP-Bridge has allowed me to have a mentor to whom I can ask questions about my classes or anything else. I practically have a mentor who gives me a lot of motivation to keep striving for a better academic success and I honestly consider myself lucky. My mentor Gary always gives me advice and every time we have our check-ins I tend to write his advice down on my notebook to a point in where it became a habit. When I find myself without any motivation I refer back to my notes. Even though he’s major is business I can say all of his mentees, including myself, find his advice very powerful.
The classes were not close to being easy, but I managed to go to tutoring and ask questions to my professors. I had a good experience my first quarter of college not only because of my mentor, tutors, and professors but also because of the friends I made in Santa Cruz. We all managed to motivate each other while we were too overwhelmed with our classes or even our personal lives. Having good people around me who also wanted me to succeed made me appreciate them even more and acknowledge their support. I know that I have only spent a couple of months with them, but I can already see that what I’ve heard is true “You find your good friends in college”.
If I had the opportunity to change some things around this quarter I would definitely do it. I regret not being more involved with my school in volunteer activities or clubs. Even though, I did not volunteer as much as I wanted this quarter, I am proud to say that I was chosen to attend the annual “Student of Color Conference” also known as “SOCC.” SOCC is a conference in where State Universities and UC’s students come together and discuss solutions to problems that may be occurring in the schools as well as in our communities. The conference took place in UC Davis and we had workshops with different themes. I felt so empowered in the conference due to all of us students who were ready to change things around. I will never forget those three days, because those three days allowed me to know that there were other people striving for a change as well. And I am heading to change things around such as my future and my community.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a formula to find success in college, and if there is one I hope I am following the right steps in order to find the solution to succeed. I know I made some mistakes this quarter, but I have many plans for this upcoming quarter such as being more involved. I hope I can balance my academics, clubs, and other things. I also wanted to mention that if it wasn’t for Zuhair Saadat I probably would not be attending UC Santa Cruz. Thank you, Zuhair for giving me the opportunity to visit UC Santa Cruz, and realize that it’s the place for me. Thank you EdFund for believing in me! And once again thank you to all my professors, friends, and family who supported me you are all appreciated.
- Nelly, UC Santa Cruz '15
Being the first in my family to go to college has been tough because I do not have a person in my family who can give me advice. But I consider myself fortunate because I am part of the program EOP-Bridge. EOP-Bridge has allowed me to have a mentor to whom I can ask questions about my classes or anything else. I practically have a mentor who gives me a lot of motivation to keep striving for a better academic success and I honestly consider myself lucky. My mentor Gary always gives me advice and every time we have our check-ins I tend to write his advice down on my notebook to a point in where it became a habit. When I find myself without any motivation I refer back to my notes. Even though he’s major is business I can say all of his mentees, including myself, find his advice very powerful.
The classes were not close to being easy, but I managed to go to tutoring and ask questions to my professors. I had a good experience my first quarter of college not only because of my mentor, tutors, and professors but also because of the friends I made in Santa Cruz. We all managed to motivate each other while we were too overwhelmed with our classes or even our personal lives. Having good people around me who also wanted me to succeed made me appreciate them even more and acknowledge their support. I know that I have only spent a couple of months with them, but I can already see that what I’ve heard is true “You find your good friends in college”.
If I had the opportunity to change some things around this quarter I would definitely do it. I regret not being more involved with my school in volunteer activities or clubs. Even though, I did not volunteer as much as I wanted this quarter, I am proud to say that I was chosen to attend the annual “Student of Color Conference” also known as “SOCC.” SOCC is a conference in where State Universities and UC’s students come together and discuss solutions to problems that may be occurring in the schools as well as in our communities. The conference took place in UC Davis and we had workshops with different themes. I felt so empowered in the conference due to all of us students who were ready to change things around. I will never forget those three days, because those three days allowed me to know that there were other people striving for a change as well. And I am heading to change things around such as my future and my community.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a formula to find success in college, and if there is one I hope I am following the right steps in order to find the solution to succeed. I know I made some mistakes this quarter, but I have many plans for this upcoming quarter such as being more involved. I hope I can balance my academics, clubs, and other things. I also wanted to mention that if it wasn’t for Zuhair Saadat I probably would not be attending UC Santa Cruz. Thank you, Zuhair for giving me the opportunity to visit UC Santa Cruz, and realize that it’s the place for me. Thank you EdFund for believing in me! And once again thank you to all my professors, friends, and family who supported me you are all appreciated.
- Nelly, UC Santa Cruz '15
Reflections on the First Semester at Cal
First semester went by pretty slow, probably because I didn’t do very much. All I did was go to class, go back to the dorms; same thing everyday. I wanted to join some clubs but it’s hard to find a balance between schoolwork and other activities. Going to class in college is similar to going to classes in high school but on a harder level. I didn’t planned out my schedule very well; I had a lot of gaps in between my classes. In the beginning of the semester, I would usually go back to my dorm during those gaps. But soon I realize I was wasting time by doing that, always pushing myself against the limit of time, so I just stay on campus until I finish all of my classes for the day instead.
Even thought living on campus is very expensive, it is very convenient. There are a lot of times where I stayed on campus until 2AM (that's when the library closes) so living nearby is great because I can get to my bed sooner. But the dorm foods do taste as bad as everyone says. No matter how much you like it in the beginning, when you eat the same thing everyday, you’ll get sick of it. Lucky for me, I live pretty close to home so my parents would bring me homemade food sometimes. Being away from home definitely made me feel that I am being loved by my parents.
Next semester, I plan to join the dancing club I got my eyes on for a while. I want to be more out there socially instead of putting all my focus on schoolwork because it is very boring. And find myself a job. I find that I am most productive when I’m busy. One advice I would give to myself if I had a chance to speak to me in August 2011 is that “you should’ve pick easy classes!” That way, you’ll be sure to keep the GPA high enough to maintain scholarships and be selected for great summer internships.
- Xue Xue, UC Berkeley '15
Even thought living on campus is very expensive, it is very convenient. There are a lot of times where I stayed on campus until 2AM (that's when the library closes) so living nearby is great because I can get to my bed sooner. But the dorm foods do taste as bad as everyone says. No matter how much you like it in the beginning, when you eat the same thing everyday, you’ll get sick of it. Lucky for me, I live pretty close to home so my parents would bring me homemade food sometimes. Being away from home definitely made me feel that I am being loved by my parents.
Next semester, I plan to join the dancing club I got my eyes on for a while. I want to be more out there socially instead of putting all my focus on schoolwork because it is very boring. And find myself a job. I find that I am most productive when I’m busy. One advice I would give to myself if I had a chance to speak to me in August 2011 is that “you should’ve pick easy classes!” That way, you’ll be sure to keep the GPA high enough to maintain scholarships and be selected for great summer internships.
- Xue Xue, UC Berkeley '15
Planning for the New Semester
My first semester of college was filled with a lot of work, stress, new knowledge, and new experiences. However, most importantly, my first semester of college was filled with a lot of growth both as a student and as a person; I grew more independent and more able to advocate for myself. I met many very intelligent and inspiring people who encouraged me to work harder to reach my goals. I really enjoyed having gotten the chance to meet and work with this people. I also enjoyed everything that I learned from those people and from the classes that I took. I learned that college is just a whole different world where one has to think at a much higher level. Lastly, I learned to view the world and my experiences through different eyes.
However, although I felt like I improved during my first semester, there is always room for improvement. This was definitely true for my first semester of college. As much as I tried and as hard as I worked to prepare myself for college, I soon found out that my preparation had not actually been enough; I struggled more with school this past semester than I had in a very long time. At first this was highly stressful and somewhat discouraging. However, with the help from advisors, tutors, and my peers, I was able to gradually improve my performance. Although I still have a lot of work left, I was able to pull myself up to a much higher level. However, this would not have been possible if I had not been so willing to seek help and to work much harder than I had in high school. If I could go back and give myself advice in August when I first started college, I would tell myself to not procrastinate, to not get discouraged, to use the student learning center more, to learn how to take tests under time pressure, and to manage my time better.
This upcoming semester, I plan on making all of these changes in order to improve my academic performance. However, I also want to get more involved in clubs. I feel like these are great opportunities to grow as a leader and to build connections. However, due to the fact that I was struggling with my transition into college, I ended up not getting as involved as I had planned to. Hopefully during this new semester, I will be able to successfully implement all of these changes so that I can get good grades but also take advantage of all the other wonderful opportunities found on campus.
- Fabiola, UC Berkeley '15
However, although I felt like I improved during my first semester, there is always room for improvement. This was definitely true for my first semester of college. As much as I tried and as hard as I worked to prepare myself for college, I soon found out that my preparation had not actually been enough; I struggled more with school this past semester than I had in a very long time. At first this was highly stressful and somewhat discouraging. However, with the help from advisors, tutors, and my peers, I was able to gradually improve my performance. Although I still have a lot of work left, I was able to pull myself up to a much higher level. However, this would not have been possible if I had not been so willing to seek help and to work much harder than I had in high school. If I could go back and give myself advice in August when I first started college, I would tell myself to not procrastinate, to not get discouraged, to use the student learning center more, to learn how to take tests under time pressure, and to manage my time better.
This upcoming semester, I plan on making all of these changes in order to improve my academic performance. However, I also want to get more involved in clubs. I feel like these are great opportunities to grow as a leader and to build connections. However, due to the fact that I was struggling with my transition into college, I ended up not getting as involved as I had planned to. Hopefully during this new semester, I will be able to successfully implement all of these changes so that I can get good grades but also take advantage of all the other wonderful opportunities found on campus.
- Fabiola, UC Berkeley '15
Reflections on the First Semester
I like being in a new environment and seeing different faces every day. I enjoy meeting new people from different parts of the United States as well as different countries with so many different cultural backgrounds, religions, beliefs and opinions. I like the fact that I get to choose my own classes according to my interest. I also admire how SFSU has a small campus; it allows me to get to class on time without being out of breath.
Many people are going through the same changes, making it easy to relate to others. I love the more rigorous academics. I enjoyed having classes on a subject surrounded by people who were really interested and wanted to be there. And there are so many opportunities on college campuses. There is the Greek system, clubs, and groups, all of people gathering with common interests. So far, I have joined "SHPE" Society of Hispanic Engineers and MEP also known as MESA. I love how one of my professors, who I met ahead of time during the Summer Engineering Institute at SFSU has been mentoring me as well as introducing me to new opportunities. The one thing I love most about college is being able to live at home for free because I have peace and quiet when it is time to study and I do not have to worry about my dorm room getting broken into.
So far I would not change the route that I have chosen to be successful academically and socially because I have managed to make friends outside and inside of class and I continued to be punctual and focused just like how I was in high school. I was afraid that I would not do very well because of the rumors that all the freshmen were failing but I maintained above a 3.5 and I will continue to do so. One thing I will change is to try to get as much sleep as possible. I had too many sleepless nights; sometimes I would only get 4 hours of sleep. Hopefully next semester, I will be able to get a decent amount of shut-eye.
A bit of advice I would give to myself back in August and all new freshmen is, "Be cool, it's going to be alright." My stress level was sky-high because I was over-thinking everything. I was pushing myself to obtain passing grades, turn in all my assignments on time, and to stay awake in class. Stressing is not the solution. It did not help me at all; it only made matters worse. Next semester, I am trying to have at least one day out the week when I do not have class. Going everyday was about 50 bucks a week and exhausting!
- Ashley, SFSU '15
Many people are going through the same changes, making it easy to relate to others. I love the more rigorous academics. I enjoyed having classes on a subject surrounded by people who were really interested and wanted to be there. And there are so many opportunities on college campuses. There is the Greek system, clubs, and groups, all of people gathering with common interests. So far, I have joined "SHPE" Society of Hispanic Engineers and MEP also known as MESA. I love how one of my professors, who I met ahead of time during the Summer Engineering Institute at SFSU has been mentoring me as well as introducing me to new opportunities. The one thing I love most about college is being able to live at home for free because I have peace and quiet when it is time to study and I do not have to worry about my dorm room getting broken into.
So far I would not change the route that I have chosen to be successful academically and socially because I have managed to make friends outside and inside of class and I continued to be punctual and focused just like how I was in high school. I was afraid that I would not do very well because of the rumors that all the freshmen were failing but I maintained above a 3.5 and I will continue to do so. One thing I will change is to try to get as much sleep as possible. I had too many sleepless nights; sometimes I would only get 4 hours of sleep. Hopefully next semester, I will be able to get a decent amount of shut-eye.
A bit of advice I would give to myself back in August and all new freshmen is, "Be cool, it's going to be alright." My stress level was sky-high because I was over-thinking everything. I was pushing myself to obtain passing grades, turn in all my assignments on time, and to stay awake in class. Stressing is not the solution. It did not help me at all; it only made matters worse. Next semester, I am trying to have at least one day out the week when I do not have class. Going everyday was about 50 bucks a week and exhausting!
- Ashley, SFSU '15
First Semester Reflections
My first semester in college was exciting yet challenging. I had to get used to a new environment starting by living on my own. This gave me a sense of independence, but at first it was hard to get use to. When I first moved in to my dorm, I was a bit scared because I knew that I was going to be on my own, and my parents where no longer going to be there with me. It took me a while to get use to it but I got through it. Although it was hard to get use to living on my own, I really liked the sense of independence and the feeling of doing things on my own. I really liked all my classes, although I did have two remedial classes, they helped be strengthen my writing and math skills. Throughout my first semester I was taking a child development class which required a service learning project. I decided to get involved in the Child Development Center in San Jose State and this experience was great.
Next semester I will give myself more time. Ever since I started college, time seems to go by extremely fast and I need more of it. I will learn how to manage my time more wisely and dedicate each minute to my academics. Socially, I will make more effort to make more friendships. I went in to college already knowing a couple of people, but for next semester I would like to expand my friendships. If I had the chance to speak to myself back in August, I would tell myself that confidence is everything. When I first started, my confidence wasn’t at the level I wanted it to be, but then I took a public speaking class and this helped me build my confidence. Now my confidence is where I want it to be and I know that as I continue my college years it will continue to increase.
- Alejandra, San Jose State '15
Next semester I will give myself more time. Ever since I started college, time seems to go by extremely fast and I need more of it. I will learn how to manage my time more wisely and dedicate each minute to my academics. Socially, I will make more effort to make more friendships. I went in to college already knowing a couple of people, but for next semester I would like to expand my friendships. If I had the chance to speak to myself back in August, I would tell myself that confidence is everything. When I first started, my confidence wasn’t at the level I wanted it to be, but then I took a public speaking class and this helped me build my confidence. Now my confidence is where I want it to be and I know that as I continue my college years it will continue to increase.
- Alejandra, San Jose State '15
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