This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCLA chapter.

People always talk about UCLA being a big, somewhat isolating, school. It’s difficult to get to know people in the student population when there over 30,000 undergraduate students. But sources like this Instagram account help keep the student population connected. Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) posts photos and stories of students. Each student has their own unique interests and stories, so really, they’re helping us all get to know each other a little bit better.

1. The Optimistic Friends

“It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. We’ve definitely had our fair share of arguments. Right off the bat, we fought over who gets the bigger room. But then you realize that stuff doesn’t really matter. The best of friends you will have are the ones that you butt heads with every once in a while. That’s characteristic of good friends because you always come back to each other … and there’s a reason for that. #fam” #humansofucla #ucla #humansof

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Jan 22, 2016 at 10:48pm PST

These students are realistic but also optimistic about friendships. Friendships aren’t always laughter and aesthetic Instagram feeds. Sometimes it’s argument and annoyance, but the key is to find those friends who, in the end, are worth it.

2. The Driven Student

“So I’m a geography major. Initially I was pre-med, ready to go to med-school; then I became involved with prison research my freshman year. For people within the prison system, especially for women, their voices aren’t heard. Through research of the reentry process of women, you start to realize that it’s the people who aren’t incarcerated that give incarcerated women a voice to speak. After that, I realized that it was my passion to give people a narrative, especially those without the money or resources.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Sep 30, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT

Some experiences changed this student and gave her a direction. Her driven attitude and passion is something all UCLA students can respect and admire.

3. The Happy International Student

“I actually like it better than my other school. The school is larger and people are happier. This is actually why I wanted to leave Hong Kong, people are so unhappy. There was actually a political movement where people just didn’t go to class. Like, when I open up Facebook, I like to see positive and happy things, but in Hong Kong, it’s a lot of unhappiness and anger. I just don’t want to see that.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 8, 2015 at 1:23am PDT

This international student from Hong Kong has experienced the education systems outside of America, and enjoys the education she is receiving at UCLA. From her experiences, all students can become more appreciative and grateful for the opportunities they’ve been given.

4. The Awesome Faculty Member

“What is the best thing that’s happened to you this week?” “Just being around you guys and being around you guys and feeling the positive energy and being able to be energetic and people high fives. I love that.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Sep 20, 2015 at 1:27pm PDT

This person makes UCLA a better place, both with his appreciation for safety and his excitement to be here!

5. The Busy Bee

“I’ve been placed in a lot of spaces that help me become a more conscious person and develop more, and in time I have become more busy. I take up a lot of responsibilities and I want to be able to help everything and everyone, but it’s a matter of choosing what’s more important to me. I realized that I get too busy and I have to figure out which responsibilities are most important to me and what I want to advocate for.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Sep 19, 2015 at 3:29pm PDT

This student is very involved, and her experiences have taught her a lot about herself. We can all take a lesson from her!

6. The Education Seeker

“Education is important because it teaches us the mistakes people have made in the past. If we learn from those mistakes we avoid making those same mistakes in the feature. So if we just learn more and educate ourselves there’s less racism, less wars in the world, more equality for both gender and ethnic backgrounds.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 8, 2015 at 1:26am PDT

This student shows us just how important it is to be educated, and helps us all feel a little more grateful for our opportunities.

7. The Poetic Musician

“Cigarette burns hand me the light It can’t be wrong if it feels so right Nicotine kisses flows through my veins Without you I might be going insane And those nights spent side by side Stitch those wounds, ripped open wide Put your scars on me babe Give me something to earn Set the flame free I’m feelin it, I’m feelin it, I’m feelin the burn” ———————————————– “This song, “Cigarette Burns” is about love but kind of tainted in a way because I’m addicted to this girl but at the same time I keep getting these burns just like if you’re addicted to cigarettes. That’s the general gist of the song and the lyrics follow a different path to how those burns affect you in different ways.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 19, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT

With his poetic lyrics and song, this student is applying everything he’s learned and mastering his craft. With his music and beautiful lyrics, we can all take some time to appreciate art.

8. The Challenge Seeker

“A lot of people here are much smarter than me, especially in my math class. Well, actually… all my classes. There are a lot of people here who are better than me at what I’m trying to do. Sometimes it feels strange, but I think it’s better this way.” #humansofucla #ucla #humansof

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Feb 1, 2016 at 9:15pm PST

This student, like many of us, realized that college is a whole different ball game than everything we’ve had before. But instead of groaning about all the work we have to do, we should appreciate and set our minds to the challenge in front of us.

9. The Friend

“There are two or three dudes that are also bioengineers that I’ve really come to know pretty well. I never thought coming into this school, especially its reputation of being so big, that I would get to know 2 or 3 people so well. We’ve had every class, failed the same midterms, did all of that together. It’s pretty humbling. Those guys know who they are, and I just want to say thank you.” #humansofucla #ucla #humansof

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Mar 2, 2016 at 7:09pm PST

Some of the friendships you make in college are lifelong bonds, and this student is expressing gratitude for the ones he calls his friends.

10. The First-Generation College Student

“My parents get mad because I’m always studying, but they don’t really know. My mom only went up to high school and my dad never finished elementary school. They were surprised because they didn’t think I was capable of actually getting into a good school. And the fact that both of my parents didn’t go to college was one of my biggest worries because I don’t have someone who is older in my family who has actually been through the college system in terms of applying and how to prepare. So I had to figure that all out myself. I have a younger brother and younger sister, and since I’m the first one who’s going to college, I want to be that role model for them.” #humansof #ucla #humansofucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Apr 2, 2016 at 7:39pm PDT

What this student goes through is something we can all appreciate because it helps trace us back to our roots.

11. The Good Friend

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and talking. I’ve realized there are a lot of people who hide their emotional and mental issues, and I feel like that shouldn’t be a thing. They should be able to have a way out, either by talking to someone, or by doing something to help get them through it all. I’ve actually been going through some things recently too, and I’m thankful to have the people that were there for me when I needed it. I learned that there’s always someone out there who will listen if you reach out.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Apr 26, 2016 at 7:33pm PDT

Keeping your problems all to yourself is not a good idea, and this student is here to tell you that he’s here for you. Don’t be afraid to spill about your bad days- it will make you feel a lot better!

12. The Boundary Defier

“Most international students don’t have the kind of motivation to expose themselves to a broader community. Sometimes it’s not that they don’t want to, but they don’t know how. But I think it’s important to communicate with others. You shouldn’t just think that you’re defined by what country you come from. America is a free country where people come from different backgrounds. People have different identities, different skills, different values, and they are just trying to make their life better here. Within a day you can get anywhere you want to by airplane. There’s not as much of a barrier these days between countries as there used to be. But somehow the people coming from these nations have built very strong borders around themselves. I think breaking down these borders is how our world will get better.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 10, 2016 at 6:17pm PDT

This international student shows us that boundaries – in terms of nationality, ethnicity, etc.- aren’t everything. Embrace and accept all the people around you!

13. The Legacy Runner

“I started getting into cooking because I really enjoy the food that my mom makes, which is the food that her mom makes, and it probably goes back even before that. For me, cooking is not only just about the food, but it’s about bringing people together too, because it’s been passed down.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 15, 2016 at 3:24pm PDT

This student reminds us of our own families and the different traditions and legacies that each family has.

14. The Welcomer of All

‘”Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Everyone is very welcome here. My experience with ASU, Afrikan Student Union, is really what showed me that. Through AAP, which is a branch of ASU, you go out into the community and you help out youth. It’s all about trying to get the community together, trying to get into the community, stuff like that. But what convinced me to join was something that stood out to me last year – a protest that happened last winter, which was about Mizzou, about standing in solidarity with Mizzou. And lots of people came out, like all different colors, all races, ethnicities, everybody. Literally, Powell all the way to Royce was just full of people. It was really making a difference. I remember I was in class, and me and a couple of students walked out together and we stood in the crowd and listened to everything that was going on. ASU was heading the protest and after seeing that I thought, ‘I want to be a part of this organization.’ So, I guess, just know that everyone is there for you.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 20, 2016 at 6:03pm PDT

Just like this student says, “… just know that everyone is there for you.”

15. The Inspired Student

“At first, I really didn’t like running by myself, but now I’m good at zoning out completely. Hopefully it doesn’t carry out in classes because that could be really bad. I was really excited that whole day for my ultra marathon. I was like this day will be special. My friends ran this race and I would go and watch. You can’t really watch the entire race, so you really just watch them run their 30 miles into the mountains and then run out. I took a nap, and there was a bee in the car, so I had my own battles to face. I don’t want to say I was a hero, but I probably was. Anyways, I was so inspired by watching my friends run that race, and I decided to run it after I turned 18.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Oct 31, 2016 at 3:07pm PDT

This student’s story about getting inspired by his friends is something that we can all relate to. It makes us realize that what we do is important, and that we may be influencing people, even if we don’t feel like we are.

16. The Loved and Supported Student

“In a part of studying for the MCAT, they talked about individualistic versus collectivist cultures, and it made me realize that whatever my score is – if it’s good – it’s not because of me, it’s because of the fact that I’ve had like everyone and their mother—quite literally— sending me a lot of support. Literally, my roommates’ mom sent me good luck when she called him. In that time, I realized that there’s no way for a kid with as much support as me to not do his best.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Nov 2, 2016 at 6:34pm PDT

This student helps us really appreciate the amount of support and love we’ve received from friends and family over the years.

17. The Helper

“One of the biggest things that I’m a huge advocate for is helping those in need, because for a good majority of my life, I was that person in need, along with my mom. We didn’t have much… it really wasn’t a great time. I’ve spent years in homeless shelters, transition houses, and time and time again it’s those people that worked there that gave us what we needed, literally from like bus tokens to really cheap meals, and it really made the biggest difference. It’s that kind of stuff, like helping people in need, that’s always a huge thing for me, so now I try to give back as much as I can. You’re never too helpless to help anyone.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Nov 20, 2016 at 6:33pm PST

This student’s experiences pushed her to help others. Her story is so inspiring.

18. The Good Daughter

“I decided to take a leap of faith and do a 25 day backpacking program with people I had never met. We went to Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. I kind of did it out of wanting to leave my town mostly because my mom had been diagnosed with cancer. I just wanted to leave and get a new perspective on life. I never really had a good relationship with my mom. Stepping out of a place I had always been and being put into a whole other living environment made me value the smallest things like a toilet and a shower. Or a sink where you can just turn on the water. I realized that my mother had been a part of my life in the background without me really appreciating or acknowledging it. It brought a lot of things into perspective that I had ignored.”

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Nov 22, 2016 at 4:25pm PST

By taking a leap of faith this student found out that she was taking her mother for granted, and learned from it.

19. The Celebration Story

“I think the moment where I felt the most happiness in my entire life was when I got into UCLA, as cheesy as that sounds. I think all of the accomplishments I had in high school didn’t amount to anything until I got into UCLA. Understanding the fact that all of the pain, struggle, yelling at mom, my brother, and all that stuff ya now was really worth it.” #humansofucla #ucla

A post shared by Humans of UCLA (@humans_of_ucla) on Sep 17, 2015 at 5:39pm PDT

This student shares his story about his acceptance to UCLA, bringing us back to that moment when we found out we got in. Even after all this time, that moment still hasn’t lost its shine and magic.

This Instagram account is something all UCLA students should have on their radar because it helps us get to know our fellow peers and our student population. In a school so big, it’s easy to just stick with the people you know, but this Instagram account seeks to connect and educate all UCLA students about each other.

19 Most Inspiring and Relatable Posts From The “Humans of UCLA” Instagram