Welcome new Lady Bruins! I want to start by saying congratulations on getting into one of the most prestigious universities in the world! (I’m not biased, I swear) You are beginning one of the most exciting chapters of your life where you will get the chance to meet new friends from all over the world, learn more about who you are, and make memories you will cherish for the rest of your life. By now you already have a few weeks of college under your belt, and you may be surprised to find that it is not exactly what you expected it to be. You may be wondering if you’re the only one who feels like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. But guess what? You are not alone at all. Many of your peers feel the same exact way. And as a second year, I know how you feel because I was in the same shoes a year ago. So, I’ve compiled a list of some of the lessons my friends and I learned this past year with the hopes that you can keep them in mind as you create a wonderful, successful, and memorable freshman year.
1. It’s Ok if You’re Not in a Sorority
I know it may seem as if the majority of girls in your class went through Rush at the beginning of the year. You may be worried that you are missing out on the main social scene at UCLA since you did not follow suit. But guess what? It’s ok if you aren’t a sorority girl. Only 15% of the student body joins the Greek system on campus, and that number includes both Fraternities and Sororities. Sororities aren’t for everyone. I personally chose not to rush last year because I knew that I would need some time to acclimate to college life before I made a big commitment like that. And I’m really glad I did. I was able to spend my freshman year free to explore what I wanted out of my college experience and what I didn’t want, instead of making that decision my first week here. So for all my non-Greek girls, I urge you to spend this year trying different clubs and organizations to find your own community on campus, and always keep an open mind. It turns out my best friends I’ve made at UCLA happen to be in a sorority, so I ultimately decided to join their house this year. So for all my sorority girls, be excited for the incredible friendships and support that lie in your future! Remember, your sisters chose you individually because they think you are a girl who has something unique to contribute to their house. Stay true to who that girl is!
2. Get Involved on Campus!!! Really. Get involved.
I made the mistake at the beginning of my freshman year of enthusiastically trying a bunch of clubs and never really committing myself to any of them. Big mistake. Don’t do this. If you’re as big of a nerd as I am, it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of schoolwork when midterms roll around and forget about the importance of establishing yourself in a community here. While I still made friends, they were all spread out and didn’t know each other, so I found myself lacking a support network during times when I really needed one. When I finally committed myself to a club at the end of the year, I couldn’t help but kick myself for not doing so sooner, realizing on all the fun and friendships I had been missing out on. If you haven’t found a club yet, keep looking! With a school as big as UCLA, there’s bound to be something that fits your interests. A lot of organizations recruit throughout the year, not just at the beginning. I don’t care if it’s the Underwater Basket Weaving Club (disclaimer – don’t know if this is actually a club); just join something for the sake of your sanity.
3. Don’t Stay Latched to Just One Group
While its important to find your community, try to not close yourself off to meeting new people. You will notice towards the end of the quarter that people stop introducing themselves to almost everyone they see like they did at the beginning of the year. It’s so easy to fall into this pattern and keep hanging out with the same people everyday since the stress of finals makes it difficult to do almost anything else. But don’t ever stop trying to meet new people! While it’s important to keep up the friendships you already made, there are so many amazing people at this school who could add to the enrichment of your college experience. So branch out and introduce yourself to the friendly girl next to you in lecture, say hi to the older girls in your club, and reach out to the girl sitting alone in the dining hall. You never know, she could end up being your best friend one day.
4. The Freshman 15 is Real
All you can eat dining halls. Diddy Riese. Free food giveaways. Pumpkin spice lattes. Face it, there’s a lot of good food here. And if you’re like me, you’ve got to try it all. There’s nothing wrong with that; I always say life is short, eat the good food! But the key to avoiding the dreaded Freshman 15 is balance. Try to work healthy options into your diet; it’ll give you more energy throughout the day too! We’re lucky at UCLA to have Bruin Plate, a dining hall stocked full of delicious and healthy meals. There’s a farmer’s market in Bruin Plaza every other Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 starting week 2, and there’s a Whole Foods just a walk away in Westwood. So there are a lot of yummy ways to work in some nutritious options into your diet. If you did sports in high school, you can’t expect yourself to maintain the same physical shape here if you don’t train like you used to, in addition to enjoying all the endless food options. Experiment around with different training schedules, and try to stick to one that works for you. And if you haven’t done sports before, now is the perfect time to try it! There are so many intramural sport leagues that require you to have no prior experience. It’s just a fun way to keep active and try something new! UCLA Recreation also teaches classes like yoga, dance, and swimming lessons that will keep you active and having fun. And if you skip a workout or eat an entire Monte Bianco from Café 1919 by yourself, don’t beat yourself up over it. As long as you maintain a healthy balance with your diet and exercise, you can enjoy the occasional splurge.
5. Remember Why You’re Here
A senior once told me the best thing about UCLA is that there’s so much to do and the worst thing about UCLA is that there’s so much to do. Our school has so many opportunities to get involved on campus, which is such a cool and overwhelming thing all at once. If you’re involved in too many things, it can get hard to balance all of your extracurricular activities with your classes. Remember why you came to UCLA in the first place—to get a top-notch college education. Also keep in mind that this education comes from both time spent in class and outside of class. You learn important things about our world from how you participate in it too. The key to getting the most out of your UCLA education, then, is to find the balance between your studies and your extracurricular adventures. Learn how to realize when this balance falls out of place, and always consider what is most important to you personally when deciding what to commit to.