This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pepperdine chapter.
This week we’re changing things up and featuring a student from UCLA! Sarah Ahern writes for the UCLA Her Campus chapter and clued us in on what student life is like there.
Name: Sarah Ahern
Hometown: Westchester Los Angeles, California
Major: English
Year: Junior
Some of Pepperdine’s biggest traditions, like our spring concert and Songfest, are coming up soon. What sorts of traditions do UCLA students have?
Well one of our biggest rivals here at UCLA is USC, and before we go head to head in football in the fall, we have a bonfire and rally at our campus plaza. It’s basically this huge gathering of students where we cheer on the Bruins, watch some of our student dance and music groups perform, and at the end we light a huge fire. Also in the spring, we have a music talent show called Spring Sing, which has been a tradition on UCLA’s campus for over 70 years. Whether you are in an a cappella group, or singing solo or you are a comedian- whatever the case may be, theres a huge variety of music for people to showcase their talents. We even had celebrity judges on the panel, so that’s pretty exciting too.
Pepperdine students love to hit the beach and go to Chipotle in their free time. Where are the hot spots for UCLA students to hang out?
The Santa Monica pier is only a few miles away from campus and is a pretty popular hang out spot for students. You have the beach, rides, and tons of places to eat there. Definitely Chipotle for us too, In N Out, and Diddy Reese which is probably the best local ice cream sandwich spot!
Living in Malibu has its pros (definitely the view) and cons (the cost is insane). What would you say are the best and worst parts of UCLA’s location?
UCLA has its pros and cons for its location as well for sure. It’s pretty nicely situated near Downtown LA, not too far from the beach, and there are a lot of places to eat nearby. But then again.. the traffic is insane (that’s LA for you), and it’s super hard to find parking! And if you want to find decent housing, you definitely have to do that pretty far in advance, because it fills up fast.
For you personally, what has been your favorite part of being a student at UCLA?
I actually transferred to UCLA this year so I am fairly new, but the reason I transferred is because I felt that this school would provide me with more opportunities for journalism which is what I want to do with my career. There are hundreds of organizations on campus, so it’s really easy to find your niche if you are proactive about it, and the welcoming organizations on campus that I have become a part of have made me feel integrated as a new student really quickly. The friendly, open environment at UCLA is something I am very grateful to be a part of!