Congratulations Class of 2023!
You’ve finally done it; you’ve completed another milestone. You should be proud of all your accomplishments because it’s not every day that you get to graduate. Graduating is a big change, which can be a little nerve-wracking. Now that I’m graduating from UCLA, I feel nervous! I guess it’s inevitable to be a little scared.
But the nervousness I feel is a little bit like that of an incoming freshman who might have a lot of questions. I remember graduating from high school and being nervous about going to UCLA. I was so nervous that I didn’t want to go to freshman orientation! But the moment I went to that orientation, everything changed. I felt right at home and all my worries were washed away.
So, from the eyes of a graduating senior who has experienced all those nerves, I am here to give you three pieces of advice that I wish I had known about in my first year.
- Take Advantage Of Everything
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Alright, this is an important piece of advice to remember: take advantage of everything your school has to offer. I was a little late on this train, which is why I want to stress this to you. School is expensive and whether you’re paying for tuition or not, you need to make good use of everything that comes with that cost. These are some of the things I am referring to:
- School gym
- School library
- Your university’s job resources
- The Writing Center
- Tutoring
- Parties hosted by the university
- University ID for student discounts
- Discounted tickets to movies/theme parks/games/etc.
These are only a few examples of the many that you should be taking advantage of. When I was a first year, I didn’t know about these things because I thought I had to pay for them. It wasn’t until my third year (I spent my second year at home because of the pandemic) that I figured out through friends that all this was available to me. So your first task as a freshman is to find out what resources and goodies are available to you!
- Join Any Club That Interests You
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I know this might be nerve-wracking, but I highly recommend joining clubs at the beginning of the year. It is probably one of the easiest ways to make friends. I didn’t do this because as a commuter I found it hard to stay so late in school when I had to go back home. If you are a commuter, don’t feel like you can’t join or participate in any of these clubs. Even as a commuter, I ended up finding a few clubs that offered virtual meetings as a way to participate. One of the organizations I got to join in my third year was Her Campus at UCLA. It’s been an amazing two years! I have learned so much and have had the chance to better my writing skills as well as publish online! So don’t let commuting stop you. Just look for a club that works best for you! Not only will you have a blast, you’ll get to put it on your resume later—which will look good when applying for internships or jobs! Which brings me to my next piece of advice….
- Look Into Internships Early
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I wish someone had told me about this earlier because it turns out that this is an important factor when applying to your dream career. I suggest looking early into this and applying to as many internships as you can; you never know which one will accept you! Internships are a great way to get experience in your desired field and connect with others. I had the chance to intern for NBC4 and Telemundo 52 right before I graduated. I am super grateful to have been given these opportunities, but I wish I had started interning earlier. I really suggest looking into internships early (and remember to make sure your resume has keywords from the job description to avoid being rejected by bots!).
I still cannot believe I am graduating this year. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was thinking, four years are going to take forever. That is definitely not true. I think it flew by even more quickly because I was in the quarter system at UCLA. So if you’re also in the quarter system, be prepared for school to fly by; ten weeks of learning is no joke. On the other hand, don’t think you won’t have time to have a life outside of school or work. Once you get into the rhythm, you will be able to do both!
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is possible that you might lose some friendships or miss important dates and that is okay. While it may hurt, just remember that some friendships are lost for a reason. Surround yourself with people who support you and want to help you grow along the way, rather than with people who make you feel bad for choosing schoolwork over partying. Trust me when I say that you will find time in your schedule to hang out with friends and family so don’t feel guilty if this happens during your time at school.
Lastly, enjoy these four years and make the most of them. Take lots of pictures! And again, congratulations Class of 2023! Wishing you all nothing but success!