As a senior at UCLA, most of the time I walk around feeling like an absolute grandma. It won’t be long until there’s a new doom-scroll app that overtakes TikTok, and I’m stuck in my rocking chair, knitting, deliriously singing “Wait…they don’t love you like I love you…wait…” while my grandchildren shake their heads in pity and go on playing with their Tesla robot nanny.
So before that happens, I better share some of my Bruin wisdom before I say goodbye to the streets of Westwood. As a transfer student, unfortunately, I did not get to experience the full four years, but best believe I tried my best to fit four years into two. Before transferring to UCLA, of course I was obsessed with the school, so I did as much research as possible on the different clubs and resources on campus. Once on campus, I found access to even more. UCLA offers so much for its students, it can be overwhelming to find just one source, or what clubs to even join or what resources to check out. So take a seat – I am going to give you a list of advice I wish I knew in my first year at UCLA to better prepare you for the journey ahead!
- Join Clubs
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A question I see lots of students coming in with is “How do I make friends?” My answer is always to join clubs! UCLA has more than 1,000 clubs to offer, so there’s sure to be something to float your boat in there. Although not every club may give you instant best friends, it’s a great way to expand your social circle, attend fun events and retreats, and to get yourself out of your comfort zone. UCLA has a handy website called SOLE, which acts as a search engine for all the clubs UCLA has to offer.
Although UCLA has so many wonderful clubs and I could never manage to list them all, here are some of the popular social ones that I see get mentioned every quarter:
If you’re looking for academic clubs, UCLA has those in spades as well. Either search your major on sole.ucla.edu, or just do a quick google search: “[INSERT MAJOR HERE] Clubs at UCLA” and you are sure to find an organization that stacks up your resume. To make it a bit easier, here’s a list I found: https://community.ucla.edu/studentorgs/academic.
Just keep in mind that most clubs at UCLA have an application process to join, so prepare to put in the time and effort for clubs that are especially high on your list!
- Go To office Hours
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I know, you’re gonna hate me for this one – for a lot of us, after at least three lectures and discussion sections a week, the last thing on your mind is going to office hours. Even if you don’t have a specific question, office hours provide a great opportunity to “hang out” with professors and network in a way that you cannot achieve in a classroom with a hundred other students. Professors are more likely to give out recommendation letters to students who put in the effort to have a personal connection with them; simply attending office hours for ten minutes each time could make a huge difference. Additionally, if your professor attended a graduate school that you also want to attend, or works in a career field that you strive for, office hours provide valuable time where you could get first-hand advice.
- Explore study abroad
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Want your European hot girl summer? Look no further than UCLA’s Study Abroad program! Each department at UCLA offers their own study abroad program for their major, but the International Office of Education offers programs open to all regardless of major, if you have a certain group you want to go with or a destination in mind! Worried about the money aspect? The Study Abroad program offers many scholarships, both UCLA sponsored and separate.
- resources on campus
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One thing I consistently hear from graduating seniors is “I wish I took advantage of all the resources UCLA has to offer.” Since there are so many, it can be hard to keep track, but here are some of the best ones I have found throughout my time here:
Mental Health:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Center for Accessible Education
Food:
Career/Networking:
Academic:
Center for Academic Advising in the College (CAAC)
Miscellaneous:
- Free subscriptions for college students
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Finally, one of the most advantageous parts of being a college student is that there are student discounts on almost anything you could think of! Not only that, but being a UCLA student provides you access to platform subscriptions that normally cost hundreds of dollars. I have provided a handy list below:
UCLA-Offered Subscriptions:
Student Discounts:
- $6/month, saving $15/month
- $2/month, saving $16/month
- $7.50/month, saving $7.50/month
- $5/month, saving $11/month
- Discounts on Macs, iPads and Accessories and Apple Care for college students (and their parents) year round.
- To find eligible products, Look for the “Education Pricing” symbol.
- Offers college students a discounted monthly rate for 4 years
- The student subscription also includes Apple TV+ for a limited time.
- Offers verified students a one-month free trial.
- After the trial period is over, students can pay $7.99/month, saving $6/month.
- $8 monthly subscription down to $2 per month
- Discounted Park Passes
- $4.99/month, which is a savings of $5/month.
- Students Ride 15% off
Your time at UCLA will come and go in a flash – make sure you make the most of your time here with these tips and tricks!