On behalf of Her Campus at UCLA and the entire Bruin family, congratulations to all of the new Baby Bruins joining us in Westwood next Fall. Whether you’re an incoming freshman or junior-level transfer, the most daunting part of starting life at a new school is the onslaught of questions keeping you awake every night: are the classes going to be too hard? Is the dining hall food really as good as they say? Will I make any friends?
To ease your mind, here are answers to those burning questions: classes are challenging (especially on the fast-paced quarter system), but nothing you can’t handle! You were admitted to UCLA for a reason, so don’t doubt your abilities. As for the dining hall food…well, I’ve heard great things, but I live in an apartment so I can’t really speak to that.
Lastly, are you going to make lifelong friends that you can traipse across LA’s famous landmarks and Guy Fieri-approved restaurants with? Yes, you will make friends. But, you’ll need to put yourself in a position to find friends, and the best way to do that is by joining clubs and campus organizations. Therefore, I’m going to pitch all of the reasons why you should join Her Campus at UCLA for your undergraduate career — and trust me, you’re going to want to join!
- Friendship
-
Just over a decade ago, Her Campus’s UCLA chapter boasted a group of five or six girls that steadily developed the organization through sheer determination and willpower. Now, in 2023, our chapter encompasses over 100 incredibly talented women!
As part of our quarterly goals, the Executive Board strives to create opportunities for relationship building and bonding amongst members, including Rosefams (small groups that plan fun social events outside of HC meetings), Finals Week study sessions and bougie retreats! Additionally, we start our weekly meetings with Icebreaker activities that help us connect with one another.
- Experience
-
As a graduating senior, I must regretfully inform you that the post-grad job hunt will be an unprecedented NIGHTMARE. There’s something particularly difficult about finding entry-level jobs that require 2-3 years of experience in a field; thus, you should capitalize on the opportunities at Her Campus to build your portfolio, skill set and experience!
We have five different teams to choose from, each one catering to a unique area of interest:
Editorial: pitching and writing articles on a weekly basis.
Social Media: posting, managing and creating content for HC at UCLA’s extensive online presence (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and a soon-to-launch YouTube channel!).
Creative Services: a well-rounded team of photographers, videographers and graphic designers assisting in content creation for socials.
Event Marketing: planning and executing on-campus events, such as brand partnerships, club collaborations and HC fundraisers.
Internal Services: planning and executing in-and-out-of-meeting activities for our Her Campus members. Remember those icebreakers? The Rosefams? Well, that’s all thanks to our amazing Internal Services team!
- Learning Potential
-
As a two-year member of the Editorial team, I’ve learned so much from presentations curated by the Senior and Assistant Editors, such as increasing audience engagement and establishing a distinct writing style.
Not only will the teams teach you everything you need to know about your field of expertise, but the Executive Board also hosts workshops throughout the quarter to teach necessary skills for future internships and careers. We’ve already had lessons in resume building, cover letter writing and creating a professional LinkedIn profile.
- Opportunities
-
To add to the opportunities presented by Her Campus, I can attest to the exciting projects you’ll get to work on that aren’t available anywhere else on campus. For example, this year I had the privilege of working with the publicity team for Hulu’s new hit series The Watchful Eye, and I was able to personally interview the lead and supporting actresses from the show for an article.
Rumjhum Hemnani, a member of HC at UCLA’s social media team, adds that, “[There are] times when you…get to work with brands on paid collaborations and truly build your professional experience.” We have had partnerships with major companies such as Sun Bum, NYX Professional Makeup, YSL, Avatara and HBO Max — to name a few — which offer exciting experiences for our members as they learn the ins and outs of collaborative processes.
- Flexibility
-
The flexibility of Her Campus applies to several aspects of the club: time, creativity and positions. Execs are incredibly understanding and always attempt to work around schedules to ensure active participation in the organization whilst staying on top of outside obligations.
As for the freedom of your projects, Rumhjum shares, “As somebody who has worked in social media and marketing for a while, [Her Campus has been] my favorite opportunity because of the creative liberty! You get to pitch, direct and edit your own ideas as content that will be seen by thousands of eyes!” We are encouraged to pursue our passions by creating content according to our personal styles, visions and abilities.
Lastly, keep in mind that you aren’t tied down to a single team for the entirety of your Her Campus career! If you don’t enjoy working for Event Marketing, you can request to switch to Social Media the following year. There’s room for growth in every team, but there’s also room for change, if you so desire.
That was a lot of information, I know, but I wanted to share Her Campus’s lay of the land because I believe joining the Editorial team was the best decision I made after transferring to UCLA last year. Her Campus has not only offered opportunities I wouldn’t find anywhere else, but the club has also changed the trajectory of my future career (read about that here!).
The transition to college isn’t an easy one, so why not alleviate some stress and set out to join an organization that always has your best interest at heart, presents an inclusive environment dedicated to professional female empowerment and encompasses what it truly means to be a UCLA Bruin? We look forward to seeing your applications; congratulations on your UCLA acceptance!