The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.
I started UCSB in COVID and as a student-athlete, and it was not the ideal time to be a freshman in college. However, I found great friends and mentors along the way who taught me so many tips to get through UCSB. There are a few things that I wish I had known earlier!
- TMP Certificate
- To start, I have always been interested in business and marketing. However, it’s a bummer that UCSB doesn’t have a major or minor that specializes in that subject. I chose to major in Communication because it was the closest thing to what I wanted to do. But, toward the end of my junior year, I took my all-time favorite class with Professor Eric Zackersion, Interviewing, which taught me everything that I needed to know about how to nail an interview and get my dream job. He told our class about the Technology Management Program (TMP) which is a certificate program at UCSB that consists of TMP 120 Fundamentals of Business Strategy, TMP 124 Principles of Marketing, and TMP 127 Understanding and Managing Technology Organizations. This is a great program to enhance your experience at UCSB and also grow in your professional journey. Professor Zackier has taught me so much in just one class and I know he teaches a lot of the TMP classes, so I hope you too look into this program if you are interested in business, marketing, and technology! I also hear that there are lots of group projects which is a great way to meet more people with similar interests. There is even a one-year master’s program at UCSB that specializes in this program called Masters of Technology Management.
- Professional Writing Minor
- Growing up I had a blog and loved writing. Even though I loved writing, I never thought too much into doing it in college. However, I had to take some required writing courses and I took the magazine writing class, WRIT107M. I learned so much about different writing styles and was able to explain my perspective in a more journalistic way. UCSB offers a professional writing minor in which you can specialize in Professional Editing, Writing and Civic Engagement, Multimedia Communication, Business Communication, Science Communication, and Journalism. This is a great minor for people who also share a love for writing or want to improve their writing skills. I have also heard from multiple alumni that this minor was their favorite and that it is very transferable in their professional lives.
- Rec Center Classes
- I have always been active, and even played a sport at UCSB! I was unaware that there was a plethora of different classes that the rec center had, from dance classes to cooking classes! As I talked about in a previous article, I took the pickleball class. This was a great opportunity to try a new sport and meet different people at UCSB and in the community. These classes are welcome to anyone interested not just students. You can also get certificates through the rec center such as CPR/AED with First Aid. They also have martial arts & self-defense classes which are super important, especially as a college student.
- You can join a sorority later than your freshman year!
- I always thought that sororities were something you could only join your freshman year, I was wrong. As someone who thought I would never ever be in a sorority, I have seen myself grow in so many ways through being in one. I did continuous open bidding (COB) during my sophomore spring quarter which is a lot more informal than the normal formal recruitment in fall. After one day of going and seeing my sorority and talking to girls, I was able to receive a bid. Right away I got involved. This was the best thing I did for myself during my college years. I was on the executive team and was even Chapter President. I am now going to work for my sorority’s national headquarters!
5. Studying Aboard over Summer
- Studying abroad is pretty common at UCSB, especially during your fall quarter of junior year. However, that time frame did not work for me because I was still playing water polo. Luckily, there are classes offered in the summer. I cannot recommend this enough because I was able to get ahead in classes and have the best summer. The program I did was in Rome, Italy, and was six weeks. Taking classes through UCEAP allowed me to be with UCSB students, as well as other UC kids. I met the best people and was able to travel around Europe all summer. These were the best six weeks of my life and I am so grateful I was able to do it! I wish I would have known about this earlier so I could have gone one more time!
Overall, there were many things I was unaware of during my freshman year that I wish I had known sooner. I regret not being able to take TMP classes and have a writing minor, however, I am so glad I rushed my sophomore year, took a rec classes, studied abroad over the summer, and continued to try new things at UCSB! I hope you try some of these, too!