Cynthia here. Before we dive into the Q&A, I wanted to make a section of commonly asked questions since I felt that this particular portion would be more effective if you could ask us questions about topics we didn't cover in main advice sections. Please ask questions if you have any via our emails or social media accounts. We really want to maximize the amount of information you get from us.
Cynthia: I knew that I wanted to go to college in SoCal. It’s far enough away from home to give me my desired independence, but close enough for my parents to visit me on a monthly basis (mainly for trips to Costco). I had always said that this campus was my realistic choice, especially during college app season. This was my second favorite campus of all the ones I got to tour, as the “bowl” shape just made sense to me. Much of my decision to attend UCI was based on the amount of aid they offered. It was just an offer I couldn’t pass on. In addition to the aid, I simply saw myself fitting in here the best.
Jessica: I always knew that I wanted to go to college in California, so Irvine was a good option because I could get the dorm experience and still go home on weekends for the first year and commute for the next three. Also, UCI has its own school dedicated to information and computer sciences. It's a reputable program, which was appealing since I applied as a CSE major.
Khanh: With a big family, financial aid was one of the major factors I had to take into consideration. UCI offered me a good amount that was hard to not accept over other schools. It was a good distance away from home to become independent but also go back on the weekend if I needed to.
Michelle: I’ve lived in Southern California all of my life, and knew that with my desired interest in biomedical and mechanical engineering, California was one of the best places to attend college due to its high concentration of engineering startup companies. I specifically chose Irvine because it was one of the most financially suitable choices for me, and was renowned for its biomedical engineering program. Not to mention, it was extremely close to home, which was an advantage for me to be able to commute in the later years of my college career.
Vy: Originally, I planned to do the transfer route and go to a community college. However, after I got my acceptance letters from different universities, I began to reconsider my options. I chose Irvine in the end because 1) it’s not too near nor too far from my house. It’s only an hour away so it makes travelling and visiting easy. 2) Irvine also offers me a really good financial aid package so it helps to alleviate some of my family’s financial burdens. 3) My major that I chose at Irvine is fitting with what I want to do in the future. I would’ve been a different major if I chose the other 2 universities that I was accepted to. 4) Overall, Irvine is a very welcoming campus; the atmosphere and people there are all just really nice.
C: Math has always been my favorite subject. I’ve always been pretty good at it, but didn’t realize that I loved doing it until my junior year of high school. I would spend much of my free time doing problems for fun. Yeah, I know how insane I sound. As for psychology, I feel that studying this would allow for much needed personal growth. I consider myself to be a self-aware individual, but that doesn’t mean I’m a flawless individual. Understanding how the mind works might help me become the person I strive to be.
J: I have always preferred math and science over any other subjects, and I took STEM/engineering classes throughout middle and high school. Being a part of a VEX Robotics team in high school really got me more into engineering, and I also took AP Comp Sci in my senior year which got me interested in CS specifically. I chose CSE because it seemed like the perfect combination of the two things I was passionate about: CS and engineering.
K: First, I want to say that it is ok to be unsure or to want to change major ( if you don’t think about this once in your whole entire college journey, I honestly applaud you for knowing your passion in life). I chose chemistry because I like it in high school. In college, however, it is debatable. STEM majors are honestly very challenging.
M: I knew that I wanted to do a STEM, and more specifically an engineering major, since I entered high school. However, there are a plethora of engineering majors to choose from, which made it initially difficult to narrow down. I applied and completed my first year at UCI as a biomedical engineering major, because throughout high school I loved both biology and engineering, so I thought this was the perfect combination for me. Biomedical engineering is a great major for people who are interested in biology and the medical field, love math and physics, and are keen problem solvers and creators. I do end up changing my major, however, which I will explain in another section. :)
V: I know I wanted to choose something STEM-related but I didn’t know what specifically. Thus, I chose different majors for all the different universities that I applied to: Chemistry for UCSB, Math for UCSD, and Bio for UCI. I think by the end of my senior year, I wanted to pursue dentistry so I picked UCI… To be honest, I’m pretty glad I chose Bio because as a Bio major, I still have to take classes that have Bio, Chem, and Math aspects/components within them. Bio also aligns with my goal of pursuing dentistry so it works out in the long run too.
C: I was actually accepted as a math major. Before SPOP, I got into my own head and doubted whether I would be happy in this major once I got to my upper division courses. I decided to undeclare my major during SPOP, but knew I wanted to try psych. I took Math 2B and Psych 7A in the fall to see if I wanted to continue down either path. I enjoyed Psych 7A and knew that I wanted to pursue a psych degree. However, I found myself regretting my choice to switch out of math. I decided to take Math 2D to see whether I still felt the same. During winter quarter, I still spent a good chunk of time doing math. But it was only after seeing Jessica code, did it click that I am truly passionate about math. I realized it’s not normal to want to spend most of your time doing math for fun (with the added benefit of getting more practice), so I made the decision to declare both math and psych after winter quarter. Here I am, a math and psych major.
M: I was accepted into UCI as a biomedical engineering major, and initially chose that major when applying frankly because it sounded cool. As a kid, I’ve always been interested in biology, and throughout my high school career, I gained a strong passion for engineering after joining a VEX Robotics team, therefore biomedical engineering seemed to be the perfect choice for me. However, as I continued to complete the ENGR 7A and 7B, which are introductory engineering classes that give you hands-on experience in a lab through building a drone, and my introduction to biomedical engineering class, I began to realize that my interests lie more towards the mechanical aspects of engineering. Biomedical engineering incorperates aspects of mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering with physics and biological concepts, so the major is very dense in material. As mentioned in the introductory class, the major touches on a broad range of topics yet does not go into as much depth as other specific engineering majors. I personally wanted to be able to learn about the mechanical aspect of engineering to a greater depth, and if I want to go into the biomedical field for a job in the future, I would still be able to as a mechanical engineering major. However, if I don’t end up liking the biomedical field, it would be difficult for me to find other jobs in engineering as a biomedical engineering major. This was a tough decision for me, because I do love learning, and biomedical engineering allows you to delve into very interesting topics, however after thought, I pursued my passion rather than technicalities.
C: I’m not exactly sure what specific job I want to have, but I do know that I want to work in business. Yes, I could’ve just majored in business, but that’s not where my passions lie. It was important that I studied subjects that truly interest me or that would allow for personal growth. I feel that I can find my way into the business world with my degrees.
J: After college, I’m hoping to get a job as a software engineer.
K: I plan to be a PA someday, but after talking to someone, I am currently also looking into a sports psychologist/counselor.
M: I am not entirely sure what kind of job I want in the future. I’ve been thinking about being a mechanical engineer or designer/researcher for a biomedical company, however recent interests have been pulling me towards the environmental engineering field as well. I don’t know if I want to pursue graduate school, however that could also be a prospective future for me too.
V: I want to be a dentist! :) Hopefully I can open my own practice as well as help volunteer at non-profit events like Care Harbor and Clinic in the Park.
C: I really loved Wing Wednesdays at the Anteatery. My friends and I made it a tradition to go every time we saw that it was planned. No matter what we had going on, we would meet to eat wings together and just talk. I have to admit, Petr drops are a close second. It surprisingly allowed me to bond with others, since I was usually the one dragging them along. I would even say it strengthened my friendship with Jessica. Friends who run for Petrs together, stay together.
J: Honestly, my favorite experiences were whenever I got to just hang out with friends and talk. Some of the most memorable moments for me were when we sat and talked for hours and hours, whether it be in the dining halls or in the dorms. Those moments really helped me bond with Cynthia and my hallmates, and even helped me get closer to high school friends. As Cynthia mentioned, Petr drops were also a great experience, so make sure to go to at least one!
K: My best experience would be meeting the people I met from summer bridge till the end of my first year and having a connection with them. The best would be the last week before I left UCI due to Covid-19 where I hung out with my dorm-mates and later my friends.
M: There were a lot of great memories I made during my limited time dorming at UCI :) As most of the others stated, the top memories would have to be meeting new people and just talking to them for hours on end. I was able to get close to my amazing roommates, meet some of my hallmates, talk to people in my classes, and get closer to people I went to high school with (Jessica!). The Petr sticker drops were a blast, and really showed you how close and selfless of a community UCI has. I also loved my engineering classes, in which I could spend hours inside the lab cutting wood, laser-cutting, and 3-D modeling a drone design.
V: I am in love with everything that I’ve experienced at UCI. From Summer Bridge in the summer, to meeting new people everywhere I go, to late night meals of Chicken Wings, to working out at the Mesa gym, and playing Just Dance in the Mesa Rec Center, I cannot pinpoint an exact favorite moment that I have had. All of these are equally valuable to me throughout my time at UCI. I do miss meeting up with friends the most due to Covid-19. However, I still use Zoom to chat and stay connected with friends.
B: One of the biggest struggles I had was dealing with imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is essentially when you don’t acknowledge your accomplishments and accredit everything to luck rather than your own efforts. Being someone who didn’t have their entire future planned out, I felt inferior and unprepared. Like I mentioned, I had several moments where my mental health suffered and I just denied that my hard work was enough. I think that a healthy part of college is honestly just venting to others because they can help you see the positive things and support you when you can’t support yourself. Deciding to change majors was another struggle, but I think being aware of how I felt made a huge impact on my ability to overcome my struggles.
C: Like Britanny I struggled with imposter syndrome the most this year. I have a hard time taking compliments and giving myself credit. Even typing that sentence made me feel uncomfortable. These girls know (I’m sorry). It would really affect me mentally about three weeks into each quarter. I have yet to figure out how to combat it in the moment, but know that building self-confidence would greatly help. Depressing struggle aside, I also had a hard time balancing my time. It can be quite easy to fall into one subject. However, that increases the likelihood of cramming. I found that I was pretty productive when I blocked out specific times, but making sure I was still flexible. Going into next year, I’m going to try to write what assignments I want to complete on certain days as well as stick to my allotted study times on my Google Calendar. Fingers crossed it also helps with the procrastination.
J: I mentioned it in a different section, but CSE is a tough and competitive major. I was constantly doubting myself because it always seemed like everyone around me had more experience with programming and knew more than I did even before taking the classes. I struggled the most with believing that I was good enough to be in this major. I still have my doubts at times, but it's something that I’m going to continue working on.
K: Academically, I struggled in fully understanding what I learned and mastering it 100% because the pace of the quarter system is quite fast. Socially, I struggled in knowing if I truly connected with the people I met and overthinking.
M: I personally struggled with time management. I came into college with the high school mindset. I thought in high school, I managed 6 different AP classes, so 4-5 college classes a quarter shouldn’t be that bad. BOY was I wrong! There is a lot of work, studying, and personal time management required in comparison to high school. In my winter quarter, I made the choice to go on a family trip to India, which was a tough decision for me to make because school is of utmost importance to me, especially now since I am paying for my education. So, that came with consequences in which I had a lot of work to makeup and catch up on, which made a dent in my grades. Although it was ultimately my choice, time management was also tough during spring quarter online. I thought online would be easier since you get to plan when you want to do your work, yet the workload doesn’t get any easier when the distractions around you multiply.
V: I struggled with procrastination and cramming a lot. Although I tell myself to stop doing these two things, I end up doing them nevertheless. I can’t rid myself of these bad habits completely, but I HAVE been able to limit them down significantly by planning ahead through Google calendar. Like Khanh has said, the quarter system is really fast so I have to make sure I’m always on task and productive.
C: If I could change anything, I would have made a more conscious effort to prioritize my mental health. It was pretty easy for me to throw myself into my academics and ignore my stress. However, sometimes, for you to perform your best, you have to take care of yourself. I might have even gone to class with a fever once… I’m still a work in progress. I admit it.
J: Similar to Cynthia, if I could change anything about freshman year, I would have prioritized my health more. I would get so caught up doing assignments and projects that it got to the point where I wasn’t eating or sleeping well. College is stressful, and you might feel like you always have to be working to succeed, but it's important to take care of yourself too.
V: I think my first year went pretty well. I wouldn’t want to change anything really. If I do have supernatural abilities, however, I’d make it so that there was no COVID-19. In this way, I can finish up my Spring quarter on campus and have the full first year experience as a college student.
K: Similar to Vy, I would honestly not change a thing because my first year taught me a lot, allowing me to get out of my comfort zone. However, I wished I could have met some people earlier in my first year because in the short time I knew them, it was one of the better experiences at UCI.
M: There isn’t much that I would want to change about my first year, because I was able to learn a lot through difficulties that I had. However, there are two things I would change. One, is to hang out at school a little more often. Since I live close to UCI in Irvine, I would often go home over the weekend, either to do laundry or just hang out with my family. However, the abrupt end to my first year due to COVID-19 displayed how important it was to spend time at college with the new people that I met. I often hesitated to go to events with friends in order to finish up course work, so I would change that by giving myself a day in the week to spend on focussing on friendships and mental health. And two, is to speak up more. I missed opportunities to talk to people and participate in class because I overthink and hesitate to speak when I have the chance.
B: Believe in yourself because you are your best advocate. It’s okay not to have everything figured out. College is a time to grow and learn more about yourself. You don’t have to graduate with the same major you were accepted as because things happen and you change as a person all the time. The important thing is to believe you are capable of whatever you set your mind to. If it doesn’t work out, learn from the experience and use it to better yourself.
C: I’m gonna be hypocritical here. Don’t beat yourself up too much. It does much more harm than good. What’s more important is that you grow from these moments. Sometimes, it takes a mistake to set you on the path the universe has in store for you.
J: Try to find a balance. Your education is important (and expensive), so go to class, be engaged, and learn. At the same time, don’t get too caught up in academics and grades. You’re going to make mistakes, and that’s ok. One failed exam isn’t going to ruin your entire life, and it isn't worth it to dwell on things you can't change. Four years is going to fly by, so remember to enjoy this time and spend time with friends too.
K: Be yourself and you will find the same people who match your energy. Go out of your comfort zone (whether it is to start a conversation with a stranger or etc.). Enjoy your experience and don’t dwell on regrets (whether it is getting a bad grade or skipping a hangout with friends and getting FOMO). Change/adapt so you can maximize your experience at UCI.
M: I’ve always been the type of person to go with the flow, yet it is much easier said than done. My advice would be to go with the flow. This is the time to explore, digest your surroundings, and have fun! Yes, you are learning a lot and preparing for a future with a job, yet at the same time, I would assess your mood and feelings and make sure that you are having fun! Sooner than later, you will find yourself at a 9 to 5 job, stuck in a routine, and busy impacting the world, so these four or so years are the time to enjoy life before the realities adult life truly hits! If a problem or obstacle comes your way, go with the flow and find people you can talk to, to help you out. If your midterm or exam doesn’t go your way, go with the flow and figure out what you can do to improve! In the words of Dory, “Just keep
swimming!” :)
V: “Just do it!” and “Be grateful” are two of the most important values that I live by. “Just do it!” refers to being open to trying out new ideas, being proactive when opportunities arise, and not being afraid of judgements if you think that what you’re doing is the right thing. As for “Be grateful” I just want to remind myself to be thankful to everything that I have, including my family, my friends, and MYSELF (don’t forget to appreciate yourself!) for being so supportive and motivating even when I hit rock bottom. (I think my own self plays a really important role in keeping me motivated because saying nice stuff to myself like “You can do it! You’ve got this! Good job!” can be powerfully uplifting! So don’t forget to appreciate and congratulate your own self after a long day/week!!)