2010 Warren College Transfer Orientation Blog

Make the Most of it

2010-09-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

While you are at UCSD, you will find yourself bombarded with opportunities to participate in clubs, events, activities and internships. It may seem overwhelming, or even a bit unorganized, but you have to find something that you will be interested in and really take advantage of these incredible circumstances. It is easy at the Community College level to ignore the happenings of the school, because the students there come and go so quickly. Apathy isn't hard when students have so many other responsibilities in their lives outside of the classroom.

Indifference, while equally as potent, at UCSD, is a hindrance. There is an overabundance of clubs and groups to join, as well as events to attend that really only require your presence without any vested interest from you other than time. The internships and programs available can help to catapult not only your understanding of your potential job field, but also create an environment in which you will grow more confident due to your experience - something that will make you a very wanted individual in the future!

For instance, I just participated in a Global Seminars program over the summer, where I studied in Istanbul for five weeks. This, of course, does not include the weekends spent in Greece, Egypt, Austria and even Bosnia while we were there. These extra trips were not part of the program, but instead were opportunities to travel which myself, or my classmates took advantage of since we were in the area and transportation was cheap. It was an amazing experience, to live in another country and experience their culture and history while earning credits toward graduation. To think, we would learn about a monument or the architecture of a person, and go see the very thing we studied right around the corner which has stood for hundreds of years!

So, as you walk down library walk during rush week, or while clubs and programs are advertising what they have to offer, pick up a few fliers. You never know what you'll find, and you never know what might strike your eye and compel you to look deeper into the diversity of the school.

Brandon Hawley
Transfer OL

Step Two

2010-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so you have been given the best advice for starting at UCSD, "start by finding something you enjoy and go out and get involved". Fantastic, but wait how exactly do you go about doing that? Well if you are anything like me the first part of that statement held you up. "What if I don't know what I like? It isn't that I don't like anything, but I can't focus my interest to one or two clubs..." No worries, nothing says you have to know right now exactly what you want to participate in for your time at UCSD. Still where do you start to find anything you enjoy? Well what I did was join about twenty things and just emerse myself in activities. Ok I will admit that is a bit overkill, but the idea is just go and do.
Where do you find these things to go and do? During orientation ask anyone of the Warren lovers and they will tell you plenty ideas. Or just follow friends, roommates, classmates, strangers (it really doesn't matter) whereever they are going and see what it is like. You will never know if you like or dislike something unless you try it. And from there say you get started in school, time goes by, and you realize you I want to get started in something ... think back to orientation and remember just because it is over, does not mean you can't contact any orientation leader at any point for advice. Or just to tag along. Any new activity automatically becomes better when you do it with someone you know.

And that brings me to another tip. You have started going to meetings for a club and you think you like it, but you don't really feel comfortable at the meeting. Maybe you feel intimidated because you don't know as much as the other members or maybe everyone just seems to get along and you feel lie an outsider. It is ok. I have been there and my best advice (in fact my overall #1 advice I'd like to give you) is KEEP GOING. Even if your friends stop going. Even if you feel it is a drag to go. Even if you feel outcast. Things will get better. You will start to feel included and enjoy even look forward to going. Push through the drag and make yourself go. Because nothing is better than finding something you truely enjoy.

Sure you can't stick with twenty things. You will eliminate many and add more and then eliminate again. But you will find something that you truely enjoy. Because if it exist, it exists at UCSD!

And remember if you want to go to anything but need someone to go with ... I'll be there.

Sydney - transfer OL

Do what you Love to Do

2010-08-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Based on my title, you may think that what I'm about to tell you is something you already know. But I think there's a bit more to it than that.

Growing up, my social life was always based more on other people rather than on the activities that we did together. Step one was always to figure out who was around, and then to get a group together. Then we would decide what to do.

At UCSD, I've found that this isn't the way people think- in fact, it's often quite the opposite. People tend to think about what it is that they want to do, and then they go do it. The people they meet through their activity become their friends, and that's usually how social groups are formed.

So why am I telling you all this? Because I think that you should do what you love to do right from the beginning and you will most likely meet others that share your interests. It's easy to get along with people, but if you're looking for something more than just an acquaintance, then find that common ground. Some of my closest friends at UCSD I met simply by being an Orientation Leader.

Take a moment to think about your thing. It doesn't necessarily have to be something mainstream. My thing is cars. I love fixing them, and of course I love racing them too. I know, it's totally random, but it happens to be something that I love to do. So find your thing that you love and get out there and do it- don't let classes get in the way. And if it so happens that your thing is the same as my thing, hit me up!

'Notorious' Nick Kostka

Other Fun Things to Do in College Besides Studying and Class!

2010-08-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

HEY!

So I realize that when most people come to college it is so that they can study hard in order to go to a good Med School, Grad School, Law School etc. Although studying and learning is a lot of fun, I'm going to blog about some other activities and options that you can add to your college experience. UCSD is gigantic--not only with the thousands of students but also the size. However, what I love most about UCSD is that it is filled with endless opportunities for you to find your niche whether it is active outdoor activities or more quiet relaxing indoor activities. There are so many student organizations so here a couple of the hundreds of things to do on campus besides studying in Geisel for the next two years :)

Take Advantage of Outback Adventures
First off, San Diego as a city is fairly close to many popular "tourist" spots. Besides the fact that it is possible to visit the LA area, Las Vegas, and Mexico by car, UCSD is close to the beach and popular camping spots. Outback Adventures is a program at UCSD that caters to the people that LOVE the outdoors and an active lifestyle. Outback Adventures has trips that you can sign up for from a relaxing kayaking trip under the moonlight at Mission Bay to Horseback Riding in Baja. Outback Adventures also opened a Surf Shop on the edge of Price Center this year where you can buy wetsuits, rent surfboards etc. Don't feel like leaving the UCSD campus but want a thrill? UCSD also has its own challenge course and rock climbing center close to Warren College :)

Recreation Classes
Ok, so what if you like to stay active in college but think that rock climbing or sea kayaking is a little too intense? Join a recreation class! Want to learn how to do a back flip or maybe try something new like fencing? What about learning to Go Go Dance so that you have some moves for Warren SemiFormal??? The recreation guide is 50 pages of different classes such as surfing, gymnastics, dancing, safety, and even games for fun such as billiards! And of course, there is always RIMAC which has gym equipment and courts.

Craft Center
So maybe you don't really like too much physical activity. There is a Craft Center located close to Muir's Main Gym where you can sign up for classes for Ceramics, Glass Blowing, Jewelry making etc. Sometimes they offer a day class that's about two hours on the weekend to show you how to make a crafty Valentine's gift etc.

Go Greek!
So this year I joined the Greek system. Not only does it provide you with a network of friends, but it is always filled with activities and things to do to get involved. Down below on the blog page there is a more detailed blog about the Greek System if you are interested :) But basically, once I joined the Greek System if I wasn't attending meeting, there was volunteering opportunities, social events, as well as study times throughout the week with my sisters. Furthermore, there are many many different Greek "groups." There is of course the Panhellenic and IFC which are known as the "social" Greek sororities and fraternities, however there is also the Multicultual Greek Council, Volunteering Sororities/Fraternities, and Academic Sororities/Fratenrities. So definately check out the different types if you're thinking of rushing!

Join a Club!
Welcome Week is the best way to get introduced to almost all the clubs on campus. There are breakdancing clubs, volunteering clubs, robotics clubs, surfers and snowboarders clubs, poetry clubs etc. Definately check out the fair during welcome week to get flyers and sign up for information. My recommendation is to bring a bag and just grab flyers and freebies from all of the booths that look interesting and then go through them later because it does get extremely crowded! There are also sports club, so if you want to play a sport competitively, but not to the extent of joining UCSD's sport team. Clubs are a great way to stay in shape, keep up your skills, as well as participate in competitive play.

Get a job!
Extra money in college is also great for those random shopping splurges. What better way than to apply for on campus jobs such as working at the UCSD bookstore, Geisel, or at Price Center? Most of the stores on campus have many student workers with flexible hours and since the jobs are on campus it is easy to go from class to work and then study at the library after work. If you check out Port Triton, it is where most UCSD students look for jobs, not only at UCSD but all over San Diego and beyond!

Take Advantage of that little circular sticker on your student ID called a BUS STICKER!
Driving a car is of course very convenient, but if you want a trip downtown or to the beach, parking is sometimes a pain. Luckily for UCSD students, we have a bus sticker which allows us to take some of the most popular routes to the mall, beach, or downtown FREE of charge! My freshman year, a group of my suitemates and I took the bus to La Jolla Shores and studied at the SIO library for our finals and then relaxed at the beach afterwards.

Attend UCSD events (even if it may not be put on by your college)
Each of the six colleges at UCSD puts on numerous events every year. For example, Sixth College hosts it Chocolate Festival where there are different booths with games and prizes that all involve chocolate. There is also gigantic fondue fountain to dip delicious treats in. Muir has Muirstock every year where bands come and play and there are tattoo artists and bag decorating etc. So even though you might be a Warren student, take advantage of all these activities as well because they're all free and a lot of fun! Of course, every college also has formals throughout the year as well :) However, if you do not make it out to the smaller events, the two biggest events that I recommend attending is Sungod and the Back to School Dance! These two events are probably the two biggest events of the year so definately check them out!

I could probably go on and on about more things to do at UCSD, but here's a start. My final advice would be think about what you would like to try or do while you're at UCSD. Once you figured that out, then explore all the different possibilities. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or any of the orientation leaders because I'm sue everyone has something that they're involved in and eager to share!

Sincerely,
Zaneta Cha
Group 10
Can't wait to see all of you at Orientation!!!! :)

Long Distance Sweethearts

2010-08-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

When I left for college the thing I was most anxious about wasn't making new friends, living in the dorms, or the academic transition to college (though they were all close runner ups), I was scared witless about deciding to stay in a relationship with my high school boyfriend who is going to school 3000 miles and a different time zone away. If you're like I was, I feel for you, and I want to offer my truly humble and sincere advice. I'm not an expert, but I am a fellow yearner. Every couple is different, but there are pieces of advice that I believe would help anyone:

1) Keep in contact with methods that work
There are so many things you can do to keep in contact with your sweetheart... Skype, Facebook, blog, chat, talk on the phone, make countdowns, letters, care packages, and greetings cards are all good ways to keep in figurative touch. While technology offers a lot of ways to communicate, they might not all be right for you. For instance, many people think that Skype is a wonderful alternative to seeing your significant other, but I found it frustrating, awkward, and hollow. For me phone calls, with their warmth and portability, were a treat. Greeting cards were a giant delight and don't even get me started on the wonders of a well executed care package. Find the corner of communication that works for you, and do it in your own quirky way so that keeping in contact feels tailor made.

2) Make sweet unexpected gestures
Make plans, send little gifts, or write an unexpected letter. Sweet surprises are twice as great when they come from far away because they take more effort.

3) Balance. Don't forget about the rest of your life!
When my boyfriend comes to visit, the only way I can describe what happens next is that I lose my mind and want to throw away the rest of my life. I can't study, don't want to see my other friends, and basically ditch the rest of my life to spend the next few days with him. It can feel like you're entitled to spend all the time you have with them but it'll hurts the people around you. Balance, don't go overboard.

4) Enjoy the benefits of distance.
Space is nice. It's fun to discover the little ways the other person has grown in the few months or weeks they've been away. Long distance relationships have a lot of unique benefits.

Keep at it, and best of luck!

Happy Hearts!
Jennifer Hoang Group 13 ;)

The Power of Your Student ID Card!

2010-08-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

So first off, I just wanted to say congratulations to everyone for getting to into UCSD! I hope that the years you spend here are as great as mine have been so far! There’s a lot of things to consider as you get ready to enter UCSD, and I figured I’d tell you about the powers of your ID card! I know you all realize that your ID card serves as your form of identification at UCSD, but there’s other things that your ID card does that you might not realize!

One of the most convenient things you can use your ID card for is Triton Cash. Basically, Triton Cash is like carrying around cash or a credit card without actually having to do so. Not only is it accepted at most places on campus including dining halls and the restaurants in Price Center it is also accepted off campus at places such as Chipotle, Croutons, Islands, and Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza. One of the bonuses to using Triton Cash is you get 10% off when you use it to pay for your purchase at any Housing and Dining location. I love Triton Cash, because even if you forget your wallet, you can still buy things you need. For more information about Triton Cash or to add Triton Cash to your ID card, you can go to tritoncash.ucsd.edu.

Secondly, for anyone of you that will be living on campus, your meal points are contained on your ID card. Whenever you go to a dining hall, you simply hand over your ID card and they’ll swipe it. The meal points will be deducted automatically. If you ever happen to lose your ID card (and believe me it will probably happen! I’ve probably lost my ID card about 4 times since I’ve ben here!) you can get a temporary ID card so you’ll still be able to use your dining points! It costs $15 to replace your ID card if you can’t find it.

Finally, when using your ID at the UCSD Bookstore or Sunshine Market, you can charge things to something called student account. What happens is rather than paying for whatever you’re buying at the time, you just put it on student account and it gets billed to your monthly UCSD bill so you can pay for your tuition, housing, and those purchases all at one time. Student account is especially useful when buying textbooks from the bookstore. My favorite guilty use of student account is charging coffee at Perks, the bookstore located in the bookstore or buying food from Sunshine Market when I don’t have money or Triton Cash!

-Sireesha Mudunuri, Group 8

Registration time is here, happiness and cheer!

2010-08-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

by: Afshawn Chakamian, group 11

Hey everybody! It's almost registration time. I know you all have been through registration before, but every school does it differently and UCSD's way can seem confusing at first. But it doesn't have to be! Here is a handy little guide on how to navigate the Schedule of Classes and WebReg.

1. Once you get your course recommendations, go check out the Schedule of Classes (located on TritonLink). Make sure "Fall Quarter 2010" is selected under term. Finding classes by subject is the best way to go about it. Go through the scroll list to pick which department you want. On the right side, you can mark if you want to see lower division classes (Numbered 1-99) or upper division classes (100-199). If you only want classes on certain days, you can mark that off, but I wouldn't recommend that. It's best to keep all your options open. Once you pick the department, click "Search."

2. You'll be taken to a new page showing all classes that are offered in the fall.

Important things:

-Each blue line is a different class.

-LE means Lecture, this will generally be either 3x a week for 50 min, or 2x a week for an hour 20 min.

-Most classes will have listings underneath a class that say DI (discussion section) or maybe LA (lab).

-Discussion sections meet once a week and are lead by a TA and labs can meet two or three times a week. They offer different times, so you can pick whichever one you want. You'll actually enroll for a specific discussion section or lab that corresponds with that lecture.

On the very right, you'll see some numbers. The first column shows how many seats are currently available and the second column shows how many seats total are offered for that class. Each section will have about 20-30 spots open, giving you about 100-200, maybe even 300 students in your actual lecture. If that section is full, it'll say Full Waitlist (#). That number shows how many people are on the waitlist. Listed under discussion sections is FI which means final. That's the day your final will take place on. After FI, there should be another blue line, which means it's a different class.

Important: the 6 digit number to the left of LE/DI/LA is the section ID number. You'll need that number to actually enroll in the class. And to the very very far right, there's a little red book. If you click on that, it'll tell you what books you need for the class.

NOTE: for most biology classes, you actually just enroll in the lecture (that's the only section ID available) and you pick your discussion section once you're actually in class.

3. I recommend picking a few different discussion sections per lecture that could fit into your schedule. There is a nifty tool called Class Planner (also located on Tritonlink) that allows you to make a schedule and see it laid out on a planner. You can't actually enroll via Class Planner though.

4. Your counselor will give you class titles, like HIUS 131, BIMM 100, or CHEM 140A. If you want to find specifically these classes, you can. Go back to Schedule of Classes, and pick "by code(s)" Here you can enter multiple class titles in various departments and you'll get all those search results on the same page.

5. Once you have picked which classes you want to take and have all your section IDs written down, head on over to WebReg. Pick which term (Fall 10, Undergraduate) and click submit. You'll be taken to a new page.

-Under the "Add a Class" section, go to "Section ID" and type in the section ID for the class you want. Then click "Add A New Class." You'll be taken to a page that will give you the class detail, and here you can pick if you want to take the class for a letter grade or pass/no pass. (Note: You can take 25% of your classes pass/no pass and you usually cannot take major classes pass/no pass.) If everything looks good, click "Add." You'll be taken back to the main WebReg page, and now you'll have a class listed under "Enrolled Classes." Repeat as many times as you like!

Another note: Before the quarter actually starts, you can only register for 19.5 units (Most classes are 4 units). Once the quarter officially starts, you can register for more.

6. Also, in regards to waitlisting a class...if it's a large lecture hall class (like chem, bio, history, etc) of about 100-300 people, and you're 1-10 on the waitlist, you have a good chance of getting in. Definitely show up on the first day and the professor will generally make an announcement on how the waitlist generally moves for their class. But, if there is another section open at a not as desirable time, sign up for that instead of being waitlisted. It's important to get you enrolled in classes. If it's a small class, perhaps 15-20 people, and the waitlist is over 1 or 2, your chances of getting in is very low and then it's a judgment call on you. Sometimes even if you're first on the waitlist for a small class, you won't get in. It all depends on the class.

7. Once you're all registered, you can go to Classes/Waitlists (also on Tritonlink) and see your Weekly Planner, Final Planner, and even all your books for the quarter. Weekly Planner is a nice tool, you can add your work schedule and things like that too and print it out.

I hope that helps! It's not a difficult process, and once you do it a few times, it becomes second nature. You'll find even more shortcuts and tricks along the way, too.

Happy registering! Good luck!

Afshawn

My Favorites List

2010-08-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Things @ UCSD

by Matthew Mayeda, transfer orientation leader for group 12

FAVORITE NAP PLACE: Treehouse Lounge- this building is located on the second level of the

old student center. Besides being a place to use a computer and print

out documents, it is one of the best places on campus to take a quick

nap. It's quiet (not too many people know about it) and has big chairs and couches for your napping pleasure. The other lounges (which can be found here http://universitycenters.ucsd.edu/relax-lounges.php ) are good alternatives when the Treehouse Lounge is too far.

FAVORITE FOOD DEAL: Hare Krishna- for only only $4.00 you can

get yourself a HUGE plate of healthy vegetarian Indian food. Some people may think this doesn't sound filling, but once i ate so much for lunch i was full until breakfast the next day. If you are feeling particularly financially savvy, you can bring a large Tupperware container and fill it up for only $7.00 and still get your plate of food. There are long lines for this deal because it only happens on Wednesdays. If you want to read more about it, here's a yelp article: http://www.yelp.com/biz/hare-krishna-san-diego

FAVORITE WAY TO STUDY: Board Work-

the UCSD Libraries will check out white

board markers and erasers free of charge. A good way to study independently or in groups is to make outlines of class material or do practice problems on the board. Being able to stand up

while studying is a nice change of pace and it is a good way to not waste trees or money on paper. If I can not find a whiteboard, occasionally I will find an empty classroom (chalk is provided for all classrooms) and study in there.

FAVORITE LIBRARY: Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library -

right next to the beach and not crowded, every UCSD student should study here at least once before they graduate. Getting to the library may be a little tricky, but the adventure is worth while. A shuttle conviniently leaves from Peterson ever 15 or 30 minutes depending on the time.

Directions:

http://libraries.ucsd.edu/locations/sio/directions-to-scripps-library.html

Shuttle Schedule:

http://blink.ucsd.edu/facilities/transportation/shuttles/SIO.html

FAVORITE ACADEMIC HELP: Oasis-

located on the top floor of center hall, this free tutoring service moved my math grade from a C to an A. I have taken a total of 9 Oasis work shops, so I

can honestly say that their workshops really do help. They treat their tutors very well, so you get to learn from the brightest and best UCSD students. Quarter after quarter, I was continually impressed by my tutors that had nearly flawless GPA's, many extracurriculars, and could make even the hardest material make sense. Sign up quickly, as soon as school starts because spots for the workshops fill fast.

FAVORITE MAP OF UCSD: http://campusmap.michaelkelly.org/map.cgi

tells you pretty much the fastest way to get to places with a highlighted line.

FAVORITE UCSD WEBSITE: http://universitycenters.ucsd.edu/

Let's you know what time price center, the book store, and food places open and close. It also tells you what movies are playing in the price center theater and, when and where various events are happening on campus.

Hope you found this list useful and that you're having a great summer.

-Matt

art!Power--The Secret Side of UCSD

2010-08-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows UCSD--the high tech bio sciences, the military contracts, the acclaimed medical school, the groundbreaking research. But did you know that UCSD's department of Theatre and Dance is ranked 3rd in the nation? Or that a UCSD Visual Arts graduate student created a virtual reality room that linked her into Second Life and controlled her character using her actual body motions? Or that there is a dedicated space in the center of campus (called the Loft that functions as an art gallery and performance space for acts from cutting edge music to improv groups like the Upright Citizens brigade to indie film screenings and art discussions?

I certainly didn't when I applied to UCSD, and I came in as a Media major!

The arts are quite vivid and alive at our high tech science school. In fact, many projects created at UCSD employ the new techniques developed in our more well known departments to further push the boundaries of what one can do with an artistic mind. And once a year, during the Admit day festivities in May, the graduate students in our MFA program throw open the doors to their studios and allow the public to step into the middle of their work. This, the Open Studios presentation, is one of many opportunities you, as a UCSD student, will have to look into something that may be completely outside of your norm. The best part is, most of it is free or discounted for you. Along with the graduate work on campus, we are surrounded with student and professional art. Different rooms in Price Center East and West display student art year round (I actually had a gallery one quarter! Think of this opportunity for artists!), ranging from photography and paintings to digital projection work to 3d sculptural installations. The University Art Gallery located in Mandeville Hall in Muir College features shows from currently practicing artists year round and is free to visit for all UCSD students. Some of the best new artists in their fields visit UCSD to show their work here and often stay around to give talks about their work or their process.

If you're more interested in the performance side of the arts, have no fear. UCSD is outfitted with multiple performance spaces, including the more traditional, like Mandeville Auditorium (which we will probably be visiting during orientation!) and the Theodore and Adele Shank theatre, as well as the contemporary, like the Loft and Price Center courtyard. Furthermore, the theatre and dance department partners with the La Jolla Playhouse (located in Revelle!), which has premiered and featured some of the finest off-broadway shows of the last 60 years. Sticking to the advancement of student careers and projects, the theatre and dance department produces and puts on a show case of choreography and projects at least once a quarter, in which the graduate students and best of the undergraduates create, direct, and perform their works on full-fledged stage for the public. All of these theatre and dance opportunities are available to us at UCSD students for a highly discounted student price, which is awesome.

Last but certainly not least, I want to introduce you to UCSD's artpwr program. The ArtPower! group "engages diverse audiences through vibrant, challenging, multi-disciplinary performances by emerging and renowned international artists. Through extensive partnerships, ArtPower! provides exciting opportunities for research, participation, and creation of new work, igniting powerful dialogue between artists, students, scholars and the community. " Essentially, they bring high powered artists in the fields of music, dance, theatre, writing, film, and visual art to UCSD to perform and interact with students and the public through UCSD. Some of their upcoming shows include Steve Martin (yes, the actor and musician!), the Wonderland international contemporary dance festival, a student film festival, and multiple beautiful string quartets. If you're in mind to broaden your cultural horizons, you couldn't do much better than to pay close attention to the artpwr website, and keep up with their 2010-2011 season brochure.

With that, I leave you to your summer, be it full of the arts or expressly avoiding them. Just remember, regardless of what you plan to major in or surround yourself with in our fantastic San Diego school, the arts bring innovation and creative thinking. Engage and expand!

Love! Emma, Transfer Orientation Leader for GROUP Se7en!

The Quarter System

2010-08-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone =]

As many of you should have found out by now, UCSD runs of the quarter system and not on semesters like most other colleges and universities. The quarter system is very unique and is similar to the semester system but it goes by quicker. An academic year is broken up into 3 quarters: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Each quarter is a total of 10 weeks with an additional week for finals. Between the quarters you get a break. First comes winter break after Fall Quarter which is a total of 3 weeks. Then there is spring break after Winter Quarter but that is only a week long. After Spring Quarter there is summer break which is 3 months! However, some of you might decide to do summer school so your break will be shorter.

The quarter system affects how classes work at UCSD as well. Most classes are just one quarter but there are others that are divided into three quarters as part of a sequence. However, this doesn't mean you have to take the three classes in the same year. You can take the first class in the sequence during winter or spring quarter and not necessarily fall. Check with the department that is offering the class and you can see when it will be offered and plan out your next quarter/year.

Since each quarter is only 10 weeks, you definitely don't want to fall behind. Depending on the class, you will have one, two, or maybe even three midterms. Perhaps you won't have any midterms but will instead have papers or other assignments due throughout the quarter. Either way, you should keep up with your schoolwork since the quarter seems to go by pretty fast and by the time you decide to catch up it could be too late.

I'm sure grades are something very important to all of us. At UCSD you can take classes with the pass/no pass grading option instead of receiving a letter grade. This is helpful for classes you want to take but don't really want to put a lot of effort into. Unfortunately, all of the classes for your major must be taken for a letter grade. Also, if a class seems too hard or you just don't think you want to take it anymore, you have the option of dropping it. It can either be before the end of second week, fourth week, or ninth week. If you do it before second week, you can still add another class. However, after fourth week and ninth week you can only drop it. Dropping a class before fourth week is better since it won't show up on your transcript that you dropped it. If you drop a class after fourth week then it will show a "W" (withdrawal) on your transcript meaning the next time you take the class you can't drop it. Just keep in mind that ninth week is the absolute last time that you can drop a class.

Some important deadlines to keep in mind for each quarter are the following:
- Week 2: Deadline to add/enroll in classes
- Week 4: Deadline to change grading option or drop without a "W"
- Week 9: Deadline to drop without the penalty of an F grade

I hope this helps and I wish you all a great first quarter/year at UCSD!

- Jesus Romero
Warren College Transfer Orientation Leader (Group #16)

Greek Life at UCSD

2010-08-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

The classic debate in almost every college students head pro-Greek or anti-Greek? While there are a million stereotypes and endless reasons that people have for not joining the Greek system, I'm going to shed a little light on why it's a good idea and something that will help you to get the most of your experience here at UCSD.

Before I start trying to sell you on going Greek, I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself. I came to UCSD as a Freshman scared of sorority girls and not wanting to "pay for friends." I got involved with a Christian club on campus and made some of my best friends through an all girls freshman bible study, and I started working at a coffee shop in Warren (Earl's Place). I made a lot of really great friends through both of these worlds but as I was about to enter into my sophomore year, I found myself very curious about Greek life. When school started I decided to go through recruitment with an open mind and wanting to learn a little bit more about the whole system. For ladies formal recruitment is quite the process, it is a week long of "parties" where you basically go into different rooms for the different sororities, see each one and rank your top choices at the end of each day. For gentlemen rushing fraternities, the process is a lot less structured and you can basically choose which fraternities you want to learn more about by going out to their rush events and getting to know the guys.

Since I am a lady, I went through formal recruitment and thought that I would just drop out midway through because I still didn't see myself as a "sorority girl." I ended up continuing to get called back each night and having to choose my top house on the last night, and its been a decision I haven't regretted for one moment.

Being Greek is a lot more than the parties, the money, and the social status that everyone automatically associates it with. First off, I have never felt like I've paid for my friends. Paying your dues is basically the only way for an organization like a fraternity or sorority to function, since they are non-profit organizations. Basically you pay for everything you'll be getting and doing up front. For instance sorority formals, cost thousands of dollars to reserve venues, transportation and catering. In order to have that money to plan such an event the organization needs to have that money in advance. So now that you know you wont actually be paying for friends here's what you are getting when you join the Greek system:

- An automatic support system. When you come to college or any new place where you don't know many people it is nice to have a group of people you know you can count on. Whether that be for a study buddy, someone to explore campus with, or someone to go out with on the weekends. Your sorority sisters and fraternity brothers will always be that for you.

- Alumni networking. Fraternities and sororities have been around for so many years that there are large alumni groups for each organization in San Diego. Being a part of a Greek Chapter gives you a group of people who have graduated and are working in their career fields whom you can ask advice, or seek help in finding internships or jobs.

- A smaller world. UCSD is a huge university, the 6 college system helps to make it feel a bit smaller, but the Greek system can make it feel like a home. At such a large university it is nice to see familiar faces as you walk to class, or know that if you stop by Price Center during lunch you are sure to run into a friend that wants to get lunch at that same time.

- Endless leadership experience. Fraternities and sororities are completely student run organizations, some chapters are over 100 members in size which makes being a part of leadership that much more rewarding and valuable. There are positions that organize events, philanthropies, keep track of chapter finances, assist with academic excellence, educate the chapter on the fraternities history, correspondence with alumni, and the list goes on and on.

These things are only the main points and the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the positive things the Greek system has to offer. I'm not trying to get you all to join because it isn't for everyone, but I am asking you to give it a try if any of these things have sounded interesting at all. I am the perfect example of someone who never thought she would be a "sorority girl" and now I'm the current President of my chapter, Kappa Kappa Gamma. Looking back on my four years at UCSD and the things I've learned, most of my practical knowledge and leadership skills have come from being a part of a sorority. I couldn't imagine what college would have been without this experience, and I am excited to continue to be involved with my sorority as an alum for the rest of my life.

For more information about going Greek here are the Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council websites:

Ladies: http://panhellenicucsd.org/home

Gentlemen: http://www.ifcucsd.org/index.php

I hope this has been helpful to anyone that was curious, and sparked interest in some of you that hadn't thought about it before. I could probably go for days, but I wont for obvious reasons. Feel free to message me on Facebook if you have any questions and I'd be happy to talk with you on an individual basis and direct you to others than can answer any questions I can't. I'll be seeing you all soon in the Fall, but have a great summer until then :)

Stacey Hunsucker
Transfer OL

HI!!!!!

2010-07-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!!

CONGRATS on getting into UCSD!!!! I hope you all are really excited to start school here in the fall but i hope youre even more excited to attend orientation and meet the greatest people on campus.... the ORIENTATION LEADERS!!! =] lol

I dont really know what to write that someone else already has written so i do apologize if i talk about something again. umm i guess ill just give some advice that I wish someone would have told me when I was coming here or advice i was given and i wish i took or just some random advice i have haha.... and i guess this applies to campus and around SD

1. meet ur professors and go to office hours. they love when students come in so go in. theyre really helpful and you tend to do better in your classes
2. stay on top of your classes. 10 weeks goes by faster than you think. its like you blink and its already midterms then you take a second to breathe and its finals.
3. use OASIS tutoring for help in classes. they are located on the top floor of center hall. oh and did i mention its FREE?!?!
3. SMILE!!!! =D
4. join a club or organization that you like and stick with it.
5. meet as many people as you can.
6. try new things. SD offers tons of activities you can participate in that are fun
7. try new food places!!! so many good places to eat!!!! lol find all the local secrets!
8. enjoy the sun and the beach... and maybe even even learn how to surf
9. talk to a school counselor regularly to make sure ur on schedule to graduate and u have all the requirements to apply to whatever u want to do after ur an undergrad
10. buy and wear a UCSD sweatshirt =] show some school SPIRIT!!!!
11. make good choices

but most importantly ENJOY THE TIME YOU HAVE HERE!!

hope everyone is having an amazing summer and see you in the FALL!!!!

Tricia =]

Transportation in sunny San Diego

2010-07-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I hope your summers are going along wonderfully.

Your first year at UCSD is sure to be one of excitement and great experiences, and A LOT of learning in all aspects. Here are a few tips to start off your year:

*I’m a native San Diegan, and I can testify that San Diego weather, as advertised, is pretty great. The consistent weather makes this place like paradise. When the heat comes though, be sure you are ready with your shades and summer attire. Sunscreen is a very good idea :) UCSD’s location is quite identical to the beach, so it’s a good idea to protect your skin from the same rays that burn you at the shore (even when it is overcast...the marine layer will not stop the burn if you burn easily)!

(<---See how close?! It’s really easy to get there, so definitely take advantage of UCSD’s proximity to La Jolla Shores)

*Transportation is definitely something to explore when at UCSD. Between parking and bus routes there are plenty of ways to get on and off campus.

PARKING: Parking on campus can be a little crazy, but completely do-able. One of the main parking lots, Hopkins, has about 3-4 floors of parking, but they go fast! Give up your parking spot and try to come back past 10 a.m. and it’s likely most of the spots will be snatched up. BUT, there are plenty of spaces around campus to park, so there’s no need to stress. Half of them you can find from just going to class. The lot behind the Warren dorms, the Pangea parking structure, and the far corner of Revelle are just a few of the on-campus sites. You can view all the spots on campus through the Maplink tool here.

I have found that a great place to park (especially if you commute every day) is lots 702 through 705. They are farther from campus, but if you take the campus shuttle, it drops you right by the Price Center (at the heart of campus). It is very convenient.

Look at your different options for parking passes. You can get Lot Specific passes that allows you to only park in one certain lot and it can save you some money! P.S. When you put the pass on your mirror or window, MAKE 100% sure it is visible (be sure it cannot fall off or behind anything in your car) or you will get fined!

BUS: There are several bus routes if you are coming in from off campus. Many students use the bus and love its convenience and the money it saves! You can look at bus routes here. The Blink website has great resources for all kinds of transportation, and can give you many options to get on campus.

ZIPCARS: Another way to get around town is through the Zipcars. You can join the Zipcar program and take the cars off campus to run errands or to simply tool around town. You can rent them hourly or daily and their rates include gas and insurance. You can reserve them online or over the phone, then you hold your “Zipcard” to the window of the car you reserved. Then it unlocks the car and it’s yours until the end of your reservation! It’s so easy! This program is definitely an option to look into when looking at your transportation options.

*With all these ways to get around, don’t forget to explore La Jolla and San Diego. The bus can take you not only to school, but to endless places in San Diego County. Explore downtown La Jolla with its amazing restaurants (the Burger Lounge has supplied me with many meals, and there are some GREAT sushi places as well). Continue your exploration into downtown, Balboa Park (the Zoo is a must see), and east county. Your time will be filled with school, but when you have time free from responsibility, treat yourself to a good dinner and see the sights. I’ve lived in San Diego my entire life and I still play the tourist on weekends!

Happy travels and see you in the fall!

Lauren Smyle :)
Transfer Orientation Group #20

Secrets of San Diego

2010-07-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello all!
I just want to take a minute to congratulate all of you on getting into UCSD and for choosing Warren College! You are all in for some new experiences, wonderful memories, and everlasting friendship :D

It may seem a bit awkward since you’re not a “freshman”, but you’re also not “in the know” like returning students, either. It may take a bit of extra effort on your part, but taking the efforts will definitely be worth the time! Here are a few tips:

1. Join a club! There are so many sports clubs, art clubs, religious clubs, heritage clubs and MORE that UCSD has to offer. It may also help to know that some students who have been on campus join campus clubs AFTER their first year, so you may not be the only upper-class student new to the organization.
2. Seize social opportunities. PARTICIPATE in the transfer group orientation. There you’ll meet other transfer students and returning UCSD students who can be your potential friends that you'll cherish forever <3
3. Reach out! I heard of a story of one student who put Smarties and Hershey’s Kisses on her residence hall door and invited others to help themselves and leave a message (including their room number so she could visit them back). Cute isn't it?

And if you ever get tired of dining hall food (It's kind of hard not too) here is a secret place that not many people know about. It's hidden in the heart of San Diego and when you find it, it's always a surprise! (Kind of like finding wild pokemon in the grass...) Anyhoo! Have you ever wanted to be WILD, SPONTANEOUS, AND CRAZYYY?!? Then you should try out Tiloli's Crazee Burger! They have burgers that you can't find anywhere else. They have crocodile, ostrich, kangaroo, wild boar, and more! I personally have tried the crocodile and ostrich. Pretty interesting, if you ask me(as compared to McDonald's or Burgerking). You can check out the menu here. The downside is that it may be a little but pricey but I say its well worth it. Where else can you find exotic burgers like these??

Stay fresh and have fun :)

Victoria Ha (V-ha)
Transfer OL Group #18

for this upcoming year....

2010-07-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

As a native San Diegan, meaning I never leave San Diego other than to travel and visit friends elsewhere, I get to enjoy San Diego year round! Granted, we could use some hotter weather here :)

Here are some things I'm looking forward to during my last year as a Warren College Student!

Orientation - I'm extremely excited to welcome all the incoming students to an amazing college and university! There's so much that UCSD has to offer and nothing excites me more than to share my passion of being a Warren College student :D Orientation is a great bonding experience and a chance to get all your questions answered. I really enjoyed getting to know all the new students last year and can't wait to meet everyone this year!

Unolympics - The first competition between the six colleges! Each college learns a dance and performs it at the Unolympics. There are also relay races. The dance is judged by a panel and the winner receives the Golden Shoe trophy, and bragging rights for the year. It's a terrific chance to come out and show off your Warren College pride!

Classes - I'm looking forward to my classes this year since I'm mostly done with my major (Biochemistry and Cell Biology) and am taking a lot of biology electives. This means I can choose what topics I want to focus on and learn more about. The upper division classes are a lot more specific and focused than the lower div classes, and there are plenty of interesting professors who know a lot about their area of expertise. I've also been working in a neurology/geriatrics lab at the med school for the past 2 years and hope to be included in a published paper by the end of the year. There are plenty of labs on campus and at the med school and hospitals nearby to get experience and volunteer.

WCSC - Warren College Student Council is the student government specifically for Warren College. I am currently the Commuter-at-Large Representative and am in process of thinking of goals and things I want to do this year to improve commuter life at UCSD! WCSC has been my family for the past 2 years and I'm excited to see everyone again and see what is in store for this year :) We work to improve student life at Warren and UCSD and do our best to address the concerns of our constituents. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact us! We put on a lot of different events during the year, including a winter wonderland festival, plenty of socials to get to know other members of Warren College, open mic nights, fundraisers for our scholarship fund, and a semiformal at the end of the year. I will also be serving on WTCC (Warren Transfer and Commuter Commission) so hit me up with any and all your questions/concerns!

Spirit Night - Right when we come back from Winter Break, spirit season is in full swing! We have some great sport teams at UCSD, like our water polo, volleyball and basketball teams. During the first couple weeks of Winter Quarter, attendance to specific basketball games racks up points for the college. During Spirit Night, a home basketball game, everyone is dressed up with as much pride as possible. The gym is all decked out for the game. Each college is also required to decorate their college and the decorations are judged. At Spirit Night, all the points from the different categories are added up and a Spirit Night Winner is declared. We missed winning by just a bit last year and so we're ready to rally and come back bolder and setting the standards higher this year in order to win! COWS! (Commission of Warren Spirit) is in charge of all Spirit Night operations so if you're interested, you should join and check it out :)

Living off campus - As much as I loved living on campus, I also really love living off campus. I feel much more responsible for myself, having to pay bills/rent, learning how to cook, etc. I am being very spoiled right now living back at home for the summer haha Since most students choose to live off campus, many of the surrounding apartment complexes are full of college students so its still fairly easy to visit friends :) I do kinda missing living at my apartment and being on my own and being with my apartmentmates.

Circle K - Circle K is a community service organization under Kiwanis. It's the org I decided to join my sophomore year and really love. Clubs are a great way to meet new people and also find those people who have the same passions as you do. There are plenty of clubs on campus and easy ways to find them. Most clubs will be passing out flyers on Library Walk (next to Price Center leading to Giesel Library) during the first couple weeks of school so you should go around and see what you like. Most clubs/orgs hold their meetings in the evening so find out when they meet and where. This is a great way to find your "place" here at UCSD :)

This is just a few of the major things I'm looking forward to this year and I hope you are too! :) Can't wait to meet you all!

-- Diana Lui

Transfer Orientation Leader - Group 2

Food, glorious food

2010-07-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

I transferred to UCSD from a community college with what we’ll politely call a severe lack of cuisine choices. Hopping in the car meant an epic battle for a parking spot once you returned, and nothing else was close enough to grab a bite between classes; thus, we were limited to the janky Jack-in-the-Box a block from campus, or the “aww, how cute, it’s trying” cafeteria located in the center of school. This was like deciding between death from a firing squad or from a speeding train, and so more often than not I wound up with a bag of chips and a soda (and a midsection that reflected those decisions).

Imagine my amazement and wonder, then, when I set foot on UCSD for the very first time and basked in the cornucopia at my fingertips. A Subway, at my school! Indian food, a full market, a Panda Express - I’d really love to tell you that besides the whole world-renowned education thing, the wide variety of food options had absolutely no bearing on my decision to attend, but I’d be lying through chopstick-chomping teeth.

As the fall quarter sped on I miraculously lost weight, thanks to my newly-active lifestyle (more on that later), but I kept an appreciation of eating well at school and a comprehensive list of the best places to grab a bite, which I’ll now share. (Note: I'm a vegetarian, and some of you might be too, so I'll try to point out meatless options where I can.)

Price Center is the most popular and well-known dining establishment on campus – it was likely your first campus destination during Admit Day, and houses the most "corporate" food vendors. Burger King (24-hours most days), Subway, Rubio’s, Panda Express, Tacone, Bombay Coast, Santorini’s, Croutons, Round Table, Tapioca Express, Shogun, and Yogurt World all call it home, and they’re all delicious - but you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t check out the other fantastic options tucked away throughout our lovely school.

(Of special note in Price Center is the Sunshine Market - it's pretty much a 7/11, with friendlier staff and quicker service. I especially love grabbing some inari [sweet tofu with rice], a bottle of tea and maybe a snack from their formidable selection.)

The most popular alternative for students looking to “buck the trend” of big-brand eateries would probably be the Co-Op. Co-op is short for cooperative, which means that the establishment is wholly owned and operated by its patrons - in this case, the student body. Both food-based co-ops (the first is simply known as “the Co-Op”, and the second is the Che Café) serve up fresh, hot, delicious and nutritious vegetarian and vegan food at highly competitive prices. They’re not just environmentally-conscious eateries, but vibrant communities with a lively stream of regulars.

Adjacent to the Co-Op, in the Old Student Center (our name for the Student Center after Price Center opened up) is Hi-Thai, completely delicious and filling. It also has an attached study lounge. I recommend the pad Thai with a nice cup of boba tea to wash it down.

The lucky transfer students living in the Village will get to know this very soon, but for the rest of us: don’t avoid the dining halls! Contrary to high-school cafeteria stigma, the several school-operated eateries peppered throughout campus offer an amazing variety of high-quality food that puts most UCs – and many restaurants- to shame. With recurring themes like Meatless Mondays and individual perks like a sushi station (Café Ventanas), better-than-Chipotle burritos (Goody’s), a frozen yogurt stand (Ocean View Terrace), rotisserie chicken (Plaza), a steady stream of pizza (Foodworx) and the best breakfast sandwiches in the world (Warren’s own Canyon Vista), you’ll never grow hungry – or, more importantly, bored.

Did you know that UCSD has its own performance lounge? The Loft, a hip and trendy nightclub/venue that features many up-and-coming artists is known as Zanzibar Café by day, where it serves classy-but-affordable fare like sandwiches, burgers, Italian sodas and great little meals like gourmet mac ‘n cheese or vegetarian chili with cornbread (for only $5!)

After you head into ERC to watch the Tritons kick butt at RIMAC Stadium, don’t forget to stop at Home Plate, a sports bar-themed grill offering sandwiches, burgers and salads – I’ve heard the seared tuna is especially delicious.

Speaking of bars – and this is going out to the over-21 folks only here – Porter’s Pub is surprisingly legit for being an on-campus watering hole. The wide variety of beer on tap and the very decent food draws you in; the concert stage, karaoke, trivia, and open mic nights get you to stay. Tell Steffan, the owner, that Adam Powers sent you – either good things or bad will happen at that point, depending on whether or not I’ve paid my tab that week.

If you’re a java hound, you’ll be relieved to know that you’re rarely more than a few steps away from a cup of coffee. There are independently-operated carts scattered around the colleges, the Bookstore has Perks, Price Center has Espresso Roma and the Sunshine Market, each of the dining halls serves it… but the best, passionately assured by my friends, lies at Art of Espresso, a permanently-stationed cart on the other side of Mandeville Hall (at the Nobel/Arriba shuttle stop). All of the above locations also serve tea, bagels, pastries, and a variety of other delicious things.

And then there are the off-campus options that are mere minutes away, and easily-accessible via shuttle so you don’t have to give up your parking spot: BJs, Islands, El Torito, Rock Bottom Brewery, TGIF, and more are practically at the tips of your toes.

And that’s all the food I’ve found so far - to reward you for getting to the end of this entry, I’ll let you in on a little secret that few know: Every Wednesday, a group of local monks come to school and set up shop in the Old Student Center (above the Co-Op), toting giant tubs filled with crazy delicious curry, rice, and assorted Indian food, most of it vegan and all of it incredible. For the price of a single meal anywhere else, they’ll permit you to fill up a Tupperware container and nosh for days. You’re welcome.

Now get out there and eat! – I mean, learn!

Adam Powers
Transfer Orientation Group #3

2010-07-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Congratulations on getting into UCSD it took a lot of hard work to get here....and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there's much more to come. College is a whole lot of fun!..... and so is studying in Geisel.... sometimes.

College is such an interesting time in life and UCSD provides an awesome experience. The big campus can be intimidating but it provides so many unique opportunities that you can find so many new environments to grow and explore your interests in. The most important thing about UCSD is to experience new things, and let yourself experience them. Don't get too wraped up in grades and homework and miss out on the rest of the UCSD experience. Take classes that interest you and seem challenging in the right ways. Don't just view college as something to check off of your list, see it is an experience that is going to guide you and define who you are for the rest of your life! Also do not be afraid to change, life and college is about growing and evolving.

Here are my top three things that I think every UCSD/Warren student should do:
1. spend time in Earl's (the place and market in Warren).... it has a good friendly environment and one of the best places to bring a date ;), take a romantic stroll down aisle 13b.
2. Spend time in geisel, it is fun and FUNctional... and I think it was used to represent a spaceship in some sci-fi thriller.
3. Smile at people, if you are nice to people 9 times out of 10 people will be nice back!

Looking forward to meeting you all!
-Jordan Dalton

So tell me, what do I do when I get to campus?

2010-07-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow Warren Students!

The big day is upon us. Excited? Well I sure hope so! You might be wondering “What on Earth am I going to do when I get to campus?” I’m here to answer that very question. Sure, you can sit at home, chill, and maybe watch some T.V. OR you can explore the campus and/or the San Diego area.

First on our list of fun stuff is (the reason to you picked UCSD-other than the amazing academics and wonderful people) THE BEACH. We have lots of beaches nearby seeing as we have a little place called the Pacific Ocean right next door. The closest and easily accessible beach is either La Jolla Shores or Blacks Beach. To get to La Jolla Shores you can either hop on the MTS 30 (S) Bus from Gilman St. However, if you are feeling adventurous you can walk by following this path highlighted in orange
to get to Blacks Beach follow the path in red (it's quiet the trek, so be warned)

both paths start from the main Library on campus (Geisel)

You can reach La Jolla Shores from Blacks, but you might get a little wet.

In addition to our fabulous beaches, we have. A movie theater on campus that plays movies for only $3, a little shopping area near campus (take the SUPER loop bus 201/202) that has a Ralphs, Trader Joes, and much more. There's always something to do on campus. If, by chance, you can't find something to do take a look at our Campus Organizations.

There's also the ENTIRE city of San Diego for you to explore. Some of the things to do in town: Laser Tag, Museum of Modern Art, Extraordinary Desserts (great place for dates =D), Little Italy, THE AIRPORT (just kidding), Balboa Park, Zoo (Lions and Tigers and Bears), Wild Animal Park (oh My!), Lego Land (a little kiddy, but always a classic), Sea World, and of course In-N-Out. The list goes on and on.

During your time at UCSD you won't be without things to do. In fact, you'll have so much to do you might have trouble finishing it all.

-Kunal Shah
Transfer Group #4

Getting Around UC San Diego!

2010-07-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

If you have visited campus, one thing that you might have noticed is that in addition to being beautiful, UC San Diego is huge! So the big question is...how are you going to get around campus? There are many ways to get from place to place, and you will be able to find something that works for you.

First of all, you can walk from class to class. I have walked to classes 99% of the time and it has worked very well for me. You can make it from one side of main campus to the other in 20 or so minutes if you power walk (and not a whole lot longer if you walk at a more reasonable pace). For suggested routes from place to place, check out this map, which I have found to be quite handy and which my own Orientation Leader shared with me. As you become familiar with campus, you will discover many shortcuts and alternative routes that will shave off minutes in your commute. Walking is a good way to appreciate how gorgeous our campus is, so if you choose to get around via a different method, still try take a walk now and then. Also, if you have mobility issues, you can look into ADA transport, which will help you get around campus, free of charge.

If you are not as fond of walking as am I and would prefer to bike, you will find that you have a lot of company at UC San Diego! Bikes and bike racks are everywhere on campus, and we even have a bike shop located in the Old Student Services Center. Biking will significantly reduce travel time and can therefore be very handy when you have back-to-back classes. Be sure only to bike and secure bicycles in approved areas, and ALWAYS lock your bike, even if you are just leaving it for a minute! You do not want to receive a ticket, nor do you want your bike to be stolen or impounded.

In addition to bikes, many people choose to skateboard, or longboard in particular, and Razor scooters are also rather popular. These have an advantage over bikes in that you can take them right into class and spare yourself the time that it takes to lock up a bike. Every now and then you will even see someone on a powered scooter, a tandem bike, or a unicycle zipping around campus, so as you can see there are many ways for you to get around on wheels.

In addition to these methods of transportation, UC San Diego has a wonderful shuttle system that has stops at a variety of locations both on and off campus. The Campus Loop shuttle stops all over campus and has buses that run both clockwise and counterclockwise. Other shuttles include, but are NOT limited to, the SIO shuttle, which runs from upper campus to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the East/Regents shuttle, which transports you to several parking lots from Price Center, and the holiday airport shuttle (reserve in advance!). Be sure to visit the website for maps and details on these shuttles, and note that shuttle schedules may change on holidays. Also, if you frequent the shuttles, be sure to check out ucsdbus.com, which features both a live tracking map and a feature that tells you when each shuttle will arrive at the stop that you select. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, downloading the UC San Diego app will allow you to track the shuttles on the go.

Lastly, a discussion of transportation at UC San Diego would not be complete without mentioning the free UC San Diego Bus Zone! Once you go to the parking office and get a sticker for your ID card, just show your ID when you board the bus and you can ride these popular routes for free, courtesy of the university. If the Bus Zone will not get you where you need to be, there are many other methods of public transportation available; however, they are not free.

This ought to give you a good idea of how you can get around campus, yet I am sure that more options exist. Feel free to post a comment if you have any questions, or if you have more ideas for the best ways to get from place to place!

See you around campus!
Rachel
Transfer Orientation Group #5

Is This Professor Good?

2010-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

So, getting into college is one thing… but once you get here it’s a whole new ball game. Now instead of worrying if your SAT scores are high enough or your personal statement was personal enough, you are worried about your classes and which professors are the best. And since you are paying top dollar to be here, you should be taking the best classes from the best professors. But how can you tell from the class descriptions and a strange name alone, that you are making the right choice.

To be quite honest, this isn’t something that I personally worried about until I experienced what it was like to have a “bad” professor. On the positive side, the quarter system makes classes seem to go by very quickly. So if you find yourself sitting in a classroom when all you can think about is how horrible the professor or TA is, try to do the best you can, seek outside help from friends, on-campus tutoring programs (like OASIS), other TA’s and the 10 weeks will be over before you know it.

Now for those of you are already worried about getting the perfect professors, please understand that it is going to happen at some point… you will get a professor that might be incredibly brilliant, but have little to no skills in teaching to your learning style. My advice to you is this: find out what kind of learner you are and what kinds of things make a “good” professor in your mind. Do they read off power point presentations during class? Do they have students practice example problems during lecture? Does the teacher promote student involvement in class? Do they only talk for the class time without writing down a single note? These are the questions that are going to help you figure out the things that teachers do, that do and do not work for you and your learning style.

There are three main types of learning styles (auditory, visual, or haptic). Though you might fit into one of those styles perfectly, we each are different in the way we learn information. So if you were to ask me what classes I thought were good and which professors I recommend, I would be giving you that information based on my own learning style and what works well for me. That may or may not be the same things that work for you… Hopefully are you staring to understand how simply asking "is this professor good?” should turn into a lot more than a yes or no question. If someone does respond with a yes or no, it then becomes your responsibility to ask further questions to be sure that this person has a similar learning style to yours; otherwise their yes or no answer could lead you astray.

If you want to get accurate information and a recommendation worth following, you’ll need to do a little work yourself. First, find out what kind of learner you are and what works best for your learning style. Then when asking for recommendations instead of asking “is this professor good?” ask instead “what did you like or not like about this professor?” or “how does this professor lecture?” or “do they encourage class participation?” These questions should require a little more than a yes or no answer.

UCSD conducts surveys at the end of each quarter in every single class where students evaluate their course and the professor teaching the course, this is called CAPE (course and professor evaluations). You can access the CAPE for each class when you are looking at the schedule of classes or are registering on Tritonlink. There is a link for the CAPE results on the very right hand column, I believe next to the link you can click to see the text books required for the class.

From my experience I do much better with a human interaction experience. When talking with a fellow student it is a lot easier for me to tell what the teacher will be like and what the students thought of being in that class. You are able to ask any questions you want, helping you to understand if that professor’s style would work well with your learning style. This is also a great icebreaker to make friends in your classes. On the first day of the quarter (after your first quarter) it’s a good conversation starter to introduce yourself and ask if your neighbor has taken this professor before, and or what other classes they are taken or are currently taking. Don’t be scared to make friends in your classes, you’ll appreciate it when you’ve got a lot of insight on different professors and can make a much more informed decision when registering for classes the next time around!

Stacey H.
Transfer Orientation Leader

Welcome 2010 Transfer Students!

2010-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all of the new Warren College students! We are extremely glad that you are joining the Warren College community! The one-day Orientation session is scheduled for Monday, September 20th, be sure to check your UCSD e-mail account for information about enrollment, registration, and Orientation. There are other colleges with Orientation sessions on that Monday so if your Orientation doesn't say Warren College, it's not the best!

For more information and helpful resources visit the transfer Orientation website on the Warren College website, http://warren.ucsd.edu/ This website will provide you with a timeline of what to expect as you prepare to attend Warren College.

The staff and Orientation Leaders at Warren College are looking forward to seeing you at Orientation!

Carey
Carey O'Kelly, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
Warren College

Student Veterans

2010-05-13T11:45:00.001-07:00

Ahoy military members and veterans!
There are some differences between the modal undergraduate student and the current or former military member who attends an undergraduate program. The veteran is generally older, more likely to be married, and may have had some extremely dangerous experiences. Many military members are hesitant to reveal their military association. They are more likely to live off campus, low crawl toward the classroom, recon their classroom for IEDs, gather intell, and then do evasive maneuvers to clear the battle zone. Contact with others is limited.

Having spent 37 years in uniform, I have an understanding of this experience, and I don’t think that it is best for the veteran. Humans are social animals that do better physically and emotionally while in healthy relationships. I encourage you to search for healthy relationships.

One place to start your search is the UCSD Student Veteran Organization (http://studentvets.ucsd.edu/). Another rallying point could be the Veterans Support Group that I facilitate. This group helps one learn a variety of wellness enhancing skills while obtaining support from fellow veterans. Group meetings will occur at the most convenient time for those interested.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at jlsexton@ucsd.edu or phone at (858) 534-0251.
Please visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website http://caps.ucsd.edu/.

Semper fi,
John Sexton, Ph.D.,
Warren College Psychologist