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
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Step Two
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
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
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