Make the Most of it

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