Advice for an excited incoming freshman BRUIN! =]

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
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<p>@zzzboy : lol engineering premed? i think that was sarcastic? hahaha. wait .... bio-engineering? !? lol, but no, i hav little-to-no interest in bioengineering</p>

<p>@jeyday
i noticed the emphasis on OTHER in regards to your roomates... so another quick question (wow you might as well be my mentor/counselor for college now... lol jk)
Housing suggestions in regards to # of roomates and the residence halls, residential plazas, suites.
Meal plan Gold 19 vs Premier 19? (i eat alot, 7 days a week. but maybe the premier 14 would force me to watch my diet better? watching out for the infamous freshmen weight gain)
Okay in that case (toughing out the lower divison, grinding, stomach churning classes), i guess ill go with the lighter 14-3 to aim to becoming some sort of doctor :)</p>

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<p>@zzzz boy</p>

<p>how come dont do pre-med bioenginnering
thats what i was planning....</p>

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<p>Err where is this list of GEs thread hahah :P</p>

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<p>i'll read this thread completely next month~ heeh</p>

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<p>freshmen are usually put into triples. you'll be lucky if you get a double as a freshman. if you're more of a social person, and don't mind the community bathrooms and smaller rooms, choose a hall. plaza rooms have their own bathroom (or shared with room next door), they have bigger rooms, A/C, but are less social because people don't have to leave their rooms to go to the bathroom. for more housing info, this thread is REALLY good/detailed: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-los-angeles/341377-read-before-starting-new-housing-thread.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-los-angeles/341377-read-before-starting-new-housing-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>there's also info about the meal plans in that thread too, but generally, if you leave on the weekends get 11 or 14 regular, and depending on how often you eat, premier or not. premier users can swipe in more than once per meal period, and their meal count doesn't end per week, rather per quarter. i have 11 cub because i leave on weekends and that's about 2 meals a day for five days, which is good for me. 14 or 19 are good if you eat about 3 meals almost every day and stay weekends.</p>

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<p>engineering pre-med is not worth it at all. its just too difficult and time-consuming.</p>

<p>ok, the engineering majors might look slightly better, but if you take any hit in your gpa the benefit is lost. also, in the extra time you spend studying, you can easily do way more EC's.</p>

<p>but, if its what you like go ahead. if you can manage a 3.8/3.9 then damn i would be impressed and so would an adcom.</p>

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<p>I actually suggest taking most of your GEs first, especially since 80% of people here change their majors at least once; you don't want to start taking too many major-oriented classes, and then realize that that's not actually what you want to do. I'd do GEs your first quarter (check out Art and Architecture, or History of Rock and Roll for easy ones), and then after that if you want to seek out a few majors-classes, you should be good to go.</p>

<p>My list of "The Freshmen Five:"</p>

<p>1) Buy Den Tickets, and go to the games; even if you aren't a sports fan, everyone goes, so JUST DO IT! You'll end up liking them more than you thought, I guarantee it!</p>

<p>2) Go to the gym or run daily, starting Week 1. Everyone gains weight, and the food here is so good and so plentiful that the freshman 15 is pretty much guaranteed unless you really watch yourself. So just take 30-60 minutes and work out everyday! Plus, you really will feel refreshed and better when you're done. </p>

<p>3) Don't get over-anxious on classes. Don't overload your schedule your first quarter (take 15-16 units at the most), and don't be afraid to take some easier classes to ease your way in. </p>

<p>4) Do undie-run, go to BruinBash and participate in any $C/UCLA rivalry event possible (especially Blue and Gold Week events). Because 10 years from now, you won't remember what you read in that chem book, but you WILL remember the stuff traditions are made of.</p>

<p>5) Study Abroad. Even if it's just for a summer, study/intern/volunteer abroad. Not only does it look great on a resume, but it's just one of those experiences that you will someday regret if you pass it up.</p>

<p>And mostly, remember that this is UCLA...Champions Made Here!</p>

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<p>vc08: Is there a gym that students can access easily/freely at UCLA?</p>

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<p>@jeyday oooh yeah i shoulda found that thread earlier, it was very helpful. i think imma go with 14p. does upgrading or downgrading cost more if i find out that whatever plan i choose aint right for me?</p>

<p>@vc08
Wouldnt taking purely GEs help you NOT realize that the major you chose isnt the one for you, since you're not taking any classes oriented towards it? and wouldnt not taking major classes put you behind your classmates?
how much are den tickets? (men's bball!)
and lol, the chem i took 2 years ago in high school is already gone in my mind.. so the outlook of forgetting everything in 10 years aint an exageration ay!?</p>

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<p>Wow! THANKS SO MUCH you guys...so many helpful BRUINS! I am beginning to like this place already lol</p>

<p>Ok and I also got into UC Berkeley but after talking to some of my friends, I am not sure of which place to go now. UCLA was my dream school since I was a kid, but my ultimate goal is to become a doctor...so which would you guys suggest for me?</p>

<p>@ jeyday: Thanks so much, you are very helpful. Are you a Bruin sophomore? premed?</p>

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<p>competition is high at both schools, but i would say ucla has more opportunities. classes are easier too.</p>

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<p>
[Quote]
vc08: Is there a gym that students can access easily/freely at UCLA?

[/Quote]

Yup! Wooden Center is located right in the center of campus, across from the Bruin bear and Ackerman Union, in Bruin Plaza. Access to Wooden is free to students, and there are also classes (such as yoga, spinning, etc) you can take each quarter for $40 each quarter.
Welcome</a> to UCLA Recreation</p>

<p>
[Quote]
Wouldnt taking purely GEs help you NOT realize that the major you chose isnt the one for you, since you're not taking any classes oriented towards it? and wouldnt not taking major classes put you behind your classmates?
how much are den tickets? (men's bball!)

[/Quote]
Taking GEs allows you to get a better idea of what majors are out there. GEs also tend to be the most work (as in busy work), so it's best to get them out of the way early on. Many majors actually require certain pre-reqs that are also GEs (for example, Stats 10 is a pre-req for many social science majors such as global studies and political science, but also counts as a physical science GE). So if you compare which ones have cross-credit like that, then you should be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak--get GEs done, and figure out if you're interested in the basics of that major. </p>

<p>Here's the info on Den tickets: UCLA</a> OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE - Tickets
Note that basketball tickets are done through a lottery system, so many students do not end up with tickets for that. Some end up with only half the pac-10 season, and the lucky ones get full-season tickets. You should enter to be in the lottery though, and you will be reimbursed for whatever tickets you do not receive.</p>

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<p>Hey new freshies!</p>

<p>Get all your questions about UCLA/classes/dorms/financial aid/placement exams/ etc. answered during your Summer Orientation by professionals/trained UCLA Orientation Counselors (such as myself). We're going to go over EVERYTHING that you could possibly need to know, ok?</p>

<p>Don't panic yet. It's waaaay too early. :)</p>

<p>Sign ups begin soon, so keep an eye out! Go to: UCLA</a> Orientation Program for more information!</p>

<p>-LC Marie</p>

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<p>Derek: i think you can upgrade or downgrade at the beginning (or end) of a quarter... there are certain times though. they charge to upgrade or downgrade... someone should probably confirm this. but yes if you don't think a plan is right for you, you can definitely change.</p>

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<p>JinSoul: you're welcome! i'm a freshman... haha. but i've read enough CC threads to know a little more than the average freshman... and obviously attended for two quarters. i'm doing sciences but i'm not thinking of going to medical school... maybe somewhere in the health field (grad school) or some other health related field... but i'm pretty sure medicine isn't for me haha.</p>

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<p>For housing and food</p>

<p>Is it a quarterly payment? Or do we pay for dorms/food per year? I am thinking of dorming for just the first quarter (to get the experience) because my family is not that well off financially.</p>

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<p>housing contract i usually yearly, and you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or for the entire year (I believe). However, the contract lasts the duration of the year.</p>

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<p>housing contract i usually yearly, and you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or for the entire year (I believe). However, the contract lasts the duration of the year.</p>

<p>as for bioengineering pre-med, it's definitely very tough, but the ones who do it are top notch (I'm a bioengineer myself, not pre-med, but my colleagues are the best in the business).</p>

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<p>Okay. So is it impossible to just get room and board for just a quarter?</p>

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<p>Isn't it required for a freshman to dorm for the entire freshman year? Not sure though...</p>