Ask a Current Anteater!

<p>Hey everyone! I am a proud, 3rd year Anteater and I wanted to help out using my experience on campus. </p>

<p>Please let me know if you have any questions about UCI!
- I have lived in the residence halls, as well as on-campus apartments – specifically Mesa Court and Vista Del Campo Norte.
- I participate in multiple clubs/organizations and volunteering opportunities through the university.
- Academically, I have been involved with the School of Social Science and the School of Social Ecology.
- I am also employed by the university and love it. </p>

<p>Since I am from Northern California, I was skeptical about UCI when I was first deciding on where to go to college – but now I am proud to call it my home. There are a lot of hidden secrets about this wonderful university and I want to be able to share them with students who are interested in attending.
So any questions you have, ask away. ZOT!</p>

<p>When did you receive your financial aid money? do you receive the money before or after the fall quarter starts?</p>

<p>For me, financial aid gets dispersed before the Fall quarter starts, in plenty of time to pay tuition & fees. In my personal opinion, I would choose the option to have UCI take the tuition & fees out of the financial aid received just so I know I have that paid for.</p>

<p>1) I’m an incoming freshman trying to make a schedule. Should I take humcore or 39b? I know humcore knocks out 3 GEs but I honestly hate/suck at writing. Which would I be better off taking. Is writing 39 easier compared to humcore?</p>

<p>2) Mesa or Middle? (be as unbias as possible). is mesa too secluded from the campus? I want to be able to go to the gym and stuff like that and I like how it’s o ring road. But mesa offers the undeclared hall that I’m interested in staying in. any advise?</p>

<p>3) 100 or all access meal plan?</p>

<p>UCI has a reputation as a campus where everyone goes home on the weekends. Was that your experience?</p>

<p>1) The decision between Humcore & 39B/C is really up to you. If you are a Humanities major you have to take Humcore. I didn’t take it, but I know it has a combination of books and then essays. I took 39B & 39C and I really enjoyed it. Each class has themes. My 39B theme was ‘Strange Heroes’ and we read comic books, read Hunger Games and watched Batman to base our essays off of, it was really cool. However, 39C was a lot of research, it was a tough class, but I became a better writer after.
2) I am already bias to Mesa Court, but it depends on what your focus is. Mesa Court is a bit offset campus, and has a wider feel to it, but it also is known as being more sociable. Middle Earth has two food courts & is very cramped, but you can get out of bed & to class in a matter of 10 minutes. Additionally, they have a gym, which is difficult to get to if you are at Mesa because you have to go all the way to the ARC. If the only appealing part of Mesa Court is the Undecided/Undeclared hall, I would recommend Middle Earth because that just is a theme, it isn’t defining.
3) If you plan on going home on the weekends, 100. If not, do all access. When I came in I didn’t have that option & it would have been nice because I would run out of meals at the end of the quarter. All access, definitely.</p>

<p>UCI does that reputation, and that is hardly correct. My first year (and even my second) I went home twice. Granted, I live in Northern California and that is a lengthy drive, but Irvine became my home. Many of the Southern Californian students do go home a lot their freshman year because they miss home, and it is definitely a different experience living away from home, but as the students get acquainted with campus, they tend to stay on campus more and more.</p>

<p>So if I worked hard and did all the work on time in 39c would I be able to get an A, maybe a B? I’ve never been good at writing, is that something I should worry about?</p>

<p>Is there a shuttle that could get me from mesa to the gym? if so, how late does it run?</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>JArielle, thanks for helping out, very nice of you.</p>

<p>What is the best way to get from the airport to campus and vice versa? Since it is such a short ride, would taking a taxi be best? Do you know how much a taxi ride would cost?</p>

<p>Does UCI have online classes during the fall, winter, and spring? I saw only summer online classes.</p>

<p>What was your experience like at VDC Norte? What problems did you encounter?
What clubs/orgs/extracurriculars do you participate in?
I will be an incoming 3rd year transfer and am interested in joining a fraternity. Can you name some of the more social frats and give a short description of your opinion on the respective frats? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>collegeconfuse: As long as you work hard in all your classes you should be able to obtain a B. Keep in mind that a C is not the end of the world & it may happen while attending college.
Yes, shuttles are available. Monday-Thursday till 11, Friday till 7.</p>

<p>busymei: Taxis are generally what I do, it takes about $16.</p>

<p>superstudent: Yes, some (very rare math) classes are available during the year. However, generally most classes are on campus.</p>

<p>x1993x: In VDC Norte there were ants & the fire alarms sound often, but other than that, I enjoy it, the amenities are great. On campus I have two jobs through the campus, I am involved with Orgs through the Cross Cultural Center, attend conferences through ASUCI and do a lot of outreach & programming.
Being that I am not involved or a member of the sororities (or fraternities) on campus, I wouldn’t be able to give a description on what you would like. During the rushing season you’ll have an opportunity to communicate with all the fraternities to see what your best fit is.</p>

<p>I’m also living at VDCN this upcoming year and I’d like to know what sort of things you need to bring aside from the obvious things such as bedding. Im trying to make a list and im afraid of buying things ill end up wont Using. Thanks!</p>

<p>Hey! I’m an incoming freshmen, and I’m wondering if you have any fun classes or amazing teachers you would recommend! I’m a U/U but I’m interested in humanities!</p>

<p>Vcheng18 : Living in VDC Norte, it is just like an apartment, you’ll need groceries, cleaning supplies, silverware, etc. Everything that you absolutely need, you should bring. Don’t forget the toilet paper!</p>

<p>delete3x : I haven’t taken many classes in the humanities except for African American studies and writing classes. At the university you’ll find that certain professors teach the way that you like them to teach, so those will be the professors you prefer to spend most of your time with. I would also advise you to meet your professors, the more you get to know them, the more they know you, and thats a great thing!</p>

<p>Do you know anything about the Informatics major?</p>

<p>Do you know anything about the Campus Village apartments? I chose to live there for my first year, what can you tell me about them? Do the laundry facilities require payment to use every time?</p>

<p>Do you know of any additional resources around campus geared towards low income students? What benefits can I reap from UCI knowing that I don’t have any money attending such an expensive school?</p>

<p>Will using just a free PDF of a textbook get you by in class?</p>

<p>I’ve lived in CV, and yes the laundry costs money, there is a machine where you can buy a card with money on it to do laundry. The apartment setup is a bit more isolated than one of the dorms with many students living off the same hallway so you will need to work a little harder to get in touch with people. CV is mostly 2nd years and up, not a majority freshmen. </p>

<p>textbooks vary by class</p>