Ask a current UCR freshman anything!

<p>It’s a good idea to plan out classes and understand the college requirements. It will help you feel more comfortable and will give you a head start towards understanding all the requirements.</p>

<p>I have a question for you regarding my financial aid for next year. So I finished my first year @ UCR and received a cumulative GPA of 1.933. I am currently on STD(Subject to Dismissal). Is it true that if a student does not receive at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of spring quarter of that year, their financial aid will be canceled? I am so scared that I won’t have any financial aid because I can’t afford the tuition and the housing! Neither can my parents. :(</p>

<p>Does UCR offer any online classes? If yes, how can I find these classes in the catalog?</p>

<p>no they dont hw is done online though</p>

<p>What are discussion classes like?</p>

<p>it varies.</p>

<ol>
<li>more lecturing</li>
<li>reteaching what the professor taught (in some cases, the TA does so well that you don’t even need to go to lecture to learn it)</li>
<li>a real class… assign readings (that aren’t necessarily needed for lecture)… then really discuss it in class</li>
</ol>

<p>attendance is really important for discussions. you can miss lecture, and the professor won’t know… but you SHOULD go to discussion because it’s usually 10% of your grade.</p>

<p>Discussions can be totally awesome or a total bore depending on your TA (this also applies to Lab, except you can go so far as to despise your TA)</p>

<p>One of my math TAs would normally give us exactly how to do the quiz questions (with slight modifications to numbers) before giving us the quiz,</p>

<p>another set up quizzes so that there was no way to get lower than 100% - you got credit for doing them, not how well you did</p>

<p>Although, I think most of the time my discussion TAs were pretty ok, just the lab TAs varied - one I had was really laid back and low key, was nice on grading. Another was sorta antisocial and a total a** on grading, everyone hated him lol</p>

<p>but for the most part, as far as grading goes the professors usually look at grades from each TA and weigh them - so that your TA’s (bad) tendencies won’t affect your grade too much</p>

<p>what are lab classes like?</p>

<p>Lab classes typically suck and are dreadful (few exceptions though: I loved many of my programming labs). But labs typically go like this:

  1. Spend time doing some pre-lab
  2. In lab quiz
  3. Stuck there for three hours doing some boring thing
  4. You leave and thank God it’s over</p>

<p>During my whole career at UCR, I pretty much dreaded my labs.</p>

<p>I’m only referring to Physics and Chemistry labs though…I’m sure labs vary based on the field.</p>

<p>^ ughh that sounds harsh… </p>

<p>haha anyways, I have a few more questions.</p>

<p>1) Are there a lot of internship opportunities offered at UCR?</p>

<p>2) Also, how many clubs do people usually join at UCR?</p>

<p>1) well depends on your major. I always get email regarding internships but upperclassmen take them </p>

<p>2) depends on your time</p>

<p>How much is a parking permit? And do a lot of people ride bikes at UCR, or do they just get stolen all the time?</p>

<p>Quite a few people ride bikes around UCR.</p>

<p>Riverside isn’t THAT ghetto, I think. At least… I haven’t heard about stolen bikes hahah</p>

<p>Actually i have a few more… lol sorry

  1. Is it be better to ride a bike or just walk to classrooms and dorms? isn’t it too hot to walk around riverside?
  2. Are there people walking to University Village and malls to watch movies and buy some stuff from Target? or do they usually drive there?</p>

<p>@Jason2009
do you think incoming freshman will have any chance to get an internship in their first year?</p>

<p>i really dont know. A hallmate of mine is doing research with faculty regarding malaria but other than that I have not heard much but its possible</p>

<p>A friend of mine said her mattress was sooooo uncomfortable that she had to buy a top layer for her mattress. Really??? </p>

<p>I can sleep on rocks if I have to but not for a whole school year! </p>

<p>I would like to hear your comments…</p>

<p>Do most students carry backpacks (ie: Jansport or Northface) or do some carry bags? What’s the most convenient one to use between the two?</p>

<p>Most students have backpacks. Like, a purse? Or like, a man bag? I don’t know. Can’t go wrong with a backpack though.</p>

<p>Personal preference. If you need to carry heavy things like books and laptops, then I would suggest a backpack. When I don’t have to carry that stuff, I bring a tote.</p>

<p>As for the bed thing… I don’t think it’s unbearable. Obviously, with a topper, it would be more comfortable. I would just suggest you to invest in one… it’s not too expensive. It’s just a little hard without it.</p>