Former Alumni Tips - Frugal living and life tips in surviving on Campus

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Irvine
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Some advice for Future and Current UCI students:

[Frugal Living]:

  1. Save your money if you want to stay on campus like Camino Del Sol or Vista Del Sol, the school life isn't that great, everything closes at 9pm and boring, the buses are nice but sometimes very inconvenient and packed; especially at nights. If you live 50 miles or less from UCI; just commute from home (saves tons of money and fraction of cost in gas compare to spending $9,900 a year for a individual room). If you still want to live there despite the cost (great amenities though), bring your own router and set it up for the whole roommates that are staying there or work out who will (at least in my case). Don't pay for the housing parking; don't bring a car and live on campus; waste of money; choose one or the other (i.e. commute or live on campus).
  2. When your in school, always go to the UCI recreation center (the massive gym near the housing complexes); free for students, so start working out hard and try to maximize its use by going there nearly everyday for 2 hours; its worth it and way better than most paid gyms. Also there is two weight lifting rooms first floor, ALWAYS DO WEIGHTS! Guys + Girls; don't use treadmills; use the indoor track and run 12 laps (12 laps = 1 mile there) for Cardio then weights. There are basketball courts, indoor glass bocce courts, and a huge swimming pool. Also, use the showers; bring your own towels (+lock) to wipe yourself, the towels they give you might be clean but sometimes its dirty enough to see stains. After working out, drink your ON Whey protein in the Blender bottle. You will regret not using this facility to its potential at the end; so use it (especially if you live on campus and walking distance).
  3. If you get a parking violation; always appeal (One is free per quarter and if you have more in a given quarter, if your process gets through, they ask for half cost or complete removal of the ticket if time runs out in the process stage) Keep a eye on that.
  4. Always drive carefully around campus, especially ANYWHERE near the outside campus housing (Camino, Vista, etc.) Irvine cops are dicks, and will cite you for anything so small but price to pay is huge. For ex. there is a stop sign (when you go into the housing complex area; aside from the main road there). If you don't obey and just go, $1000 dollar ticket right there and separate fee for schooling if no points. The cops there will get a easy meal ticket waiting for you to make a simple mistake. Good Luck trying to appeal; not worth it and they show up to court. Also don't park in the wrong place or they tow your ass away near the housing campus.
  5. Avoid purchasing anything school related (that includes most books that are necessary, don't even rent or buy used); use your intuition knowledge and use google (rarely there are free ebooks); that's the purpose of going to university. If your professor wants you to have the book and checks you for having it everyday then buy the cheapest option. Trust me, bought two UCI t-shirts/hoodies, regretted every since. Also, don't buy or be enticed on any laptops, headphones, or any other electronic accessories there in the bookstore; it was designed to suck away your aid money or personal money away fast. If you want to buy a laptop (use ebay or amazon).
  6. Don't eat junk foods around there (Blaze pizza, taco bell, dell taco, in-n-out, etc.). Either go to Costco nearby Irvine and buy food that can last you weeks for a fraction of cost compare to junk food; plus they price their menu higher than any other counties. Heard they have a Chipotle there; go there if not too expensive (not everyday though). The only thing you should buy from Trader Joes, is the ready-to-made Salad option (its not bad) and Cheese puff snacks (there good); thats it, other than that everything is overpriced. (For ex. Buy Prego Sauce and Dry Pasta, rice, canned tuna/chicken, canned vegetables, and other staples). If you are going to the grocery route, only shop at Costco nearby (prices doesn't change despite counties) or shop at home. Again, Irvine is super expensive; even eating out.
  7. Avoid eating at school if you can (too overpriced), except $5 subway cardboards footlongs (cardboards meaning aspertine ingredients in subway). Best to pack your own lunch. Don't eat the Panda Express in the food courts, they put more MSG and fattening agents compared to other chains, i.e. if their shiny and glossy, you know its pumped with it. Costco Salads with Chicken cost way less than one small bowl of half+half panda express there. The school food buffet is okay but can be costly and wasteful for most students.
  8. Don't bother with Frats/Sorority, you pay more than you should, the networking for future jobs is based on how you perform and how likable you are in there. Just joining and partaking doesn't get you any benefit that you were seeking in the first place. Friends? mostly they are type B douches that doesn't give a s--t about anything but 'party'. Joining a Frat/Sorority does not necessarily give or 'refer' you a future job. Make friends in class and outside activities like Church or even clubs for that matter. However, if you are keen on joining a Frat/Sorority, they will approach you not you going to them. They only scout and recruit those who looks like they can be likable in their organization.

However, if you want to join it, go ahead but make sure you start paying your monthly dues which they use it to buy cheap alcohols for parties and the remainder of those funds left is used for their own discretion.

  1. USE YOUR UC SHIP TILL ITS GONE! CHIROPRACTOR, DENTIST, PHYSICAL EXAM, ETC. ITS FREE, FREE TOP MEDICAL CARE FROM BLUE CROSS ANTHEM! (Although, keep in mind that UC SHIP; the plan that you are in has a certain amount of money tied to the benefits received (amount I forgot) but there is a spending limit before the plan renews itself every September of the following year with renewed limit. So keep in mindful of that. But MANY STUDENT OVERLOOK THIS! (Even Alumni too). SO USE IT EVERY YEAR. Also, for emergencies and other matters do not go to Kaiser Permante, Blue Cross Anthem does not cover Kaiser Perm. (they might have changed, but its unlikely).
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[UCI Life tips]:

  1. ALWAYS STUDY AT THE SCIENCE LIBRARY, ONLY LIBRARY WORTHY OF USE PLUS IT'S NICE AS HECK and Always go 5th or 6th floor. Plus you can stay till midnight M-F I believe and eat your subway sandwiches without someone glaring at you. There are open tables on the second floor of the Social Ecology building. Not many students know there is study room there that you can use (always empty).
  2. Printing Cards, you always input your student ID number (no need to swipe it) on the screen, then swipe your printing card (there is a machine you can purchase for cards and can reload them). Many people are confused when using such a system.
  3. Always use RATEMYPROFESSOR.COM or other professor rating sites, save yourself from picking professors that will drag your GPA down; if you hear someone said to challenge yourself, tell them keep to themselves (challenge yourself when you start working in the real world; make your college life easier to bear). Also watch out for reviews that sounds like its written by a robot. They give false representation of that professor's true image. You will have to use your informed intuition on who is the best candidate. Also pick 'easy' classes (for each different majors).
  4. Intern if you can, fast, like UCI Medical center or job postings that are on Zotlink. Focus on your studies but at the same time, go to the Career center and let them help you find a intern position or part-time (if you don't get in, keep trying and trying till you come graduating).

-Studying abroad is great but rather Intern or finding a part-time job in a field that you want to be in and be able to find a career ‘easy’ after graduating compared to having nothing on your resume. Also if you are going to study abroad, make sure you understand the financial risk you will have to burden even though they might tell you that tuition is all paid for, the living expenses is the thing that will break you and this is only for a quarter or so.

START WORKING IF YOU CAN, BUILD YOUR RESUME (work experience will be a bit more crucial compare to education).

  1. Do Summer School if necessary like one class away from graduating. Otherwise, stay away (they cost close to $2-3 grand + for 4-8 units or one-two classes). If you are thinking of graduating early, there is no benefit but a negative cost to you. Plus, unless you got a job offer ready to go upon graduating early, then by all means, take summer classes; otherwise you set yourself for more financial problems
  2. Store your FAFSA money (if you get aid) and not use it, (use sparsely like $200-500 per quarter or if you can yearly) it will become very handy after graduating (i.e. times when you cannot find a job after graduating). You should not be taking out Student loans of any kind for a undergraduate degree! if you are, you need to rethink your financial situation and how much your parent's are making (if they make less than $22,000/year; you will get the maximum FAFSA aid which can equate to $2-3 grand per quarter on average). Student Loans should only be taken out for Graduate Studies tuition! no exceptions
  3. If you are in the technical majors, like Comp Sci, or Engineering or Business Admin stick out the best you can, GPA wise: I believe the least is 2.5 if I saw it correctly for each of that schools before getting kicked out. If you can maintain the minimum GPA just to stay in the school, that is good enough compare to switching it to a non-technical major. Don't double for any major, wasteful time and its the same thing as getting one major in the eyes of the employer but they will be a bit confused on what you specialized in (which could be bad). Stick to one major /and one minor and do well in that.
  4. Avoid using the Social Sciences bathrooms (near the ring; white building with a tiny shop on the outside). Trust me stay away and walk over to the Social Ecology building (right next to the SS building) and use the bathrooms there if you happen to be nearby.

If you have any school related questions or any general questions I can try to answer those with the best of my knowledge.

-Former Alumni a year ago