<p>Some pointers from a recent grad on what makes UCLA go from being a great school to "the most unbelievably fun experience ever."</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Now, some people think this is a bad attitude, or maybe self-limiting, but don't treat UCLA as a career center. In other words, don't go to school to be "pre-law" or "pre-med." You should be studying as an end unto itself. I cringe whenever I hear freshmen talk about their illustrious law careers in 4 or 5 years. Ladies and germs, you're all 17-19 years old. You don't know it yet, but not everyone is a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. There are lots of jobs out there that don't require graduate degrees and pay really well!</p></li>
<li><p>Oh yeah, live on-campus. Living at home is the most self-defeating experience in college. You basically don't get any of the intangible benefits of college if your parents are making your meals or paying your bills. Get out there and live!</p></li>
<li><p>Learn another language. What's the point of going to college if you don't bother learning another language? UCLA offers more languages than you even know exist. I was pretty tame (relatively speaking), and got my minor in Japanese, but there are a good two dozen languages offered. Imagine how cool it would be to be the only person in your family to speak fluent Korean? Or how about finally mastering Spanish? The sky's the limit.</p></li>
<li><p>Study abroad, or maybe even at UCDC. No, studying at Berkeley during the summer doesn't count. Spend a semester (preferably a year) abroad. Now, I'm a bit critical of studying in countries like England, Australia, and Canada. Why? You don't learn as much as if you study in Latin America or Asia or even Africa. But, if you really are a true anglophile, go have a blast in England. Just don't go to Canada, please. I love our neighbor up north, but the experience is so not worth leaving campus. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>By the way, on the subject of studying abroad...no, it's not more expensive unless you go to Japan. But, I went to Japan for free, so it can be done. EAP budgets to exactly the same as you would spend in Westwood, maybe less if you study in a country where the dollar goes far (that's not Japan.)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Get good grades, but don't stress out about A-s if it means missing the big event at your dorm. I promise you that ten years from now, you won't remember that test you took in physics, but you'll remember how fun homecoming was in 2005.</p></li>
<li><p>Forget you ever took the SAT. It never happened. I don't care if you got a 1600 or a 600, it never happened.</p></li>
<li><p>Nobody cares that you were valedictorian of your high school, that you got into Berkeley and Cornell (I'm guilty of this), or that you are a Regent's Scholar. It's completely useless information now.</p></li>
<li><p>You are an adult now, act like it. I will personally hunt down and smack any of you if you have/let your parents get involved with anything on-campus short of what goes on with FAO (Fin Aid Office.) I hated it when parents would call me at work and demand to know why their son's dorm room has a burned-out light bulb. What are you, 5?</p></li>
<li><p>Take the Big Blue Bus to places you didn't know existed. Go to Santa Monica and explore. Or take a trip to Venice. What's the point of being a few miles from the beach if you never set foot on it?</p></li>
<li><p>Get an internship at least once. Multiple times, preferably.</p></li>
<li><p>Be super duper careful with credit cards, but don't avoid them completely. Good credit is important today for getting good jobs in many cases, and no credit is worse than slightly blemished credit.</p></li>
<li><p>Listen to the seniors, they are wise in the ways of living at UCLA.</p></li>
<li><p>HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p></li>
</ul>