Monday, December 9, 2013
5 Things to Know About the Transition from High School to College
Check out this really awesome article that I wish I'd seen before my Freshman year!
Monday, September 2, 2013
The Time is NOW!
This is a very inspirational video that my boyfriend sent to me. The time to think about and prepare for your future is now. Think about the path that you're on right now, and if you know it's time to change course then now is the time to do it instead of 15 years from now. Think about your career path AND the path of the relationship that you're in or want to be in. Hope this helps.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
One Month to Go
Well, it's that time of year again. The back to school commercials are starting to fill the TV screens, the radio ads, and yes, even your dreams if you're one of the highly unlucky few (like me). For UC students there is only a little more than a month left of this glorious freedom the system has dubbed "Summer Vacation". For me this means starting to get excited about moving into my new off-campus apartment with my wonderful friend Nancy (who I met through, surprise, surprise, PEP BAND!). We are also living with two other girls that we met last year who are quickly becoming very close friends of mine as well.
But what does this mean for you, the incoming freshman? It means that a whole new chapter of your life is about to begin. Scary? That's okay. It was for me and countless others before you as well. For most Freshman this means moving away from home for the first time and starting to learn about what it's like to live without your parents in the very next room at all times. For some this can come as a huge sigh of relief, but for others it comes and a huge shock to the system. For me, it was the latter.
I grew up as an only child in a very small community where everyone knew everyone. Moving to La Jolla and going to a school with 3 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES was a huge adjustment. All of a sudden I was a little fish in a big pond. Thankfully I had an amazing roommate who was there to help me through it. If you have the option, I highly recommend living on campus at least for your first year of college. You are close to all of your classes, you can get a real feel for the school, and it's a lot easier to make friends. Your hallmates will also become lifelong friends :). Plus there's no beating that 7am fire drill that happens at the beginning of every year! You may think that's sarcasm, but they hand out donuts after it's done! And they always buy too much; so if you stick around long enough you score a whole free box of Krispy Kreme donuts!! I'll wake up at 7am for that anyday :D.
Your Freshman year at college is one that you'll remember for the rest of your life, so why not make it count? Take that class that you're interested in, yet has NOTHING to do with your major. Talk to that cute boy or girl sitting next to you in Chem class (I did! He had a girlfriend... but I still got a great Chem Study Buddy out of it!). Go to the dance that the whole school is talking about. I highly recommend LGBT Non-Sexist dance. By far the greatest on-campus dance of my Freshman year.
The most important thing to remember is that college will be an amazing experience whether you stay at UCSD all four years or not. Enjoy this chapter of your life while it's at hand. I promise it's one you'll find yourself looking back on with fondness and nostalgia.
But what does this mean for you, the incoming freshman? It means that a whole new chapter of your life is about to begin. Scary? That's okay. It was for me and countless others before you as well. For most Freshman this means moving away from home for the first time and starting to learn about what it's like to live without your parents in the very next room at all times. For some this can come as a huge sigh of relief, but for others it comes and a huge shock to the system. For me, it was the latter.
I grew up as an only child in a very small community where everyone knew everyone. Moving to La Jolla and going to a school with 3 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES was a huge adjustment. All of a sudden I was a little fish in a big pond. Thankfully I had an amazing roommate who was there to help me through it. If you have the option, I highly recommend living on campus at least for your first year of college. You are close to all of your classes, you can get a real feel for the school, and it's a lot easier to make friends. Your hallmates will also become lifelong friends :). Plus there's no beating that 7am fire drill that happens at the beginning of every year! You may think that's sarcasm, but they hand out donuts after it's done! And they always buy too much; so if you stick around long enough you score a whole free box of Krispy Kreme donuts!! I'll wake up at 7am for that anyday :D.
Your Freshman year at college is one that you'll remember for the rest of your life, so why not make it count? Take that class that you're interested in, yet has NOTHING to do with your major. Talk to that cute boy or girl sitting next to you in Chem class (I did! He had a girlfriend... but I still got a great Chem Study Buddy out of it!). Go to the dance that the whole school is talking about. I highly recommend LGBT Non-Sexist dance. By far the greatest on-campus dance of my Freshman year.
The most important thing to remember is that college will be an amazing experience whether you stay at UCSD all four years or not. Enjoy this chapter of your life while it's at hand. I promise it's one you'll find yourself looking back on with fondness and nostalgia.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Spring 2013
Well it certainly has been a while since I've posted an update (Yeah try almost a whole year, Hannah!!), and for this I do apologize.
Anyway, I figured that it's time to get you all up to date! (If anyone is actually listening that is...)
It is currently April 10th, and I find myself 2 weeks into my 3rd and final quarter as a tiny freshman here on the BIG campus. It certainly has been a wild ride.
When coming into UCSD back in Fall 2012 I think that I made one of the best decisions I could have possibly made at the time... I got involved! I joined Pep Band right of the bat and found myself instantly surrounded by people who shared the same interests as I do. They all love to make music and just be silly! It was the perfect way to make new friends and I found myself saying hi to upperclassmen that I already knew of the first day of school!! How many other freshman can say that? Not many... So take some advice from someone who has been there before; join a club as soon as you find one that interests you. I know it's a little bit scary, but life starts at the end of your comfort zone.
As far as academics go, don't push yourself too hard in the first quarter. I took 17 units my first quarter and it bit me in the butt. College is a lot to adjust to (especially if you're coming from a high school that was on a semester system) and having a full plate is just not the way to start things off. 12-15 units is probably a nice way to start out. And if you're not accustomed to the quarter system, be forewarned that it goes by SUPER fast. There are 10 weeks of instruction and then the 11th week is your finals week. Somewhere in between those first 10 weeks you will also have anywhere from 1-2 midterms PER class. Some classes will also have weekly quizzes, but that's it! 11 weeks and just like that you're 1/3rd of the way done with a whole year.
I also learned (the hard way) that Winter quarter is the hardest quarter for freshman. Sure Fall is you're first quarter in a new place, away from home, and with new people, but UCSD is really great about filling it with all kinds of fun events for you to attend. They do a fantastic job of keeping your mind occupied and away from missing home, friends, family, and pets. However, after Winter break you're quickly thrown back into the system after spending 3 full weeks with loved ones, and those fun and mind occupying events at college have become few and far between. This is the quarter when the realization that you ARE away from home, you ARE in a new place, and you DO have an essay, science project, and oral presentation next week really hits home. That weight that was held at bay for so long during Fall quarter finally falls on your shoulders and it's REALLY scary at first (Again, take it from someone who knows). A really important thing to remember though is that everyone that's made this transition has gone through the same thing before. You are NOT alone. There are so many people that are willing to listen to you and help you through this if you let them. Also, Skype and care packages from home can be your saving grace (Thanks mom and dad <3 :) ).
After everything that I've been through this quarter I'm actually kind of sad to know that it's about to come to a close. I've made tons of friends, become sisters with my fabulous roommate (I love you, Sydney! <3), learned the value of a quick cat-nap between classes, and above all I've had fun. Sure there were some low points, but the bad was vastly dwarfed by the good :).
I know you're probably at least a little bit scared about college, but take comfort in the fact that so is everyone else. And yes, you WILL look like a total freshman on the first day with your class schedule in one hand and a campus map in the other, but that's okay! Ask anyone for directions and they will gladly help you out. Remember, they were a little lost freshman once too.
I'll be better about updating from now on, I promise. As always, feel free to comment or e-mail me with any questions that you may have :). I promise I don't bite :D.
Always,
Hannah Hosking
Anyway, I figured that it's time to get you all up to date! (If anyone is actually listening that is...)
It is currently April 10th, and I find myself 2 weeks into my 3rd and final quarter as a tiny freshman here on the BIG campus. It certainly has been a wild ride.
When coming into UCSD back in Fall 2012 I think that I made one of the best decisions I could have possibly made at the time... I got involved! I joined Pep Band right of the bat and found myself instantly surrounded by people who shared the same interests as I do. They all love to make music and just be silly! It was the perfect way to make new friends and I found myself saying hi to upperclassmen that I already knew of the first day of school!! How many other freshman can say that? Not many... So take some advice from someone who has been there before; join a club as soon as you find one that interests you. I know it's a little bit scary, but life starts at the end of your comfort zone.
As far as academics go, don't push yourself too hard in the first quarter. I took 17 units my first quarter and it bit me in the butt. College is a lot to adjust to (especially if you're coming from a high school that was on a semester system) and having a full plate is just not the way to start things off. 12-15 units is probably a nice way to start out. And if you're not accustomed to the quarter system, be forewarned that it goes by SUPER fast. There are 10 weeks of instruction and then the 11th week is your finals week. Somewhere in between those first 10 weeks you will also have anywhere from 1-2 midterms PER class. Some classes will also have weekly quizzes, but that's it! 11 weeks and just like that you're 1/3rd of the way done with a whole year.
I also learned (the hard way) that Winter quarter is the hardest quarter for freshman. Sure Fall is you're first quarter in a new place, away from home, and with new people, but UCSD is really great about filling it with all kinds of fun events for you to attend. They do a fantastic job of keeping your mind occupied and away from missing home, friends, family, and pets. However, after Winter break you're quickly thrown back into the system after spending 3 full weeks with loved ones, and those fun and mind occupying events at college have become few and far between. This is the quarter when the realization that you ARE away from home, you ARE in a new place, and you DO have an essay, science project, and oral presentation next week really hits home. That weight that was held at bay for so long during Fall quarter finally falls on your shoulders and it's REALLY scary at first (Again, take it from someone who knows). A really important thing to remember though is that everyone that's made this transition has gone through the same thing before. You are NOT alone. There are so many people that are willing to listen to you and help you through this if you let them. Also, Skype and care packages from home can be your saving grace (Thanks mom and dad <3 :) ).
After everything that I've been through this quarter I'm actually kind of sad to know that it's about to come to a close. I've made tons of friends, become sisters with my fabulous roommate (I love you, Sydney! <3), learned the value of a quick cat-nap between classes, and above all I've had fun. Sure there were some low points, but the bad was vastly dwarfed by the good :).
I know you're probably at least a little bit scared about college, but take comfort in the fact that so is everyone else. And yes, you WILL look like a total freshman on the first day with your class schedule in one hand and a campus map in the other, but that's okay! Ask anyone for directions and they will gladly help you out. Remember, they were a little lost freshman once too.
I'll be better about updating from now on, I promise. As always, feel free to comment or e-mail me with any questions that you may have :). I promise I don't bite :D.
Always,
Hannah Hosking
Sunday, June 3, 2012
My Major
I was just informed by UCSD that I have been moved from 2nd choice major (undeclared), into my first choice major, biology!! When I first applied, biology was considered an impacted major because so many people had applied for it and it was over flowing with requests. It looks like space as finally opened up and now I'M IN!! :)
So if you don't get into your first choice major for whatever reason, don't give up!! These things have a way of working themselves out in the end :)
So if you don't get into your first choice major for whatever reason, don't give up!! These things have a way of working themselves out in the end :)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
(A brief) About UCSD
Uc San Diego was founded in 1960 as a research institution. Over time, the small research institution bloomed into the thriving university it is today.
UCSD is divided into six colleges (Revelle, Warren, Marshal, Muir, Roosevelt, and Sixth) all operating together to form one university. Confusing? It was for me in the beginning too. Think of it like Hogwarts. Inside of Hogwarts, the students are divided into four different houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin), and all four houses together complete the school. When applying to UCSD, you will be required to rank these six colleges according to preference of attendance. If you don't know anything about them, don't worry. You'll be provided with brief over-view of each college before ranking them on a 1-6 scale. (1 being most desirable, and 6 being least desirable.) Or you can click here...
Each college at UCSD has a slightly different requirement of class. So, you have your general education requirements (the same for everyone), university requirements (also the same for everyone), and college requirements (specific to you and the other students in your assigned college). Check out the above link for more info.
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