Campus Confidential
What do you wish you’d known before you entered UC?
We alert them to admission requirements, financial aid guidelines, test deadlines and more. But what would current UC undergraduates tell UC-bound students? Here’s a sampling:
Brian Baumgartner
UC San Diego junior, Mechanical Engineering major
I wish I’d known that I needed to apply directly to bioengineering if I wanted to be a part of that major. By the time I figured that out, I was already enrolled in the University as undeclared and could not declare bioengineering. But I’m happy that the mechanical engineering major worked out.
Shona “Robin” Saxon
UC Santa Barbara senior, Microbiology major
When I first started at UCSB I didn’t ask for help much because I didn’t think I would get much feedback. [But] most of the professors I’ve been in contact with have really gone out of their way to help me in ways that I didn’t even ask for. The most important thing is, you have to take the first step and search out help.
Nate Smith
UC Davis senior, History/ English major
I chose Davis for sports, as I was a recruited baseball player. Yet baseball didn’t work out, and the reason I came to Davis was gone. I was fortunate because I fell in love with the campus and it was a perfect fit. So my advice is not to make your decision based on one thing. Find many reasons to go to a school, and try to make sure those reasons aren’t conditional and that they won’t go away.
Sara Holderfield
UC Irvine senior, Social Ecology major
I wish someone had told me more about the Honors programs and the deadlines and prerequisites for classes that happen early in the junior year. As a transfer student, I did not have much time to get into the Honors program. Students need to know up front that it is an option and how to fulfill the requirements for their majors in time.
Sonja Diaz
UC Santa Cruz junior, Politics/ Latin American and Latino Studies major
I highly advise students to visit the campus, meet faculty at orientations and office hours, go to student resource centers, attend student events and really experience the campus and people on a personal level. Before and after entering a UC, try and connect with as many aspects of the campus as possible, so you can grow on a personal, social and, of course, academic level.
Juan Dominguez
UCLA senior, Sociology major
As a transfer, the thought of going to an institution that operated on the quarter system made me apprehensive because of the faster pace, more demanding work and large class sizes. What helped me transition to UCLA was the summer Academic Advancement Program, where I’ve learned new study techniques and time-management skills.
Dominique West
UC Berkeley graduate (2003), Social Welfare major
I’d emphasize the importance of networking, particularly with professors. I will be applying to graduate school in the near future and wish I had established solid relationships with professors. Now I’m scrambling to get academic letters of recommendation.
Amber Newell
UC Riverside senior, Biology major
I would have chosen to live on campus. Not only would I have built friendships, I also would have made important connections with fellow students within my area of study, and gained more chances for research positions and job opportunities.
| 
