With all of UCLA’s perks, I’m sure I picked the right school

July 23, 2006

Dear family,

Don’t worry about me. The USC class is not extremely strenuous. I’ll be home soon and I’m having the time of my life here.

Love,

Adrienne

p.s. Born to be a Trojan!

Last April, I proved the postscript wrong. I turned down seven colleges for UCLA, including USC, even though my parents were Trojans.

Last spring break, I meant to visit my relatives in Northern California. But then I received the online UCLA acceptance letter and realized there was serious investigation to do. I had to narrow down my college choices and finalize my decision in less than a month.

After my final college visits to the rival schools, the first words out of my dad’s mouth when he picked me up at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were, “USC or UCLA?”

“UCLA,” I replied. “I think.”

During the last week of April, after more college visits and research, I finally confirmed UCLA. I was not entirely sure back then, but it was as simple as the Statement of Intent to Register. In addition, my dad did not allow me out of the computer room for dinner until I paid for the enrollment confirmation deposit.

I did not truly feel like a Bruin until the summer when I became more comfortable with the campus. This summer I created a college resume which includes my desire to participate in Bruin clubs and activities. I’ve been querying about student life through Facebook, e-mail, and multiple online forums. I’ve contacted the third best hospital in the nation for information about volunteer opportunities. And I know that they’ll be my safety net if I fall seriously ill.

I look forward to surrounding myself with intellectuals and friendly people from eclectic backgrounds. During freshman orientation, I was thrilled to have met a Turkish-Japanese American-born student, multiple half-Asians, and classmates from distinctive backgrounds.

One must be thinking “So what?” However, I am from suburban Minnesota, where nearly everything is white, including the people. This fall will include a drastic change of cultural setting. Although I will no longer feel comfortable to shout Cantonese slang or gossip in Spanish or scribble my lock combination in Chinese on the back of my bike locker, the amalgam of ethnicities will nourish my interest and curiosity.

When others believe that I’ll sink in a gigantic university, I disagree. Although this may sound cliche, one can create a community within a large student body if one contributes to campus life. There’s no doubt that I’ll try to participate in high school activities here, such as writing for a literary publication, volunteering for various organizations, and participating in sports. But now is the time to try new activities.

I will attempt to take subjects that I’ve never learned about and join clubs I’ve not known existed. With my new communities in and out of class, I look forward to working hard and playing hard.

By the way, if I’m stressed, I have a solution that worked for me in high school. I might rely on the boys here to cheer me up by taking a stroll down Bruin Walk, where hotties are known to be sighted all year round.

As I am writing from Minnesota anxiously waiting for move-in day, questions, statements, and worries create knots in my head. Did I pack too much winter clothing? Will other students enjoy my company? Will I like my classes and my professors? I may have to live off of coffee, but excessive caffeine is harmful. Perhaps I’ll stumble upon the random students I ate lunch with during my campus visit last spring. If I’m lucky, my attempt to form a new club at UCLA will succeed.

I am thrilled to officially be a Bruin soon. Although many are shocked that I did not choose USC, my former Bruin uncle will always support me if my mother ever tries to make me regret my choice again.

I know that I have made the right decision. After all, I never desired to leave UCLA during my visits, long before the admission letter arrived.

Law is a first-year physiological science student.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *