The first year that students go to a university, they meet people and make connections on their respective campuses. Whether they come straight out of high school or transfer from a junior college, the environment of a new student has a huge impact on their social life.
As a transfer student, just about all my friends that I’ve made at UCLA are transfers as well. I’ve observed that transfer students mostly hang out with other transfers, and students that started here as freshmen do the same.
There is a social separation between transfers and students who came here right after high school. Transfers, for the most part, think that the freshmen must have been nerds in high school, and the four-year students think that the transfers are usually slackers.
There might be a little bit of truth in both, but that’s besides the point. When students first come here, they instantly connect with the people around them in their same situation. Despite this, all the students in their first year at UCLA have the opportunity to connect on campus to other individuals through student- and university-run organizations.
Last year, I came to this school after spending two years at a junior college. I moved into the dorms that were mostly occupied by transfers and therefore attended less than one-fourth of the scheduled floor events. Doors in my hall weren’t propped open, and no one knocked on the doors to see if we wanted to come over to play N64. Maybe we were social elitists, but I’m OK with that.
Students who spend their freshman and sophomore years at a university have two more years than transfers have to get to know their peers. It’s up to the transfers to make an effort to talk to people. Luckily, most of their classes are in their major so they can easily meet others with similar interests, but it’s always a little awkward.
While freshmen and sophomores are typically 18-20, transfers come in at all ages. It seems a little ridiculous when the 19-year-old RA is writing up a 23-year-old resident. Or when that 19-year-old is offering an appointment to advise them or offer some counsel.
“You know, if you’re having girl or boy problems and you need someone to talk to, or you just want to chat, I have snacks!”
No thanks.
Whether you’re a freshman or a transfer, there are plenty of ways to connect with similar individuals. For students who are undeclared or who are taking classes outside of their major, there are clubs and organizations for everyone.
The Wooden Center offers classes, or you can just go in to pump iron or whatever it is people do in there. Recreation trips are offered all over the place for those who enjoy taking nature hikes and eating bags of dehydrated food.
Others choose to rush a fraternity or a sorority. I still don’t really understand that.
There are plenty of ways to get involved on campus outside of academia. Students who go to class on campus and leave immediately after are truly missing out on some excellent opportunities to meet people and invest time in the things they’re most interested in.
The Happenings page on MyUCLA is an excellent resource to find out what’s going on. For example, it would be a crime to miss the LMFAO show at Bruin Bash, especially after they released the single “Shots” featuring Lil Jon. It’s a hilarious song, and the world is a better place because it exists. Without the Happenings Web site, I may have never gone to the screening of “Pirates 2″ or listened to Chuck Klosterman talk about his writing career. (If you don’t understand any of these references, start Googling.)
Whether you came to UCLA as the valedictorian, the captain of the volleyball team and the leader of an organization focusing on helping underprivileged children, or you dropped out of high school and attended junior college, we’re all given the same opportunities at UCLA. With a little effort, all of the students just coming into UCLA this fall can lead busy social lives and make fulfilling relationships with their peers.
E-mail Jagerman at njagerman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.