Whenever I fly home for break, I spot a number of students wearing cozy college sweatshirts at the Los Angeles International Airport. Sporting their respective schools, they make me wonder how it would feel to attend another university.
This isn’t a case of “the grass is greener on the other side” because I bleed only blue and gold, but I am curious about the advantages of a multi-university education.
There are a myriad of universities in Los Angeles and in its vicinity, and each boasts its own specialties.
Imagine the possibilities if UCLA authorized students to enroll in classes at other campuses during the academic year, allowing them to take advantage of opportunities unavailable at UCLA.
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, merely a 20-minute drive from UCLA, specializes in fashion, interior design and the entertainment industries ““ subjects that UCLA cannot offer its students.
Enrolling in such classes can be especially complicated for someone who wishes to pursue a business-related profession in couture. Lacking familiarity with the logistics of the world of glamour makes getting involved a much more arduous task.
But with the ability to cross-register for classes, students can supplement their business backgrounds from UCLA with an erudition in vogue from FIDM, cultivating a multifaceted undergraduate experience.
And whereas UCLA is a very well-rounded university, the California Institute of Technology is leagues ahead of our university in science and technology. Both schools adhere to the quarter system, making concurrent enrollment a feasible option.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., has already set up similar exchanges with Harvard University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Wellesley College.
Such demarcations among the schools encourage diversification in terms of experiencing various instructional techniques and socializing with students from other academic institutions.
This would allow students to create an expansive network of contacts that includes faculty and friends from several universities ““ a definite pro in a society in which connections increasingly matter.
And while the students in Massachusetts brave public transportation among colleges to enjoy diverse curriculum, UCLA students, many of whom bring cars as upperclassmen, only need to hop into their automobiles. How convenient.
During the summer, University of California students can enroll themselves in all accredited four-year colleges.
However, students typically register for classes primarily in other UC campuses because of a guaranteed transfer of grades and credit.
Even so, undergraduate programs in the UCs do not particularly concentrate on a single area, missing the rationale behind simultaneous enrollment ““ reaping the benefits of studying a subject at a college that excels in that realm more than UCLA does.
Forever a Bruin, I proudly am and will always be a person of blue and gold. But cross-registering with a variety of schools in the L.A. area for a more diverse educational experience may result in more successful alumni, ultimately strengthening UCLA in the end.
See yourself setting foot on Trojan turf? E-mail Lee at jlee@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to opinion@media.ucla.edu.