Andrew Chang recalls his first quarter at UCLA, new to the
school as a freshman and leaping into college life.
He said he remembers getting lost on campus, as well as frantic
attempts to cram his schedule into what little time he had. But
entering into the new year after having some time to adjust to
campus life, Chang said he is not worried about winter quarter.
Returning to UCLA this quarter, many freshmen said they have
become more acclimated to university life both in terms of their
academic and social lives.
Unlike when they came to UCLA for the first time, many students
said they now feel more comfortable in the college environment.
“The first week here was mind-blowing,” said Chang,
a first-year electrical engineering student.
But he now laughs and suggests it won’t be hard to get
back to work.
“I think I’ve changed a lot,” he said.
With UCLA’s freshman population of 4,981 students,
adjusting to college life can often be difficult at first.
Nicole Green, a psychologist at Student Psychological Services,
said that for students, adapting to an academic and social culture
entirely different from their high schools can be overwhelming.
Most students said they have experienced difficulties related to
the fast-paced lifestyle at UCLA.
Green said the most difficult adjustments are moving away from a
very structured family life to living in dorms where there is a
“24-hour existence.”
Additionally, Green said meeting the demands of university life
is a major source of freshman stress.
“A lot of students have trouble getting adjusted to a
totally new academic structure ten thousand times bigger than what
they’re used to,” Green said.
Some students seemed to agree with these sentiments, a
particular worry being academics.
“Everyone says that, but it’s true,” said Nina
Behdin, a first-year biology student.
Behdin added that one of her main worries for winter quarter was
“keeping up with the pace of the quarter system.”
Jonathan Bobrow, a residential assistant at Hedrick Summit, said
many freshman students had problems with “homesickness,
adjusting to schedules and getting into the swing of things”
earlier in the year.
However, he said he has not had to deal with these problems for
some time.
Green said students generally become integrated by the end of
fall quarter.
Students said that in the process of having to deal with their
new lifestyle, they have become more mature.
“I think I’ve learned from the mistakes I made in
the first quarter and I’ve become more responsible,”
said David Lo, a first-year neuroscience student.
Students also noted that they were becoming more tolerant
because they were constantly being forced into close contact with
other students.
“There were some “˜space issues’ at first
because I was living with two other people in a small room,”
said Stephanie Hawkins, a first-year undeclared student.
“But I think that experience has definitely made me more
tolerant and accommodating,” she said.