As cliche as it may sound, I have always wanted to go to UCLA. Sadly, I knew I did not have the grades for it when I was in high school. And it was depressing knowing everyone else was experiencing “normal” college lives while I was stuck at home going to community college. Everyone was growing and I wasn’t.
I did not want to become one of those community college students who never leaves. So when I started community college, my mantra was “Oohcla, Oohcla.” There was no other option. My fear of not getting into UCLA weighed on me.
De Anza College wasn’t all that bad. It was a great experience, and I learned a lot. It better prepared me for my dream school.
During my first year here at UCLA, I encountered so many amazing people. The doors of opportunity opened for me.
I saw former President Bill Clinton speak. I was so close to Sen. Barbara Boxer when she spoke at a conference I could touch her. And I even shook the hand of potential presidential candidate John Edwards at our very own Kerckhoff Hall.
This is pretty exciting for someone who is a political science student. This was all at UCLA. Did I mention that one of my professors was former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis? Now, how many people can say that?
Before I came to UCLA, I wondered if I was going to fit in. But after the first day, those fears were gone. I met all kinds of different people, and my roommate and suitemates were great. Living in the dorms was the best decision I ever made.
Also, the insecurity of not being up to par with other students disappeared as well. I always heard professors and people saying, “UCLA would not have accepted you if they didn’t think you could handle it.” That did not comfort me, because I assumed they told that to everyone to make them feel better about themselves.
I thought people would judge me for being a transfer student, but when I told people, nobody cared that I was a transfer. This was a relief to me, especially when I thought the people who got into UCLA as freshmen were superhuman.
I did not feel like I did not belong. It was actually the opposite. I have never felt more welcome, and I have never felt I fit in at a place so well.
That does not mean I am like everybody else and that is why I had a great transition. It is because I have learned at UCLA that there really is no norm. We are all different, and if I put in 100 percent, I will get something good back.
Opening yourself up to good opportunities will make a big difference. This year, I stepped out of my comfort zone of not ever dancing and completed the 26 hours of Dance Marathon.
I feel like I have a real place at UCLA. I can say this has been one of the best years I have had in a very long time. I have learned so much and met so many great individuals whom I know I will be friends with for a long time.
After this first year, I can be proud to say, “I am a UCLA Bruin,” and I can’t wait for next year.
Zaidi is a third-year political science student. She is spending her summer in Washington, D.C.