University of California-Los Angeles Top Questions

My college experience furnished me with a strong grasp of the written word, an innovative approach to research and broad academic foundation. Beyond this, I made life long friends and truly enjoyed life. Not only did I learn at the feet of giants in their fields, but I was also given the opportunity to study abroad and learn about foreign cultures in the appropriate setting.

My parents and I had a large argument over what was apparently going to set the course for the rest of my life, specifically my major and college. My father is very traditionally Chinese, with a firm belief that everything should be as perfect as possible the first time you do so, otherwise you would ruin it completely. He wanted to ensure that my future was succesful, and while I'm thankful for that, the standards set were almost suffocating. I believe the one thing that I'm most grateful to college is proving, at least to myself, that I'm not in any way dooming myself if I want to pursue something I enjoy and keep myself open to new options. My parents never wanted me to close myself off to new experiences, but they wanted too much certainty. There are more classes, clubs, and activities in UCLA that I could have ever imagined. Rather than confine yourself to one road to a supposedly "succesful" future, and possibly burn yourself out in the process, I'm glad to have an environment with so much diversity and classmates all prusuing so many different dreams.

The biggest thing I have gotten out of my college experience so far is that I have really started to figure out who I am. I have been able to get out of my small city and meet new people, and decide what kind of person I am going to become. I have always loved learning and this school has provided me with the tools to figure out what I am really passionate about.

I have learned alot about psychology and it has been valuable to attend there because it helped me stay connected with a professor who had studied at UCLA and is now teaching at a university in Eng;land.

College experience gave me good sense of American Affluent class community and why American with affluent background are able to graduate in younger age and succeed in life over middle class. Financial aid is available to full time students and the middle class students to maintain high GPA has to study as well as work. I experienced the struggle of students who are middle or lower middle class. It was an eye opener of the myth of equal opportunity in academics, in the US. How they hard they have to work and study for successful academic outcome. From these struggling students I learned a lot what it takes to succeed in life for instance strong hope and desire to succeed.

I have become a better person socially, academically, and personally while attending UCLA. This university has challeneged me to work hard and set high goals for myself. Although difficult at times, I was able to overcome the obsticles that were set out for me and become independent in every aspect of life. I met amazing scholars and professionals as well as made lifelong friendships that have shaped me into who I am today. I believe that the UCLA community has been an amazing experience for me and has prepared me well for life after college. I was able to get involved in a variety of clubs and organizations while carrying on a very rigorous work load. While working in a Sports Medicine Internship for 3 years, I was able to gain the experience needed to continue on to my desired career goal. Without such opportunities, I would be much less sure of who I am and what I want to accomplish in life.

Only three weeks into my second quarter at UCLA, I feel that I've already had so many meaningful experiences essential to my growth as an individual. Being undeclared lets me explore a wide range of interests and discover things about myself along the way. I’ve learned that I can master whatever I set my mind to, no matter what the difficulty level. I found this evidence while dancing for VSU Modern and balancing my schoolwork with other responsibilities. By volunteering as a tutor and peer advisor at San Gabriel High School, I’ve realized that I enjoy contributing to another person’s success and helping others overall. I value all the friendships I’ve made; having people I care about to share my experiences have a significant impact on the way I perceive college life. Knowing that I have a network of friends to support me and that I will always have someone to turn to for help is important to continue to take risks to reach for goals. Little by little, I notice things about myself that I wouldn’t have known without my experiences at UCLA. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Attending college has taught me not only a lot about other people, but also about myself. I learned the importance of compromising and showing respect as I've lived with roommates for the first time. In addition to living with others, I've definitely grown into my own person and started to assert my own independence. From being responsible for my classes to making appointments to taking care of my body, my experience here at UCLA has really taught me the importance of taking initiative and making responsible decisions. No longer can I rely on the luxury of my mother taking care of things when they don't work out. It's truly been a rewarding experience so far, and I cannot imagine how much more I will mature over these four years. For the first time, I genuinely feel like I'm making something out of my life and I'm excited to see how much I can accomplish here.

Through my college experience the most significant thing that I have gained is the technical knowledge and hands on experience that I need to succeed in my chosen field. With technology ever evolving, the chance to learn at the forefront of the industry using the most current methods, is essential in order to stay ahead of the curve. My college education is providing the basis for my future success.

My commitment to social justice inspired me to partake in the Ethnocommunications program at UCLA. The program allowed me to create a documentary about my Thai community where I investigated human trafficking in Southern California. I met a Thai immigrant who was lured to America and deceived to work under inhumane conditions that forced her into slave labor. I wanted to share her story with the world because consuming products that are created in sweatshops continues to support and enforce human trafficking. My documentary informs the public not only about human trafficking, but also about the steps that people can take to fight against forced labor. When it premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, I was proud to provide another page to the history of the Thai community and bring awareness to such a global issue. This enlightening experience of creating the documentary was the highlight of my undergraduate career as it has shaped the person I am today. The privilege of attending college has given me the resources to use art as a vehicle to make histories of communities of color come alive to leave their imprint on not only me, but also the world.