Random Frosh Question & Answer Thread

Colleges & Universities University of California - Los Angeles
1

<p>I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where incoming freshman can ask questions and hopefully people who know the answers will grace us with their replies…</p>

<p>Just some random things:
-Where are the best cheap eats on campus/in Westwood?
-Where are the healthiest places to eat?
-Where do most people work out?
-Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?
-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?
-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?
-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc.)???</p>

2

<p>-Where are the best cheap eats on campus/in Westwood?
I’d say Buck Fifty and Roll Inn.</p>

<p>-Where are the healthiest places to eat?
Whole Foods? I don’t really know.</p>

<p>-Where do most people work out?
Wooden Center, it’s included in tuition so there’s no need to join another gym.</p>

<p>-Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?
I’d say most people walk to class, but a pretty good amount of people ride bikes, longboards, whatever.</p>

<p>-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?
Not really. I’ve used the bus more than most I think, but I really dread it.</p>

<p>-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?
I’m out of state too, but it’s really not a problem during normal weekends. There’s still a pretty good percentage of people still on campus.</p>

<p>-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc.)???
With how many people go to UCLA, you can’t really say what the majority tends to do, but if you wanted to do any of those things you mentioned, you could.</p>

3

<p>“Where do most people work out?” </p>

<p>The wooden center located on-campus. </p>

<p>“Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?”</p>

<p>Yes, walking is the most common. Westwood is close, campus is very hilly so it makes the most sense to just walk. However, a number of students do ride bikes. </p>

<p>“I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?”</p>

<p>Campus is definitely less active on weekends. However, there’s still a good number of people that stay around on-campus.</p>

4

<p>-Where are the best cheap eats on campus/in Westwood?
What Bill5 said, + Saks Teriyaki, BK, Mr. Noodle, Diddy Reise</p>

<p>-Where are the healthiest places to eat?
Your own refrigerator is the best option (pack your own healthy food). Or pay $4+ for people to make you a sandwich at Bombshelter. Or $5 for a salad minus dressing.</p>

<p>-Where do most people work out?
Wooden Center, or a local gym in Westwood (very few people do the latter).</p>

<p>-Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?
Bikes, scooters, mopeds, piggyback (rare), car, longboards, skateboards. Scooter is a nice option.</p>

<p>-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?
Somewhat. The Big Blue Bus doesn’t take students back to Ackerman past a certain time. So you will need to walk back from the edge of Westwood late at night if you go out.</p>

<p>-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?
Depends where you live. It’s quiet enough to do homework/study. I would guess than 40% stay on campus.</p>

<p>-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc.)???</p>

<p>Hang out with friends. Anything is a possibility except a vacation.</p>

5

<p>thanks so much for the answers.</p>

<p>does UCLA have a roommate questionnaire that students fill out ahead of time? god i hope so…</p>

6

<p>Where are the best cheap eats on campus/in Westwood?
In n Out, Buck Fifties,South Street
-Where are the healthiest places to eat?
-Where do most people work out?
Wooden
-Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?A hell of a lot of walking is the primary mode of transportation, up hill,down hill.
-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?
pretty goof but the UCLA shuttle doesn’t go up to Housing so it sucks.
-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?Not really too much.
-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc. yep.</p>

7

<p>“does UCLA have a roommate questionnaire that students fill out ahead of time? god i hope so…”</p>

<p>Yup. It’s all on the housing app.</p>

8

<p>How much time is spent outside of campus (as in experiencing the local area/vicinity)?</p>

<p>Do you ever get sick of cafeteria food? How often? </p>

<p>Do you recommend bringing a mode of transport? ex: bike, skateboard, longboard, ect.</p>

<p>What are some mistakes/ big no no’s that incoming freshmen’s usually make/do?</p>

9

<p>-How much time is spent outside of campus (as in experiencing the local area/vicinity)?</p>

<p>Entirely depends on how much time you want to spend studying. </p>

<p>-Do you ever get sick of cafeteria food? How often?</p>

<p>Yes. Pretty often if you’ve been there for three years. :-|</p>

<p>-Do you recommend bringing a mode of transport? ex: bike, skateboard, longboard, ect.</p>

<p>I don’t recommend it primarily b/c I’m fine with walking. BUT, many people do bring bikes, skateboards, longboards and etc b/c they’d prefer it. </p>

<p>-What are some mistakes/ big no no’s that incoming freshmen’s usually make/do?</p>

<p>I see so many girls wearing heels the first week of school. Heels + Lots of hills = BAD IDEA.</p>

10

<p>-Where are the best cheap eats on campus/in Westwood?
Diddy Riese for cookies and ice cream. If you’re looking for a healthier option for desserts, you can try PinkBerry. It costs about 4-5 bucks though for a regular sized yogurt with toppings. In-n-Out is just a short walk away. Oh and Tomodachi is overrated - you’ll learn about this place eventually. Also, the environment at Tomodachi sucks – if you want sushi badly, just order it to-go. </p>

<p>-Where are the healthiest places to eat?
Pinkberry! There’s a Jamba Juice on-campus fwiw. </p>

<p>-Where do most people work out?
The Wooden Center… which is on the way to the main part of campus. There is also a work-out center in De Neve Plaza (the closest dorm to campus). Also, there is a place called the Sunset Recreation Center that has tennis courts. There is also a pool near SRC. </p>

<p>-Is walking the primary mode of transportation or do many students have bikes?
Bikes are NOT a good idea! Too many hills!</p>

<p>-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?
It sucks. I hate it. Sometimes, it doesn’t even show up. Oh and if you plan a trip (<a href=“http://www.mta.org%5B/url%5D”>http://www.mta.org</a>) use two options as your starting point: your dorm’s location and also “Ackerman Terminal.” This might save you a transfer. </p>

<p>-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?
Yeah. It gets dead. I’m an OOSer as well. Don’t worry about fitting in either or making friends. You’ll be OK. </p>

<p>-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc.)???
Parties (frats) are on Thursday nights. You need a car to get to places (e.g. Pantages Theatre). <a href=“http://www.happenings.ucla.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://www.happenings.ucla.edu</a> gives you an idea of what’s going on-campus. Events are poorly advertised around campus so check on that website frequently! </p>

<p>-How much time is spent outside of campus (as in experiencing the local area/vicinity)?
-Do you ever get sick of cafeteria food? How often?
It was OK the first quarter… I don’t like most of the food anymore. I can handle pasta… actually, pasta and Mexican food is the only thing I eat now really… also omelets too. </p>

<p>-Do you recommend bringing a mode of transport? ex: bike, skateboard, longboard, ect.
If you really want to… it’s not totally necessary. It’s up to you. </p>

<p>What are some mistakes/ big no no’s that incoming freshmen’s usually make/do?
When you get your UCLA e-mail address, DO NOT FRIEND EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN YOUR CLASS OF 2011 FACEBOOK GROUP. Seriously, there was this guy with like 500 friends at one point. DON’T DO THIS TO YOURSELF. You will regret it. People will know you as that FACEBOOK-GUY-WITH-500MILLION-FRIENDS. You do not want this! Also, be careful with how you present yourself on Facebook. You have a clean slate right now - don’t sabotage yourself. Also, your orientation friends will most likely not be your friends freshman year - don’t worry so much about making as many friends as possible. Also, people tend to go to the same orientations and congregate in cliques. Don’t worry about them if you feel isolated. It’s OK. Don’t pay any attention to those kids who say they’re majoring in neuroscience, biz-econ, and are also pre-med at orientation. Don’t come in to your chemistry classes or any other class for that matter thinking you will ace it because you did well on the corresponding AP exam. You will be in for a shock. At the beginning of fall quarter, all of the newness will be fun and wonderful and exciting. People tend to get homesick when the midterms start settling in and a routine develops. Expect this and don’t be shocked. Also, for your math and science courses - there is help through Covel Tutorials. Come early when sign-ups begin!!! There is also help/tutoring for all courses through a program called AAP (if you’re qualified for it…). DO NOT HESITATE to ask for help!!! Sure, you might’ve been a superstar in high-school – things change. Also, you can get math tutoring in (oh forgot the building but check <a href=“http://www.math.ucla.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://www.math.ucla.edu</a> and you should be able to find it). You can also request appointments with your profs/TAs for extra tutoring hours or help/whatever - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. Also, don’t be afraid to shop around for TAs – some are just better than others. Go to different TA OH or discussion sections. Shop. Choose. Find out which OHs they have. Find out what time ALL OF THE OH for a particular class is available and maximize your opportunities for EXTRA HELP. Do this and you should be OK!!! … even if you went to a crappy high school (like me) and felt totally unprepared.</p>

11

<p>Some more additions to the already good answers… this should be saved so we’re not sounding like broken records later!</p>

<p>-Where are the healthiest places to eat?</p>

<p>There is a new “organic fresh” place in the student union that’s pretty good, and it’s very cheap. It’s called Greenhouse. It’s even cheaper than Panda and Rubios if you can believe it. What a deal. </p>

<p>-Is the bus service on campus/in the surrounding area good?</p>

<p>It’s good if you want to go to Santa Monica or West LA. That’s about it.</p>

<p>-I am from out of state…will the campus be dead on the weekends when many people go back home?</p>

<p>Many people go home, but many people stay too. There’s enough people where it doesn’t matter too much.</p>

<p>-What do people tend to do in LA on the weekends (parties, clubs, beach, shows, etc.)???</p>

<p>If you’re into frat parties you must be a certain type of female or join a frat, they are Thurs and Fri. Apartment parties can be anytime i suppose. Clubs are expensive but many young freshmen girls like hitting the gay clubs for dancing. Shows and beach not so much… mainly just hanging out likee anywhere else.</p>

<p>How much time is spent outside of campus (as in experiencing the local area/vicinity)?</p>

<p>Besides Westwood Village, it seems very little. The campus is a bubble.</p>

<p>Do you ever get sick of cafeteria food? How often? </p>

<p>YES. Everyday of anything, even home cooking, gets to you. And home cooking is 20x better than the food here. Still, it’s pretty good. Sometimes I just eat cereal and avoid everything.</p>

<p>What are some mistakes/ big no no’s that incoming freshmen’s usually make/do?</p>

<p>Don’t be premed.</p>

12

<p>OMG… Greenhouse is a disappointment. :frowning: I guess it’s better than Panda and Sbarro (which, by the way, had a cockroach incident). </p>

<p>Oh yes – everyone at UCLA will seem like they’re pre-med! Seriously, just about every bio-major you meet (at the very least) is PRE-MED! OMG… Don’t be surprised by this. Don’t be intimidated by this either. I think someone posted that UCLA has the most pre-meds applying in the nation. </p>

<p>Also, if you’re going to the first Orientation session (101), do not be surprised by the number of Pre-BizEcon majors you will meet. They tend to be really motivated to get their courses and so will choose the first o-session. Don’t worry about attending all of the workshops at Orientation either - you’ll be fine. Do Carpe Noctem at Orientation too. <a href=“http://www.orientation.ucla.edu%5B/url%5D”>http://www.orientation.ucla.edu</a> This will all make sense soon enough.</p>

13

<p>I have a bike, and I think the bus is great, since the alternative is, well, riding my bike in the mean streets of West LA. The bus can take you to Westside Pavilion (mall), 3rd Street Promenade (another mall), the beach, Target, Korea Town, etc. without transferring. Buses run pretty frequently, and you’ll usually never have to wait more than 20 min if you’re going at a decent hour. Some bus lines stop running to the Hilgard Station though after a certain time (10 I think) and will end at Ackerman (main bus terminal). I really don’t understand why the shuttles/public transportation don’t go to the dorms…I mean, that’s where a large % of the student body lives.</p>

14

<p>Granted, Greenhouse isn’t GOOD, but it’s the best at Ackerman for sure. And actually, the cheapest. I remember piling my plate high with “risotto” (which eerily resembled mash potatoes) and it was like $4</p>

15

<p>^ ditto to the frosh girls going to the gay clubs for dancing…
awesome times :D</p>

<p>as for mistakes… don’t go to orientation with NO idea what you want to take. look at the course catalog online, peruse different majors, look at the GE’s you need, see what looks interesting and what doesn’t. have SOME idea what you want to take your first quarter, because the less time you spend at orientation figuring it out (it will affect you through december, after all), the less stressed you will be. put together some schedule options with the class planner link on your my.ucla. look at the ucla websites (ursa, my.ucla, housing, etc) to see how they work. they can be kinda overwhelming, but the more you’re familiar with them by your orientation, the easier things will be for you.
pay attention to dates/deadlines (housing, honors program, orientation signups) because no one is going to tap you on the shoulder to remind you, oh, you better sign up for orientation this week or you’ll be going to the last session xD
basically, be informed, and you’ll get the most out of orientation! and the more you get from orientation, the better prepared you’ll be for your first quarter.
information = power :)</p>

16

<p>Just some things that haven’t been mentioned yet…</p>

<p>There are limited workout equipment in some hall (and maybe plaza?) buildings.</p>

<p>Also, the best mode of transportation is walking, by far! It’s kind of pointless when you choose one of the many other options mentioned already and * still * have to walk partway. Bikes… well you’ll see people walking them up the hills or carrying it over stairs. As for scooters, well… let’s just hope that the wheel doesn’t get stuck in one of those drainage covers and you end up flying off of it. And skateboards are fine if you don’t mind ruining a pair of shoes. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>Oh and bring a laptop to orientation!! If I had not found the computers in Ackerman (which, by the way, have time limits and log-off on you at random incidents) I would’ve been dead and ended up as one of those girls who were crying at the end of the day who were so confused and overwhelmed. :(</p>

18

<p>You are right. It gets really stressful when you’re trying to compete for one of the computers in Covel and trying to figure out a schedule before they close. It’s best to have it alllll planned out alright. registrar.ucla.edu/schedule is your friend before orientation. :D</p>

19

<p>Wow…thanks so much for all of your answers. Orientation sounds a bit overwhelming now :-/</p>

<p>At about what time in September do most freshman get settled into their dorms (like how many weeks before class begins)?</p>

20

<p>“you’d better sign up for orientation this week or you’ll be going to the last session”</p>

<p>aren’t sign-ups in May?</p>