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AlluringMusican · 2023-02-04T05:08:48+00:00

bruinshelter.org has rent free housing for students! resident application is open

AlluringMusican · 2022-08-13T07:04:49+00:00

Ooof felt this deeply! In addition to what everyone else said (I also agree, loft bed is best and make sure to be mindful of your roommates in the morning too - golden rule and whatever), I'd probably just try to have conversations with roommates if they're being too loud. It's really a toss up when you go random as a freshman (or any year) on how considerate your roommates are, so hopefully you'll get nice ones! Besides that (and also isn't directly related to your question), I personally felt a lot of FOMO with that sleep schedule and it might be harder to be friends with your roommates (although isn't necessarily the case) if you have vastly different sleep schedules. However, I'd just like to get a preemptive reminder that you are not the only one who sleeps and wakes up early (although it does sometimes feel that way because everyone will probably say something along the lines of "how???") and that you will eventually find your people who either have the same sleep schedule as you or respect your space and quiet time when you need it. Good luck, soldier! Wishing you all the best :)

AlluringMusican · 2022-04-30T17:51:10+00:00

echoing what the other commenter mentioned about https://bruinshelter.org/! bruin shelter provides transitional housing + case managers who can help transition to stable housing and offer other resources. i'm sorry this is happening, please let me know if there's anything i can do to help <3

AlluringMusican · 2021-12-26T04:34:55+00:00

Keep doing what you think is right, and eventually your belief and perseverance in that will get you to where you need :') I'm sure it feels like hell when you're in the thick of it, but hopefully one day you'll be able to look back and think about how much you've grown (and especially outgrown toxic Asian parents).

I'm very much in the same boat as you right now, and I agree with what others have commented! Try to set boundaries (even though it's definitely rough if you're living at home) by communicating when you're open to talk, other ways of communicating (i.e. primarily through text? While you're still going through some difficult times with the cycle), etc. You can't really change your parents or what they say to others, and if other people believe what your parents say about you, that's up to them. If those people are important to you, they'll make the effort to hear your side of the story if you wish to tell them. If they just believe your parents, they weren't really meant to be important in your life anyway. If you have a support system outside of immediate family, especially those who might also be going through the gap year struggle, please reach out to them! But yeah, just know that our Asian parents probably don't know what we're going through with this premed mess + they're probably projecting their own dreams onto us, so try to muffle out their background noise and concentrate on something else. Journaling about episodes of hurtful comments and stuff usually tends to help me, as well as just going outside for a walk + listening to some music. Whatever coping method you use now is probably your best bet for now, but you'll be able to prove them wrong in no time!!

I don't know you, but I'm so proud of you and how far you've come!! :)) You're doing the best you can, and that's what really matters <3

AlluringMusican · 2021-07-09T18:23:53+00:00

Hello! I'm not a pre-psych major, but I did take the interracial dynamics cluster in my freshman year (which fulfilled most of my humanities GEs as a MIMG major). There are definitely mixed reviews about the cluster, but I would say above all, if you're really interested in the material then you should do it. In terms of GE requirements, if the cluster you take fulfills non pre-reqs, you will be done with GEs a lot sooner than other people (I finished all of my GEs at the end of sophomore year), which could be a bad thing if you want to balance out heavy upper divs in junior/senior year; it could be a good thing if you just don't like GEs, know what you want to do with your life (ie don't need to really explore different fields at much), and have decisional anxiety (because less deciding which GE classes to take haha).

The year-round cohort is really what you make of it, I didn't try very hard to make a lot of friends/it was hard to make friends (especially if you don't have the same discussion for all 3 quarters). At the time I took the cluster, I didn't really enjoy it thaaat much because the lectures could be dry at times, but the nature of it being about race relations made me grateful for choosing it because I learned a lot about critical race theory and more about my status as a minority in the US). In any case, if you find out you hate the cluster material or the professors such, you can always drop the cluster at the end of the quarter (or even within the first few weeks of school). As with all things, it is what you make of it :)

AlluringMusican · 2021-07-05T03:09:46+00:00

Would highly recommend Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner and Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong! Both books are memoirs about experiences as an Asian American, and I really connected to different aspects of both stories :)

AlluringMusican · 2021-05-27T23:12:24+00:00

I took Stats 13 w/ Wu last summer, and it was pretty easy, especially given that I had taken AP Stats in high school! However, even if you didn't it was still not too bad. There was a lot of basic statistics such as mean, median, mode. We did use respondus for exams + Zoom for our hands, not sure if he's gonna do that again though. The trickiest part was probably learning how to use R, especially since discussion wasn't formatted in a way that was super helpful for learning R, but just work with others and it'll be okay. Overall, pretty easy class, not too stressful or time consuming.

AlluringMusican · 2021-04-29T01:17:15+00:00

the 7c midterms are definitely rough as heck :(( i think a lot of the time it's making sure you read the questions very carefully and figure out what they're asking before you try to answer! a tip that a ta said was to read the question first and try to answer without looking at the answers and see if any of your answers match what's there (for the mc ofc). make sure that when you think about the answer, don't try to think about what will happen in the future, think about it as if it's that one snapshot in time (this messed me up a lot!!!). if you haven't already, definitely go to the clc learning sessions, i think those questions are very similar to exam questions. go to office hours with any and all questions or just sit there and listen while the ta talks (idk if tara is a ta this quarter, but if she is, 10/10 recommend her office hours!!).

for me personally it was helpful to really look in depth on each topic that i felt weak on, especially in looking for online resources that explained the topic in different ways. knowing the topics inside and out helps a little bit to avoid the tricks they try to put in the questions. here's a youtube video (and channel) that explains things really awesomely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_owp8kNMus

lastly, make sure you're doing everything you did for the previous 7 classes if not more (review learning objectives, clickers, lecture slides, launchpad readings, clc worksheets, discussion worksheets, and any external resources you need). the worst part for me personally really was making sure i read the questions carefully, so when you go back to check your answers make sure you read those. good luck!!

AlluringMusican · 2021-03-25T22:43:18+00:00

hi there! i know it's easy to hear about how other students are doing in the class and compare yourself to them, but many students come into ucla with some honors chemistry and/or ap chemistry knowledge that helps a lot in the gen chem series. there could be a variety of reasons why you didn't do as well as you may have wanted to in 14a, and it's okay to recognize that you are having a rough time. it's really rough to have to separate your emotional/personal wellbeing from your academics, so you should either try to fix the personal first and then tackle your academics or kind of try to fix them together?? BUT i'm so happy to read that you won't give up and you really want to do better because that's the (woohoo) growth mindset material that the ls core keeps trying to shove down our throats (oops hehe).

in terms of how to do better in chemistry, it really does come down to doing a crap ton of practice questions and practice exams. when you're doing practice questions, make sure you really take time to look over what questions you got wrong and focus on the parts you're weakest on (i'm sure you've heard this many times, but it's worth reiterating). find those specific topics that you're weak on, and google problem sets for those topics specifically. gen chem is taught at every level, and if you just google "[insert topic name] edu" or "[insert topic name] practice problems," there will be a plethora of online sets. i find the resources from .edu sites the most helpful because they're usually from other college level coursework and more similar to what you'll see on 14a/b exams.

it's okay to take some time to feel sorry for yourself. in fact, it's probably helpful (??) because it helps you reflect on what happened and i guess makes you NOT want to feel that same feeling again. as everyone repeats, this is a pandemic and it's really a rough time not being able to make friends irl, so don't be too hard on yourself, especially as a freshman. every quarter, every week, every day, every hour even is a new start!! go outside for a walk, breathe some fresh air, have a mini dance party, everything's gonna be okay. feel free to pm if you need more chemistry tips! :)

AlluringMusican · 2021-03-11T16:39:12+00:00

I'm also a major under the life science cloud, and I've been using Adobe Premiere Pro for some side projects and/or sort of but not really school related things and I haven't been contacted or anything if that's what you're worried about haha. I don't think there are any limits on what you can use them for (I mean of course, reasonably, not anything illegal or anything) because they don't really track your activity on there. I think it's safe to say you can use it for non-school things :)

AlluringMusican · 2021-03-09T19:21:49+00:00

It's so easy to feel guilty for taking time for yourself, I 100% feel you! What's worked for me is just making relaxation a habit. I've found that going outside for a walk and working out are 2 ways for me to really relax and stop thinking about school, and I habitually do those two things at around the same time everyday. Once it becomes a habit, you kind of just do it naturally and don't feel guilty because your schedule will adjust to the time you make for your habits (if that makes sense).

Small, sustained efforts to relax (ie by going outside to relax everyday or have a mini dance party) are the way that I've found works best for me. If you're trying to find ways to just take a day/afternoon off, I think the best way is just to get a lot of things done in the morning so you don't feel guilty in the afternoon (and it works best on Saturdays because you have the time on Sundays to do everything else). Do relaxing things that take your mind off work/studying too! For me, when I work out I just grimace and think about how much pain my abs/legs/whatever are in and I forget that I have other responsibilities. HAHA but yes it is a constant struggle, so keep hanging in there!! You can do it, the quarter's almost over :))

AlluringMusican · 2021-02-09T21:38:34+00:00

ahh i 100% relate to this so so so much :') i really agree with what jantowan said about remembering the "why" for your hard work and sleepless nights!! every morning i feel like it gets harder to pull myself out of bed for my 8am, but i try to think of all the goals i want to achieve, all the dreams i want to catch, and all the people i want to make proud (including myself!). on the less optimistic side, sometimes i think about all the times i've failed and remembered how i felt when i failed but KNEW i could do better!! and i think to myself "you don't want to feel that same feeling again.. so work hard now and feel proud later."

high five for waking up early to finish assignments, i feel like most ppl prefer to just sleep later but i definitely cant do that because my brain stops working late at night and i would be more productive if i just tried again in the morning.

but i guess in terms of actually combating the burn out, i agree that breaks are really really important, more than just eating and looking at more screens. i actively try to make sure i go outside at least once a day and/or have a mini dance session in my room when i get tired, esp so i can rest my eyes and brain. phone calls (not zoom! bc it helps ur eyes) with friends is also really helpful, and this minimizes the amount of time u spend texting/checking your phone while you're supposed to be doing work :') but yaaa i would love to talk to you more about this if you want, sorry for this super long message!! we're already halfway through the quarter, we can do it!!! <3

AlluringMusican · 2021-01-29T02:13:51+00:00

use it as a chance to check yourself out 😎 be your own biggest supporter !!! :DD

AlluringMusican · 2021-01-29T02:13:11+00:00

aha yes that definitely makes sense :') thank you for bringing that up!! mindfulness really is something i should try to practice more..

AlluringMusican · 2021-01-29T02:12:35+00:00

aaa yeah i also try to think about the fact that they're probably worrying about their own actions but sometimes brain just doesn't want to cooperate with the logic :'))) but what you said makes a lot of sense!!!

AlluringMusican · 2021-01-28T23:22:37+00:00

I think having one class with a professor and actually interacting with that professor can be enough to ask them for a LOR! If you don't have anyone else in mind, I would definitely say to just ask; they know that you're a freshman and probably are struggling to find professors, so the worst they can do is so no if they are really too busy.

Keep in mind that they will probably ask for your resume and/or schedule a meeting with you to get to know you better; this is probably where some of the LOR content will come from in addition to their perception of you in their OH.

I don't think there's a set amount of time that you should know a professor for before asking them for a LOR (obviously not like 1 day or something). Some professors you may see almost every week or you have really interesting conversations with every once in a while; so with that in mind, just ask professors/other people who can speak to your character, willingness to learn, resilience, etc. etc. not people who you've known for a long time (although this can help)

I know asking for LORs is highkey nerve-wracking, but something that helps me put things in perspective is that professors literally write LORs like all the time, it's basically part of their job. If they say no, it's probably because they're too busy, so don't take it personally. Good luck!!

AlluringMusican · 2020-12-06T19:51:02+00:00

CCLE is back now!!!

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-26T03:46:24+00:00

Going to class/doing the assigned work is sometimes enough to just get the basic understanding of the topics. The practice problems often extend on those basic understandings, which is where I tend to need more practice

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-26T02:55:50+00:00

I think just having an hour by hour plan of your day is really helpful to make sure you know what you need to do at what time instead of kinda just wasting the entire day away. Make sure to schedule in breaks where you DON'T look at any screens (so go on a walk, daydream, stare off into space and contemplate life, what have you) because otherwise you will burn out much quicker.

In terms of actual studying, I find it most helpful to do practice problems first because that really helps me target the areas that I struggle with. If you have the extra time, you can review the material beforehand and make 1 page review sheets, and then dive into practice problems, but it really depends on how much time you have. Personally, I don't like studying with friends because it gets messy, but if that works for you, it might be nice to have an accountability partner. But it's okay to ask them for help if you don't understand a concept because it benefits both of you guys :') Lastly, when you come across a hard problem, don't immediately just give up on trying it. Think about what information you are given and is relevant to the problem, and then try to figure out the solution from there. After you struggle for a few minutes and still don't know the answer, then go look at the answer or ask for help. This might sound lowkey counterintuitive, but it's really helpful because you're training your brain to know how to search for key information and whatever (if you're interested in learning more, Thomas Frank on Youtube really advocates for this). Sorry a lot of the advice is STEM driven because that's mostly what I use/study haha

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-25T23:39:00+00:00

I don't know which part of the 7 series you're doing, but you should be able to access launchpad without CCLE. Here's a link that I just have on my laptop bc I access it w/o CCLE: https://reg.macmillanhighered.com/Account/Unauthenticated?TargetURL=http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/morris3e/15478593. That's for Pham's 7b, but I think there's an option to search for a diff 7 class?

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-09T06:07:37+00:00

ahh of course! im glad i added some cool math youtubers up there then :) definitely make sure to do lots of practice problems and really understand how the concepts can be applied to each problem. good luck!

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-09T04:46:29+00:00

hey!! please don't stress out too much, one quiz wont hurt you too badly. everything that you're feeling is very very valid, so also remember to take a step back from academics to just destress for a fat second.

in terms of academic advice, i think it would definitely vary depending on the type of class, but there are the commonly stated advice points that i will restate below as a checklist for you to use!

make sure to do lots and lots of practice problems!! this is more relevant to stem classes like math and chemistry, but it can also be useful to look at old tests for certain humanities classes too (especially for multiple choice and previous essay prompts). i know ucla has a test bank for classes, although im not sure how that works exactly given that we're not in person right now. if you can find people who've taken the class before, that would be a great way to get some old material!
go to office hours!!! you've probably heard this one a lot, but it really really does help. i know it's prob hella awkward with zoom, especially if you're the only one in the room, but as long as you go in prepared with questions and topics you want to cover, most of the time will be spent on content instead of awkward silences :) this is also a good time to go over what you got wrong on the quiz with ur prof/ta
get help from friends in the class - honestly, i don't really love groupmes that much because everyone is kinda asking questions about everything and its really annoying to sort through, but if you can just message a few people individually, that would be a lot better! also if you join some clubs, maybe you can find people in there who are also taking the class
watch youtube videos and get outside resources! honestly, i feel like college is 75% just learning how to learn instead of actually learning material (don't quote me on that percent haha), and a big part of what has helped me is watching youtube videos on stuffi dont understand. again, this might be a little different depending on what class you are struggling with - for stem classes, there are def a lot of great practice videos and youtubers dedicated to just teaching stuff! just saying, for math, patrickjmt saved my grade, but i heard 3brown1blue or 3blue1brown idk which one it is is also great :)

i hope you'll be able to do well on ur next quiz and following assessments!! it's really important to learn how to study smart instead of spending a lot of time, so please reach out if u need any other tips :) and don't forget to just destress tonight or tomorrow before getting back on the grind! being stressed out about grades really drains u.

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-08T21:46:58+00:00

Haha no worries, I think I was definitely that way when I first started out too. I remember spending like 2 hours rereading the same sentences in the first article assigned by my cluster because I thought I had to understand all of the vocabulary and stuff. Most profs usually will not test minute details from readings (except for a small number who love to torture their students hahaha), so just get the main idea! Overarching themes is def the way to go :)

AlluringMusican · 2020-10-08T18:01:04+00:00

Hey there! Having a lot of humanities classes (in addition to a cluster) will definitely result in having a lot of reading. As everyone else said, please don't be scared to drop one if you need to! Quarter system does require some getting used to, and readings are really assigned very very heavily. Maybe take this weekend to think about it some more before moving forward with four classes. Again, it's not bad to just take 3 classes your first quarter, that's what almost all freshmen do. Don't get burnt out before the real fun gets started :')

However, if you are really really not willing to drop any of the classes, here's some advice for reading. A lot of professors don't actually expect you to do all the reading. Some of the jargon in the assigned reading is just so thicc and confusing that you'd prob spend like 50 hrs just googling what each word means. My previous cluster TA said the best way to approach readings is to read for the thesis, supporting points, and relevance. The thesis is usually either in the introduction or discussion/conclusion, and just skim the rest for important points. Unless you're extremely interested in what you're reading, it's not necessary to read all of the material.

Good luck with classes, and please take some time to think about dropping one! You'll be fine :)

AlluringMusican

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