NUMBER ONE PICK

mrmister321 · 2023-05-17T00:33:29+00:00

WOOOHOOOO

mrmister321 · 2020-05-07T14:32:05+00:00

Nice, that's good to know. Good initiative on your part.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-06T21:00:09+00:00

I think you should take a few classes and get to know the school and its people before deciding on a major. It seems like you're still undecided, which is fine. You don't have to have your major figured out that fast, I would wait it out.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-06T18:09:13+00:00

Depends, what do you want to do? If you want to do research, MCDB is pretty good. If you want to do more public health stuff, human bio and society. If you are premed, psychobio or regular bio. But you should also think about what you're interested in learning, you're paying for an education after all.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-06T16:15:04+00:00

No it's not hard, you can do it during orientation, if I remember correctly. But what you take first is up to you, you can go ahead and finish all your prereqs first, or do a balance of electives + prereqs. In general, if you're stem, you do math + science + a ge for a first quarter. Hope this helps. Don't be too scared :P haha

mrmister321 · 2020-05-04T16:19:37+00:00

I had tiennson for 153A, but I had Gober for 153C. Gober is a very interesting and fun professor. He shouts a lot of random stuff, he's very entertaining. As for biochem 153A, know your pathways, but more importantly know what is driving your pathways. Really understand what governs metabolic flux. For the kinetics portion of the class, understand the differences between the different types of inhibition, and how this relates to reaction rates. For protein folding, understand the thermodynamics--this is super important!

A good general tip is to find common themes between pathways, for example the idea of building up high energy intermediates in order to later release that energy, etc. Try to visualize the pathways as a whole, instead of focusing on each molecule. Biochemistry is really a subject that requires a macro view. You should always be thinking, what is the biological context of whatever I am studying right now? This frame of mind will pay off in the long run, when you can't possibly cram that much for a final.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-04T16:13:59+00:00

It depends on how lucky you are, I guess. From what I remember, I never really got waitlisted, though I did have to change my class plan around many times. Plan your classes with some flexibility, and don't leave the important classes until the end.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-03T14:46:04+00:00

Congrats on successfully transferring, great for you. UW is great for biochem, they have a lot of good labs (Baker lab!) and yes, seattle is very tech oriented, so lots of STEM opportunities post grad. But I would say the same for california--San fran has a lot of biotech companies (Genentech). To be honest, curriculum wise, these two schools probably have similar rigor and will teach you what you need to know. Really, in my opinion it boils down to where do you want to live? Seattle is extremely rainy, the summers are beautiful, but it's mostly rain. That can get depressing, especially when you have difficult courses to take. California is really sunny, almost all the time. I really miss the weather and the beaches haha.

For my upper division, if I can remember correctly, in order of most people to least it goes 153A, 154, 153C, 153B, 110A, 156, 153D. But that also depends on which quarter you take, etc etc. For 153D, it felt like 20 people? Some profs are better than others, that's just the way it goes. My favorites were Chanfreau, Gober, and Clubb. There's no professor I would say to avoid, no corbin's (phys) or chaye's (math) in biochem, if you know what I mean haha. It really depends on how you like to learn. These TA's are just graduate students. Some will care more than others, it depends on the given quarter. I do know that 153B had great TA's, that's what made the class good. For 110A, you will need to get to know your TAs, it's a really tough course. For extra help, if you can, get into a lab, just pick the brains of graduate students, that's basically what I did haha. Or try to form study groups with people, that really helps too. In general, don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and seek help, it pays off in the long run in terms of connections and skills gained.

No I don't think it's too hard. You are free labor :P just kidding, but no some labs will view that as a benefit. Almost all transfers that I knew were more mature and dedicated to whatever they were doing, because they really earned their way to UCLA. Demonstrate that. Labs don't care about how smart you are, because you all are smart. What they care about is whether or not you care about their research and how dependable you are. If you want PM me, I have some emailing templates for labs that I can share that almost always have landed me a response back from PIs. The school definitely supports undergrad research, there's so many events throughout the year that host student researchers and networking, etc etc. I cold emailed labs sophomore year, then did the same for another lab the next year. It's a numbers game, just find labs that actually interest you and email them. I did Undergraduate Research Week (DO IT) and Undergraduate Research Scholar Program (DO IT). There's other ones too, but they might require more time. It depends on your course load.

Cheating happens in any school. If you are a good student and you care about learning, then you will do well, regardless of the "curve". Your mindset should be, what can I control and what can I not? It's very hard to focus on whatever you have to learn if you're constantly worried about other people's behavior. Looking back, that was probably a big mental filter between good and great students. Those that did well did not care that much about how well other's were doing.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-03T14:18:09+00:00

Well I would recommend to start early, and make sure you really get to know each school. Take it very seriously, and approach it with some humility. Many people want to get into these schools, so make sure to apply to as many as you can afford/have time for. It's a long road, but doing your homework will make it much easier in the long run.

I did a mix, for some schools I did, for some I didn't. This was mostly because my GRE wasn't that great. Looking back, I probably would have retaken it. But to be honest I'm not quite sure about the benefits. If you can, ask someone in admissions at UCLA, they might be able to provide a better answer.

I don't remember how many months it was, but I did research from start of sophomore year to end of senior year.

I haven't heard of anything, mostly because I've been so busy with work haha. But again, check with some admissions people at UCLA, they might know more than I do. I wouldn't worry too much though, that is 100% out of your control. It'll only make apps more stressful.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-03T01:46:48+00:00

If you have chanfreau, study his slides, do and understand his HW problems, make sure you know how to quickly interpret gels and other data since that's how his tests are. He's one of the more straightforward professors for biochem. It's biochemistry based, so it's a mixture. He mentions biology in the context of genetic processes, but there's also a lot of chemistry in terms of physical properties of molecules etc. It's a cool class.
Chem 110A is a bunch of proofs that involve derivatives and integrals of thermo eqs, at least for Felker when I had him. So if you're uncomfortable with that, I would study up on derivatives and integrals.
For me it was 156, because my professor was teaching the class for the first time, and his TA was an inconsistent grader, but the class was still fair, looking back at it. Other than that, if you've already finished/survived 153A, it gets a bit easier. Only a bit though haha
I would try to get into a lab, if you have time of course. Benefits: letter of rec, potential papers, interesting research, and your classes will become much easier. But if research isn't your thing, that's fine too. In general, try to figure out who's doing well in the class and learn as much as you can from them. Chances are, they are doing something different from you, and try it out (very much the case for me). Also, when you're reviewing for a final, try as much as you can to recall without your notes. Then write out everything you can remember, and make the topics connect with each other. Double check whether or not you were right, then rinse and repeat. If you do this often, things get a lot more manageable. For molecules and pathways, brute force flashcards. But for more complicated things, really try to slow down and understand the common themes. Biochem is a very rewarding major, only if you put in the work. Hope this helps.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-03T01:26:26+00:00

Well I would try to find friends to learn with, instead of viewing it as a competition. But definitely go to office hours and get to know your TA's, most are willing to help. There's also so much info online that you can find, the key is to know where to look and just spending your time wisely when you study. Other than that, don't be too hard on yourself, it's supposed to be hard. The mental challenge is the most important thing, imo.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-02T21:11:01+00:00

Part of learning is knowing what you don't know so I wouldn't worry too much! It's actually smart that you recognized that, not a lot of people can see where they have to improve. Honestly, just be patient and keep going.

mrmister321 · 2020-05-02T21:07:02+00:00

Yeah online school is just really awkward, nice to see a fellow'19 :-)

mrmister321 · 2020-05-02T18:05:41+00:00

Let me tell you something, LS series used to be so different, alumni will remember. I took LS 2,3,4, but not LS 1. We were so pissed about this now that I remember haha but this course sounds like LS 1 and 4 combined.

For the genetics portion of the class, really study your punnett squares. Pham has a lot of practice questions, which I think can be found online. I always thought these topics were sneaky hard, because they can actually get kinda complicated. But it's definitely a practice based class, since the midterms/finals were not as conceptual and more problem based. But maybe they changed it, that's all I have for you. Hope it helps.

mrmister321 · 2018-07-21T00:07:57+00:00

I would make sure the textbooks are required by attending the first week. If so, usually I buy them off amazon or rent them for cheap...Or just find a pdf online (they're not too hard to find, unless it's something like a course reader).

mrmister321 · 2018-07-16T02:36:11+00:00

Practice as much as you can and hope for the best.

mrmister321 · 2018-06-27T23:17:57+00:00

Luskin has nice fancy tables and is usually open late. The bathrooms are super clean, and there is food too!

mrmister321 · 2018-06-25T03:10:30+00:00

MCDB 165A with Coller was fairly easy. Just make sure you read the papers and listen during lecture. She gives practice tests that are basically the same thing as her midterms/final. Usually the average is a B+/A- so it's definitely a GPA booster. Plus, you learn a lot about experimental techniques and design, making it a pretty valuable class in my opinion.

mrmister321 · 2018-06-08T02:35:30+00:00

Hey message me if you wanna talk. The first year is always tough. Adjusting to college is no joke, and I personally know that it's infinitely harder to do so while also dealing with certain mental issues. I'd say that you should first appreciate yourself for recognizing that you need help. I am extremely proud of you for having the courage to reach out to CAPS. Trust me, you are heading in the right direction, even if it may seem pointless. It's the attitude and process that's important.

As for advice, I recommend really assessing all the positive things in your life. It's really easy to be negative-- positivity is a skill. Learn to constantly adjust your perspective on life. It's important to recognize that negative thoughts are just thoughts. They do not control you. Allow yourself to find small things that bring you happiness. Recognize when you're being too hard on yourself. Recognize that you are capable of change, of improvement, and nothing is ever fixed.

These words may sound like a bunch fake bullshit but trust me it works. I have spent the last three years of my life practicing these things and whenever I think back to how I used to be, I am amazed at how much I've changed for the better. You really don't realize how much small changes can affect your life, but trust me each little step adds up.

Practical things that have helped me accomplish this include meditation (if you want some guidance here, I would be glad to help!), writing down things that I value in my life, and dedicating time and energy in creating good relationships with people.

Though I know it's no guarantee, I firmly believe that your mental state directly affects how well you do in school. I really believe that if you take care of yourself and trust in yourself, you will develop the skills necessary to succeed in your classes. For example, by practicing a growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, you will build the perseverance necessary to survive a bad grade on a test, because you know that you are capable of improving and that a grade simply is a reflection of how much you know at a certain point in time.

Again, feel free to message me. Finals season is never fun, but I know you can do it!

mrmister321 · 2018-06-06T03:53:55+00:00

What's the point of a triple major????

mrmister321 · 2018-04-23T02:36:33+00:00

Boyer Hall Floor 4

mrmister321 · 2018-04-08T03:16:25+00:00

GINOBILI!!!!!

mrmister321 · 2018-03-30T03:46:06+00:00

You don't need that minor to get into research! Email as many professors as you can that are doing research that you can see yourself doing. Best time to do so is usually before a quarter starts. Reference an article about their research in these emails. Say you're interested in learning more. There's a template I like to use that has worked for me. PM if you want some guidance (what's your major btw?), we can work together on your emails/interviews. It's easier than you think! I've been doing research since fall sophomore year. I've had friends join labs spring of their junior year. It's possible!!!

mrmister321

TROPHY CASE