Tag Archives: weather

Back to the Books- but in the sunniest quarter of the year!

April 4, 2013 – 8:28 am

First off a tiny bit about me! I am a second year history major and education minor. I am originally from Dana Point, CA. My goal is to become a teacher (k-12) and I absolutely love working with kids. Fortunately UCLA has given me the opportunity to get super involved! I also work for Undergraduate Admissions as a Bruin Ambassador and get the opportunity to speak with prospective students about UCLA! I could not be happier being a Bruin and love nothing more than to share my experience with others who may be interested in applying to UCLA. My college philosophy is all about balance and getting the ultimate experience possible. I love UCLA not just for its academic rigor but also the incredible social and professional opportunities available. I just got back from Spring Break and could not be more excited for this quarter!

Spring Break always feels short. I mean in reality one week is not very long at all! While I’m sure almost every college student wishes Spring Break was just a little lengthier Spring quarter is one of the most exciting times at UCLA. Aside from being the quarter leading into summer, Spring Quarter is the peak of that legendary CA weather!

As April arrives, UCLA warms up in spirit and temperature. Some of our most exciting events such as Spring Sing (a giant talent show/concert put on by UCLA students), I <3 UCLA Week (where students show their love for UCLA and get free shirts in the process), and an endless number of other activities. Spring Sing is one of the most anticipated happenings of the year (Sarah Barreillis performed during her time as an undergrad) and students cannot wait to check out the talent this year.

Aside from organized events at UCLA, students take full advantage of the amazing sunny weather! Beach trips to Santa Monica, tanning at UCLA Sunset Recreation Center, and bathing suit shopping in Westwood all become priorities in these months. Of course Spring Break was amazing, but coming back to UCLA for, in my opinion, the best quarter of the year makes me more than ready to come back. Being home was great, but nothing beats the excitement and atmosphere of UCLA’s spring quarter.

By Rebecca Winkle | Posted in Life on campus | Also tagged , , | Comments Off

Spring is here!

March 18, 2013 – 7:45 am

For the past several months I have been wearing long underwear beneath my jeans. My mom brought me two pairs when she visited in November, and I haven’t taken them off since.  This winter has been the coldest I’ve ever endured, especially coming from California where I am used to trips to the beach in the days following New Year’s. These longjohns have been my savior, staving off hypothermia, always giving my freezing legs a nice, warm, comforting hug. I’ve developed quite a relationship with these guys.

But last week, the strangest thing happened. I went outside, and I was hot. I walked through the streets confused, completely unable to run my errands like I planned. I looked into the reflections of storefront windows to see if I was accidentally wearing many more clothes than I thought. But it wasn’t the clothes, it was the sun. The sun had somehow actually managed to raise the surrounding temperature to a livable 53 degrees. I let out a deep sigh in disbelief (finally, a sigh I couldn’t see).

I immediately walked very quickly back to my house and up to my room where I ripped off all of my clothes, including my long underwear. I stared at their limp, hollow form for a good two minutes before looking into the mirror at my pale, naked legs. I was free. These underwear that had been a miracle for so long were suddenly totally obsolete. I started to put back on my clothes. I opted not to grab the extra jacket, I wore sandals, and my wrists were left exposed.

The walk downstairs out of my apartment building into the open air was full of apprehension. Had I imagined the sun? Were the sandals overly optimistic?

I stepped outside and was overcome with an intense happiness, one that only exists in the company of short sleeves. Without thinking, I skipped over to the bike lock-up station, took out a bike, hopped on and skidded off towards the river. I pulled my bike down the nearest set of stairs to get to the water. I rode north along the bank, passing brightly-dressed families, shirtless French men, kids with ice cream. Every seat along the water was suddenly filled with people, the warm weather having pulled us all out of our houses. Everyone was smiling, and as I biked I let out silly, giggly laughs. Giddiness was splashing about everywhere. It was spilling out of the cold drinks of the people sitting at the riverboat cafes. Romance was falling from the trees.

Suddenly, spring had sprung. Lyon was no longer trapped in the cold, keeping its people holed up in their bedrooms or hiding behind scarves. I made my way to park, my legs sore from biking for the first time in a long while and my cheeks sore from smiling. I had a little glass of sangria. I took a ride on a paddle boat. It was perfect.

Now, with a little over a month left here, I plan on participating fully in this French springtime. More ice cream! More walks! More smiles! And no more long underwear.

By Charley Guptill | Posted in Life off campus | Also tagged , , , | Comments Off

A Cold Snap

January 16, 2013 – 8:36 am

They say that stereotypes were meant to be broken….that may be true.  However, it may also be true that the stereotype of Southern Californians are not capable of handling cold weather.  The high of the past week has not been above 60.  I may be from Northern California, but I have definitely gone soft since being here.

Despite the cold, the weather has been beautiful!  The skies have been clear and the sun has been bright!  On Saturday, I got to spend my day with some middle schoolers and high schoolers.  After going through some writing exercises with them, we got to take a stroll about campus.  We must have looked a bit comical piling on our coats and hats to walk around campus at noon!  It was a beautiful day (even if it was a bit cold!) and I loved sharing my stories on campus with the prospective students.

Naturally, at night it has been quite a bit colder so I’ve had to bundle up more for outdoor events!  Fortunately, however, I’ve got a plethora of hot tea and blankets!

For any out of state readers: please don’t judge us LA folk….57 degrees might as well be 15 to us! We also tend to not have the adequate clothes for this kind of weather.  Hats, gloves, and scarves have made a much larger appearance at UCLA over the last couple days….hopefully it will warm up soon!!

By Hannah Bernosky | Posted in Life on campus | Also tagged , , , | Comments Off

Thunder in Westwood

April 13, 2012 – 4:42 pm

Just when I thought I had had it with Westwood weather for being strangely chilly all week, it gives us what we’ve all been waiting for… a thunderstorm.  Maybe not all of us, but personally I have always had a strange fascination and obsession over thunderstorms.  Growing up, I was often the only girl in the classroom that didn’t scream when the crackle of thunder ripped across the skies on a gloomy day, and over time I came to embrace the fact that I loved thunder, lightning, and rain.

When I joined the Bruin family and came to UCLA, I hadn’t thought much about the fact that Los Angeles averages 360 days of sunshine per year.  I was prepared for the culture shock that would ensue after my move across the world, but somehow it had slipped my mind that I would no longer be immersed in tropical torrential downpour every afternoon when the rainy season rolled by each year.

I accustomed to the perpetual sunshine quite easily, needless to say.  It’s just so much easier to stay happy and positive about the whole university experience and adjusting to college-level courses when the skies are smiling at you.  But on days like today, the rain and thunder suddenly bring back memories of my life in Asia, and it makes me smile.  It’s also a coincidence (or not?) that across the world, it is the annual Songkran water festival celebrating the Thai new year.  Happy Songkran!

By Eleanor Fang | Posted in Life on campus | Also tagged | Comments Off

Weather Confusion

April 12, 2012 – 10:16 am

It’s been awhile since my last blog about the weather so here we go again. I walked to the gym and it was slightly raining. I left the gym and the rain had stopped. I walked to class and needed to take my sweatshirt off because it was sunny! (note: It was 8:30 am). After finishing my classes at 2, I was a bit bothered by wind, but regardless it was typical LA sunshine. I began driving on the freeway with my sunglasses on. All the sudden it starts raining with the sun still going. I get out of the car a few minutes later and it was completely dry at my new location. In my effort to think positively, my fear of additional rainfall wet kept me inside studying…

On a separate note, I took a weekend trip to Arkansas, yes you read that right, Arkansas, and now have a new found appreciation for the state. It was green and beautiful. I enjoyed wonderful morning jogs with some fellow Bruins, passing by open fields with horses grazing. However, I certainly enjoyed returning to the high speed nature of LA after a few days! Successful trip: Bruins qualified to Nationals.

Happy Bruin Day- Here is to a day of sunshine for all you future Bruins!

Go Bruins!    

By Gina Provenzano | Posted in General, Life on campus | Also tagged , , | Comments Off

Rain and Sunshine

February 14, 2012 – 9:02 am

The crazy part about living in LA is the crazy weather patterns that come with it. I love how it is so sunny and warm one day, but a couple of days we get a little rain here and there. Today was a good example of that- it finally rained! Don’t get me wrong though, I love the sunshine. But sometimes I like it to rain during Winter time, hehe.

As I’m writing this blog, I am laying down in my bed, warm, drinking coffee, and enjoying this beautiful weather cuddling up in my blankets while I am efficient with my work.

If you are a sunshine person, then UCLA is the place to be. Even during winter time the weather is high in the 80s. I love it!!!!!

By Manny Macias | Posted in Life on campus | Also tagged , | Comments Off

80 in January? Only in LA!

January 27, 2012 – 8:29 am

 

What an unusually warm day in January!  According to the weather report, it was past 80ºF (27ºC) in the middle of the day, and even late at night it is a pleasant 60ºF (14ºC).  Only in LA do you get the perk of being reminded of summer weather in the middle of the winter season.  This was two days after a day of grey skies and rain, too.

Only lately have I come to appreciate the perks of good weather.  Waking up to a beautiful blue sky and white tails of cirrus clouds so many days in the year, no matter how much I love the poetic pitter-patter of raindrops, is unbeatable.  Here in LA, we average 360 days of sunshine a year, and while you may start to miss the gloominess that’s often associated with winters, having so many warm and sunny days in the year is great if you’re someone whose mood is easily affected by bad weather.  Who likes slippery ground, wet umbrellas on the floor in lecture halls, and biking in the rain?  Also, it’s convenient.  Can you imagine yourself in a t-shirt and shorts smack in the middle of winter (no need for heavy coats or tons of layers)?  In LA, you can!

By Eleanor Fang | Posted in Life on campus | Comments (1)

A Blustery Day

December 2, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Around this time each year, I like to watch the movie the Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz (oh and like Jude Law and that Jack Black character, but I prefer these two fab  ladies). Thankfully, it has been on my mind lately (as in I have been reciting dialogue in my head). One conversation in particular between Kate and Jack is about the famous Santa Ana winds. Having never actually experienced these winds, I always kind of just stared at Kate Winslet during that part. But not anymore. I have experienced the Santa Anas.

It all started out like a normal day. Beautiful weather – a little cold – but nice. But pretty soon into the day, the sky seemed like it was yelling or least taking really big sighs. If you looked at the trees, they appeared to be doing a giant coordinated, although kind of erratic, dance.

By the evening, the winds had started going just plain crazy wild. At one point I was standing on the balcony of Royce and I felt like I was going to be swept up. Even thinking about it now makes me shiver! And the winds were loud. I had a meeting and at one point I couldn’t hear the speaker because the winds were that loud.

The wind even came into my dorm room. About every three minutes there would be a huge burst of wind and it rattle my reusable water bottles. It even messed with some of my ceiling tiles. I had to climb up on my chair and fix it!

Walking around the next day, the ground was completely littered with tree-related articles. There were leaves and pine needles, and even huge strips of bark that had been ripped from the tree trunks. There were even trees that fell down. A pretty big one near the inverted fountain took a tumble during the middle of the night (I wish I had been there to see that!).

But apparently, we did not even have it that bad compared to other areas of California. My friend who goes to school near Pasadena said that she could not sleep because of how loud the wind was, not to mention that it wasn’t just leaves on the ground the next day but lots of whole trees.

The Sanata Anas are crazy, and even though they are a tad inconvenient, they are a ton of fun. Hopefully we will have more of them, just not too big!

By Charley Guptill | Posted in Life off campus, Life on campus | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Rainy days are coming soon

November 4, 2011 – 7:17 am

And I am so extremely excited about it. As great as wearing shorts and drinking iced tea is, I am a much bigger fan of waking up to overcast skies and sipping chai lattes while listening to the tap tap tapping of rainfall. Last year, the rains started earlier here in L.A. (sometime in October). We have only had tiny bouts of precipitation so far, but I can sense that a nice chunk of consistent gloomy weather is headed our way soon.

Here is a quick list of things that you can do when it rains at UCLA:

  • Take pictures in your dorm room. There is something freakishly therapeutic about setting the 10-second timer and posing in your desk chair. After taking bunches and bunches of Myspace-esq photos, edit the heck out of them. Some people like Photoshop or Picassa. My favorite is Picnik.
  • Listen to Michael Buble. Go to Pandora and create a Michale Buble station. Or, if you are not ashamed of actually just listening to holiday music (Michael Buble sounds a lot like holiday music, which is why I listen to it), go right ahead and create a holiday station (my fave is Mariah Carey’s).
  • If you are really feeling like making your wintery rainy experience authentic (well, authentic as you can without violating dorm codes) you can listen to the sounds of a crackling fireplace.
  • Experiment with your microwave and its capabilities for making hot and delicious drinks. Grab some peppermints from the dining hall and drop a few in your next cup of cocoa. Swirl a spoonful of Nutella in with your instant coffee. Have fun making it and drinking it.
  • If you are not having luck with your microwave, head on over to Kerckhoff Coffeehouse or to Jimmy’s and get that real fall rain experience of sipping on a macchiato.
  • Take a walk in the rain. The top of Janss Steps already has a spectacular view, but everything being lit in that beautiful soft light that comes from overcast skies makes the campus looks like a movie set.
  • Set a cup outside before class and pick it up when you get back. Use the water to do some watercolor paintings (or you could just drink the water).
  • Go fountain hopping. What other time are you already going to be wet enough in your clothes to justify jumping into Shapiro fountain?
  • Last (actually not last, there is an unlimited number of fun rain-related activities to do), just stare at the rain. Whenever possible. Sitting in your dorm, just look out the window and appreciate the rain. Getting out of class, just stop for a moment before putting up your umbrella and smile at the rain. Love the rain. Feel the rain. Be one with the rain.

I will say though that yes you do need an umbrella. Getting to lecture dripping wet is not that fun (but getting the point where you are dripping wet definitely is). Have fun with the rainy season! Do not shun it as so many So Cal-ers do!

By Charley Guptill | Posted in Life on campus | Also tagged , , , , | Comments Off

It’s midterm season!

October 13, 2011 – 7:30 am

Keeping up with my weather post from last week, today was hot!! It sure is hard to know it’s October when its over 80 degrees. I may be confused if it is Fall, but I definitely know it is midterm season!

Midterms at UCLA apparently start as early as week 3, as I am currently experiencing, and I have them as late as week 9! For those of you who don’t know, we are on a ten week quarter system. A little bit more about midterms at UCLA- if you are lucky, your class will only have one midterm, or none, if you are luckier. Most of the classes I have taken on north campus have usually had one about half way through. For science classes, you never know what you are going to get! Generally it’s two, but I have had friends who have had four midterms for one class! This quarter, I only have three midterms. Quite a relief after last fall, when I had seven!

This Friday I have my first midterm of the quarter for my biochemistry class. It will be my first upper-division science midterm. Exciting, right? I can’t believe how much we have covered in only three weeks time. I have my lecture slides printed,  a study guide of questions given to us by the professor for each topic, and my own nice stack of flashcards. Now the only task is to learn them.

By Gina Provenzano | Posted in Academics | Also tagged , , | Comments Off
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