As a Bruin Ambassador, I often am asked the question about what life is like living away from home. I usually tell people that everyone’s experience is different, but that you quickly adjust and make UCLA your new home. A great example of this is when events that you are used to happening and experiencing at home happen while you’re away at college. Every year before I went away to college, my family would host a Super bowl party at our house. There was always plenty of food, friends, and football. This year, when the Super bowl rolled around I barely even thought about home, and the parties we used to have. That’s because this year I hosted my own Super bowl get together. Just like at home, it was full of food, friends, and of course football. My friends brought snacks, soda, dips, chips, guacamole, dessert and we just had a great time. Thanks to the free cable provided by UCLA and a free TV I won through a UCLA raffle, we were able to watch the game. Even with two teams from the east coast playing everybody still cared and made the evening fun. The best part about this whole thing was that we were able to do it in my dorm room, which is no small accomplishment!

It was a great evening and is a perfect example of what makes UCLA so special. I love living on campus because all of our dorms are so close. It feels much more like a community or a family. Having my friends so close to my dorm made it possible for us all to get together and just have a good time. Nobody can ever replace your family or your home, but I have undoubtedly created my own family and home right here at UCLA and for that I am so grateful. The middle of the quarter can be a very hectic and stressful time for students, but there is always time to just relax and have a good time with friends.