This summer has been by far the longest yet most fulfilling summer I’ve had in years. As you may recall, I’ve taken a brief sabbatical abroad studying in the London School of Economics, headed over to Unicamp for a wonderful week of Woodsey fun, and returned to UCLA to get a taste of apartment life! One week ago marked my 365th day here in Los Angeles (I haven’t been home in over a year already). It’s been quite a journey! Fall is fast approaching (though the weather certainly doesn’t feel like it), and I am so glad that school is almost starting: you have no idea how much I’ve missed you all.

Anyways, I thought I’d update you all on a couple of resources I have stumbled upon in the past year that may help during the school year!

Writing Success Program at UCLA

The WSP program at UCLA is a wonderful writing counseling program here on campus! All the services are free of charge, and all you have to do to receive one whole hour of college-writing help is to sign up for a time slot at the Student Activities Center! I first came here when I was freaking out about my first college essay I had to turn in for a rather intimidating class- Comm 10, and my counselor was extremely helpful in helping me structure my writing and guiding me along the process of brainstorming! I sought my counselor out for not only writing help but eventually also interview and career help! She was truly not just a counselor, but also a mentor and a friend. (I’ll also be interning there this fall, so come drop by and say hi!)

Career Center 

The UCLA Career Center (located on Strathmore) provides free career guidance services to all UCLA students. They help you with perfecting your resume, prepping for interviews, and even have an entire library devoted for the job search. Periodically, they also host “sneak peeks” and “jumpstart” events, where recruiters from various industries come and meet interested students. It took me one whole year to take advantage of the resources here, but it truly is a goldmine, and I highly encourage you to go check out what they have to offer, regardless of your current class standing!

Bruinwalk

http://www.bruinwalk.com is an incredibly useful website for finding reviews of professors and evaluating what courses you may like to take.

The other physical bruinwalk is also a treasure trove, as there are tons of students flyering about campus events all the time. If you happen to not be in a rush for class, it wouldn’t hurt to take a couple of flyers and see if there’s an event you would like to catch!

CAC (College Academic Counseling)/ ASK Peer Counseling

This counseling center (located in Murphy) is extremely helpful for any lost souls who would like to figure out how to better structure their class load, or anybody who would like some guidance in their academic path (including extending units). I’ve visited this place numerous times over the school year to make sure I was on track. These services are free as well!

In conjunction with CAC, there are also the blue booths located all over campus called “ASK Peer Counselors”. These are peers who have been trained extensively and can handle all sorts of questions regarding class enrollment, deadlines and restrictions. If you don’t have enough time to drop by Murphy or just have a quick question, pop in and ask for help from one of your peers!

Ashe Center 

If you’re sick, this is the place to go. They also offer vaccines/TB Tests/additional medical services that are fully insured by UCShip. Stay healthy and take care of yourself! There is also a newly opened “U See LA” located in Ackerman that can help you out with vision problems.

Education Abroad Center

This center is also located in Murphy, and you can receive detailed information (academic and financial) all at this place. If you have any queries about studying abroad, this place has all the answers! I believe that college is one of the best times in your life to go abroad and explore. My summer in London was definitely one of the best summers thus far!

Dashew Center 

This is the center for international students. They can help international students out with any issue they may come across while studying in a foreign land. They also hosted Global Siblings, which is an incredible program: I met so many great friends through this program! (I actually ran into my sibling today so I’m feeling quite nostalgic.)

 

UCLA is a big school: just by the sheer size of the student population, it’s easy to feel intimidated. However, do not fear, because, as Dumbledore once said, “Help will always be given (at Hogwarts) to those who ask for it”. UCLA may not be called Hogwarts, but it truly is a magical place! Here’s to another great school year! Cheers!