Campus Cope: How to become active your first year at UCR

Getting involved on campus will be the best thing you’ve ever done — trust me.

BRENDA JOVEL Editor-in-Chief

It’s your first year on campus, away from friends, home and the familiar. Being in a new space with new people can be overwhelming, and though it can feel lonely at first, newness can be a good thing for everyone. Being away gives you the opportunity to explore endless opportunities where memories and lasting friendships can bloom. Here are a few tips on how to get involved in your first year!

Campus Organizations

Clubs on campus are great spaces where you can meet plenty of people with different majors and years from you. Usually starting the second week of school, Wednesdays at the Belltower are filled with campus organizations that table from morning to the afternoon. ASPB also hosts their weekly Spring Nooners, inviting student artists to perform, making the area lively for hours. Though the area can become crowded, do not fret! Try to go to as many tables as you can to get to know each club and its mission — you might even win a prize from their giveaways.

HighlanderLink

In case your class schedule keeps you busy on Wednesdays, or you’re away from campus, HighlanderLink lets students explore the different clubs on campus virtually. Simply google a club you have in mind, or any general term if you’re still unsure of what to join, and hit search! Clubs should start appearing instantly beneath the search bar. Once you click on a name, the club’s profile page will pop up and provide a brief description of the club, its board members and meeting times.

Social Media

Following clubs on Instagram is also a great way for you to see their newest members, as well as their meeting times. Near the end of the fall quarter of my sophomore year, I remember looking at The Highlander’s Instagram and seeing their Monday meeting times. After spending my first year completely online and barricaded in my room during COVID, I thought that this was the best opportunity for me to get involved on campus. So I went to The Highlander office and the rest is history. If

Campus Poll: Favorite UCR Classes

Six UCR students share their favorite classes taken on campus.

NATALIE DAHL Features Editor

Rhea Judge, 2nd year, Pre-Business Major

My favorite class that I’ve taken at UCR so far is ECON003 with Corey Joab. Not only is the professor super understanding, but he makes it so that the class accommodates people who commute or can’t make it to class sometimes. He communicates well with students and I never found myself lost with the material he was teaching or what was going on during each week. He makes it so that every student can succeed in his class and overall makes the class extremely enjoyable.

Emmari Pureza, 2nd year, Biology Major

My favorite class was CHEM08LB with Kevin Kou. He is a really good teacher who puts things into simple, understandable terms and makes Organic Chemistry really enjoyable. He was super accessible and helpful during office hours and always took the time to properly answer any questions students asked him. He also offered a-synch options and recorded lectures, which made reviewing material easy. He genuinely wants you to succeed in his class and in your college career!

Dustin Le, 3rd year, History Major

My favorite class this quarter is History 139, African History in Fiction, Film and Science Fiction, taught by professor Ademide Adelusi-Adeluyi. She offers a modern perspective on history writing. We’ve looked at a lot of media that covers African stories to analyze how history is seen and actively being written all around the world.

I hadn’t gone to the meeting, I would have never met my closest friends, so don’t be afraid to go to club meetings near the end of the quarter. Club meetings are always welcoming new members every week, and you never know; they can become your second home.

Jobs on Campus

My first job was at UCR, and fortunately I was able to find it through Handshake. Handshake is a great place to find campus jobs, especially work-study positions if you need to use your award. Start looking over the summer as many departments usually open up new positions during this time, and many are open to hiring freshmen. Hopefully, when you make it past the interview and get the job (whoo-hoo!), you’ll get to meet talented people working around you and grow closer to the UCR community.

Take Fitness Classes

I know, I know — working out can be tiring, but taking fitness classes at the SRC can be a great space to meet new people. What better way to socialize than with people who are also struggling during a workout with you? The SRC offers a multitude of classes, from yoga to cycling (my favorite, in particular). It’s also a great way to keep both your mental and physical health intact during these lonesome times to keep you busy as you get used to your new setting.

Word-of-Mouth

Socializing can be daunting and exhausting, but talking to the people in your classes or even your roommates can lead you to learn more about what UCR has to offer. Take it one step at a time; it’s okay if you only speak to one person at once, or a dozen at a time. Meeting new people isn’t the easiest task, but taking it at your own pace can boost your confidence to create new conversations. ■ H

Sandra Jacob, 2nd year, Geology Major

My favorite class was GEO 003, Headlines In the History of Life. The best part about it was being able to analyze different fossils in the lab portion of the class. The class had a great professor who made the lectures really engaging and kept topics interesting. I really enjoyed getting to learn about different organisms that lived during each time period, the history of mass extinctions, dinosaurs and the K-T extinction and soft-bodied organisms during the Ediacaran period.

Aaron Nissanka, 2nd year, Economics Major

My favorite class recently has been my Scriptwriting class. It’s the most relaxing class I have had and I love going to the class just because of Professor Bucklin and my TA, Karly, alone. They’re both the sweetest and most respectful people I’ve had recently. I always love going into conversations with them about any type of movie or show. Despite going into Economics and Computer Science, watching movies and discussing them/getting to learn how to write a script has always been a hobby for me and it helps me relax especially with the type of movies they give out. I loved the movies they gave out and do deep dives in, especially going into the directors and actors of these films, and the behind the scenes of them. It gives me more appreciation for those films and movies in general. This class also helped give me more content for my Letterboxd.

Hong-An Trang, 4th year, Education, Society and Human Development Major

I loved taking Education 179A, Language Development in Content Areas, with Aya Shhub. It was the first education class I took that focused on methods and teaching strategies rather than theory. I could clearly see myself applying what I was learning to my future classroom and it made me excited for my career!