University of California-Los Angeles

Students

UCLA is one of the most populated campuses nationwide, with several times the number of students as at a small, liberal arts college, so for a new student, being just one of so many faces in the crowd can be intimidating. But who’s got the time to feel out of place or lonely when there are so many different ways to meet people and get involved?

Granted, it’s not always easy to meet other students in a 200-person lecture, so the key to a large social circle at UCLA is really to break the campus down to its component parts. Again, think of the campus as a large city, and go out and find a sense of community in smaller-group situations, whether it’s through involvement in a community service group, participation in recreation class, or working on the student newspaper. Small group settings can be found in most classes. More than half of all classes have twenty-five students or less. The great thing is that you’ll make friends across the campus, and through those people meet more and more people. Ninety percent of freshmen live on campus, and the vast majority of all undergrads live within a half-mile of UCLA.

So it really doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone, you soon will. Just have fun doing the things that interest you—UCLA and Los Angeles certainly aren’t lacking for activities, just read on!—and before you know it, you’ll be making friends and leading an active social life.

Dorm and Apartment Life

The best way to feel a part of the college social community is to live on or near campus. The majority of the noncommuting student population lives either in residence halls, suites, and complexes, which are situated at the northwest part of campus, or in Westwood apartments located in a pocket southwest of the campus.

For freshmen, social life tends to revolve around the dorms. At UCLA, about ninetythree percent of incoming freshmen live on campus, so it’s really the best way to meet others during the first year. Students will have close contact with their roommates and those on their floor, and will tend to make many friends—some lifelong—from this group. Students also have the option of choosing a “theme” floor, in which all those on the floor share a similar interest, such as the great outdoors, the arts, or health and fitness. All residence halls and complexes are coed except for designated single-sex theme floors. UCLA’s Office of Residential Life offers a variety of academic and social programs for residents, while formal and informal gatherings, outings, parties, and other activities are always taking place, as well.

Looking back at my freshman year in the dorms brings back many fond memories. There was the time when eight or nine of us packed in a pickup truck to go to the USC football game. I remember my friends singing karaoke on my stereo to the Grease soundtrack. I was so happy when some twenty people piled into my dorm room at midnight and sang “Happy Birthday” to me when I turned eighteen. I remember us ordering Thai food when late-night hunger struck. I remember us throwing water balloons out our sixth-story window at unfortunate passersby. I’ll never forget creating gross concoctions with our leftover foods and daring each other to eat them. And I’ll always remember a gaggle of us girls having long, serious talks, giving each other makeovers, and getting ready to hit the town.

While apartment life is less social and structured than living in the dorms, many students by their second or third year have their groups of friends, have found their interests and niches, and feel the need to be more independent. Most often, four students share a two-bedroom apartment, and social life tends to revolve around roommates and friends, hanging out at the apartment, or going out to parties or Westwood.

Parties and Nightlife

The apartments are the setting for a lot of the parties students attend. Usually several apartment parties take place each Friday and Saturday night, and the students who hold them often make them open to anyone who wants to come. Fraternity houses usually hold parties every Thursday night for members and invited and female guests. Each house also has one or two big theme parties a year that are open to most students. Fraternities and sororities also often have private parties, exchanges, and other activities for their members.

By the time the students who used to frequent parties reach the age of twenty-one, they can often be found hanging out at Westwood bars and restaurants, where the big student nights tend to be Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

The students who have cars and find that Westwood has grown too small for them often explore the nightlife offered by Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Manhattan and Hermosa Beach hotspots. UCLA is a designated “transportation hub” for three major municipal bus services. The campus is served by hundreds of bus stops each day. Students can also often be found catching a new movie being shown at one of Westwood’s numerous theaters or hanging out at restaurants and coffeehouses in Westwood.

Campus Life

With more than 850 campus clubs and organizations, from student government to sports clubs, cultural organizations to fraternities and sororities, one would be hardpressed not to find a group to join. But if so, then with a minimum of three people, students can start and register their own campus group. Here is just a sampling of the variety of campus groups and programs available to students.

• Aspiring writers, journalists, photographers, and designers may find invaluable experience working on the student paper, the Daily Bruin, which is one of the largest daily newspapers in Los Angeles.
• The talented and the spirited might find a spot with the UCLA Marching Band or on the Spirit Squad as a cheerleader or yell leader.
• The Undergraduate Students Association Council has six elected offices (president, internal vice president, external vice president, three general representatives) and seven student commissions (Academic Affairs, Campus Events, Community Service, Cultural Affairs, Facilities, Financial Supports, and Student Welfare). How about running for office or joining the staff of an elected student official?
• The Community Service Commission serves Los Angeles through more than twenty programs to help disenfranchised groups such as juvenile inmates, the homeless, the mentally and physically disabled, the impoverished, and the abused. More than 2,500 students offer their services on a volunteer basis. Numerous other opportunities for volunteer work and community service exist across campus.
• Help bring entertainment and cultural programming to campus by joining the Campus Events Commission or the Cultural Affairs Commission. Campus Events is responsible for bringing speakers such as Bill Gates, David Letterman, Whoopie Goldberg, Jesse Jackson, and Matt Groening to campus, as well as bands such as Rage Against the Marchine, Green Day, 10,000 Maniacs, and No Doubt for concerts. Cultural Affairs sponsors WorldFest, a celebration of campus diversity, and the annual Memorial Day weekend Jazz/Reggae Festival.
• UCLA has an active Greek system. More than forty organizations, many with their own houses, provide members with multiple opportunities for social and academic support, leadership development, community service, and networking. At various times during the year, but particularly during the fall and spring, the various houses launch a series of “rush” events to recruit new members. About ten percent of the student population takes part in Greek life.

Feeding the homeless through Hunger Project was one of my greatest memories of UCLA. I feel like I made a true contribution to society. I took action in a cause that I truly believed in. Being at UCLA opened that door of opportunity for me and motivated me to create change.

Recreation

For those who enjoy playing sports as much as watching them, enter UCLA Recreation. The comprehensive recreation center includes facilities such as a weight room, tennis and racquetball courts, swimming pools, and a rock-climbing wall; programs such as martial arts, tennis, dancing, Tae-Bo and yoga classes; outdoor adventure trips; sailing, kayaking, and surfing lessons through the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center; private lessons; and refereed intramural sports competitions. Working out at the gym, taking some of the classes, or going on a trip are great ways to get in shape, let out some of that stress, and meet other students. It can also be a way to try new sports or discover one that can last a lifetime.

There are also plenty of opportunities at UCLA Recreation for student employment or involvement, from umpires for the IM tournaments to counselors for Bruin Kids summer camp; from lifeguards to class instructors and trip leaders. In most cases, the recreation center provides training for these positions.

Enrolled students do not have to pay anything extra for use of the facilities. A pass to take the drop-in fitness classes costs $45 a year. Some classes require a small fee. Classes at the marina and outdoor trips tend to be somewhat steeper, but still a bargain. For complete information, go to www.recreation.ucla.edu.