For news about my second year at UCLA, click here!
For news about my third year at UCLA, click here!
FIRST YEAR
Parties. Dorm life. Parties. Guys. Parties. LA. Parties. That's what I love about UCLA. Yeah, there are some bad parts: dorm food, lack of money, and, well school, duh. But college is a good thing. In the one year I have under my belt, I think I've met the most intriguing people, and definitely the most diverse group, I've ever met in my life. And I can see why adults tell me that the friends you make in college are the lifelong friends. Living with peers is so different from just having friends.
And I also think I've learned more this past year than I've learned since I was a baby. Living away from home was a strange feeling, for sure. Strange, but easy to get used to, surprisingly. And coming from me, that's saying a lot. Living with a roommate (or TWO, in my case) that you've never met before, that's a freaky feeling, too. Luckily I got along with them. (Hello to Andrea and/or Amy if you're reading this!)
Then there are the things I missed most about living away from home. Taking a shower without shoes on, for example, or even not having to take all your toiletries with you on your hike to the bathroom in only a bathrobe, and not having to remind yourself not to forget your towel! Or not having to put quarters into your washer/dryer... not to mention not having to wait for the washer/dryer to be available. Then there's the food. That's one thing you learn: cereal is a necessity when dining in the dorm halls. Give me Lucky Charms or give me death. And finally, the family you miss. I missed my dad's cooking, my sister's obnoxiousness (I'm KIDDING, Erika!), and just THEM.
[Side note: here is a link to a page dedicated to Bobby's Volvo, which saw its last drive not too long ago. I think it was more than appropriate for me to pay my respects to this car I've grown to love.]
UCLA Homepage
Now the memories. There are already too many I'd like to mention, even in the one year I've been gone. So here are a few... and I guess they're more like inside jokes with the people who know me. So enjoy!
Orientation and meeting tons of my now-good friends, like Paul and Arthur!! Orientation was a blast, even though Carpe Noctem was way too much running for me. :)
My first night with my roommates. That was the night I met Shaquille O'Neal. DAMN, he's tall. I'm only 5'0" and the roommate that was with me at the time Andrea is only 4'10", so trust me, it was a big difference. And his hand was monstrous. Then we went to the Beta party. It was our first time at a frat party, and we had a BALL. We met these two guys that were amazing, and we were out till the wee hours with them. I could already tell this would be a great year.
All those times I hung out with Bobby at Theta Chi (hi, guys!!). I can probably remember every time (well, not ALL the times, but that's another story) I went over there and hung out or partied. I love the guys there! A couple of nights stand out in my head... BOBBY & BRYAN, I know you know what I'm talking about. And watching the Springer videos, too. That was great!
Hanging out at Sproul 5N with Paul and Marcus ("AH! Bastards!") and eventually Dennis, meeting all those great guys on that floor (Rob, Byron, Nick, Roger) and having fun.
All those late night Italian Express calls, especially that time me and Bobes finished off an entire 20" cheese pizza! Oh, and In N Out runs, too. Mmmmm.
Working on a project for CS, pulling an all-nighter (twice, actually). And taking a picture of the sunrise at 5:30 in the morning, then getting carried away and taking a picture of my computer screen (with a message from Nick) too. And by the way, if you're ever going to take Vivarin, don't drink 3 cokes right after that. It's stronger than you think.
Going to the beach on Thursdays of Spring quarter! And over Memorial Day weekend when Sara was visiting me, Kelly was visiting Bobby, and Ann was visiting Bryan! That was fun!
Road trippin' it to TJ! Trying to take a picture of that sign near the border. Then that picture "the morning after." Hello Lexi, Mary, Meeghan, and the UCSD crew!!
NOTWO/POF/South Park nights in our room with people draped all over the place. And AMB, too, 'cause Bobby's nine incher couldn't satisfy the whole crowd. :) (If my dad or either of Bobby's parents is reading this, we're talking about his TV.)
Going shopping at the Beverly Center or Century City, or better yet, FRY'S, fighting with Paul over who gets shotgun in Bobby's Volvo. (And hearing "Torn" played on the radio 5 times in a span of 2 hours.)
Going to the movies like ninety hundred times last year, hoping the movie would be showing at the Fox so we could sit on the upper balconey.
MONGUL'S!!!! DIDDY RIESE COOKIES!!!! IN N OUT!!!! BAJA FRESH!!!!
The Sigma Pi Halloween Date Party (Hi, Scott!) and the date party at Jerry's Deli, and the Theta Chi banquet. And all those just-as-fun Thursday night parties!! Luau (Theta Chi '98 pledges!), Manu Manu (Sigma Pi), Moonshiner (Sigma Pi), Mardi Gras (Theta Chi), Dolphinocus Humongous (Theta Chi), to name a FEW.
Making fun of our physics professors Jason Alexander (8A) and Woody Allen (8B). Kivelson bits n bits n bits. Nuot. etc.
Roller blading with Bryan on campus all of two Sundays. That was fun and healthy of us. Bryan, we better do that more often 'cause I'm getting a new pair! And I think Bobby is, too... he better with that rear wheel!
Calling "HELLLLLOOOOOOOOO" up to Bryan's room on fourth floor Hedrick! :) Then having him call up to us on tenth floor Dykstra! And eating in our territory, of course. :)
All those Midnight yells every finals week! And bottle rockets and flares and all that. Talk about stress relief!
Playing Free Cell against Bobby while I was on the phone with him, and he lives next door.
Hanging out in Bobby's room when I didn't want to be in my room, talking to Leery and Ronnie, playing You don't know Jack, or eating Phish Phood. Or just hearing Bobby laughing through the cement wall that separated us.
Shawna, flag girl, lipstick girl, tippy toe, dog girl, fat S****, country singer girl,....
Puzzles and "our table" on the roof of Hilltop.
And to everyone else I didn't mention, there are TONS of other memories, I swear! And Bobby and Bryan, you know we have enough inside jokes to have a whole web domain of its own!! But I want to make sure I say hi to:
The Physics crew: Kevin, Nick B., Neal, Orlando, and to Asim and Tesh, too, even though you weren't in 8B with us!
The Dykstra gang: BARRY!! Meghan, Tina (and the poor, displaced Derek!), Bobby , Stacy, Natalie, Larry (and Ron), Andrea, Amy, Oren, Sean, Robert, Arthur, Lauren, Scott, and Wincen!
The Theta Chi guys: especially Jeff, Bobby (again), Dave, Devin, Brenton, Chris, Jason, Brian, and Steve!
The Sigma Pi guys: especially Nick N., Jeff Brown, Mike, Scott (again), and Rob!
The Sproul 5N guys: Paul, Marcus, Dennis, Rob (again), Byron, Nick N.(again), Roger, and even though she isn't a guy AND she didn't live in Sproul, Nikki!!
The few, the proud, the Hedrick guys: Bryan, Jeff Brown (again), Mike, and Andrew!
The CS 33 group: Bobby (again), Ryan, Gavin, John, Wincen (again), Nick N.(again), and even though they weren't in my class, Jon and Mike C., too. :)
The ST@UCLA crew: Rakhi, Syam, Ryan, Bill, Rebecca, and Linh. Yay Saints...?
Coming soon: Pictures! I'll scan some in soon.