Author: Rachel Marcus

Accepting defeat

I feel fully confident in stating that I did high school well, as the vast majority of everyone at Cal did. I was able to put off studying until the night before an exam and still make it out with an A. I was heavily involved in extracurriculars and was well liked by my teachers. My high school was fairly rigorous for an underfunded, LA public school; however it was still high school—full of meaningless assignments and tests that only required memorization.

Working as a Campus Ambassador, I interact with current high schoolers on a daily basis. They are wide-eyed and ready to hear any information I have to say about Cal, or university in general. Whenever a visitor asks what’s the hardest part about Cal, that’s when I really reflect on my time here so far. For me, the hardest aspect of adjusting to college was learning how to study. I didn’t truly know how to prepare for an exam a week in advance and use my time efficiently and effectively. My first semester here was a lot of trial and error. I learned that for my STEM courses, I needed to shift away from reading the textbook and focus on applying the concepts. I realized that essays can’t be written well overnight and that I need days in-between each draft in order to be the most productive with my edits. However the hardest lesson to learn of all, was that I was no longer one of the “best.” read more

There’s something different in the air during football season at Cal. Students show off their blue and gold colors just a little bit more—Yale blue (after our founders) and California gold (after the California Gold Rush). They get incredibly defensive about any ranking that contradicts us being the number one public university. And last but not least, they lose all productivity on Saturdays.

The pre-game festivities begin at an unholy hour. Music from Greek row makes its way into open windows and the smell of alumni tailgates spreads throughout the entire Southside. It’s the one day of the week when students can forget about upcoming midterms, paper deadlines, and internship interviews. My high school had 3pm Varsity football games that no one but the parents of the players attended. We barely won games in any sport; needless to say, school spirit was not common. My first Game Day at Cal was incredible. I was surrounded by thousands of peers who loved Cal as much as I did—who were actually excited about the football game. And the games did not disappoint. read more

Ah, Parents’ Weekend. It’s an interesting time here at Cal. For most Freshmen, it’s the first time they’ve seen their parents since move-in. It’s a time for them to go out to dinner and share stories of their new best friends, give updates on their classes, and show them around campus. I love talking to new Cal Parents—they’re just so excited to hear everything about Cal! I personally would have never made it to Cal nor been as driven, motivated, and determined to success as I am without the support my parents provided me. The way I see it, the least I can do is keep in touch with them and allow them to stay involved in my life—even though I haven’t been home for more than three weeks in over two years. read more

Up until August 23th at 9am, I was constantly reminiscing about freshman year. I’d always reflect on my amazing memories from the dorms. I remember meeting my two roommates for the first time and our first picture together—which yes my mom would later that semester ship me and my roommates each a mug with that first picture on it. Anytime I had to study, I’d miss the “two minute dance breaks every 90 minutes” that we would have in our room (great way to study by the way). I remember the exact night I was studying in the lounge for General Chemistry and met Pablo across the hall. Little did I know that he would end up becoming one of my closest friends here at Cal. read more