University of California, Irvine

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Computer Science
Minor: Statistics
Student Self Identifies as: East Asian Straight Male

Summary

I’m part of Habitat for Humanity

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: East Asian
Sexual Orientation: Straight

High School Experience: Public high school in Thousand Oaks, California with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a culture of going to college
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Statistics

Extracurricular Activities: I’m part of Habitat for Humanity

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It depends on the course and the professor, but in my experience, most of my Computer Science classes have been project-based. We’ll probably have a project every one or two weeks during the quarter, along with midterms and finals. There is less essay writing, but more coding and project-based assignments. The bulk of my grade is from programming assignments, as well as the midterm and final.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I like that since our Computer Science department is separate from the engineering department so we don’t have to take any physics or biochemistry classes, and we can focus more on our specific major. One thing I don’t like about our department is trying to get into classes. It’s pretty tough because they don’t have a lot of spots open in the upper-division courses because they’re more specific. [I recommend that freshmen] come in with as many credits and you can so you can get an early enrollment window. [See New University article, “Computer Science classes continue to be filled to capacity.”]
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s very collaborative. I’ve worked with a lot of people on projects and have helped people with studying and assignments. There is a competitive atmosphere, but if you meet the right people, you’ll be able to work together and help each other through classes.
How accessible are your professors?
It definitely depends on the professor. We use a platform called Piazza and there are professors and TAs on there every day who can get back to you within 10-minutes of asking questions. There are other professors that never answer student’s questions and you have to go into office hours to get your question answered. If I have a problem, I usually go to the TA first because they’re usually more accessible. If the TA can’t help me then I’ll try to go to the professor.
How does the quarter system impact your academic experience?
It’s very fast-paced, but I don’t mind it at all actually. Coming into UC Irvine, I wasn’t prepared for the quarter system. That was clear in my first two quarters, but once I got used to it, I understood how I need to spend my time and got used to it.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
There are resources available to students to help them transition into college. We have a program called LARC which is an extra tutoring resource for students who need it.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
In high school, I took an AP computer science course, and that helped me decide I wanted to major in it. So far, I have no regrets and think it’s a challenging but fun major.

Reasons to Attend

1) You’ll get a very good education. It’s challenging and will help you with your future career.
2) The connections you’ll make will help you with your career.
3) The campus is very close-knit, so you don’t have to travel a lot from class to class.
4) There are a lot of shops in restaurants and stores close to campus as well.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) We have off-campus apartments affiliated with the school, and the reviews aren’t very good. There are lots of problems within the apartments that people have had to live with, such as construction always going on. [See New University article, “UCI Indefinitely Under Construction is Not a Joke,” and article, “Students Affected by Middle Earth Housing Construction.”]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Isengard with one roommate
Sophomore: Arroya Vista with one roommate
Junior: Off-campus house with two other people
How happy are you with your living situations?
I’m pretty satisfied and haven’t had any real complaints.
How was transitioning from your hometown in Thousand Oaks to Irvine, California in terms of location?
I was only an hour and a half to two hours away from where I live, so the transition wasn’t that bad. I was able to go home once a month, so I had no real homesickness or any difficulties transitioning.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve personally felt safe. There have been reports of shady people in and around our campus that people should be aware of, but so far, I’ve never encountered them.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Definitely going out to eat for dinner. There are a bunch of cuisines to try near campus. We’re pretty close to a beach, about a fifteen-minute drive, so I like going to the beach over the weekend. We have the Spectrum Center outlets which are pretty close to campus so you can go over there to hang out as well. Also, we’re pretty close to Disney Land and I’ve been there a couple of times while at UC Irvine. I’m not part of any Greek life, so getting into parties is pretty tough for me. I don’t really mind because I’m totally fine just hanging out with my friends.
What are your favorite events or activities at UC Irvine?
Hanging out with friends over the weekends, but also spending time with classmates on projects and studying for midterms and finals. Even though it’s stressful, it’s been pretty fun as well.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at UC Irvine? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with the weekend options and wouldn’t change much. There’s definitely enough to do here at Irvine. You do need a car for most of them, but we do have campus shuttles that can bring you off-campus as well.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
Through classes. We were in classes together and decided to work together on projects and homework.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UC Irvine?
There are definitely enough clubs and Greek life [organizations] to join. There’s an abundance of social opportunities. I think the big thing is getting out and doing them.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
They mix pretty well here. We’re all really open and accepting of all races and sexual orientations. I have a few friends in both categories and it’s common to see diverse groups of friends around campus. [The undergraduate population is 13% White, 26% Hispanic, 2% Black, and 36% Asian.]
How would you describe the East Asian community on campus? How strong is it?
There are lots of foreign students at UC Irvine, which you’ll notice if you come onto campus. The international students are pretty cliquey and usually walk around in pretty big groups. I ignore them so it doesn’t bother me, but they do break a lot of the rules on campus. We have a no-smoking policy, but most of them still smoke on campus. [About 17% of students are international students. See New University article, “Non-Smoking Policy Results in Unforeseen Consequences for International Students.”]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
There’s a lot of opportunity for people in Greek life and people not in Greek life to interact socially through classes. I haven’t been to many Greek parties, so I haven’t been able to experience the inter-group social life because they can be exclusive. People interact in classes but not so much outside of that.
How do you like the size of UC Irvine in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 30,000 undergraduate students at UC Irvine.]
The biggest impact of the undergraduate class size is trying to get classes. It’s a bit challenging, especially if you don’t have a good enrollment window.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
We have a couple of career fairs scattered throughout each quarter, which has helped me get my foot in the door. They have a bunch of services to help students. They will proofread and help you edit your resume, or will give you mock interviews to help prepare for interviews.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
Throughout my coursework, we work with Python, which is the introductory programming language we learn when we join the computer science school. From there we learn C++ as well as C. We also have the option to learn Java which will definitely help you in your future career. We also have an Excel course, as well as a statistical analysis course so you can learn R, and we have a database class where we can learn MySQL.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I have used financial aid, but haven’t had any problems with the office.