Expect it to be Unexpected

First off, welcome to UCSD! You are all about to have a wonderful experience at a wonderful college in a beautiful place. Be very thankful that these days there is so many helpful hints on how to successfully transition into college life because it used to me that everyone was sort of on their own other than advice by word of mouth.

My advice is to get as much advice and insight that you can, and then remember that the experience for each individual will be very different.

Everyone is their own person coming from different places and will experience college life their own way. This is the great thing about college! It allows you to grow up and find out who you are in the way YOU want to live. Let new challenges and experiences shape you, even if you don't see them coming. Something unexpected could be exactly what you need right now without even knowing.

I came into college trying not to have specific expectations about college life, whereas one of my friends had the "perfect" image of college in her mind. Throughout our first year, we both talked about our new lives, and we began to realize she was frustrated because college wasn't EXACTLY as she imagined it. Once she became more open minded, everything became easier and more enjoyable. Don't beat yourself up if things end up different than you expected. Just embrace life as it comes at you. Like I said: different can be great!

The one thing I really, really want you all to do is to break out of your comfort zone this year. This doesn't mean do anything stupid or reckless, but step out of your normal social boundaries. If you are normally shy, try to talk to more people. A simple hello could be all it takes to meet a lifelong friend. If you usually are very outgoing, try to help out the shy ones and initiate a conversation. In my experience shy people tend to open up once you get to know them. (Trust me, I've been the shy one in many situations.) Anyways, make an effort to really, truly enjoy yourself. :]

I will mention school, but I think at this point most of you should know about what it takes to keep on top of school work. Remember to keep working hard--school is the reason we're all at UCSD. :]

Good luck and enjoy your first year!

Victoria Payne
Freshman OL, Group #26

Explore What's Out There!

Coming to the west coast from the east coast, I thought about how exciting it would be to meet new friends, explore a totally new environment and to start another chapter in life. I heard several stories about the west coast and to be careful with its liberal attitudes (haha, stereotypes :)), but California is a place to easily embrace!! San Diego was more than I could ever imagine and words really could not describe how beautiful of a place it is. UCSD has so many aspects to it, and it really has everything to cater to everyone’s needs! We all have to adjust as our surrounding changes, find new activities to enjoy, learn new lessons and more. I listed below some cool activities to check out or some suggestions to consider!

1) Check out UCSD’s secret locations: UCSD is such a big campus, and there’s so much to see! Some of these locations include the graffiti room and the cliffs. What you’ll discover at these hot spots is amazing ( really!! )! So make sure you check them out and make it an adventure with new friends!

2) Come prepared: Coming to UCSD in the summer, it was extremely hot! Not humid, but the sun was blazing! Coming back for the fall quarter it was still quite warm but then the weather changed and it became much colder! So make sure to pack clothes that will keep you comfortable in both situations! In my opinion, San Diego is usually cooler than warm. Regardless, San Diego undoubtedly has the best weather in the world!

3) Pick up a new hobby (or continue an old one): Back at home I would bowl competitively and for fun, but it wasn’t as popular in San Diego so I picked up a new hobby of cooking or dancing! It’s important to be open for changes and be active and try something new because we never know what to expect! There are recreational classes and intramural sports available! So try new activities and use it as a stress reliever after your hard studies. Check out http://recreation.ucsd.edu/ and join a class or a sport!

4) Study! : Coming out of high school I never really had a great studying habit, so I’m warning everyone, build a super strong studying habit and figure out how you study the best because it’s super important! UCSD has several places to study and if you like to study at a place where it’s super quite, visit the upper levels of Geisel; if you like a little bit of background noise, the Price Center and the lower levels of Geisel are wonderful places! Don’t forget there’s also the study lounges in the dorms and the Annex next to SAC ! Check out the library system at UCSD http://libraries.ucsd.edu/ !

5) Public Transportation: I’m so very thankful for the bus system! It takes me to the super market, the mall and beaches! Please take advantage of it because we get to ride for free! But be careful because we’re not entitled to ride for free for all the buses so don’t be mistaken! Check out http://blink.ucsd.edu/facilities/transportation/commuting/public.html to find out what we have access to! Also, from experience, make sure you know where your bus is taking you before you enter because…. watch out for bus 30! It goes to different places depending on which side of the road you start your journey on! J

I love the new friends, new experiences and memories created at UCSD! Everyone is super friendly and everything is very peaceful and chilled. There's so many new experiences and opportunities that UCSD has to offer, so it's our chance to embrace all of them! So be excited because orientation is coming and school is starting! I can’t wait for fall to begin! If there are any questions please don’t hesitate to ask! Have a great Summerrr!!!

- Bonnie Yip, Freshmen Orientation #29

A 5 Sweet Groove & 5 Smart-Move List

I’ve been trying to think about the most knowledgable anecdotes I could pass on to you, but I’ve got nothing that doesn’t sound exceedingly preachy or really lame. So, I’ve decided to throw my memories and insight into a blender and this is what I came up with. The following are in no specific order and are good to remember only if you want to remember them. If you want the full effect, play each of the songs before the informational tidbits with your speakers up really loud. They’re from my personal collection of summer songs that I think set the mood pretty nicely.

#1: Sleepyhead- Passion Pit

I signed up for a class with an 8 AM section. I know I’m not a morning person, but one of the side effects of becoming a college student is an inherent sense of invincibility. Given that, I would stay up really late the night before, talking myself into believing that waking up wouldn’t be difficult especially with Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” as an alarm. No. I was either twenty minutes late for class or I would miss it altogether. Even though sleeping in is such a guilty pleasure, missing class is horrible. It’s not the actual missing of class that sucks—it’s the talk you have to have with your TA next time you see him explaining why you missed class, it’s the material you have to catch up on, it’s the additional work you have to do because sleep got in the way.

So if you’re a morning person, by all means, take all the 8 AM classes you want. But if you’re like me and mornings are not your specialty, consider starting your class planning at the 9 o’ clock mark.

#2: Throw It In the Bag- Fabolous f. The Dream (hahahahahaha)

Use your meal points wisely. I’m saying this because during the last couple weeks of spring quarter, there were one too many times I ate peanut butter on a spoon for lunch and ramen for dinner. Since the very beginning starting sometime during Welcome Week, I bought everything my card-swiping hands could get a hold of. Bottles of water, Reese’s Sticks, a Brita, Chapstick, Apples, Synergy drinks, blah, blah, blah. I spent so much money my first quarter that I had to monitor my meal points for the next two quarters and that absolutely sucked.

If you pace yourself and allow yourself to splurge occasionally instead of all at once like I did, you won’t struggle and have to mooch off your friends to swipe you for food.

#3: Let’s Dance to Joy Division- The Wombats

Take pictures. That’s one of the things I did right from the very beginning. Even though moving in doesn’t seem like a big deal and neither does taking pictures with potential new friends, document it. You’ll want to see these photos later. Whipping out a camera and snapping a picture takes a few seconds, but memories last a lifetime…..errrrrrr, cheesy. But really, I really recommend that you take photos from the very beginning so you can remember your very first year of college. It’s great. It’s a win-win because you’ll have these awesome pictures to skim through when you’re supposed to be studying for finals and you’ll totally score brownie points with your parents for e-mailing photos.

Yeah, take pictures. Lots of them.

#4: Song For No One- Miike Snow (Or alternatively: Sweet Home Alabama- Lynyrd Skynyrd, sub “Alabama” for “Warren College”)

Start calling UCSD your home as soon as you can. For those of you who were stoked to finally move out of your house and be on your own, this won’t be hard. But for those of you who are a little more attached to your lives back at home-home, hear me out. Home is where the heart is. I get it, how will UCSD ever trump a place where all your family and friends are? Sooner or later, UCSD (Warren more specifically) will become your home base, where your friends, food, bed, and independence are. The sooner you discover this, the more you can relax and shine in whatever you do. I can’t stress how important it is to create a life for yourself here in San Diego and become comfortable instead of wanting to run home every chance you get. I remember the first time I said, “Dude, I’m so tired. I want to go home” and I meant UCSD. It was the nicest feeling ever and I want you to have this feeling as soon as possible.

UCSD + You = Home. You + UCSD = Home. (For all you math majors, commutative property, heyo!)

#5: Secrets- One Republic

Eat with friends. Grab lunch or din-din with your friends whenever you can. Even when it feels like you may not have a lot of time when it gets closer to midterms and finals, you have to eat. Each meal is an opportunity to hang out with old pals and new acquaintances. Food is such a good thing to bond over, also. If you’re an awkward person who doesn’t like talking much, this is one of those times where sitting in silence and eating your pot roast is totally normal. And if you have friends who talk way too much, eating meals with them is nice also because they have to at least shut up when they’re chewing. This will also give you some down time to think about how good your pot roast is. A lot of times last year, I was so caught up with maintaining a class-eat-class-class-study schedule that I skipped out on opportunities to hang out with my friends during meals.

Learn from my mistake and get your grub on with your friends. A little food makes conversation go a long way.

Boom. There you have it. The first five pieces of advice I could think of. Plus now, you have five more songs you can add to your “OMG I LOVE FRESHMEN YEAR” iTunes playlist. Peace and blessings, Warrenites. E-mail me if you have any questions, I’ll respond pretty promptly. See you in the fall! Valentino, out.

-Jessica Valentino, Freshmen Orientation Leader

Avoiding the roommate clutter clash: how to survive a double/triple

With all of the different dates to remember and all of the people to say goodbye to, one of the last things on your mind may be what will be in your new dorm room aside from a bed a desk and your own tired self. I was lucky enough to live in a triple my freshman year (by request, believe it or not) and I know a few things that can make life in a double or triple flow well from day one. First of all, you need to think about what you're going to need and what you're going to want. PACK LIGHT, it will make a world of difference. there are so many places on campus to pick up little things you need that you can honestly get away with bringing nothing but clothes and hygiene products (really....really do bring the hygiene products, or all this advice will be of little consequence). Here's what you may need:

*sheets and bedding for a twin long mattress
*clip on reading light for the top bunks
*mini fridge
*laptop lock
*laundry bag
*shower basket and shower sandals
*headphones for your laptop (please)

Now, if you are living in the double or triple, contact your roommates and find out what they do and do not want. If your other 2 roommates don't want a mini fridge...don't get it. Don't start the year out with unnecessary hostility due you. A good life lesson in college, if you didn't get it from living with siblings, is how to live with people from any different background.

Another good reason to contact your roommates is to see if they are going to be furnishing your place with a fridge already. That means that you just saved $150! There really isnt much room in a triple for more than 3 people and the beds and desks that are in there. Live light, it's a good start for the whole "remove the clutter from your life and the clutter from your mind will follow".

triples are fun. don't dread them, but go in with the knowledge that you cannot live the way you lived at home. you have 2 other people to consider. be considerate, be kind, and don't be vindictive. If a roommate is a pain, don't "get even". it just means that you might wake up with a broken laptop in the morning (true story). Talk to your RA, but only AFTER you talk to your roommate, they may not know that they are bothering you.

-C. Christie

UNOLYMPICS!

Picture this: Daybreak. A crisp summer morning as the sun peaks over the canyon and spreads its rays over Warren college. The intensity is in the air. As the crow calls his first caw to the beckoning sun, thousands of freshman awaken from their small triple bunkbeds. Roommates elbow their ways past each other in a rushed morning to suit up and get ready for battle. Today is the day: Unolympics. Days worth of training, dance routining, and square dancing have brought UCSD’s newest freshman class to the ultimate culmination of welcome week, where endless amounts of boasting, pride-building, and trash-talking will finally have their chance to be vindicated. The moment is at hand. Today we take arms against the enemy in a battle to gain bragging rights for an entire year.

As the excitement builds, freshman, RAs and Orientation leaders gather together with their respective tribes, making final preparations before the big game. Speeches of vengeance and inspiration ricochet across the empty halls and walls of Geisel Library. This is it, Class of 2014, This is your time to shine.

Onward! The March begins, as crowds from across campus rove into the arena of battle. Donned in paint, glitter, and thematic ensemble, we march to the flow of traffic to converge at the crossing point. Cheers bounce across the concrete in the underpass, swelling into the stadium upon crossing the boundary. We are here. We are ready.

And there they are; the enemy, so contempt in their costumed outfits and debauchery. Oh so overconfident. They may have won last year, but this year is our year. This year we go for the gold. The ultimate prize embodied in the pristine structure of the golden shoe.

The trophy shines at the sidelines. Dazzling, gleaning, waiting as if mocking its competitors with the chance at grasping its coveted base and thrusting it above the crowd. There can only be one. One campeon, one dominator. One college.

Orientation Leaders await at our corner. Together our group re-assimilates, mustering our energy and mastery to make final preparations for competition. As young hearts pound, the horn marks the start of festivities. Muir college first. A well-routined and coordinated effort has us all surprised and a little bit intimidated. An orientation leader reassures us of our potential, marking us with the inspiration and confidence to hold out to our spot.

We are the final competitors. As we take the stage to ‘Shake what our mommas gave us’ we gather at the center, poses held and ready for action. Our faces full of subtle grins. We got this. And we did. We performed like never before, as though the adrenaline of the moment only served to intensify our skills. Then, as the finale approaches, and I jerk my way to the front of the stage for the final haul, something unexpected hits me.

We are having the time of our lives. This moment will be like no other in my collegiate experience. This moment, this few seconds of fun and celebration, are why I came to college. Its about bonding. Its about commradery. Its about brotherhood. And wether or not our palms make it to grasp the columns of that trophy, weve already won. For what we’ve won is greater than any simple material posession or rites. We have won with heart. And, at the end of the day, regaurdless of outcome, I just know that the people arround me, Warrenites or not will always share this moment with me.

Through endless spirit weeks, parades, Sungods, and commencements, it all started here. We are Warren College, but more importantly we are UCSD. Six colleges, one university, together united under one banner. Like childhood siblings, ready to pick a fight and mock each others' all too well known insecurities, at the end of the day, we know we would fight for one another at any cost. We are each others brother. We are each others sister. We are UCSD.

As it turned out, our results were not as superior as those of Thrugood Marshall College according to esteemed judges. No big deal. Seeing those fellow UCSD-ites in glee and exaltation was enough for any of us. We knew better than anyone, the sweat and tears that had went into their work to attain the coveted prize. It was obvious. They had earned it. And we were proud.

I know for many of you freshman out there, the Orientation and Welcome Week experience is a relatively new and unfamiliar concept as you enter into your first moments at UCSD. As an incoming freshman, I had no idea what to expect for Welcome Week, Orientation— hell the mere college experience itself seemed like a blindfolded jump. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never lived on my own. I had never moved in my life. For these reasons, I want all of you to know that when you have all these feelings, you are not alone, but in the majority. College is a new experience for everyone. Truth is, you never have a true idea about the liberating, exhilirating expierience of college life until you step foot on campus and make it on your own. These first moments at UCSD are a gift to all of you: fun-filled moments throughout orientaiton and welcome week that will literally be the highlight of your freshman year. I can legitimately say that my first few weeks of college were the time of my life. The peak of that time was Unolympics. The bonding experience and brotherhood instilled upon us Warren and UCSD students during this time is enthralling like no other. As a Freshman, Unolympics introduced me to the true UCSD atmoshphere, and what I love about UCSD’s six college system: the bond we share within the contexts of both college and university. Unolympics highlights the best things about UCSD, and the best things about the Freshman experience. I look forward to participate as OL, and hope you will take every opportunity to live your Orientation and Welcome Week experience to its fullest.Also, you guys KNOW we'll be reppin' that Golden Shoe. Don't miss a minute!

Your Freshman OL,

Jonathan Gomez

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Kindergarten? But this is COLLEGE, the first step into the adult world. As true as that may be, you'll find the lessons you learned in Kindergarten to be the most useful for college.

1) Nap time!

Remember those naps you grueling took every day after lunch? They're back. Except they'll be the highlight of your day, every day.

It's recommended that you get approximately 8 hours of sleep every night but a lot of college students go by on 5. Why? Last minute essay writing/cramming, got caught up playing Brawl with your suite, late night facebook stalking, etc. Whatever your reason, chances are you don't get the 8 hours you need (and if you're one of the lucky ones, you don't need 8 hours, but let's pretend you all do), so you'll be exhausted by the time your classes are over (or in between). Take a nap. It's okay. Everyone does it. Just make sure you get up in time for your next class/so you have ample time for 8 hours the next day.

2) Snacks, eating right, and eating regularly.

One of the biggest mistakes I saw some of my friends make was not eating nearly as much as they should have. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE. For one thing, food is delicious (most of the time), you don't want to miss out on food. And just because you have an early class doesn't mean you can't eat - pack yourself some cereal for the next day or something! Stashing up on snacks is great for grabbing something before you sprint to the shuttle stop to make your next class or when you'll pulling an all-night for whatever reason and are dying of hunger.

However, be careful to not gain the freshman 15. Most of the UCSD people that I know had the good fortune to not gain the weight (I suspect its because we have a pay by the item meal plan), but here's a few dining hall tips to keep yourself in good shape (and get some good eats!)

• CV, Canyon Vista, our residential dining hall generally has pretty good lunches. I'm a huge fan of their tortas, pulled pork sandwiches, etc. For dinner though, their sides are surprisingly delicious. The scalloped or mashed potatoes are by far my favorite, but get some veggies! Most people skip out on this, but it's good for you!
• Foodworx is the second closest dining hall located in the heart of 6th. Although their personal pizzas may be delicious, be wary of how greasy they are. Don't get it too often. They also offer salads and wraps if that's your kind of thing.
• OVT, Ocean View Terrace (Marshall), has amazing sauté. Nearby, there's Goodys which has pretty good burritos.
• Cafe V (ERC) is pretty decent overall. It's a great place for big group dinners.
• Plaza (Revelle) has really good chicken strips/wings. The seating is also nice for just studying.
• Sierra Summit (Muir) was closed my year, but rumor has it they have amazing stir fry and is kind of amazing overall.

3) Sharing is caring (and other emotional things)

Living with people may be something new for a lot of you, but be nice and sensitive of other people's spaces. Don't dribble your basketball at 3AM because the floor below you will be quite angry at you (true story). Don't leave stuff all over the bathroom sink because 9 other people have to use that. etc etc. Just be sensitive of what you're doing, some people are more irritable than others and you don't want to get on their bad side. Everyone has feelings and even if you think their feelings are ridiculous, they exist. If suitemate tensions arise, confront them (but don't tell them you think their emotions are ridiculous).

4) Recess!

Go out and PLAY. Whether it be for an NCAA sport, IM sport, for a club, or just with friends, go out and be ACTIVE. I trust you all read Noah's post about exercise so I'm not going to talk too much about this other than I highly recommend this. I'm on the fencing team here and I recently joined the Wushu Club and it's awesome just being active.

5) After-school

Join clubs! They're fun, great ways to meet people, and an excuse to do things. (another plug) My club, BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society) is great because we have both professional events and social events, making the club a great place to be. Lots of people join NSU, MASA, Circle K, and love it. Check out all the different clubs on org day and find your niche! It'll make college so much more fun.

So, that's it for my overzealous and long blog. If you guys have any questions, be sure to ask them on the orientation group page! The OLs are here to help [: I hope you guys have a wonderful college experience and I can't wait to meet you!

-Tiffany Saw, Freshman OL Group 5

Getting Around Campus

UCSD is a fairly large campus and traveling around it can take some getting used to. For the most part you can think of the campus as a large circle with the residential areas on the outside of the circle and the lecture halls and other facilities on the inside of the circle. You’re all Warren students so I’ll give you a perspective of how the campus looks from the Warren residential area. The Warren residential area is one of the lowest points on campus, what this means is that you’ll be going up slopes to get to classes, and going down slopes when returning to your room. On a bike this can be nice because you don’t really have to pedal much when you’re coming back from classes. This brings us to different ways that you can get around campus

The main ways that people get around the campus are walking, longboarding, biking, and taking the Campus Loop Shuttle. Everything on campus is within 20 minutes of walking since it takes this long to travel from one corner of campus to the other, such as going from Warren to Revelle. Many people bring longboards or skateboards to campus and travel this way. It’s not something that’s too difficult to learn and you can longboard to class faster than you can walk to class and you can just take your board into lecture with you and store it under your seat. Biking is the fastest way to get around campus, there are some steep hills on campus that may seem difficult for some to bike up at first, but with practice the hills become manageable. There are bike racks located all around campus so you will always have a place to lock your bike. Although bicycle theft is not a common occurrence on campus, it still can happen so be sure to lock your bike properly, making sure that the frame is secured to whatever you’re locking the bike to. The last way that most people get around campus is by the Campus Loop Shuttle, this is a shuttle provided by the university that travels around the outer loop of campus, and it comes at regular intervals during the day and can save you a long walk across campus. More information about the shuttle can be found here http://blink.ucsd.edu/facilities/transportation/shuttles/campus-loop.html.

Biking and skateboarding are faster than walking, by bike it can less than half the time to travel somewhere when compared to walking. For example, I can bike to York in about 8 minutes on an average day and am faster or slower depending on how crowded it is. Longboarding is about halfway in-between biking and walking time wise. The shuttle tends to be faster than walking, but slower than biking, depending on how long you have to wait for it.

Feel free to travel around campus in whatever way you are the most comfortable. While most people tend to use bikes or longboards as means of transportation, I’ve also seen plenty of other methods of going around campus ranging from roller blades to unicycles.

Chad Loperfido
Freshman OL, Group 6

Warren Orgs Galore!

Many students say college is what you make of it and that getting involved is your first step to doing so. Within my past year at UCSD, I’d have to say that they prove a very strong point. Getting involved with student organizations has been a primary influence in my college experience thus far. Student organizations are a great way to meet new people, many who can share a common interest with you and expose you to fresh and new ideas. Warren College has a variety of organizations to suit your interests, and I encourage all of you to try them out and see what they have to offer. So here’s a chance to familiarize yourself with most of the student organizations to see what interests you!

Warren Association of Volunteer Enthusiasts (WAVE)

Whether it’s because you want to embark on a journey to change the world or just enjoy a day doing some volunteer-work with friends, WAVE is the organization for you. WAVE looks to encourage volunteerism among the Warren College community through events not only at UCSD, but also within the greater San Diego area. Throughout the year, this organization holds various successful events allowing UCSD students to give back to their community. Among these are the quarterly blood drives for the Red Cross where a single person’s donation could potentially save three lives. During the holiday seasons, WAVE conducts canned food drives which are then given out to those in need. If you’re interested in more physical projects, WAVE hosts a variety of beautification projects which can range from improving Warren facilities to restoring San Diego parks. WAVE offers so many different opportunities for volunteering and will introduce you to a great group of people set out on helping various communities. Here’s their website if you’d like to check it out more: http://wcwave.ucsd.edu/index.html

Programming at Warren (PAW)

If you’re up for an organization that puts on programs for the Warren community, look no further than PAW. PAW aims to host events that unite all of Warren College. Social events help acquaint students with others to give them the chance of beginning the strong friendships they’ve hoped to gain in college. PAW hosts a variety of resident events which include the ever-so-popular Halloween Haunted House built for a fun spook. You can also be a part of planning their pizookie nights where students can chow down on some free, delicious pizookies with their friends. If you have any events that you think would add to other people’s college experience, come on out and try this organization. For more information, visit http://paw.ucsd.edu/index.php to get more in-depth knowledge.

Warren Transfer and Commuter Coalition (WTCC)

This Warren organization is geared towards transfer and commuter students who want to feel more connected to the campus. Its goal is to help transfer and commuter students get involved with UCSD through a variety of events held each year. WTCC events include poker nights where you’ll be able to meet other transfer or commuter students and enjoy a fun night playing cards to your heart’s content. Perhaps one of the most popular events WTCC holds is the Disneyland trips which occur during fall and spring quarter. The tickets are subsidized through WTCC to make it cheaper for you to go to the Happiest Place on Earth, and rides are provided, too! If you're a commuter looking to help yourself and others get better connected to the campus, get to know WTCC more through their Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2202794915&v=wall

Warren College Student Council (WCSC)

Whether you want to continue your student council experience from high school or begin your adventure of student government here in college, WCSC is the place for you. Warren College Student Council is the main body that governs Warren College, making decisions each and every day on issues that affect you as a Warren student. WCSC holds applications and interviews in both the fall and spring, so you have two opportunities to get involved during your first year here. Positions such as Resident at Large and Freshmen Representative are especially geared towards incoming students, but there are also a variety of positions offered such as Events Board Programmer, Judicial Board Member, and others that will surely catch your eye. From hosting events to working for better food in the dining halls to bringing important campus-wide issues back to Warren College, WCSC's goals span a wide array of possibilities that you won't want to pass up.The WCSC website is currently under renovation for a bold new look come this Fall but check back frequently at http://wcsc.ucsd.edu for more info!

Commision of Warren Spirit (COWS)

Perhaps one of my greatest experiences this past year at UCSD has been Spirit Night, the University’s very own homecoming. It’s a night where students come out and show their spirit, pride, and love for UC San Diego as well as their respective colleges. COWS is the Warren-specific spirit group geared towards both Warren and UCSD pride. The week leading up to the big event is filled with a variety of fun and spirited events meant to rile students up for the big basketball game. With Warren winning second place at last year’s Spirit Night, we will be returning next year to claim the Spirit Night trophy through a series of competitions and decoration events. So be a part of Warren history as we win Spirit Night once and for all! Join COWS! @ UCSD through their facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=164422677378&ref=ts and get a head start in building your Warren and UCSD pride!

You’ll find out much more about these various organizations once you’ve arrived, but I hope you’ve gained some basic insight into what Warren has to provide. Each organization has something unique to offer, and don’t be afraid to try each one to see if they’re the right fit for you. Make sure to take advantage of your first year here at UCSD and make your college experience! Warren Pride!

-Kevin Hoang

Freshman OL, Group 2

Exercise, Exercise, Exercsie

When I came to UCSD one year ago, I was skinny, frail, and less than confident. People would always talk about being worried about the "freshman 15"; I actually wanted to gain the freshman 15 — 15 pounds of muscle! High school wasn't the best time for me, physically. Sure, I did some parkour here and there, some karate, PE, but I didn't feel healthy or sexy. (Now, of course, I've learned that there is a lot more to being sexy than muscles — like brains!)

When I got to UCSD, I was determined to put a little meat on my bones. As soon as I found out I was in Warren College over the summer, I looked for the nearest gym and pool and even planned my class schedule around times to work out. Perhaps I was a little eager, but it helped a lot, and I over the course of my first year at UCSD, I have learned how to stay physically healthy, have fun through athletics, and even get a little muscle on (rawr).

My first stop was the Natatorium, a massive indoor pool in Muir. I wanted a swimmer's body, and swimmers swim, right? I swam three times a week in the beautiful and modern pool at the Natatorium and was feeling great. I'd take my towel, my flip-flops, and my trunks and hop on a campus loop to get there. Sometimes I would swim for so long that I'd be late to class and show up in my wet trunks having just got out of the pool!

The Natatorium was great, but when I found out about the much nearer, more spacious Canyon View Pools right next to Warren, walking to the Natatorium seemed like walking to China! The Canyon View Pools are great outdoor pools quite near Warren with more than 15 lanes open for swimmers, and even their own weight room to get those muscles pumping. The best

part is, though, the steaming hot tub that you can sit in whenever you want, after a strong swim or a long run, or just to relax on a beautiful day. If you wanted to get some exercise, you could try pulling me out of there!

Swimming (and hot-tubbing) is great, but to really build muscle, you have to lift some weights. And what better place to look than the weight room at RIMAC, the biggest and newest gym on campus. RIMAC is amazing; you walk up to it and it's like a monster staring you down. But don't be intimidated (by it, or by the tall hill you have to climb to get to it); RIMAC is the ultimate resource for anything athletic. I was in the weight room all the time, "pumping iron," tearing those muscle fibers, and really improving my strength and anaerobic ability. I love the weight room so much I even got a job there!

When the weather got too cold for swimming (bear in mind, "too cold" is a subjective term -- I'm from SoCal), I headed deeper into RIMAC to find the mysterious racquetball courts below. I had never played racquetball in my life, but a fellow student taught me and quickly I became addicted. I would get a friend, whoever I could find, to come down and play a few games with me. Racquetball is an extremely fun sport; it's like elementary school handball combined with tennis and then set about 5 times faster. And it's not as dangerous as you might think! Racquetball served (pun!) as an aerobic break between lifting and was just a great way to have fun and let out some steam. I played almost every day during the winter, even alone sometimes because I wanted to play so much!

When the weather warmed up again, I decided to leave the RIMAC basement and come back outside. Instead of racquetball, I would go running almost everyday, sometimes alone and sometimes with a good friend (or a new friend I wanted to get to know better!). I would try to run to a place on campus I had never seen before; I would run the 4.3-mile campus loop and see how few stops I could make on the way; my best friend Matt and I would run to Tioga Hall, a res hall in Muir with a view of the ocean, and climb its 10 stories just to see the view. Eventually, I discovered my all time favorite exercise activity; running to Black's Beach. The beach is beautiful, epic, and sublime, and running became less an exercise and more a mode of transportation just to see such a feat of natural beauty. I love running free on the beach, the ocean waves crashing 10 feet away from me, and feeling of being one with nature. Plus, part of Black's is clothing optional! (I'll let you fill in the details.)

The point of this is to show you that being physical is very easy and highly recommended. And I haven't even scratched the surface of all the things you can do at UCSD! Exercise is one of the best things you can do not just for you body, but also for your mind. Take a break from studying and take a jog around campus. Bored? Run to the beach and back. Exercising is not only healthy, but also good for your spirit. Exercising causes your brain to release endorphines, which make you happy. You can use exercise to be social or solitary; it's up to you! I often run alone just to reflect, but I met my best friend and fellow orientation leader Matt through our mutual love for swimming. It's also the perfect way to de-stress!

I really encourage you to get out there and exercise. Be happier, be healthier, make some friends, have some alone-time, get that hot body you've always dreamed of. UCSD has everything you'll ever need!

Good luck and have fun!

Noah Greifer

Freshman OL Group #7

To bring a car, or not to bring a car...

That really is the question. As an incoming freshman, the first thing you want to do is get adjusted to this new way of living and to feel comfortable with the environment around you. Once you get yourself situated with the entire campus (and trust me, it'll take you a while to figure out everything in and around UCSD), your curiosity may wander to see what's outside university grounds.

San Diego, and La Jolla specifically, are sumptuous locations for tourists and perfect for anyone who loves ideal beach weather year round. You really cannot beat one of America's finest cities, with plenty of sight-seeing to explore. However, in order to get anywhere around San Diego, transportation is imperative. Having a car can definitely help solve this issue, and it is really convenient knowing that you can just simply get in your car, and drive to the nearest Rigoberto's to order some Carne Asada Fries whenever you want. :) As with everything else, there are pro's and con's that one must consider before making the decision to
bring a car onto campus.

Things to consider if you do plan on bringing a car to
campus:
1) If you pay for a parking permit right at the beginning of the 2010-2011 
academic year, you will be paying for a yellow 'S' spot (for incoming students like
you) at the rate of $549 for the entire year. You can also pay in
increments through your student account at $61 a month if you don't want
to pay the flat rate upfront. You will only be charged starting at the
time that you purchase a parking permit (i.e. if you don't bring a car
until January of Winter Quarter, your payments to your student account
will start as of January and continue on to February, March, etc. until
you decide to cancel your permit). The one perq out of this is that
on the weekends, you are allowed to park
in any 'B' or 'A' spot (with the exception of an 'A' spot
that is Reserved 24/7) with a valid 'S' parking permit.

2) Bringing a car to campus may have your roommates or suitemates asking
you for rides throughout the year. This is the type of situation that I
would recommend talking with your suitemates right at the beginning of the
year to negotiate car rides within your roommates, suitemates, and other
friends just so that it is clear with what you are willing to share when it comes
to availability, carpooling, etc. Communication is key when it comes to
negotiating circumstances like these, among other things, so it is a good
idea to have a talk right at the beginning of the year so that things are
clear within your roommates and suitemates.

3) If it isn't apparent when you first arrive to UCSD, parking can get
really hard to find VERY quickly, and throughout the year, you'll most
likely notice that open and available 'S' spots are scarce (it's like
finding gold, that's why they're yellow!). You are going to have to learn
how to have patience and build a tolerance for the lack of 'S' spots UCSD
has for number of students it enrolls.



*For more information or questions on parking
and/or parking permits, contact the Gilman
Parking Office at (858) 534-4223. Their
website currently isn't updated with the
correct information, so calling them
would be your best bet.




If you don't bring a car:
1) You have the convenience of enjoying the currently FREE shuttling
service that is provided thanks to the lovely Student Fees you all pay
for every quarter, every year, until you graduate. :) If you go into the
Gilman Parking Office and ask for your bus sticker, they should provide
you with a purple bus sticker that is good until June 30th, 2011.

*For more information for routes, arrival times, and any other information
regarding shuttles, visit their website here.

So there are plenty of factors to take into consideration before deciding
to bring your car for the school year or not. Remember, San Diego
(let alone-the world) is too big to be left unexplored, so whether
you journey by car, shuttle, or by foot, go and see what's out there!

Coronado Bridge, San Diego

Go Warren!

Matt Moncayo
Freshman OL, Group 3