I've Graduated from UC San Diego!
As I’ve given away in the title, I am so honored to announce that about two weeks ago on June 18, 2023, I graduated from UC San Diego with a Bachelor’s in Data Science from UC San Diego (more specifically, the Halicioglu Data Science Institute / HDSI) and a bonus minor in Biological Sciences.
But if you don’t mind me reflecting a bit on my college experience… going to college was certainly one of the biggest achievements and adventures of my lifetime, and it didn’t always run smoothly.
I toured UC San Diego in my junior year in high school, and even after I visited other schools and continued to consider my future, the feeling I had stepping on UC San Diego’s campus stuck with me. So when I got accepted, it felt like the obvious choice, even with my major as yet undeclared and the path ahead of me unclear.
Above are two photos of me touring UCSD for the first time. The one on the left is with the Dr. Seuss statue outside the library and the is second with my aunt, Kerry, near the lawn at the Student Services Center.
COVID and My College Experience
Of course, after my first quarter and a half at university - COVID hit. My family had just visited me in mid-February assuming everything would be as it usually was. Then as we reached the final few weeks of winter quarter, more and more changed. One day, only 5 people showed up in person to my final “Intro to Data Science” lecture. The next, classes were announced as being moved online for all of spring quarter. And finally, one day we were all told that unless we had a specific reason to stay in San Diego to take our online classes (ie. no internet at home, etc.), we should move out immediately. And so, less than a month after my family visit, my family came by again, this time to move me back home from a life I had only just begun to fully get accustomed to.
COVID changed so much of my college experience, and for the sake of brevity, I won’t list every way here. But here are a few ways:
- I didn’t return to San Diego in person until August 2021, taking fully online classes.
- I lost out on a fully planned month-long study abroad opportunity in Scotland.
- I found out that I successfully passed the capped major application into Data Science in a parking lot in my hometown and did not know anyone to celebrate with.
- I said goodbye to the people I had met in college, including suite-mates, members of the same classes, and even a few friends.
Coming Back to Campus
That being said, for all that COVID took away from me, it also gave me an opportunity. You see, when I first came to college, I was so overwhelmed by some of the changes in my life that I sort of retreated into a shell. I was in one club, maybe 5 people outside of my roommates knew my name, and I left campus very few times the entire year.
Coming back to campus in my junior year allowed me to soft reset my college experience and from there, I hit the ground running. I wasn’t going to let myself miss out on experiencing everything the university had to offer again because I was scared.
Once I returned to campus in August 2021, I immediately started my training period as an RA for one of campus’ undergraduate college. Throughout the year, I added more on top of my classes and RA work, including two more weekly clubs, a weekly shift at the campus food pantry, and a two-quarter long data science project through the Data Science Student society. I left campus more often and explored San Diego.
Above is a photo of me at a San Diego Wave FC game at Torero Stadium.
I continued to do even more in my senior year, adding an contract internship with Measured Wellness and acting as a co-lead for a small gaming organization on campus, Triton Splatoon. Most importantly, across both years, I re-prioritized my time and spent more time with the people I wanted to get to know better to create strong long-lasting relationships. In the end, these relationships and new experiences from the last two years have come to redefine my college experience.
Graduation and What’s Next
All of the above is not to say that I went back to school after the height of the pandemic and my life was suddenly easier. My classes were harder than they ever were before and some of my classroom motivation was at an all-time low. Some aspects of family struggle that started during the pandemic did not end afterwards.
And so that takes me back to graduating. Preparing for graduation and my final move out as an RA and a student was a very stressful time with final exams. Coming to graduation weekend itself though, I was overjoyed. I went to not only my graduation, but the graduation for another college where several of my closest friends were graduating - friends that I might never have made if I was afraid of change like I had been before.
Above are two photos of me - the first right two weeks before my graduation and the second at graduation itself with my friend Dani.
Now, I’m preparing to take my first steps post-college, moving to Madison, WI and starting my first full-time job. It’s somewhat scary but I don’t want to give in to my fear this time - my plan is to take every moment as it comes and connect with more and more people. However, even if I do find myself struggling again, it’s nice to know that I can always just hit “reset”.