嘿嘿视频

7 Aggie Life Hacks for New Aggies

Get Great Tips to Become a 嘿嘿视频 Undergraduate Pro

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Samba class with several drummers in a circle
You wouldn’t want to miss your Brazilian samba class on the first week of the quarter. Make sure you do your classroom reconnaissance before your first classes so you don’t get lost. (Gregory Urquiaga/嘿嘿视频)

Are you a new 嘿嘿视频 student looking for ways to win at college? Here are my pro tips for making the most of your Aggie experience.

1. In the residence halls? Leave the door open!

One of the biggest benefits of your first year is 鈥渄orming.鈥 You鈥檒l be in close contact with your fellow first-year students and can make connections and friendships that become your college lifeline. So, leave your door open. This will invite people to come by, say 鈥渉i,鈥 and maybe ask you to join them at that off-campus event/activity/outing that that you didn鈥檛 know was happening. I promise you, the opportunities you鈥檒l find and the people you鈥檒l meet are worth much more than watching Netflix in your pajamas. (By the way, check out .)

2. Bike rules: They鈥檙e a thing here

View of a 嘿嘿视频 traffic circle with bicyclists and trees
One of the first things you need to do is learn how to navigate our roundabouts. (Karin Higgins/嘿嘿视频)

Davis students bike鈥 a lot. The city is renowned as the bike capital of the U.S., and with that great title comes great responsibility for all of its residents. So know your Turn signals, right of way and navigating roundabouts are essential if you care about your safety, or more importantly, not looking like a newbie. Take on the physics of riding, how to ride in traffic and how to navigate our many roundabouts. By the way, you can get a free helmet by taking the .

3. Take advantage of office hours and free tutoring

Female student getting tutoring from a woman in a classroom
You can get help with everything from chemistry and statistics tutoring to study skills advice at the Student Academic Success Center. (Karin Higgins/嘿嘿视频)

Listen up: College is much more challenging than high school. Even if you were THAT PERSON throughout high school, natural ability alone will not put you at the top of the class  at a competitive university like 嘿嘿视频. The good news is, this campus offers a wealth of opportunities to help you succeed. All professors hold weekly times for you to visit their offices and ask questions. Talk to your professors! Take advantage of free campus services including the , , and workshops on everything from to . Our offers all sorts of services, including advising, events and workshops for community college and older new students.

4. Do some recon on the location of your classes

Angled view of the Social Sciences and Humanities Building
Really get to know the Social Science and Humanities Building so you don鈥檛 get lost during classes, office hours and visits to your academic advisor. (Gregory Urquiaga/嘿嘿视频)

This is a good idea, especially if you have a class in the Social Sciences and Humanities Building, aka the 鈥淒eath Star.鈥 Aptly named for its resemblance to, well, the , this building is a 3-D maze of indoor hallways, outdoor walkways, stairs, bridges and concrete, complete with intentionally designed dead ends. Rumor has it the architect planned it that way to encourage people to talk to one another as a social science experiment. Me: Do you know where SSH 90 is? Sleep-deprived person: Nah, man. Me: *shrugs.* On the bright side, it鈥檚 a weekend mecca for LARPers (live-action role-playing participants for the rest of you), so if you brought your lightsaber, you know where to find your squad.

In fact, you might want to check out where all of your classes will be so you don鈥檛 get lost the first day. You don鈥檛 need a GPS device and survival gear. Just use the .

5. Always have a backup plan, especially for class schedules

Two women in an art studio working on a screen printing
Popular classes get filled fast, like 鈥淐hicana/o Art Expression Through Silk Screen,鈥 and freshmen don鈥檛 have priority. Have a number of backup courses so you have alternatives. (Gregory Urquiaga/嘿嘿视频)

Now that you鈥檝e outgrown your status as top dog in high school, welcome back to the beginning (aka freshman year) at Davis. When building class schedules, remember that the number of units under your belt determines the likelihood of getting the classes you want. So, as a freshman, it's essential to have alternative classes on your list. Luckily, our general education classes 鈥 also known as GEs 鈥 give you . So, take a chance and try something new! Think .

On a related scheduling note, avoid stacking up all your finals on one day. (Final exam dates are noted when you build your schedule.)  You鈥檒l thank me at the end of the quarter!

6. Know your food currency: Aggie cash!

People lined up to get service from a food truck
You can use Aggie Cash for food trucks on campus. (Elena Zhukova/University of California)

Two things I know for sure: The sun sets in the west, and freshmen will ALWAYS complain about food. The DC does a great job, but for you foodies who crave more diversity, you鈥檙e in luck. Your that come with the dining plans on campus are valuable resources that can score you food in many places beyond the DC, including:

  • Markets at Cuarto, Segundo, Tercero and the Silo
  • on-campus Coffee
  • Silo

Eat up, my friends.

7. Set a routine and take care of yourself

Woman on a climbing wall
Challenge yourself on the climbing wall at the Activities and Recreation Center as a way to reduce college stress. (Karin Higgins/嘿嘿视频)

The most important tip for success is to take care of yourself. It鈥檚 not cool to neglect your mental and physical well-being. Make a routine for your day that includes time to unwind. You can take a walk, run, bike, do yoga, paint, nap, play music or picnic at the . The is a great place to get a workout. (Pro tip: Avoid the rush hours between 5 to 7 and 9 to 11 p.m.). I鈥檓 talking about your wellness, a topic the takes seriously. This center can help you with healthy eating, sleep and stress reduction. And, get this, the center offers massages. You can also get counseling at both and the center.

These Aggie life hacks are just to get you started 鈥 this list could go on and on! A few other recommendations as you embark on your first year: Get involved early with a club, Greek life, sport or organization that grabs you. Meet with your academic advisor early.  And don鈥檛 forget to explore the city of Davis.

Ultimately, it all comes down to you, so make the best of your time here, get involved and 鈥渄o what you got to do.鈥

Will Han is a fourth-year majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior, and he鈥檚 a writing intern with . Will is also vice president of Theta Chi and executive vice president of the .

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