   >> MARK: WELCOME, EVERYBODY. 
   WELCOME TO OUR NEXT
 STUDENT PANEL TONIGHT. 
 "YOU'RE A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT? SO AM I!".  I WAS
 NOT A FIRST-GENERATION 
STUDENT, BUT WE HAVE AWESOME FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS ON THE PANEL
 FOR YOU.    I'M MARK FONCANNON,
 THE DIRECTOR AT THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND 
SCIENCE.  THAT'S MY OFFICE RIGHT THERE. 
 THAT'S THE BUILDING WE WORK IN. 
 NOT RIGHT NOW.  I'M AT MY HOME, AS I THINK ARE ALL OF
 OUR PANELISTS AND PROBABLY ALL OF YOU.  WE WOULD HAVE
 LOVED TO HAVE SEEN YOU ON CAMPUS, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO SEE
 YOU IN THE FALL.  I'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS.  I'M
 A GRADUATE OF THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE, AND NOW I
 GET TO WORK HERE, WHICH IS A REAL PLEASURE.  SO I'M GOING TO
 LET YOU GUYS START ASKING QUESTIONS. 
 SO CLICK THE LITTLE Q&A BOX IF YOU WANT TO ASK SOME
 QUESTIONS.  SUBMIT THEM IN THAT Q&A BOX, AND WE'LL
 ADDRESS THEM AS WE GO
.  FOR NOW, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO
 NADIA SO SHE CAN INTRODUCE HERSELF AND THE REST OF THE PANEL WILL DO THE SAME
 AND WE'LL START TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS. 
   >> HI, EVERYONE.  MY NAME IS NADIA, A
 THIRD-YEAR STUDENT AT UC DAVIS.  MY MAJOR IS COMMUNITY
 AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  AND I MYSELF
 AM A FIRST-GEN STUDENT,
 AND I'M EXCITED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. 
 AND CONGRATS!  YOU GOT INTO DAVIS! 
 I'LL PASS IT TO
 MONSERRAT.    >> HI, EVERYONE.  I'LL A 
FIRST-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR AT THE MOMENT, HOPING I KEEP THAT. 
 I'M FROM LODI, CALIFORNIA. 
 AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M HOME RIGHT NOW.  I WISH I WAS BACK
 AT DAVIS.    SOMETHING ABOUT DAVIS THAT I REALLY, REALLY MISS AND REALLY,
 REALLY LIKE IS THE TRANQUILITY, THE PEOPLE.  ANYWHERE YOU GO,
 YOU FEEL WELCOMED, AND I MISS THE FEELING SO MUCH.  IT'S LIKE ANOTHER HOME FOR ME. 
 YEAH, I'M EXCITED TO HELP YOU GUYS OUT TODAY. 
   >> MARK: JORGE, YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?    >> SURE.  
HELLO.  MY NAME IS JORGE
 SANTIAGO, A POLITICAL SCIENCE
 AND HISTORY DOUBLE MAJOR.  I'M FROM L.A. AND
 HONESTLY, MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT DAVIS IS
 BEING ABLE TO BIKE AROUND.  NOT SO MUCH RIGHT NOW,
 BUT YEAH, THAT'S IT. 
 PASS IT OFF TO ISAAK.    >>
 HEY, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS 
ISAAK RAMIREZ CHACON.  I'M CURRENTLY A 
FIRST-YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR.  AND ONE THING I REALLY LIKE ABOUT DAVIS IS
 JUST BEING INDEPENDENT, YOU KNOW?    YOU'RE NOT WITH
 YOUR FAMILY.    YOU DON'T HAVE
 THAT MANY OBLIGATIONS EXCEPT, LIKE, OBVIOUSLY
 YOUR STUDIES, BUT YOU HAVE A SENSE OF
 FREEDOM, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL, IN MY OPINION.    YEAH. 
   >> MARK: PERFECT.  THANKS, GUYS.
  BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS, I
 THOUGHT MAYBE I'D ASK A
 QUESTION OF OUR ATTENDEES, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE
 SESSION JUST TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE YOU'RE ALL COMING
 FROM.  SO LET'S DO THIS.  I'M
 GOING TO LAUNCH THIS POLL HERE.   LET US KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM,
 LIKE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.    AND 
PANELISTS, YOU GUYS CAN DO THE SAME. 
  AWESOME.  ALL 
RIGHT.  LOOKS LIKE MOST EVERYBODY HAS VOTED. 
 ALL RIGHT.  LET'S SEE WHERE EVERYBODY IS FROM.  SO
 MY GOSH, WE'RE ABOUT ALMOST 50/50 IN TERMS OF
 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  YEAH. 
 AND THEN ANOTHER QUARTER, 25%
 ALMOST FROM THE CENTRAL VALLEY AND
 THEN SOME BAY AREA FOLKS.  AWESOME.    PERFECT, GOOD.      
  SO WE DID GET A QUESTION IN HERE
HERE. 
 SOUNDS LIKE WE GOT A
 COUPLE POLY SCI STUDENTS IN THE
 ROOM.  WHAT ARE THE INTERNSHIPS
 AVAILABLE FOR POLYSCI STUDENTS?   MAYBE IF YOU WANT TO
 TALK GENERALLY WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE FOR FINDING AND
 APPLYING TO INTERNSHIPS.  JORGE, DO YOU WANT TO START?      
  >> SURE.  SO THE FIRST POINT,
 THE FIRST PLACE WHERE YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR INTERNSHIPS
 WOULD BE THE INTERNSHIP AND CAREER CENTER. 
 THEY KIND OF HELP FACILITATE YOUR
 PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR INTERNSHIPS.  AND YOU WOULD ALSO
 BE LOOKING THROUGH HANDSHAKE, WHICH IS AN ONLINE SERVICE FOR
 LOOKING AT JOBS, INTERNSHIPS, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.  AND
 IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S ALSO THE BIGGER PROGRAMS, WHICH IS THE
 SACRAMENTO CENTER.  THE UC CENTER IN SACRAMENTO
 AND THE WASHINGTON, D.C. PROGRAM, WHICH YOU CAN
 FIND MORE INFORMATION ONLINE.  BUT YEAH, THOSE ARE THE MAIN
 AREAS WHERE TO LOOK FOR INTERNSHIPS
 IN REGARDS TO POLITICAL SCIENCE.      
  >> YEAH, I'M A FIRST YEAR, SO I
 HAVEN'T STARTED AN INTERNSHIP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,
 BUT MY BIGGEST
 ADVICE WOULD BE TO JUST LIKE DURING A
 LECTURE -- THAT'S IF WE HAVE LECTURE FOR
 NEXT YEAR, TO START CONNECTING WITH YOUR
 PROFESSORS AND YOUR TA's, AND THEY CAN
 HOOK YOU UP WITH A
 RESEARCH PROJECT.  I'M CURRENTLY PART OF A SOCIOLOGY RESEARCH
 PROJECT, AND THAT WAS JUST BASED OFF OF RAISING MY HAND,
 PARTICIPATING IN CLASS, SOMETHING I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET IN MY FIRST
 YEAR, SO THERE'S NO SPECIFIC WAY TO GET AN
 INTERNSHIP OR A SPECIFIC WAY TO DO THINGS, BUT I JUST
 SAY CONNECTING WITH YOUR PROFESSORS AND
 JUST LIKE ASKING AROUND IN SCHOOL.      
  >> MARK: NADIA OR 
MONSERRAT, DO EITHER OF YOU DO INTERNSHIPS?      
  >> I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT.  FOR MY MAJOR, I'M ACTUALLY
 REQUIRED TO DO AN INTERNSHIP.  I STILL HAVEN'T DONE IT, SO
 I'M DOING IT NEXT YEAR.  BUT I THINK A
 REALLY GOOD RESOURCE IS REACHING OUT TO YOUR MAJOR
 DEPARTMENTS.    OFTENTIMES THEY THEMSELVES WILL HAVE
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNSHIPS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE
 DEPARTMENT.  SO IF YOU CONTACT
 THE POLISCI DEPARTMENT, THEY WILL
 HAVE OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE
 STUDENTS.  SO I THINK IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD OPTION TO
 TALK TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND STUDENTS IN THE
 DEPARTMENTS.  SOMETIMES THEY KNOW ABOUT AN OPENING THAT HASN'T
 REALLY BEEN ADVERTISED THAT YOU CAN JUST E-MAIL THAT
 DIRECTOR, WHOEVER IT IS, AND THEN YOU NEVER KNOW. 
   OPPORTUNITIES COME OUT OF NOWHERE SOMETIMES.      
  >> YEAH, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT.  AND
 ALSO ADDING ON, ONE OF MY CLASSES ACTUALLY FROM
 LAST QUARTER REQUIRED YOU TO APPLY
 FOR AN INTERNSHIP TO RECEIVE
 CREDIT FOR THE CLASS.  IT WAS AN EDUCATION CLASS. 
 I INTEND TO MINOR IN EDUCATION, SO THAT'S WHY I TOOK
 THE CLASS.  AND I HAD TO -- FOR MY
 INTERNSHIP, I HAD TO GO TO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND HELP
 A TEACHER OUT AND TUTOR STUDENTS
 IN MATH AND SCIENCE.  IT'S A PART OF THE 
MASS PROGRAM.  SO THOUGH THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY
 A POLITICAL SCIENCE-RELATED INTERNSHIP, IT WAS DEFINITELY AN EXPERIENCE
 WHERE I HAD TO WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL IN THE SETTING THAT I'M
 INTERESTED IN ONE DAY PURSUING, AND I DEFINITELY
 DID LEARN A LOT.  AND IF YOU
 DO GET TO PURSUE AN INTERNSHIP, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
 IT AND MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO YOU'RE
 AROUND.  AND LIKE ISAAK WAS SAYING, IT CAN
 ARISE SIMPLY RAISING YOUR HAND WITH YOUR
 PROFESSOR, HAVING A CONVERSATION OR A FRIEND, JUST HAVE AN OPEN
 MINDSET AND BE WILLING TO TALK TO PEOPLE. 
       >> MARK: AWESOME. 
 THAT'S GREAT PERSPECTIVE.  THANKS, GUYS.  I WONDER WHAT
 WAS A SURPRISE FOR YOU
 COMING TO UC DAVIS?  
LIKE, WHAT ONE THING WAS MAYBE MOST SURPRISING
 ABOUT COMING TO UC DAVIS?  WAS IT
 -- YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THE PEOPLE, SOME OF THE RESOURCES, IT COULD
 BE THE ACADEMICS, HOW HARD IT IS 
OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.  WHAT WAS ONE THING THAT WAS A BIG
 SURPRISE FOR YOU WHEN YOU CAME TO DAVIS? 
   >> SO I'D LIKE TO
 START.  I THINK THE BIGGEST SURPRISE FOR ME
 WAS THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT YOU GET IN SCHOOL.  THERE'S A
 TON OF RESOURCES FOR YOU TO USE, WHICH I HAD
 NO IDEA.  I THOUGHT GOING INTO COLLEGE WOULD BE, LIKE, 
OKAY, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. 
 YEAH, YOU'RE JUST ON YOUR OWN.  THAT'S WHAT
 I THOUGHT.  BUT THERE'S LIKE EARLY OPPORTUNITY -- WHAT'S IT
 CALLED?  
EOP?  I DON'T KNOW THE FULL ABBREVIATION FOR IT.    BUT THAT'S
 A GOOD PLACE TO GET HELP.  ESPECIALLY
 SINCE WE'RE ALL FIRST GENERATION.  AND IT CAN
 BE TOUGH SOMETIMES.  BUT YEAH, THE AMOUNT OF HELP IN COLLEGE. 
  >> I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ONE SINGLE THING THAT I WAS
 MOST SURPRISED BY, BUT
 AT LEAST COMING -- OH, I DIDN'T MENTION WHERE
 I'M FROM.  I'M FROM 
NAPA, SO NORTH BAY AREA.  AND DEFINITELY
 COMING TO DAVIS, IT WAS KIND OF A BIT OF A CULTURE
 SHOCK IN TERMS, LIKE, I GOT HERE AND THERE'S
 LITERALLY PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST THE STATE, BUT THE
 COUNTRY AND EVEN THE WORLD.  LIKE, IT'S KIND
 OF CRAZY HOW DIVERSE THE COMMUNITY IS, WHICH IS
 REALLY, LIKE, AMAZING BECAUSE YOU GET TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT
 DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE. 
 BUT THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS FOR ME
.  AND JUST ALSO GETTING HERE AND NOT REALLY
 KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT BECAUSE MY PARENTS DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE.
  SO YOU KNOW, HAVING TO TRY TO FIND YOUR
 WAY THROUGH BASICALLY EVERYTHING
 WAS ALL A NEW EXPERIENCE.  BUT LIKE 
ISAAK MENTIONED, THERE ARE SO MANY RESOURCES HERE THAT ARE
 THERE FOR YOU TO USE AND TO HELP YOU.   THAT'S BEEN A REALLY BIG
 PIECE IN MY EXPERIENCE HERE.      
  >> SOMETHING THAT WAS DEFINITELY SURPRISING
 FOR ME PERSONALLY WAS ALL THE BIKES
 AND ALL THE PEDESTRIANS JUST ALL OUT.  YOU 
KNOW, I COME FROM A SMALL TOWN.   I'M FROM 
LODI.  THERE'S PEOPLE OUT, BUT YOU DON'T SEE BICYCLISTS. 
 AND IT WAS A LOT TO GET USED TO AT FIRST, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST
 TWO WEEKS.  I ATTENDED A
 SIX-WEEK PROGRAM, STEP, AND I
 LEARNED A COUPLE TIPS ON WHEN TO BIKE
 DURING IT IS FIRST COUPLE WEEKS, WHEN NOT 
TO.  SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT KIND OF
 SCARED ME.  YOU'LL SEE ACCIDENTS AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO
 DO.  YOU'RE, LIKE, AAH! 
  DO I HELP THEM?  DO I GO TO CLASS?  DO
 I STAY STILL?  IT'S EXCITING THOUGH.  IT'S NOT OVERWHELMING.  IT'S EXCITING. 
   >> YEAH, KIND OF ADDING ON TO WHAT 
ISAAK WAS SAYING ABOUT SUPPORT, I COME FROM A
 COMMUNITY COLLEGE, GLENDALE COMMUNITY
 COLLEGE IN SOCAL, TO BE SPECIFIC.  BUT THE
 LEVEL OF SUPPORT WAS NIGHT AND DAY.  IN GLENDALE, I HAD TO COME
 UP WITH MY OWN KIND OF PLANS TO
 END UP TRANSFERRING TO UC DAVIS, BUT
 HERE IN UC DAVIS, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH SUPPORT FROM THE
 COLLEGE LEVEL, THE MAJOR LEVEL, AND THE PERSONAL HEALTH
, MENTAL HEALTH KIND OF LEVEL.  THERE'S JUST
 A LOT OF SUPPORT, AND THAT WAS KIND OF A SHOCKER FOR 
ME, WHERE I EXPECTED THE BIG POPULATION
 WOULD MAKE IT SO THAT SUPPORT WAS KIND OF HARD TO GET.  IT WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF THAT. 
   >> MARK: SO KIND OF ALONG THE SAME LINES THAT EVERYONE
 HAS TOUCHED ON, ON MAYBE WHAT WAS SURPRISING FOR YOU,
 AND WE DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS
 INTIMIDATING STARTING COLLEGE AS A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT. 
 DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT TRANSITION FROM EITHER HIGH
 SCHOOL OR MAYBE COMMUNITY COLLEGE?  LIKE YOU, JORGE?  LIKE,
 WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FOR YOU? 
   >> SORRY.  CAN YOU REPEAT THAT?   >> MARK:
 SURE.  THE QUESTION IS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS
 INTIMIDATING STARTING COLLEGE AS A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT.  SO TRANSITIONING
 FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR FROM COMMUNITY 
COLLEGE, WAS IT INTIMIDATING COMING
 TO A BIG 
30-PLUS THOUSAND-STUDENT CAMPUS LIKE UC 
DAVIS?  WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU? 
   >> WHEN I WAS GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE I WAS STILL
 LIVING AT HOME WITH MY PARENTS.  SO THE
 TRANSITION FROM TAKING COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES WAS
 KIND OF SOFT.  BUT
 AT THE SAME TIME, HAVING TO COME ALL THE WAY TO DAVIS, MOVING 
OUT, LIVING ON MY OWN, AND WITH THE
 COMBINATION OF THE RIGOR OF THE COURSES HERE AT
 UC DAVIS, IT WAS STILL VERY INTIMIDATING.  I WAS
 VERY NERVOUS, BUT I WAS ALSO EXCITED BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE A NEW
 EXPERIENCE, AND IT WAS GOING BE THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF WORK
 THAT BOTH MY PARENTS AND I HAD PUT INTO TRY TO GET
 A COLLEGE EDUCATION.  HOW I DEALT WITH IT WAS KIND OF
 FINDING WAYS, FINDING DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I COULD
 DO OVER THE SUMMER TO PREPARE, TO
 MOVE OUT, TO PREPARE FOR -- TO LIVE
 ON MY OWN AND TO
 PREPARE TO TAKE THOSE COLLEGE COURSES.      
  >> PERSONALLY FOR ME, STARTING
 COLLEGE AS A FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT WAS
 VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE --
   LIKE, FROM MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY, NO ONE COULD -- 
LIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW -- THIS IS GOING TO BE EMBARRASSING AND I'M GOING
 TO ADMIT THIS TO YOU GUYS, AND I'VE NEVER REALLY
 ADMITTED THIS OUT LOUD, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
 BETWEEN AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AND A GRADUATE STUDENT.  AS
 A SENIOR, AS A FRESHMAN, I DID NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.  I
 THOUGHT THAT IT WAS LIKE A FRESHMAN/SOPHOMORE,
 THOSE ARE YOUR UNDERGRADUATES AND THE JUNIORS AND SENIORS, THOSE WERE
 YOUR GRADUATES.  THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A LEVEL OF
 UNDERSTANDING THAT I HAD MYSELF.  MY FAMILY, THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. 
 LIKE, MY SISTER WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT SHE
 DIDN'T FINISH, MY OLDER SISTER.   AND SHE
 COULDN'T REALLY HELP ME.  MY PARENTS, THEY'RE
 IMMIGRANTS FROM MEXICO.  THEY COULDN'T REALLY HELP ME EITHER BECAUSE
 THEY'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN SITUATION, YOU KNOW?    SO I WAS
 KIND OF ON MY OWN BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WASN'T BECAUSE I
 -- AT DAVIS, I FOUND A SUPPORT SYSTEM THROUGH 
EOP, AND THAT STANDS FOR EDUCATIONAL
 OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM, AND THERE YOU'LL FIND PEOPLE WHO
 ARE LIKE US, FIRST GENERATION, THEY'VE COME FROM A
 FAMILY OF IMMIGRANTS, VERY DIVERSE.  NOT NECESSARILY A FAMILY OF
 IMMIGRANTS, BUT THERE'S DIVERSITY.  AND THE FIRST ONES TO GO TO COLLEGE.  THAT WAS DEFINITELY
 A CHALLENGE FOR ME BECAUSE YOU START TO
 THINK, LIKE, AM I EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE? 
 DO I DESERVE TO BE HERE?   MAYBE THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM
 AND THEY ACCIDENTALLY SAID, 
"ADMITTED" AND ADD THIS PERSON'S NAME.  THAT'S NOT THE CASE.  AT
 FIRST IT FEELS LIKE THAT.  BUT THERE'S A REASON WHY YOU'RE HERE,
 WHY YOU'RE WATCHING THIS VIDEO.  YOU'LL GET THROUGH IT.  WE ALL DID. 
   >> AND SOMETHING I WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS TO 
ME, LIKE STARTING COLLEGE, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE THIS
 DUALITY OF FEELINGS WHERE AT THE SAME TIME I WAS KIND OF
 EXCITED, BUT I WAS ALSO REALLY
 TERRIFIED BECAUSE I HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS DOING.  AND THOSE FIRST FEW
 DAYS FROM MOVING INTO THE
 DORMS WAS JUST LIKE THE WELCOMING.  SO THOSE FIRST FEW
 DAYS REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO
 WITH TAKING PROCESS.  SO IT WAS REALLY FUN.  I REMEMBER
 WHEN I ACTUALLY HAD TO START CLASSES, IT WAS KIND OF
 INTIMIDATING, LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS SPACE.  ALL OF A SUDDEN
 I WENT FROM A CLASSROOM OF 
MAXIMUM, LIKE, 30, 35 STUDENTS, TO SOME OF
 MY CLASSES BEING IN LIKE LECTURE HALLS AND FEELING KIND
 OF, LIKE, WHOA, THIS IS HUGE.  
  LIKE, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.      
  BUT LIKE I MENTIONED, FINDING THOSE RESOURCES
 THAT ARE GOING TO HELP YOU ULTIMATELY IS REALLY KEY.  SO FOR ME, I REMEMBER
 -- I THINK IT WAS MY VERY FIRST DAY OF CLASS, I WAS
 WALKING THROUGH THE MEMORIAL UNION, WHICH IS LIKE THE CENTRAL
 HUB OF CAMPUS, AND I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE
 OUT, LIKE, WHERE EVERYTHING WAS, AND I
 SEE THIS GIANT CELEBRATION GOING ON IN THE QUAD, AND IT TURNS
 OUT THAT THERE WAS A NEW CENTER
 OPENING, CALLED (SPEAKING
 SPANISH) WHICH IS THE NAME WE CALL THE CENTER FOR
 CHICANA AND
 LATINAS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS.    IT'S A LONG
 NAME, WHICH IS WHY NOBODY CALLS IT THE FULL THING.   IT WAS THE
 GRAND OPENING.  IT WAS MY FIRST DAY OF CLASS AND IT FELT LIKE
 ALMOST, TO ME, IT FELT LIKE A PERSONAL 
WELCOMING.  SO FINDING THOSE SPACES WHERE YOU CAN FIND
 COMMUNITY, I THINK, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.  AND
 THERE ARE A LOT OF FIRST-GEN STUDENTS ON 
CAMPUS, SO YOU CAN FIND PEOPLE TO RELATE TO.  AND SOMETIMES
 IT CAN FEEL KIND OF ISOLATING BECAUSE, LIKE, I COULDN'T GO
 CALL HOME AND TELL THEM I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS.  I DON'T KNOW
 WHAT TO DO BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HELP ME WITH THAT.  BUT
 FINDING OTHER STUDENTS THAT ARE ALSO GOING THROUGH SIMILAR EXPERIENCES OR
 OLDER STUDENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY
 GONE THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES.  LIKE, THAT WAS
 REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME SO I COULD
 REALIZE THAT I WASN'T ALONE IN THIS AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE
 AROUND YOU GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING.     
  >> MARK: AWESOME. 
 SO HOW ABOUT THE TRANSITION?  DO YOU WANT
 TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT -- AND I THINK MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE COVERED
 THIS ALREADY, BUT THE TRANSITION FROM LIVING WITH YOUR
 FAMILY TO NOW BEING COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN AND
 INDEPENDENT ON CAMPUS OR MAYBE LIVING OFF CAMPUS, ON
 YOUR OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME.  WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
  >> OKAY.  I'LL SAY THAT FIRST QUARTER WHEN I WAS LIVING
 ON MY OWN, IT FELT SO COOL. 
 BECAUSE I HAVE TWO YOUNGER SIBLINGS, AND JUST BEING AT
 HOME, THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE WORRYING
 ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.  SO EVEN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR OWN WORK
 DONE, THERE'S ALWAYS A TRILLION OTHER THINGS GOING 
ON.   SO I REMEMBER THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS FELT SO WEIRD TO
 ME ON CAMPUS BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN I REALIZED, LIKE,
 I CAN GO TO SLEEP WHENEVER I WANT.  I CAN
 EAT WHENEVER I WANT.  I CAN CHOOSE TO GO TO
 CLASS.  YOU'RE NOT EVEN FORCED TO GO TO CLASS IF
 YOU DON'T WANT TO.  ALL OF THESE NEW
 CHANGES AND NEW INDEPENDENCE WAS KIND OF LIKE SUPER
 FREEING AND IT FELT REALLY COOL, BUT I
 QUICKLY REALIZED THERE'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO
 FORCE YOURSELF TO WAKE UP EARLY AND GO TO CLASS AND GET
 YOUR WORK DONE AND DO ALL OF THESE THINGS.  YEAH. 
       >> I'D LIKE TO ADD
 ON TO WHAT NADIA SAID. 
 AND IT'S TRUE, THERE'S A LOT OF --
 THERE'S A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND INDEPENDENCE THAT
 COMES WITH BEING ON YOUR OWN.  AND YOU JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
, LIKE I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE ADULTS NOW, AND
 YOU'LL BE TREATED LIKE ADULTS.  SO NO
 ONE IS FORCING YOU TO GO TO CLASS, LIKE SHE 
SAID.  BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S MONEY THAT'S BEING SPENT AND
 IT'S JUST BEING THROWN AWAY IF YOU DON'T GO TO 
CLASS.  SO IT'S BEST TO JUST MAKE THE MOST OUT OF
 EVERYTHING IN COLLEGE.    THERE'S, LIKE, FREE THINGS
 THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN COLLEGE.    THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.    AND YOU JUST HAVE TO
 MAKE COLLEGE WORK FOR YOU. 
 AS MUCH AS YOU WANT GRADES, BUT YEAH. 
   JUST BE RESPONSIBLE BUT HAVE FUN.  I'M GOING TO KEEP IT REAL WITH YOU.      
  >> I'M JUST GOING TO
 ADD ON JUST KIND OF A DIFFERENT KIND OF
 PERSPECTIVE TOO.  IT IS DIFFERENT.  YOU DO HAVE TO TACKLE ALL OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES
 IN TERMS OF YOU HAVING TO BE, LIKE, INDEPENDENT OF
 YOURSELF, YOUR ACADEMIC WORK, LEARNING WHEN TO SAY
 NO, LIKE WHETHER, "HEY, LET'S GO PLAY IN THE
 LOUNGE FOR THIS MANY HOURS" OR WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING WITH
 YOUR FRIENDS.  THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE TEMPTATIONS NO MATTER WHERE
 YOU GO.  BUT SOMETHING ELSE THAT GETS LIFTED OFF YOUR SHOULDERS, LIKE
 MAYBE AT HOME YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CLEANING OR
 EATING AND MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE AMENITIES
 SECURED FOR YOU.  BUT ONCE YOU'RE AT THE DORMS, THEY'RE
 SECURED FOR YOU.  YOU HAVE YOUR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER FOR YOU
 AT THE -- NOT AT THE DORMS, BUT YOU HAVE THE 
DC, THE DINING
 COMMONS.  THAT'S THE DC.  YOU CAN EAT IN
 THERE ANY TIME OF DAY THAT YOU WANT.  YOU CAN ESTABLISH
 A ROUTINE.  YOUR DORMS, IF YOU'RE NOT LIVING IN
 THE SUITE, I THINK THEY CLEAN THE BATHROOMS FOR YOU EVERY
 DAY AT A CERTAIN TIME.  THE TIMES ARE POSTED. 
 IT'S JUST NICE TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, OKAY, I STILL HAVE
 TO CLEAN THE RESTROOM OR I HAVE TO CLEAN THIS OR I HAVE
 TO DO THIS BEFORE I DO MY OWN WORK.  AND IT'S
 DEFINITELY AN AMENITY THAT IS NICE.  I TOOK
 ADVANTAGE OF.  OH, LET ME WAKE UP AT NOON
 TO HAVE BREAKFAST.    BUT THEN,
 YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SOMETHING NICE THAT I ENJOYED THIS YEAR.      
  >> MARK: ANY OF YOU GUYS DEAL WITH 
HOMESICKNESS?  DID YOU MISS IT?  AND THEN MAYBE
 ALSO ANOTHER QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW OFTEN DID YOU GO BACK HOME?  DID YOU FIND YOURSELF
 STAYING ON CAMPUS UNTIL THE HOLIDAYS?  OR WHAT DID THAT
 LOOK LIKE FOR EACH OF YOU?    >> 
MM-HMM.  SO YES, I
 EXPERIENCED HOMESICKNESS A LOT.   LIKE,
 THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M LIVING ON MY OWN, AWAY
 FROM MY PARENTS FOR AN
 EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.  AND HOW I DEALT WITH IT WAS A COMBINATION OF
 GOING BACK HOME WHEN I COULD AND MY ASSIGNMENTS WOULD LET UP. 
 AND TALKING WITH MY MOM ON THE PHONE LIKE ALL THE TIME. 
 I KNOW SOMETIMES WE TALKED FOR LIKE
 AGES AND A WHOLE WEEKEND IS GONE BY THE TIME I REALIZE IT. 
 AND IN TERMS OF GOING HOME, THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON
 THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT I HAVE AND THE EXAMS THAT I HAVE BECAUSE I KNOW IF I
 GO HOME, I'M NOT GOING TO BE DOING -- I'M GOING
 TO BE FOCUSING ON JUST HANGING OUT WITH MY FAMILY AND
 ENJOYING THAT TIME THERE RATHER THAN WORKING ON ASSIGNMENTS. 
 SO THERE HAS --  I TRY TO
 STRIKE UP A BALANCE BETWEEN KIND OF SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY AND
 ALSO TAKING CARE OF THE ACADEMICS,
 WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE AT UC DAVIS.          
  >> SORRY, NADIA, GO AHEAD.    >> NO, GO 
AHEAD.    >> I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD ON TO WHAT HE WAS
 SAYING ABOUT WHEN YOU GO HOME, YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO
 DO ASSIGNMENTS.  I CAN VOUCH
 FOR THAT.  I CAN'T TELL YOU
 HOW MANY -- I ONLY LIVE FROM DAVIS ABOUT
 A 40 OR 50-MINUTE DRIVE, DEPENDING ON
 TRAFFIC.    LIKE HE WAS SAYING, I TRIED
 TO GO HOME AS OFTEN AS I COULD.    NOT AS
 OFTEN BECAUSE SCHOOL IS VERY IMPORTANT.  BUT I WOULD GO HOME BECAUSE I HAD A
 JOB HERE, TOO, SO I'M BACK AND FORTH ALL THE TIME
 ANYWAY.  EVERY TIME I HAD THE BEST INTENTIONS.  I BROUGHT
 MY BACKPACK FILLED WITH EVERYTHING I PLANNED ON DOING. 
   ASK ME IF I EVER UNZIPPED MY BACKPACK
 OR LOOKED AT MY PLANNER.  NOT ONCE.  I ALWAYS 
TRIED IT.  NEVER PANNED OUT FOR ME JUST BECAUSE BEING
 AT HOME, IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE ON A MINI VACATION
 FROM WORK.  SO FROM SCHOOL.  SO
 IF YOU DO GET HOMESICK AND YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION TO COME BACK,
 JUST LIKE HE WAS SAYING, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WORK ISN'T -- YOU
 DON'T HAVE AN ESSAY DUE ON MONDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR
 THREE PROJECTS TO WORK ON OR A MIDTERM TO
 STUDY FOR BECAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU'LL BE IN BAD SHAPE.      
  >> YEAH, I AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU.  AND SOMETHING
 I WANT TO NOTE, TOO, IS THAT 
HOMESICKNESS CAN DEFINITELY LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE.  AND IT CAN HAPPEN
 AT DIFFERENT STAGES AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES. 
 SO LIKE I MENTIONED, I'M FROM 
NAPA, SO MY HOME IS ONLY AN HOUR AWAY.  I REMEMBER MY
 FIRST QUARTER, I DIDN'T
 EXPERIENCE HOMESICKNESS REALLY AT ALL.  IN WINTER QUARTER
 I DID FEEL IT MORE OFTEN BECAUSE I DON'T GO
 HOME TOO MUCH.  I'D GO EVERY THREE WEEKS, SO ABOUT THREE TIMES
 A QUARTER.   IT KIND OF VARIES, DEPENDING. 
   BUT REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE, IF YOU'RE
 FEELING HOMESICK, DON'T KEEP IT INSIDE. 
 TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS.  TALK TO A COUNSELOR.  TALK TO WHOEVER
 YOU NEED TO BECAUSE THESE ARE REALLY COMMON
 FEELINGS, AND OFTEN WE KIND OF JUST BURY
 THEM INSIDE AND DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.  NO MATTER HOW FAR
 AWAY YOU LIVE FROM -- LIKE, HOWEVER FAR AWAY YOUR HOME
 IS, YOU STILL AREN'T HOME.  AND IT IS A BIG
 TRANSITION FOR YOU.  SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
  >> SO I'M FROM SOCAL, SO THAT'S
 LIKE EIGHT HOURS DRIVING AND AN HOUR PLANE.  I DON'T KNOW. 
 BUT I WENT TO DAVIS TO ESCAPE HOME.   SOME OF YOU
 CAN RELATE TO THAT.   SOME OF YOU CAN'T.  BUT I JUST
 WANTED A NEW CHANGE OF SCENERY.   BUT WITH THAT
 BEING SAID ABOUT HOMESICKNESS, JUST REMEMBER THAT A BUNCH
 OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE LIKE FIRST-YEARS
 THAT ARE WITH YOU, ARE ALSO LIKE IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT. 
 THEY'RE ALSO HOMESICK. 
 AND IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE RELATIVELY PRETTY
 EASY TO MAKE FRIENDS LIKE YOUR FIRST FIVE WEEKS.  EVERYONE
 WANTS TO HAVE A FRIEND, SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT WHAT'S
 GOING ON.  AND JUST SOMEONE TO JUST HAVE A
 GOOD TIME WITH AND EXPERIENCE THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AT THE SAME TIME WITH YOU. 
 SO I'M AN INTROVERT, AND
 SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH TO STEP OUT OF YOUR
 COMFORT ZONE.  BUT I'D SUGGEST STRONGLY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, YOU KNOW? 
 IT'S A NEW TIME IN YOUR LIFE, SO JUST MAKE THE MOST OF IT. 
 AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE
 CAFETERIA, IN THE DC.      
  >> MARK: THAT'S GOOD ADVICE.    >> SOMETHING I WANT TO
 MAKE A NOTE OF IS YOU'LL QUICKLY LEARN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO
 NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE WHETHER IT IS
 TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS OR JUST LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE
 ALL VERY NEW.  AND THEY CAN BE KIND OF 
SCARY, BUT JUST KIND OF RECOGNIZING THAT AND ACKNOWLEDGING 
THAT, I THINK, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.  I DO KNOW
 SOME OF MY PEERS, MY VERY FIRST QUARTER,
 THEY'D GET SO HOMESICK, AND THEY WOULDN'T
 TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT, AND THEY ENDED UP
 LEAVING WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS.  THEY JUST DROPPED OUT.      
  AND THESE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY, REALLY COMMON THINGS THAT WE
 DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT.  SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO
 -- LIKE, IF YOU DO START FEELING
 HOMESICK OR START STRUGGLING WITH YOUR
 TRANSITION, DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU BECAUSE IT'S
 NOT.  SO GET THE HELP THAT YOU NEED BECAUSE THERE'S DEFINITELY
 A TON OF HELP HERE.  SO YOU DON'T
 HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A DRASTIC DECISION. 
   >> MARK: SO I'VE WRITTEN DOWN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO ASK
 YOU GUYS ABOUT.  AND LOOKING FOR AND
 FINDING HELP IS ONE OF THEM.  BUT BEFORE WE GET TO 
THAT, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSITION FROM SEMESTER
 TO QUARTER SYSTEM?  WHAT DOES THE QUARTER
 SYSTEM MEAN?  AND THEN MAYBE
 LIKE WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN SEMESTER AND QUARTER
 AND WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN FOR A STUDENT
 IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT
 MIGHT NEED TO LOOK LIKE FOR A QUARTER SYSTEM.     
  >> SO FOR THE QUARTER SYSTEM, ESSENTIALLY
 HOW IT'S BROKEN DOWN AND HOW IT'S DIFFERENT FROM SEMESTER
 SYSTEM, SO MOST OF YOU ARE MOST
 LIKELY IN A SEMESTER SYSTEM CURRENTLY, AND
 THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TWO SESSIONS, FALL
 SEMESTER AND SPRING SEMESTER.    BUT IN THE QUARTER
 SYSTEM, YOU HAVE TECHNICALLY FOUR, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE
 QUARTERS, BUT THERE'S ONLY LIKE THREE OF THEM THAT ARE,
 I GUESS, MANDATORY.    SO WE HAVE FALL QUARTER, WHICH IS
 FROM ABOUT LATE SEPTEMBER TO EARLY, MID
 DECEMBER.  AND THEN THERE'S WINTER QUARTER THAT'S EARLY JANUARY
 TO MID MARCH.  AND THEN THERE'S
 SPRING QUARTER THAT IS LIKE BEGINNING OF APRIL.  SO WE JUST
 STARTED A FEW WEEKS 
AGO, TO ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF MID JUNE.  AND THEN
 THERE'S, OF COURSE, SUMMER SESSIONS.  BUT THAT'S NOT MANDATORY. 
       I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST
 DIFFERENCE IS, YOU KNOW, SEMESTER 
SYSTEM, I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW MANY WEEKS IT 
IS, BUT IT'S A FEW MONTHS.  THEN YOU GO INTO THE QUARTER
 SYSTEM THAT'S TEN WEEKS.  SO IT'S
 DEFINITELY MUCH MORE FAST PACED.  PERSONALLY, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES IT CAN BE
 A LITTLE BIT STRESSFUL BECAUSE IT IS FAST PACED,
 PERSONALLY I LIKE IT MORE THAN THE SEMESTER SYSTEM.  I
 WOULD ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THE SEMESTER SYSTEM DRAGGED ON. 
 AND WITH THE QUARTER SYSTEM, EVERYTHING IS
 OVER MUCH QUICKER.  YEAH,
 IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENSE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST TEN
 WEEKS, AND IT GOES BY IN THE BLINK OF
 AN EYE.    PERSONALLY, I LIKE THAT.    SOMETIMES IT CAN
 BE KIND OF DAUNTING AND MIGHT NOT BE VERY 
FUN, BUT OVERALL, I PERSONALLY LIKE IT MORE. 
  >> YEAH, LIKE NADIA WAS SAYING, IT
 DOES GO BY SUPER, SUPER FAST, BUT BECAUSE OF
 THAT, YOUR A-GAME HAS
 TO BE THAT MUCH MORE --
 YOU HAVE TO HAVE -- WHAT IS IT?  20 OUT OF 20
 VISION WHERE YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED.  I CAN'T TELL
 YOU HOW MANY PLANNERS I HAVE HAD THESE LAST THREE 
QUARTERS, AND I HAVE A BUNCH OF -- I PLAN OUT MY DAYS
 BY THE HOURS.  BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY
 THINGS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME IN TERMS OF
 YOU'LL HAVE TO STUDY FOR
 THIS CLASS'S MIDTERM WHILE ALSO HAVING A
 READING THAT'S DUE 30 PAGES FOR THIS OTHER CLASS.  YOU'LL
 HAVE A MEETING THAT YOU WANT TO GO TO FOR A
 SORORITY OR FRATERNITY YOU SIGNED UP FOR.  IT WILL BE A 
LOT, AND IT'S ALL HAVING TO BE DUE WITHIN THE TEN 
WEEKS.  YOU WANT TO KEEP UP, AND YOU CAN KEEP UP.  SO JUST
 LIKE HAVING A PLANNER, BEING UP TO
 DATE, DOWNLOADING, LEARNING HOW TO USE GOOGLE
 CALENDAR ON YOUR PHONE, ANY DEVICES, THAT WOULD
 HELP YOU OUT SO MUCH SO YOU CAN STAY ON TOP OF
 YOUR THINGS WITHOUT THAT FEELING OF BEING OVERWHELMED. 
   >> SO I SAW SOMETHING IN THE CHAT SAYING HOW DO YOU PREPARE
 DURING THE SUMMER FOR DAVIS?      
  I WOULD SAY TIME MANAGEMENT.    JUST KNOW WHAT IT IS,
 KNOW HOW TO USE 
IT. 
 YOU SHOULD HAVE PLANNERS AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE THINGS GOING
 IN YOUR LIFE AS A COLLEGE STUDENT.   BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO
 PRIORITIZE THINGS
 AND YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THAT YOU'RE A STUDENT AND YOU'RE IN COLLEGE TO DO
 ONE THING, AND IT'S TO GET YOUR DEGREE, 
RIGHT?  BUT YOU'RE ALSO HUMAN.  SO YOU SHOULD
 HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME.  SO I'D SAY, 
LIKE, HAVING A TIME MANAGEMENT SHEET
 AND YEAH, IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, THE QUARTER SYSTEM.   IT'S DOABLE. 
 AND YEAH, JUST YOU GOT THIS.  THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO 
SAY.  YOU GOT THIS.        >> MARK: I LOVE THAT.  HEY,
 JORGE, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION ABOUT
 WHETHER OR NOT BEING A TRANSFER STUDENT MIGHT BE
 -- IF YOU FEEL A LITTLE MORE PREPARED FOR
 UC DAVIS HAVING HAD TWO YEARS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE? 
   >> YEAH, SO I WAS LITERALLY TYPING
 OUT A RESPONSE BECAUSE --  BUT YEAH, SURE.  SO YEAH, I DID
 TWO YEARS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE BEFORE I TRANSFERRED TO UC DAVIS
 AND GETTING MY ASSOCIATE OF ART
 FOR TRANSFER DEGREE.  I THINK IT PREPARED ME FOR
 HOW THE COURSES AND ROUTINES WOULD LOOK LIKE AND IT
 GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO EASE INTO A
 FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY LIKE UC DAVIS.  IT ALSO
 GAVE ME SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND
 OF GET INTO DIFFERENT, SHALL I SAY, JOBS OR
 INTERNSHIPS.  FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS A SUPPLEMENTAL
 INSTRUCTOR FOR AN OCEANOGRAPHY CLASS, AND THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN. 
 KIND OF HELPED INFORM A LOT OF MY INTERESTS NOW THAT I'M HERE AT UC DAVIS. 
 BUT I FELT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I
 PERSONALLY FELT UNPREPARED FOR.  SO MOVING
 OUT OF HOME AND GETTING
 HERE, BEING KIND OF DROPPED OFF IN THE MIDDLE
 OF MY COLLEGE CAREER IN A NEW 
SCHOOL.  SO I CAME TO DAVIS,
 I WAS A JUNIOR.  AND I CAME INTO MY CLASSES NOT KNOWING ANYBODY. 
  SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I FELT LIKE I WASN'T PREPARED
 FOR.  BUT GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEFINITELY PREPARES
 YOU FOR HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR DAY, USING GOOGLE
 CALENDAR TRYING TO FIND OUT, OKAY, I'M GOING TO
 STUDY FOR THESE HOURS, I HAVE CLASS THIS TIME, I HAVE
 TO SCHEDULE HOW MUCH TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET TO THAT CLASS. 
 THAT'S WHAT IT HELPED ME PREPARE PERSONALLY FOR.      
  IS THERE ANY OTHER, LIKE, FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE FOR
 ME TO ANSWER?  I FEEL LIKE I'M MISSING OUT ON
 A LOT JUST BECAUSE OF MEMORY.    >> MARK:
 I THINK THAT WAS A PERFECT ANSWER.  I KNOW 
MONSERRAT, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING A LITTLE
 EARLIER ABOUT -- I KNOW WE SORT OF LABELED
 IT IMPOSTER SYNDROME.    BUT
 DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ACTUALLY YOUR EXPERIENCE AND THE REST OF YOU,
 TOO, COMING IN FIRST YEAR AND,
 YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT HAVING THE SUPPORT AT HOME THAT
 A LOT OF STUDENTS ON CAMPUS DO.  SO WHAT DID
 THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AND THEN
 GOING BACK TO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER,
 PUTTING A PIN IN FINDING HELP.  WHERE
 MIGHT STUDENTS GO?  WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE
 RESOURCES THAT STUDENTS CAN FIND HELP ON
 CAMPUS IF THEY'RE JUST SORT OF MAYBE
 FLOUNDERING?      
  >> FOR ME, LIKE, TO ANSWER THE FIRST PART
 OF THE QUESTION, IMPOSTER SYNDROME, WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FOR ME,
 THE VERY FIRST DAY MY VERY FIRST
 ENGLISH CLASS -- I'M AN ENGLISH MAJOR,
 SO I WAS SO EXCITED TO GO INTO IT.  ONCE I WAS
 THERE, THE TEACHER, THE PROFESSOR -- NOT THE TEACHER.  
SORRY, GUYS.    YEAH, SHE IS A TEACHER.  SHE WAS GOING ON AND
 ON AND ON AND USING THESE WORDS, AND I
 WASN'T UNDERSTANDING, AND I WAS SCARED.  I WASN'T
 EXCITED AFTER MY FIRST CLASS.  I WAS SCARED.  SHE WAS
 SAYING AUTHORS' NAMES, BOOK TITLES I'VE NEVER
 HEARD OF OR READ BEFORE.  AND I WAS, LIKE, AM I IN THE
 RIGHT MAJOR?  AM I DOING THE RIGHT THING?  I THOUGHT
 I WANTED THIS, BUT NOW THIS IS HAPPENING.  AND THIS WAS
 ONLY THE FIRST DAY.  AND I WAS THINKING ALL OF 
THIS.  AND I WAS GOING CRAZY AND THEN I WENT
 BACK TO MY DORM, AND I WAS, LIKE, REALLY SAD.  MY
 ROOMMATES -- I WAS IN A TRIPLE AT THE DORMS, AND
 MY ROOMMATES WERE CONSOLING ME, LIKE, HEY, IT'S 
OKAY.  IT WAS ONLY THE FIRST DAY.  AND SURE 
ENOUGH, LIKE THEY WERE RIGHT.  IT WAS ONLY THE FIRST DAY. 
 THE NEXT CLASS, AFTER WE HAD DONE A COUPLE OF THE
 READINGS, I WAS SO EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK THAT WE
 HAD READ OR THE ARTICLES WE HAD READ.  I FORGOT.  THAT 
WAS, LIKE, LAST YEAR.        BUT
 I GOT OVER IT WITH -- LIKE WHAT NADIA WAS
 SAYING EARLIER, YOU HAVE TO BE USED TO
 BEING UNCOMFORTABLE, AND THAT WAS JUST AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION,
 LIKE THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE TYPE OF THING. 
 AND WITH MORE CLASSES, I GOT USED TO IT,
 AND IT BECAME ONE OF MY FAVORITE CLASSES, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROFESSORS, REALLY. 
 AND KIND OF TO -- THIS ISN'T REALLY LIKE A RESOURCE
 ON CAMPUS, BUT YOU CAN FIND, LIKE, IT IS ON CAMPUS ACTUALLY.  IF
 YOU WERE AT THE DORMS OR IF
 YOU WERE A TRANSFER STUDENT, YOUR RESOURCES WILL BE THE PEOPLE
 WHO YOU CHOOSE TO SURROUND YOURSELF BY.  SO 
LUCKILY, I WAS CLOSE TO MY ROOMMATES.  I WAS ABLE TO
 FORM A STRONG BOND WITH THEM, AND THEY WERE TO SUPPORT
 ME WHENEVER I FELT I COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. 
 WHENEVER I FELT I HAD TOO MUCH WORK OR I WOULD PUT MYSELF --
 IF I DROWNED MYSELF IN
 MEETINGS OR WHATEVER, THEY WOULD CALM ME DOWN
 AND SAY, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.  YOU CAN
 DO THIS.  AND THEY WERE RIGHT.  I DID -- WE DID GET
 THROUGH IT.  IT WAS FINE.        SO IT'S LIKE
 MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT SUPPORT
 SYSTEM, FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY. 
   >> MARK: YEP, AWESOME.    >> I JUST WANT TO
 SAY ONE THING BECAUSE MY PATH WAS KIND OF UNIQUE IN THAT I
 WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.  BUT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS,
 AND I'M GOING TO SHARE THIS WITH Y'ALL. 
 HOPEFULLY YOU TAKE SOMETHING FROM IT.  IN HIGH
 SCHOOL, I HAD A WEIGHTED GPA OF 
2.8.  I WASN'T ELIGIBLE TO
 APPLY TO UC DAVIS.  I APPLIED TO
 SACRAMENTO.  I FELT MY HIGH SCHOOL RECORD
 DIDN'T SHOW WHAT I WAS CAPABLE OF, WHICH IS WHY I WENT TO
 COMMUNITY COLLEGE.    COMING TO UC DAVIS AS A TRANSFER STATEMENT, I
 ACUTELY FELT LIKE I
 SHOULDN'T BE HERE.  LIKE THERE'S A REASON WHY I HAD A 
2.8.  BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S LIKE I WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD THESE
 TWO YEARS AND MADE IT INTO UC DAVIS ANYWAY. 
 SO THERE WAS A LOT OF -- THERE ARE A LOT OF
 MOMENTS IN MY FIRST YEAR HERE WHERE I FELT LIKE
, MAN, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS I HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD 
OF.  FOR EXAMPLE, AS A 
POLY SCI, YOU HEAR
 ABOUT (INDISCERNIBLE) LAW.  WHAT IS IT?  THE COMMON POOL
 --   SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.    YOU'LL HEAR STUFF BROUGHT UP
 AND NOT EXPLAINED, NO CONTEXT GIVEN.  AND I'LL FEEL
 LIKE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.  I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. 
 AND THAT'S -- THAT CAN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.    
  ALL I NEEDED TO DO WAS GOOGLE IT.  SIMPLE AS THAT. 
 AND I WAS QUICKLY KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE
 VOCABULARY, ALL THE JARGON THAT IS
 USED COMMONLY IN
 POLI-SCI.    IT SHOWS
 I BELONG HERE.  I'M PRETTY SURE A LOT OF OUR
 PANELISTS HERE HAVE FELT THAT WAY AND MADE
 IT THROUGH.  AS YOU CAN TELL, WE'RE OUT HERE
 SUCCEEDING, YOU KNOW?  BUT YEAH.
  >> AND SOMETHING I WANT TO NOTE IS RESOURCES AND 
HELP, SPECIFICALLY,
 LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE. 
 SO GETTING HELP COULD BE ACADEMIC SUPPORT.  IT COULD BE
 PERSONAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.  IT COULD BE, LIKE,
 LITERALLY ANYTHING.    AND THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE. 
 LIKE SOME THAT WAS MENTIONED,
 LIKE I SAID EL CENTRO, IT'S LIKE
 EOP.  WE HAVE THE STUDENT COMMUNITY
 CENTER, WHICH HAS A TON OF
 OTHER CENTERS IN 
IT.  THE
 LGBTQCENTER.  THE CROSS CULTURAL CENTER.  THE LIST GOES ON
 AND ON AND ON.  FOR ME, I THINK THE MAIN
 THING THAT HELPED ME PERSONALLY WAS I
 TOOK A FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR, WHICH ACTUALLY
 ALL OF US IN THIS PANEL HAVE TAKEN AT ONE
 POINT, AND IT WAS THE
 COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE AND SEMINAR.  JUST POINTING
 IT OUT THERE.  YOU SHOULD ALL TAKE IT IF YOU CAN
 WHEN YOU START.    AND IT'S NOT LIMITED TO ONLY PEOPLE IN THE
 COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE.        BUT
 THAT CLASS AND SEMINAR REALLY HELPED ME TRANSITION INTO UC DAVIS. 
 AND TACKLING THESE
 MENTALITIES THAT I HAD ABOUT FEELING LIKE I WASN'T MEANT
 TO BE A STUDENT AT UC DAVIS OR
 I WASN'T SMART ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH THESE
 CLASSES OR X, Y, AND Z.  AND IT REALLY DOES
 MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  AND FINDING A COMMUNITY IN
 WHATEVER THAT --   HOWEVER THAT LOOKS FOR YOU, I THINK, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
 AND JUST LIKE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW, I WAS REFLECTING
 AND I'M LIKE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I'M AT THE END OF
 MY JUNIOR YEAR AND ABOUT TO BE A SENIOR BECAUSE IT GOES BY
 SO FAST.  SO YOU ARE 
DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY MORE THAN CAPABLE.        BUT LIKE I SAID, IF
 YOU NEED HELP, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO
 ASK BECAUSE IT'S THERE FOR YOU.      
  >> MARK: ISAAK, YOU MENTIONED 
EOP EARLIER.  ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES
 THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM?  I KNOW EOP IS
 PART OF THE GREATER 
OEOES, WHICH DON'T ASK ME WHAT THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR. 
 BUT ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN OR
 RESOURCES YOU GOT THROUGH EOP
 OR OEOES? 
   >> YEAH.  SO E OVM P,
 -- SO EOP, THERE'S
 THIS PROGRAM CALLED THE SCHOLARS ACADEMY, AND THAT'S
 --   IT'S A PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS OF EOP THAT
 BUILD A COMMUNITY WITHIN THEMSELVES, AND THERE'S A MENTOR AND
 THEY MENTOR YOU THROUGH, LIKE, FOUR YEARS
 OF YOUR WHOLE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.    AND THAT'S SOMETHING
 YOU CAN APPLY TO.  BUT SOMETHING EVERYONE 
CAN, LIKE, PARTICIPATE IN IS FREE
 THINGS THAT THEY GIVE OUT.  SO WHEN YOU TAKE TESTS --   I'M
 SORRY IF YOU HEAR A BUNCH OF NOISE.  IT'S L.A. 
 SO YEAH.    SOMETHING THAT YOU
 WILL NEED ARE LIKE BLUE BOOKS.  YOU'LL
 SOON FIND OUT WHY YOU NEED BLUE
 BOOKS FOR EXAMS AND SCANTRONS.  THE 
EOP COTTAGE HAS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN STUDY, AND YOU CAN GET
 COUNSELING, SOMEONE TO TALK TO.   I PERSONALLY
 HAVE A MENTOR THERE.  HER NAME IS
 CHRISTINA, AND SHE'S AWESOME.  SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
 THAT'S WHY I LIKE DAVIS.   IT'S KIND OF QUIET SOMETIMES WHEN YOU
 NEED IT TO BE.        SO YEAH.  
EOP IS GREAT.  AND THERE'S PEOPLE THERE THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE
 GOING THROUGH.  SO I RECOMMEND
 YOU TO GO THERE ANYTIME.  THEY'RE
 SUPER FRIENDLY.  MAYBE YOU'LL SEE ME THERE AND WE CAN BE BUDDIES. 
   >> AND EOP HAS A LOT OF WORKSHOPS
 AND SEMINARS THEY HAVE FOR ANY
 EOP STUDENT.  SO YOU CAN
 JUST DROP IN WHENEVER -- BOTH TO THEIR
 PROGRAMMING AND TO THEIR PHYSICAL SPACE EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT TO HEAT UP
 YOUR FOOD.    THERE'S A SPACE FOR YOU THERE. 
   >> MARK: NICE.        DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
 THE FIRST-YEAR
 SEMINARS?  WHAT DO YOU GUYS LEARN IN THOSE
 CLASSES?  AND HOW -- THAT'S HOW I FOUND
 YOU TO DO THIS PANEL.  SO MAYBE YOU WANT
 TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, OUR
 MUTUAL CONNECTION AS WELL.  BUT DO YOU WANT TO JUST TELL
 THE STUDENTS HERE WHAT THE FIRST-YEAR
 SEMINARS ARE, HOW THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM,
 HOW THEY SIGN UP?        >> SO I DON'T REMEMBER
 THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT THERE'S LITERALLY LIKE A TON OF 
FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS, AND THERE'S ALSO
 THIS OTHER THING CALLED FIRST-YEAR AGGIE CONNECTIONS, BOTH
 VERY SIMILAR.  AND ESSENTIALLY THESE ARE LIKE SMALL GROUPS OF
 STUDENTS THAT MEET UP FROM SIMILAR 
INTERESTS.  SO AND THEY RANGE IN A TON OF STUFF.  SO
 THEY GO FROM ACADEMIC RELATED TO MORE
 JUST LIKE RANDOM THINGS.    SO THERE WAS ONE ABOUT
 DISNEY.    I THINK THERE WAS ONE ON "STAR WARS."  LIKE THE ONE THAT
 WE DID IS A FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE, SO
 HELPING YOU TRANSITION INTO UC DAVIS,
 SPECIFICALLY FOR FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS.    THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM.        ONE IS
 TO HELP YOU TO FIND COMMUNITY, AND IT'S ALSO TO HELP
 YOU GAIN THE SKILLS THAT SPECIFICALLY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.  OH, AND
 YOU CAN FIND THEM IF YOU JUST GO ON
 GOOGLE AND SEARCH UC DAVIS FIRST-YEAR
 SEMINARS.  YOU HAVE THE WHOLE RUNDOWN THERE.      
  >> AND IF YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE THE
 ABILITY TO REGISTER MAYBE NOT LIKE THE FIRST
 -- IF YOU DON'T GET TO
 REGISTER FOR IT YOUR FIRST QUARTER, AT LEAST TRY
 THE SECOND QUARTER.  MOST FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS,
 I BELIEVE, ARE PASS/NO PASS CLASSES. 
 WATCH HOW MANY YOU TAKE.  I BELIEVE THERE'S A CAP AT UC DAVIS.  I THINK
 IT'S A MAX OF 13 CLASSES YOU CAN TAKE ALL FOUR
 YEARS.    SOMEBODY VERIFY THAT.    >>
 YOU SHOULD CHECK IN WITH YOUR COLLEGE ADVISOR ABOUT THAT. 
   THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.    >> THANK YOU. 
   >> MARK: GOOD IDEA, GOOD IDEA.    >>
 BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE SPECIFIC
SPECIFICALLY THE ONE WE ALL TOOK WAS THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE ONE. 
 I TOOK ONE MY FALL QUARTER, WINTER QUARTER
 AND WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE ONE SPRING
 QUARTER, BUT BECAUSE OF COVID-19, WE DIDN'T GET TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.      
  HONESTLY, IT WAS ALWAYS LIKE ON A WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY, AND I WOULD HAVE THE
 LONGEST WEEK, AND IT FELT LIKE THE LONGEST WEEK
 SOMETIMES, AND THEN I WOULD GET TO THAT CLASS AND I WOULD SIT DOWN
 AND BE, LIKE, OH, MAN, ANOTHER CLASS, ANOTHER 50
 MINUTES.  OKAY.  BUT THEN, LIKE, MIKE OR
 WHOEVER WAS INSTRUCTING THAT DAY, THEY WOULD START 
TALKING, AND JUST THE WHOLE ROOM TO ME AT LEAST, IT
 CHANGED.  YOU HAVE A PERSON WHO IS RECOGNIZE -- WHO SHARES
 HIS OR HER STRUGGLES WITH YOU.  THEY'RE
 TELLING YOU ABOUT THEIR STORY, THEIR EXPERIENCE, THEIR 
PATH.    AND IT WAS HONESTLY LIKE
 A --   EVERY CLASS WAS A REMINDER OF WHY I WAS
 AT DAVIS, WHY I HAVE TO KEEP GOING, WHY
 I HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING TO BE THE GREATEST.  AND
 IT'S NICE BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO HAVE THE SAME GOALS AS
 YOU, WHO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS
 AS YOU.  AND IT'S JUST -- THAT'S WHERE YOU REALLY
 -- I BUILT A 
COMMUNITY.  SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS ARE FROM THOSE 
CLASSES, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK TO SEE
 ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AGAIN.    I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
 REGISTER EVEN IF IT'S NOT FOR THAT SPECIFIC SEMINAR, ANY OTHER
 ONES.  IT'S A GREAT WAY TO BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION,
 ESPECIALLY IF IT'S YOUR FIRST YEAR.        >> MARK: HOLY 
COW, IF THAT WAS NOT A REALLY, REALLY,
 REALLY GOOD PLUG FOR FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE
 CLASSES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.      
  DID ANY OF YOU HAVE MENTORS OR PICK
 UP MENTORS OR FIND MENTORS, PEER 
MENTORS, OTHER STUDENTS WHO JUST KIND OF HELPED YOU ALONG
 THE WAY, WHETHER IT WAS THROUGH AN OFFICIAL PROGRAM
 LIKE EOP OR MAYBE,
 YOU KNOW -- I KNOW JORGE, YOU'RE A PEER
 ADVISOR, NADIA. 
   IF YOU PICK UP A JOB, 
LIKE, WHERE DID YOU FIND PEER SUPPORT, AND HOW DID THAT LOOK FOR YOU? 
  >> SO SPECIFICALLY PEER SUPPORT OR JUST MENTORS IN 
GENERAL?    >> MARK: OR MENTORS, YEAH.    THAT, TOO. 
  >> SO PEER SUPPORT FOR
 ME AT LEAST, EVER SINCE I MET
 NADIA, SHE'S BEEN A GREAT 
SUPPORT.  I MEAN, JUST WONDERFUL.  SHE'S HELPED
 ME OUT A LOT BECAUSE THIS YEAR THAT
 WE STARTED WORKING TOGETHER, WE WORKED TOGETHER AS PEER
 ADVISORS, AND WE ALSO WORKED TOGETHER AS PEER MENTORS FOR
 TWO QUARTERS OF THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE SEMINARS. 
  AND SHE'S BEEN GREAT. 
 SHE'S HELPED ME GET BETTER AT WHAT
 I'M WORKING TOWARDS, AND SHE'S BEEN A
 GREAT SUPPORT.  IN TERMS OF JUST REGULAR 
MENTORS, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY MIKE
 FROM THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE SEMINAR THAT I TOOK
 MY FIRST QUARTER HERE AT UC DAVIS.  HE WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE
 THAT PUSHED THE PEER ADVISOR APPLICATION TOWARDS
 ME AND WAS, LIKE, DO IT.  AND
 HE ALSO NOMINATED ME TO BE A PEER MENTOR FOR THE TRANSFER SECTION IN THE
 FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE SEMINAR BACK IN
 FALL AND THEN AGAIN IN WINTER. 
 SO HE'S BEEN A LOT OF HELP.  HE'S AMAZING.      
  HIS STORY, INSPIRING. 
 HIS SPEECHES, JUST GREAT.  SO
 JUST WANT TO PLUG HIS NAME THERE. 
       >>
 DITTO TO BASICALLY EVERYTHING YOU SAID.  IN TERMS OF
 PEER SUPPORT, I THINK THAT COULD LOOK LIKE A TON OF DIFFERENT
 WAYS FROM PEOPLE YOU MEET IN YOUR DORM TO
 PEOPLE IN YOUR CLASSES OR PEOPLE IN YOUR WORK.  LIKE, I WOULD
 SAY THE SAME THING.  JORGE HAVE BECOME SUPER GOOD FRIENDS. 
  AND LITERALLY ALSO SAME AS FOR MY 
MENTOR.  MIKE HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST SUPPORT FOR
 ME IN TERMS OF MENTORSHIP.  
OH, WE DIDN'T EVEN SAY.  MIKE IS ALSO AN ADVISOR HERE
 IN THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE.  SO
 A LOT OF YOU MAY SEE HIM. 
 BUT YEAH, HE'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT SUPPORT.      
  AND YOU CAN -- YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHETHER THAT IS YOUR MENTOR,
 MENTORS, OR YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR
 PEERS, IT'S REALLY GREAT HAVING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE
 FOR YOU, LIKE, NO MATTER WHAT.  EVEN WHEN
 YOU'RE IN YOUR LOWS AND IN YOUR HIGHS, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. 
  >> SO KIND OF I FEEL LIKE WE ALL HAVE A SHARED
 -- LIKE, MIKE WAS KIND OF A MENTOR FOR ME,
 BUT NOT DIRECTLY.  HE WAS LIKE THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE
 FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR CLASS, SO HE WOULD
 ALWAYS CHECKUP ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS STUDENTS,
 INCLUDING ME.  WHENEVER I HAD A PROBLEM OR AN ISSUE, I WOULD GO
 TO HIM AND ASK HIM BECAUSE I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH 
HIM.  BUT I DID HAVE OTHER PEOPLE ON 
CAMPUS.  I WAS INVOLVED WITH STEP.  AND IF
 YOU ARE A FIRST-YEAR -- OR
 INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENT, I HIGHLY,
 HIGHLY, HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR THE SPECIAL --
 IT'S CALLED STEP. 
 I BELIEVE IT'S SPECIAL TRANSITIONAL ENRICHMENT 
PROGRAM, AND IT'S BASICALLY LIKE A WAY FOR
 FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WHO ARE 
FIRST-GEN, WHO ARE PART OF EOP TO GET LIKE A
 FIRST LOOK OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE
 A STUDENT ON CAMPUS.  IT'S A
 SIX-WEEK PROGRAM.  I KNOW WE'RE LIMITED ON TIME, SO
 I CAN'T GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THROUGH THERE, I DID
 HAVE A PEER ACADEMIC ADVISOR.  WE CALL IT
 PAC.  EVERY QUARTER I
 CHECKUP WITH HERE.  SHE'S LIKE A THIRD YEAR ON CAMPUS NOW.  SHE
 GIVES ME ADVICE AND ANY TIME, WHETHER IT'S PERSONAL,
 ACADEMIC, SHE'S THERE FOR ME.  I HAVE HER PHONE NUMBER.  I'M
 SURE I COULD CALL HER AND SHE'D ANSWER.  IT'S LIKE
 DEVELOPING THAT RELATIONSHIP EVEN AN OLDER
 STUDENT ON CAMPUS.  ANYWHERE YOU GO, YOU'LL FIND ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO HELP YOU. 
   >> MARK: THAT WAS A GREAT POINT.  SORRY, 
ISAAK, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING?    >> YEAH, JUST REALLY QUICKLY. 
       IT'S NOT
 BAD TO HAVE ONE MENTOR, BUT IT'S NOT BAD TO HAVE A BUNCH OF
 MENTORS IN LIFE. 
 SO YOU CAN ALWAYS JUST GO UP TO PEOPLE.    I'D
 SAY THAT MIKE IS MY MENTOR, BUT HE'S NOT MY
 ONLY MENTOR.    SOMEONE FROM EOP AS WELL. 
 I MET CHRISTINA L. JACKSON. 
 MAYBE YOU'LL MEET HER.    >> MARK: OH, CHRISTINA
 JACKSON, YES!  I DIDN'T KNOW THAT'S WHO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.  SHE'S MONEY.    >> YEAH. 
 SO I WENT THERE JUST FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK OVER MY RESUME BECAUSE
 I WAS APPLYING TO JOBS INSIDE OF CAMPUS AND OUTSIDE.  AND
 I JUST WANTED SOMEONE TO LOOK OVER THE 
RESUME.  AND SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO DO THAT. 
 AND JUST LIKE TALKING WITH HER,
 SHE GOT TO KNOW MY LIFE STORY.  I GOT TO KNOW HERS, AND I WAS
 JUST, LIKE, HEY, LIKE, YOU'RE A REALLY AWESOME
 PERSON.   I LITERALLY TOLD HER THAT.  I SAID YOU'RE
 A REALLY AWESOME PERSON.  CAN YOU PLEASE BE MY MENTOR? 
 SHE WAS, LIKE, YEAH, WHY NOT?  IS AND FROM THERE SHE'S BEEN
 MENTORING ME AND GIVING ME A BUNCH OF
 OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL IN 
COLLEGE.  SO I'D SAY JUST --   LIKE I SAID BEFORE, DON'T BE AFRAID
 TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. 
 AND THE FEAR OF
 FAILURE IS NOT -- NO, THE FEAR
 OF REGRET IS WORSE THAN THE FEAR OF
 FAILURE.  SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO HOLD ON
 TO.    >> MARK: ABSOLUTELY.        WELL, I'M JUMPING
 BACK IN BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF TIME, AND
 I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL GOT
 THE APPLAUSE THAT YOU DESERVE.  NADIA, THANK YOU. 
   JORGE, 
MONSERRAT, 
ISAAK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  ANY FINAL
 WORDS OR THOUGHTS?    >> REAL QUICK, I SAW
 THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW TO FIND A MENTOR. 
 THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO FIND A MENTOR. 
 AND A MENTOR DOESN'T HAVE TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY LIKE SOMEONE
 YOU MEET ONE ON ONE WITH EVERY TIME.  IT CAN BE
 VERY DIFFERENT.  SO LIKE FOR ME, I FOUND
 MIKE, AND THAT WAS VERY RANDOM.  IT WAS
 JUST THROUGH THIS CLASS THAT I TOOK.  FOR OTHERS, IT
 MIGHT JUST BE LIKE --
 IT MIGHT BE YOUR PROFESSOR THAT YOU'RE REALLY INSPIRED BY WHEN YOU
 HEAR THEM SPEAK.  SO IT CAN LOOK REALLY 
DIFFERENTLY.    >> TO ADD TO THAT, MY
 MENTOR IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WAS THE OCEANOGRAPHY PROFESSOR WHO
 GAVE ME THE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTOR JOB.  HERE
 AT UC DAVIS, IT'S MIKE.  BACK WHEN I WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL
 OR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HIGH SCHOOL,
 IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE FROM THE YMCA.  IT LOOKS VERY 
DIFFERENT.   IT'S SOMEONE WHO CAN GIVE YOU THAT KIND OF SUPPORT, HELP CONNECT
 YOU TO RESOURCES THAT ARE
 USEFUL TO YOU AND KIND OF GIVE YOU A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES.  YEAH, IT VARIES. 
   >> MARK: YEP.  AWESOME.  YOU
 GUYS HAVE BEEN GREAT.  THANK YOU
 VERY, VERY MUCH TO OUR AMAZING PANELISTS. 
 THANK YOU.    >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.    >> MARK: THANK YOU
 GUYS FOR JOINING US.  
CONGRATULATIONS.    HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE FALL.    >>
 CONGRATS, Y'ALL.   >> YOU'RE HERE FOR A 
REASON.   >> DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY HI IF
 YOU EVER SEE US.  ASK US QUESTIONS, YES.    >> MARK:
 BYE, YOU GUYS.     
