Newest UCLA grads speak out on Bruin life

Sunday, June 9, 1996

Jonah Stein, fifth-year English student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

The national championship in Seattle was up there, in addition
to fun things like riots, quakes and fires. You give up small
classes and a more personal atmosphere for a team that goes to the
Rose Bowl, national championships and wide campus diversity.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

Large classes, lines at Murphy, counselors who steer you in
wrong directions, traffic congestion and pollution. Some of the
things we have seen in the last four years have been eye opening.
College helps you focus your interests and lets you find new things
you weren’t aware of.

Any regrets?

I thought about transferring, and had the transfer process been
easier, I might have done that. Somewhere back East, possibly
Wesleyan or Dartmouth.

Tiffany Chavez, fourth-year dance student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

It was a very positive experience, especially being involved,
going to sporting events, especially football, basketball ­
getting involved in clubs. I’m in the dance department, and it’s a
really close-knit family. It was worth it, even though it was a
little more expensive than a state school.

(UCLA) has prepared me for my career goals in that I have met
people here that are everywhere in California, so wherever I go I
am going to have contacts.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

All the construction needs to end, so we can enjoy this campus
and everything it has to offer without all that noise/crap
everywhere. I never got to use Powell. I came in as a transfer
student and had to start fresh. I felt like a freshman when I came
in here.

Mark Jaronczyk, fourth-year sociology student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

I don’t want to graduate. I had a great time here with the
classes as well as the social environment.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

I would change some of the attitudes toward the greek system.
People judge them because of something that they are in, not
necessarily as the (people) that they are, just because they are
wearing something on their chests.

It was hard to get students motivated for school events … If
we could get all those people together, each person could learn a
little bit about somebody else, and maybe we could take away a
little of those stereotypes. Also, all the construction you see
around here takes away from the beauty and accessibility of the
campus.

Any regrets?

Maybe I could have done a little better in school, but some of
the reasons why I didn’t do as well made up for it because I did
things that I wanted to do, like getting immersed in the social
environment. It was a good tradeoff, so no regrets.

Ann-Kristel Narramore, fourth-year political science student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

Meeting thousands of people. You can’t get that anywhere
else.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

The worst part is having all your classes consist of 300 people.
It doesn’t give you a chance to really know your professors, but if
you … take the initiative, then everything turns out OK.

How would you improve UCLA?

For a public school, it’s really expensive and you have to get
in and get out. I didn’t really have a lot of time to try and
figure out what I wanted to do.

Any regrets?

Nope, I love this place. I’ve definitely gotten a great
experience being at UCLA, a great education, and the chance to
become independent and do my own thing.

Jesse Negron, fourth-year graduate student, master of fine
arts

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

I went to film school and the teachers had a lot of good advice.
I came from Florida, and within the time of being here I got to
make a couple of films and a name (for myself). I did a lot of
really ambitious stuff and sometimes they were like, ‘You probably
shouldn’t do this,’ but they still gave me the equipment I needed
and helped me raise money.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

In film school, there are a lot of problems politically. That
was the only real negative experience I had.

How would you improve UCLA?

For people who have kids, it’s a little rough. (UCLA should) add
baby sitting, co-ops. I live in married housing, and there were so
many kids and so many parents without an organization to take care
of that.

Any regrets?

Just that I didn’t get to take enough classes. I had a family
and had to work 40 hours a week the whole way through school.

Allie Blackburn, fourth-year psychobiology student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

Everybody always says that there are too many people going here,
but I always thought that that was one of the better things,
because you always get the chance to meet new people.

People always say the professors are inaccessible, but I found
that the professors always wanted us to come to office hours. It’s
easier to fail because they’ll let you fail, but as long as you
try, you won’t fail. It gives you a chance to become independent on
your own.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

They keep raising reg fees every year. The class size is a
negative, too. The Pre-Professional Advising Office at Murphy Hall
is the worst thing on campus.

How would you improve UCLA?

Departments should help coordinate events for students to get to
know each other.

Any regrets?

None.

Sam Garcia, fourth-year political science/history student

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

It costs a lot of money to go here, but you get a good education
in books, in life, in growing up, and in meeting all kinds of
different people. The best part was the great amount of diversity
on campus, because so many people from all sorts of different
cultures and parts of the world are here, and you meet a lot of
people that you would not have met if you went to a small, private
school with less diversity.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

It’s such a big place that it’s not very personal; you can’t
really be the big shot on campus that you want to be. This school
has such a high reputation that to feel I’ve been successful here
has given me a certain amount of self-confidence that I might not
have otherwise had.

Any regrets?

Not really. Maybe I should have gone to a few more lectures.

Michael Cheung, second-year graduate student, Anderson Business
School

What was the best part about being a student at UCLA?

I consider myself a student of Anderson instead of UCLA. The
people and faculty were really great (to) me. It seems that there
is a pretty unique group of people here. I went to a small liberal
arts college as an undergraduate, so it took a little bit of
adjustment for the first quarter or so …

I think I got a really good education for a really good price. I
don’t think that it is in any way compromised by the price, either.
I think that facility at Anderson would probably rival most
business schools in the United States. We have the best building on
campus, so (chuckle) … I don’t think that I could have made a
better choice.

What was the worst part about being a student at UCLA?

Dealing with Murphy has been the only thing that takes some
getting used to. All the bureaucracy.

Any regrets?

No regrets. None.