As a second-year international student at UCR, I can still remember how I used to feel uncomfortable living in Riverside because of both the weather and the campus environment. However, after being here for one year, I became more and more grateful for choosing to come here to study. Let me share with you what changed my opinion about UCR.

Studying 

As international students, our priority must be our studies, however, studying at UCR can be a completely new experience for students who came to California for the first time.

As part of the UC system, UCR follows a quarter schedule. This type of schedule might be new to many international students because most of the universities outside of the US follow the semester schedule. When compared to the semester schedule, the quarter schedule appears to be more intense. We have only about 10 full weeks each quarter, and the midterm is often around week 5, while the final exam is on week 11. It also means that there are fewer holidays throughout the quarter schedule. So during the academic year, we need to be focused mostly on our classes.

 

[Image Description: Spongebob Squarepants, from Spongebob Squarepants, looking disheveled and red-eyed from stress and lack of sleep as he smacks himself in the face over and over again with a textbook.]

Pictured: How you feel by Week 11 of the quarter system

 

In the beginning, I felt stressed when switching from the semester schedule to the quarter schedule. What I found, however, was that the quarter schedule helped create high productivity as I became more and more familiar with this schedule type. If you feel like the quarter system goes quickly, don't worry. UCR provides a lot of academic resources meant to help support students, including different types. For example, we have the Graduate Quantitative Method Center (GradQuant) to help students with analytical problems in their data results and which provides multiple workshops per quarter. We also have the Graduate Writing Center (GWC), which helps students who are dealing with writing problems by providing feedback on their writing. This is especially useful for nonnative speakers. Planning on going to a conference? The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is a good place to look if you need funding in order to attend a meeting or a conference outside UCR.

Social Life 

As students, our studies are our main priority but we can also benefit from a full social life while at UCR. There are a number of different events and activities you can take advantage of that are both fun and informative.

[Image Description: Three minions, from Despicable Me, are sitting in folding chairs in the front row of an event, more minions behind them. They are all cheering and clapping in excitement.]

Pictured: You and your crew enjoying your full social life at UCR

 

UCR holds an International Student Orientation every year. At this orientation,  you can acquire lots of information about the events happening around our campus. In particular, I find the International Student Orientation Resource Fair helpful for new students who are looking to find different groups they can join. There are many international student clubs at this fair, such as the International Student Union and the Chinese Union, who table durring this event.

In addition, there are graduate social events held by different associations and offices on campus that you can also attend. For example, the Grad Student Coffee Social is a weekly event on held in the Grad Student Lounge in the HUB every Wednesday from 3-4 pm where you can enjoy free snacks as well as providing you a great opportunity to talk with other graduate students, both domestic and international, about their lives and their researches. It can be very instructional to talk with people from other disciplines about their work because you may find some new ideas for your own research. You may also find that you make a new friend. 

Considering the pressure of studying during midterm and final, you’ll need something to help you relax, so you don’t want to miss events such as Grad Stress Relief Fair. At the Grad Stress Relief Fair, you can de-stress with tacos, art, and ponies. You might even get a free massage!

 

Around UCR

Holidays are a good time to have a short and relaxing trip. If you want to go on a trip, you’ll find there are many good places to go around Riverside. If you like a beautiful city view, then Los Angeles is the best choice for a quick road trip. You can enjoy the beautiful sunset on the Santa Monica beach, or the Getty Museum, and you also cannot miss the fantastic night view in Griffith Observatory, which became more and more popular after the movie “La La Land”. If you’re looking to drive a little further, then San Diego is also a great option. In addition to good food, San Diego's Old Town is also a good place where you can hang out in the downtown area at night.

[Image Description: A corgi sitting on it's back, propped up by pillows on a couch. It is dressed in a bathrobe, a TV remote control on its lap.] 

Pictured: You, after your road trip around the Riverside area

 

If you prefer to enjoy a nature view instead, there are also different options for different seasons. Winter and spring are the best times for skiing at Mountain High Resort in the San Gabriel Mountains. There you can have fun playing with the snow all day long, even when it’s warm in Riverside! During summer and fall, you can go camping around Big Bear Lake where you can relax accompanied by the beautiful lake view.

There is a lot of fun to be found while studying and living in Riverside. Even though there will sometimes be cultural differences, if you open your mind and be brave while embracing a new lifestyle you’ll have a good experience at UCR.

I hope all the international students can have a wonderful time at UCR!