Tips For Incoming Out-of-State College Student At UC Irvine

Being an out-of-state student can be really hard and kind of lonely at times. The struggles you face as an out-of-state student can make you feel out of place. You do not quite have the same issues as domestic students nor the same issues as an international student. But I think I have some advice that can help you as I am from Maryland and moved to Irvine without knowing a single soul in California. 

Homesickness can be really tough because unlike many of the students at UCI, we are unable to drive or fly home easily. I find that having a scheduled time to talk to your family or childhood friends is crucial during your first year. I used to call my mom and friends about once every other week. The reason I set up a schedule is because I want to avoid two things. One, I want to be able to check in and not worry about a time difference or conflicts with their schedules. Second, I want to avoid overcalling. I know that calling your friends and family everyday for three hours may seem like the best way to avoid homesickness, but oftentimes, it makes it worse. It usually gets worse because you start to feel a real sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and get too comfortable to the point where you do not want to make new friends. We want to avoid that as college students in a new state 

That leads into my second piece of advice — make sure to join student organizations and programs. Be interactive with others in your dorm hall, and just simply start doing things. As a first-year and even as you move further into your college career, there are going to be many opportunities for you to join something of your interest and make friends. Go ahead and do it! This is how you will start building your community. As someone who had no one that I can go to in California, my new friends became my family. I relied on them a lot for advice and getting around the state when I first moved here. In fact, they are one of the reasons why I call California my home now.

However, as much as you love your friends here in California, they do not always have the same issues as you and one of them being financial aid and finding a job. As an out-of-state student, I barely receive grants through FAFSA. Consequently, I get loans and because I get loans… I am also not able to receive work studies. However, this does not mean scholarships and work opportunities are not available to us. About twice a year, there is a scholarship packet through UCI, in which you can apply for many scholarships at once.

Also, make sure to check your email often because professors and your major department will send out notifications of scholarship opportunities that you can apply for. If you are looking for work, go to the career fairs where you can find internships and many jobs opportunities that you can apply for. Furthermore, do not be afraid to work in the fast food industry on campus, which can give you experience and eventually be promoted to management. Additionally, keep an eye out on all the flyers that are around campus because oftentimes, recruiters and hiring managers are looking for students to participate in their internships and office jobs that don’t require a work study! There are many opportunities for out-of-state students so do not fret! The faculty and staff at UCI is amazing at supporting their students in getting in touch with all kinds of resources.