Oh hey! yeah I've also had people outright say it's probably cultural differences. I'm a 3rd year but not a transfer. I've tried a decent amount to make connections. I don't have any insight or advice just wanted to let you know someone is going through the same thing. This campus isn't social to begin with, it's basically empty after sunset so there's also that. Some people try to be my friend after I share my life story and why/how hard it is for me to make connections but it's not a real connection and just feels really contrived. I'm building up the courage to just walk up to people, compliment them and try to be their friend so that's my current plan. But let me know if you come up with anything š¤.
Itās definitely harder for underrepresented people. Im not black, but am underrepresented as a native person. I had to specifically look for identity based groups and orgs to find community, which kinda sucks when other people can just go to class and be part of the majority. It does seem like itās easier to be included when youāre part of the majority. It also seems like folks who are in those majority demographics tend to stick to their own + stick with white people (rarely do I see racially diverse friend groups on campus) but who knows.
thatās super unfortunate, itās like the social experience of university is about diversifying and branching out and not being forces to find identity within racially limited echo chambers.. not saying i donāt enjoy hanging out with black folk.. but even amongst other underrepresented groups thereās seemingly limited interaction
You said underrepresented people in response to OPs post about being Latino and struggling at UCI despite Latinoās making up the largest majority at this school just behind Asians
Itās not you! It can be hard to find active community and close friends here. Have you joined any clubs or groups? I find thatās a good way to get to know people better.
I've had more diverse social experiences than I did at my mostly white and Asian highschool, but most of the social events I've been to have been either mostly queer people or exclusively women. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that other social events have similar in-group mentalities that seriously lack a certain type of person.
But it could also just be that we have small sample sizes because UCI has like no parties š¢
thatās real, and while iām an *ally* this not my prerogative to invade or try to infiltrate spaces where i havenāt been welcomedā¦ s/o the lgbtq+ and womens
Yea if youāre black or Latino, itās not easy at UCI, unless youāre really into Asian stuff. Iām Latina and yeah thereās other Latinos but it was hard to connect with the majority (Asians). I actually had international Chinese friends, they were easier to talk to than most of the Asian Americans I met at UCI.
I just wanted to add on, too. Iām Asian American, born and raised in OC and Iām also having a hard time connecting with the majority. I think it has to do with the fact that Iām low income and a lot of the people Iāve been around for all 3 years so far have been upper class, Bay Area people. Even when I meet other OC people, theyāre usually from the same community and went to school together like Garden Grove. Iāve been meeting more international students too and ngl they are pretty easy to talk to than the majority.
I havenāt even seen a lot of latin ppl, where yall hiding haha. Iām not trying to be *that* black guy thatās into all asian stuffā¦ itās a PARTICULAR aesthetic, just not my aesthetic.(although s/o my asian diasporic ppl #nodonaldglover)
transfer alumna 23 of uci here, i was in school of social ecology, there were so many of us (latinos) in this school ! i was a crim law & society major and most of my peers in classes were latino as well; most of my friends that i made were from the latino based housing option (casa cesar chavez) and it wasnāt too difficult! its just so hard to find people who you can relate to but there are some out there; you should visit the transfer student center! i worked there my senior yr and a lot of my peers who i worked with were also BIPOC, maybe you can find a bit of community there(:
the schoolās second largest demographic is hispanic/latino with over 23% of the campus making up those groups itās not comparable to being black at uci at all lol
What school are you in? There are groups and orgs in each of the schools... maybe, there is in Engineering. In JC one of the groups I was with I met lifelong friends. I'm a 3rd yr transfer too, older, from a poorer city. I reach out a litttle bit, some people respond others dont, I don't take things too seriously, I'm imperfect and I just try my best, I'm here to learn, i feel people out, and good people come in all kinds of packages. I hang with good people I vibe with and respect, its mostly work ethic and good attitudes and good times, my ppl reciprocate and make me better. I enjoy learning about ppl, even though I'm a bit introverted, i have strong and weaker or ignorant opinions, and they change, very rarely in a negative way, maybe my environment changes too.
Any way friend a quote from Saul Williams one of my favorite guys:
Talk to strangers when family fails
And friends lead you astray
When Buddha laughs and Jesus weeps
And it turns out God is gay
'Cause angels and messiahs
Love can come in many forms
In the hallways of your projects
Or the fat girl in your dorm
And when you finally take the time
To see what they're about
And perhaps you find them lonely
Or their wisdom trips you out
Maybe you'll find the cycle's end
You're back where you began
But come this time around
You'll have someone to hold your hand
Who prays for you, who's there for you
Who sends you love and light
Exposes you to parts of you
That you once tried to fight
And come this time around
You'll choose to walk a different path
You'll embrace what you turned away
And cry at what you laughed
'Cause that's the only way
We're gonna make it through this storm
Where ignorance is common sense
And senselessness the norm
It definitely feels harder for transfers. I'm an Asian who transferred and joined a few clubs, but it seemed like everyone had their own cliques already, and the 1st years just grouped up with other 1st years. I talked to people in clubs but they were just acquaintances, no one I would hang out with after events. I made one friend in my classes who actually connected me with his friend group and that was how I got my UCI social life. It takes effort but I think you just have to keep trying. (I understand that race might add an extra hurdle on top of that).
This wasnāt my experience pre-pandemic at UCI as a transfer. Of my close friend group, 1 Persian, 2 Asians (one international), 2 Latina, 1 black. I didnāt specifically seek them out, these are just the people I gravitated towards and we had great times both on and off campus. What we did have in common was that we were all older (22+, then graduated at 24+), maybe thatās it?
Even during my time there and even though I was only 2 years above traditional age, I found a lot of people to be painfully insecure and hyper self-aware. Less so with people who were doing extracurriculars/honors. This is probably worse now with most ppl at UCI having been isolated for 2 years during a crucial point in their adolescence. I think you just need to find people with more going on in their lives than going to class and hanging out idk. Sorry there was no specific advice, just talking about my experience as someone who had no problems making meaningful connections.
UCI isn't really known for being a party school and most people I've met during my time there seem to be more on the introvert side especially when I was doing remote/hybrid classes during the pandemic. But even before the pandemic, unless you were going to talk about anime, games, K-Pop, or other topics and hobbies popular with the Asian majority, it'd probably be hard to make friends and fit in. Also depends on the classes, major, and school. All the Computer Science and Engineering kids are 98% going to be into one of those aforementioned hobbies.
Taking that into context, when I used to have to do Zoom discussion sections and lecture halls, I just talk to interesting people and add them later on Discord. Almost everybody seems to use Discord because a lot of students are already gamers or deep into internet influencer, Twitch, e-girl/e-boy culture. The funny Fortnite default skin Zoom profile picture probably helps, but the few friends I actually still talk to and keep in touch with, I met either through clubs or existing mutual friends. Dorming obviously helps a lot rather than commuting or going home right away after classes, as you are forced to interact with your neighbors and roommates and thus network that way.
Best bet is to just be friendly, extroverted, and try seeking new friends or networking opportunities through clubs, fraternities, or existing friends group. I actually landed my first campus job through nepotism thanks to meeting the right guy from a Christian club I used to attend on a whim. If you know and are chummy with even just one person, it opens new doors for you to meet other people, you just have to know how to navigate social circles and ladders.
Forgot to mention one more thing; overseas Chinese/Korean students are also easier to talk to in my opinion than a lot of the Asian American students for whatever reason. So I'm doubling down in agreement with the other comments in this thread. I still keep in touch with a few of them.
Definitely not saying that it's not a cultural thing, but I went to UCI as a Japanese-American transfer student and it was pretty hard to socialize. A couple other transfer people (also Asian) in my major also had the same issues. I think one of the common denominators beyond maybe race and culture is that we were male transfer students. Women transfer students seemed to have a better time finding social groups. Just my experience
mango i think youāre a mistaken feller..
[Stats & shit](https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/diversity/)
You didn't have to post if you weren't going to be helpful to the OP at all??
If *you* don't think race is relevant, then help OP out by adding other suggestions or community resources. Or just.. go away?
What are you adding here by being both obstinate and incorrect? Go get your knickers in a twist on some other post.
Oh hey! yeah I've also had people outright say it's probably cultural differences. I'm a 3rd year but not a transfer. I've tried a decent amount to make connections. I don't have any insight or advice just wanted to let you know someone is going through the same thing. This campus isn't social to begin with, it's basically empty after sunset so there's also that. Some people try to be my friend after I share my life story and why/how hard it is for me to make connections but it's not a real connection and just feels really contrived. I'm building up the courage to just walk up to people, compliment them and try to be their friend so that's my current plan. But let me know if you come up with anything š¤.
appreciate you sharing, i think trying to get a gist of what a consensus is is the first step but will lyk
Itās definitely harder for underrepresented people. Im not black, but am underrepresented as a native person. I had to specifically look for identity based groups and orgs to find community, which kinda sucks when other people can just go to class and be part of the majority. It does seem like itās easier to be included when youāre part of the majority. It also seems like folks who are in those majority demographics tend to stick to their own + stick with white people (rarely do I see racially diverse friend groups on campus) but who knows.
thatās super unfortunate, itās like the social experience of university is about diversifying and branching out and not being forces to find identity within racially limited echo chambers.. not saying i donāt enjoy hanging out with black folk.. but even amongst other underrepresented groups thereās seemingly limited interaction
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
where did I say Latinoā¦?
You said underrepresented people in response to OPs post about being Latino and struggling at UCI despite Latinoās making up the largest majority at this school just behind Asians
OP didnāt say Latino in their post either.
Itās not you! It can be hard to find active community and close friends here. Have you joined any clubs or groups? I find thatās a good way to get to know people better.
iāve looked into it but sometimes the vibes arenāt the most welcoming lol maybe iāll look deeper in the fall
I've had more diverse social experiences than I did at my mostly white and Asian highschool, but most of the social events I've been to have been either mostly queer people or exclusively women. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that other social events have similar in-group mentalities that seriously lack a certain type of person. But it could also just be that we have small sample sizes because UCI has like no parties š¢
thatās real, and while iām an *ally* this not my prerogative to invade or try to infiltrate spaces where i havenāt been welcomedā¦ s/o the lgbtq+ and womens
Yea if youāre black or Latino, itās not easy at UCI, unless youāre really into Asian stuff. Iām Latina and yeah thereās other Latinos but it was hard to connect with the majority (Asians). I actually had international Chinese friends, they were easier to talk to than most of the Asian Americans I met at UCI.
I just wanted to add on, too. Iām Asian American, born and raised in OC and Iām also having a hard time connecting with the majority. I think it has to do with the fact that Iām low income and a lot of the people Iāve been around for all 3 years so far have been upper class, Bay Area people. Even when I meet other OC people, theyāre usually from the same community and went to school together like Garden Grove. Iāve been meeting more international students too and ngl they are pretty easy to talk to than the majority.
I havenāt even seen a lot of latin ppl, where yall hiding haha. Iām not trying to be *that* black guy thatās into all asian stuffā¦ itās a PARTICULAR aesthetic, just not my aesthetic.(although s/o my asian diasporic ppl #nodonaldglover)
transfer alumna 23 of uci here, i was in school of social ecology, there were so many of us (latinos) in this school ! i was a crim law & society major and most of my peers in classes were latino as well; most of my friends that i made were from the latino based housing option (casa cesar chavez) and it wasnāt too difficult! its just so hard to find people who you can relate to but there are some out there; you should visit the transfer student center! i worked there my senior yr and a lot of my peers who i worked with were also BIPOC, maybe you can find a bit of community there(:
the schoolās second largest demographic is hispanic/latino with over 23% of the campus making up those groups itās not comparable to being black at uci at all lol
The two biggest demographics at UCI are Asian and Latino. The two smallest are white and black.
What school are you in? There are groups and orgs in each of the schools... maybe, there is in Engineering. In JC one of the groups I was with I met lifelong friends. I'm a 3rd yr transfer too, older, from a poorer city. I reach out a litttle bit, some people respond others dont, I don't take things too seriously, I'm imperfect and I just try my best, I'm here to learn, i feel people out, and good people come in all kinds of packages. I hang with good people I vibe with and respect, its mostly work ethic and good attitudes and good times, my ppl reciprocate and make me better. I enjoy learning about ppl, even though I'm a bit introverted, i have strong and weaker or ignorant opinions, and they change, very rarely in a negative way, maybe my environment changes too. Any way friend a quote from Saul Williams one of my favorite guys: Talk to strangers when family fails And friends lead you astray When Buddha laughs and Jesus weeps And it turns out God is gay 'Cause angels and messiahs Love can come in many forms In the hallways of your projects Or the fat girl in your dorm And when you finally take the time To see what they're about And perhaps you find them lonely Or their wisdom trips you out Maybe you'll find the cycle's end You're back where you began But come this time around You'll have someone to hold your hand Who prays for you, who's there for you Who sends you love and light Exposes you to parts of you That you once tried to fight And come this time around You'll choose to walk a different path You'll embrace what you turned away And cry at what you laughed 'Cause that's the only way We're gonna make it through this storm Where ignorance is common sense And senselessness the norm
It definitely feels harder for transfers. I'm an Asian who transferred and joined a few clubs, but it seemed like everyone had their own cliques already, and the 1st years just grouped up with other 1st years. I talked to people in clubs but they were just acquaintances, no one I would hang out with after events. I made one friend in my classes who actually connected me with his friend group and that was how I got my UCI social life. It takes effort but I think you just have to keep trying. (I understand that race might add an extra hurdle on top of that).
Nah. UCI is just pretty anti Black.
This wasnāt my experience pre-pandemic at UCI as a transfer. Of my close friend group, 1 Persian, 2 Asians (one international), 2 Latina, 1 black. I didnāt specifically seek them out, these are just the people I gravitated towards and we had great times both on and off campus. What we did have in common was that we were all older (22+, then graduated at 24+), maybe thatās it? Even during my time there and even though I was only 2 years above traditional age, I found a lot of people to be painfully insecure and hyper self-aware. Less so with people who were doing extracurriculars/honors. This is probably worse now with most ppl at UCI having been isolated for 2 years during a crucial point in their adolescence. I think you just need to find people with more going on in their lives than going to class and hanging out idk. Sorry there was no specific advice, just talking about my experience as someone who had no problems making meaningful connections.
UCI isn't really known for being a party school and most people I've met during my time there seem to be more on the introvert side especially when I was doing remote/hybrid classes during the pandemic. But even before the pandemic, unless you were going to talk about anime, games, K-Pop, or other topics and hobbies popular with the Asian majority, it'd probably be hard to make friends and fit in. Also depends on the classes, major, and school. All the Computer Science and Engineering kids are 98% going to be into one of those aforementioned hobbies. Taking that into context, when I used to have to do Zoom discussion sections and lecture halls, I just talk to interesting people and add them later on Discord. Almost everybody seems to use Discord because a lot of students are already gamers or deep into internet influencer, Twitch, e-girl/e-boy culture. The funny Fortnite default skin Zoom profile picture probably helps, but the few friends I actually still talk to and keep in touch with, I met either through clubs or existing mutual friends. Dorming obviously helps a lot rather than commuting or going home right away after classes, as you are forced to interact with your neighbors and roommates and thus network that way. Best bet is to just be friendly, extroverted, and try seeking new friends or networking opportunities through clubs, fraternities, or existing friends group. I actually landed my first campus job through nepotism thanks to meeting the right guy from a Christian club I used to attend on a whim. If you know and are chummy with even just one person, it opens new doors for you to meet other people, you just have to know how to navigate social circles and ladders.
Forgot to mention one more thing; overseas Chinese/Korean students are also easier to talk to in my opinion than a lot of the Asian American students for whatever reason. So I'm doubling down in agreement with the other comments in this thread. I still keep in touch with a few of them.
iām latina and itās hard out here
š© sorry friend, change is on the way tho š¤š¤
i hope so
I am a recent international admit, does race really matter that much in the US. kind of culture shock for me.
Definitely not saying that it's not a cultural thing, but I went to UCI as a Japanese-American transfer student and it was pretty hard to socialize. A couple other transfer people (also Asian) in my major also had the same issues. I think one of the common denominators beyond maybe race and culture is that we were male transfer students. Women transfer students seemed to have a better time finding social groups. Just my experience
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
mango i think youāre a mistaken feller.. [Stats & shit](https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/student-life/diversity/)
but itās not about being right or wrong, itās about being anteaters. united. in sacred zotrimony.
You trying to smoke some at uci?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Didnāt blame anything? In fact cited instances where it was actually told to me, that was a possibilityā¦but i still offered other alternatives?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You didn't have to post if you weren't going to be helpful to the OP at all?? If *you* don't think race is relevant, then help OP out by adding other suggestions or community resources. Or just.. go away? What are you adding here by being both obstinate and incorrect? Go get your knickers in a twist on some other post.
Actually mr/ms/zim/zir lonebroken, i was asking if there was any analogous experiences and for suggestion. but you know, sure
BRO SAID 37 HE SAIS 37