The geographic and curriculum division between UCLA’s North and South campuses has fueled epic tension between the two campuses that include several elaborate stereotypes and myths about the students and majors in each campus. It’s time to address some of the most common myths about each campus and promote a more collaborative community.
North Campus
Myth #1: “North campus majors have super easy classes.”
Difficulty of the curriculum solely depends on the individual. Although many south campus majors have more units associated with their courses, north campus majors are just as strenuous and challenging to some students. The reason for this myth is partially due to the fact that many south campus students find half of their courses situated in laboratory settings while many north campus students attend lectures and discussions. Nonetheless, some students may find a course associated with south campus to be more challenging than a course in north campus, and vice versa, regardless of their major.
Myth #2: “North campus majors only go to class twice a week.”
This is contingent upon the course availability each quarter and the way students select their classes. Just because a student only attends classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Mondays and Wednesdays doesn’t mean they have a lighter workload. Some courses may be offered only twice a week but are four hour long classes. This convenience of going to class only twice a week should not be mistaken for the courses being less efficient.
Myth #3???: “North campus majors party all the time rather than study.”
Let’s be honest, this can be true for north and south campus majors to a certain extent. Yes, students like to party regardless of their major; that’s part of the college experience. However, it is untrue to say that north campus students party more than study. We all need to break free of studying for a while in order to give our brains a rest. If partying just so happens to be the form of release students need, then so be it.
Myth #4: “North campus majors won’t have jobs once they graduate because their majors are “jokes”.”
WRONG. This is a complete generalization and insult. One of the most competitive majors at UCLA resides in north campus and produces many graduates that go on to intern and work at companies such as Paramount Pictures, Sony, and ABC. Despite the hours many south campus students spend in a laboratory setting compared to north campus students, we are all at a RESEARCH based institution. Meaning, we all spend an ample amount of time doing research in labs, internships, or through studies.
Written by Anjanae Blackburn
South Campus Myths
Myth 1: South Campus majors are super competitive and are out to get each other.
It is true that everyone is worried about passing the class; when the grades are curved, people become competitive. However, not all south campus majors are sharks. In fact, we are dolphins: warm-blooded, communal, and like forming groups called pods. #YRLpods #dolphinjoke #hashtag. Studying for that upcoming midterm is difficult as heck and sometimes you need to find the people that not only want to hear you rant about thermodynamics but will respond with actual enthusiasm! After many all-nighters, lots of flashcards, and aid from AAP, we will pass that midterm together and be an exemplar scientific community.
tl;dr: Not everyone has a competitive drive. Study groups are necessary and promote peer
Myth 2: South Campus majors are capable of telling you the answer to every STEM related question.
Okay.Yes, I am taking a physics class, a chemistry class, and statistics right now–but that does not mean I am fluent in quantum mechanics, an expert in biochemical reactions, or that I can calculate the exact probability of you getting a B in your class. We each chose a specific major for a reason. Not all undergraduates have upper-division level knowledge of all fields in the southern state of ookla (UCLA). This may be surprising but despite taking classes on this and that, we are not walking encyclopedias, human calculators, nor are we google search boxes.
tl;dr: Just because we are part of the STEM majors does not mean we are knowledgeable on
Myth 3: South Campus majors are all pre-med. No, not everyone wants to become a doctor.
There are many careers that students can pursue with a south campus major, such as government consultants, political or corporate statisticians, educators, lab-based researchers, engineers, architects, pharmacists, scientifically accurate tv show writers, and the list goes on and on. The beauty of having a scientific background is that it can be applied to many fields and even create amazing hybrids with other fields. Imagine a chef that understands stoichiometry and creates incredible new dishes. Imagine a politician that came out of pre-med schooling and understands the need for health policy reforms and wants to expand the nation’s budget for scientific research. Imagine an urban planner that studied physics/kinematic equations and develops more energy efficient cities. STEM majors are not limited in terms of what they can do with their degrees. With some creativity and passion, science can be applied to broad range of careers and greatly improve our.
tl:dr: Not all south campus majors are in the pre-med route. There is a vast diversity of careers that students can pursue with a bachelors of science degree.
Written by Cristian De Nova Ledesma
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