1.
Bikes Lock your bike — the number-one rule that Davis students live by. You come to depend on your bike more than anything, so losing it is a bigger deal than you may think. Get to know the Bike Barn for your bicycle needs.
“We offer all sorts of services. Most people know us for being a repair service but in the last couple of years we have become a bicycle retailer,” said Basile Sensei, business manager of the Bike Barn and fourth-year economics major. Sensei said that the Bike Barn does over 12,000 repairs annually. “We can fix anything that doesn’t require frame repair, like welding,” he said.
It is also suggested to practice riding your bike, because if you haven’t been on it since elementary school, you may be a bit wobbly at first and the first day of school is not the time to test your round-about riding abilities. Lastly, beware of squirrels; they do not yield for bicyclists and are far from afraid of them.
2. Studying There are a lot of places to go to study: cafés, the DC, the ARC, even the Quad, but the most reliable is the library. The library has the most varied spots, from quiet to chatty for any study habit. They also have a 24-hour room, so you can go there no matter what time it is. But wherever you choose, make sure you find a place and get into a study habit. Davis runs on a quarter system, so you learn a year’s worth of coursework in 10 weeks. It’s fast-paced — so don’t get behind, or you will likely stay behind.
3. Resources There is an abundance of resources available to you, especially while living in the residence halls. All UC Davis students are aware of various resources located at North Hall, including the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Women’s Resources and Research Center (WRRC) and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center (LGBTRC). Joy Evans, assistant director for education at the WRRC, said that the center offers a lot for any student, not just women.
“We offer a variety of resources [where] students can get information and advice on campus and off campus on a broad range of topics like how to support a friend with an eating disorder and how to party safely. Our library is a great resource to get information on any sort of gender lens,” Evans said.
For more information on these and many more resources, visit the Student Health and Counseling Service homepage on the UC Davis website. As a residence hall resident, the area service center also has resources available including tutoring, a tech hub and even 250 pages of free printing per quarter. Also, with a swipe of your ID card, you can rent kitchen supplies, board games and sports equipment.
4. Davis Wiki Take advantage of the proximity and go downtown. Lots of restaurants and boutiques and even the farmers market are good uses of time. There are reviews, maps, contact information and more all on DavisWiki, so add it as a bookmark on your browser; it will soon become your go-to for anything Davis.
5. Residence Halls In general, you should establish boundaries with your roommate. It is important that you learn to communicate and be considerate of the other person in your room, but also of others on the floor and even the building. Junior human development major Meagan Schaefer, a resident adviser in Segundo last year, said that communication can help prevent residence hall room issues.
“Be more open with communication,” she said. “A lot of times problems occur because roommates don’t talk to each other and it turns into a conflict later on.”
Also, when living in the residence halls and using communal bathrooms, always wear shower shoes — you never know what you are stepping in.
6. Experiment Try new classes, clubs or seminars. Davis has plenty of things going on every day at any time. Pick up The Aggie, scroll through the online calendar and go to a poetry reading, join an Experimental College course or even build something in the Craft Center. The opportunities are available for you, a student, to use. Take advantage of them!
7. Health Wash your hands. A lot. Try to keep hand sanitizer on hand, because when one person in the residence hall gets sick, everybody gets sick. Another way to not get sick is to get sleep. Late-night studying and early classes make keeping good health difficult. So squeeze in a nap here or there. But, in case you do get sick, know where the health center is and how to get there. You don’t want to have to figure it out when you are sneezing and sniffling.
8. ID Card Your UC Davis ID card is your library card, your meal card, your bus card and your free ticket into most sporting events. It also serves as many residence hall access cards and can even be linked to your U.S. Bank account. With that being said, keep it with you at all times. You never know when you are going to run to the dining commons or hop on the bus. Your ID from orientation is the only one you get for your undergraduate experience and it is a hassle to replace.
9. Campus Stay on campus. Even if you have a car and can go home, don’t. The washing machines on campus work just as well as the ones at home, and while a home-cooked meal may sound good, wait until the next long weekend. There is an abundance of events on campus for anyone to enjoy. The two big events of the year are Picnic Day and the Whole Earth Festival. Both are in the spring and are very iconic — you wouldn’t want to miss those just for a plate of mom’s lasagna.
10. Aggie Pack Even if you aren’t a major sports fan, every Aggie should experience a UC Davis football game sitting in the student section. Anyone wearing Aggie blue can be a part of one of the largest student-run cheer sections. Scream for the football team and win free food and tube socks! Not to mention there are performances from the dance team, cheer squad, Band-uh and Gunrock.DEVON BOHART can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
