Students Acclimate to Academic Life

Matt Halverson

Matt Halverson is from Los Banos located in the Central Valley.  Matt really values the close-knit community of the Integrated Studies Honors Program’s residential experience in Miller Hall and enjoys the hosted coffee breaks that are attended by the IS Faculty.  He notes that in IS, students and the professors interact casually and get to know each other by name, unlike the experience in most of his biomedical engineering courses.  Matt is taking advantage of everything at the university that he can, such as participating in Gamelan, an Indonesian percussion ensemble offered through the music department and being a member of the Cal Aggie Band-uh! – “that alone was worth coming to Davis!” He’s just run his first marathon and is looking forward to participating in the spring theatre production put on by IS.  Matt’s philosophy, “when’s the next time I’ll have this opportunity” guides his college experience in and outside the classroom.

Andrea Laiken

Andrea Laiken, a Psychology major, came to UC Davis looking for a change from Manhattan Beach.  She insists Davis doesn’t get the credit it deserves for what it has to offer, certainly not from the So CA perspective.  Andrea was attracted to the way Davis Honors Challenge engages faculty to teach outside of their traditional courses and values the team approach that includes student peer input.  She has also taken a Freshman Seminar which she describes as “typifying the college-like experience you imagine prior to coming to college, such as being able to voice an opinion, analyze comments by colleagues and experience a level of sophistication, all while only enrolled in your first quarter!”  Andrea finds it important “to put yourself out there” and participates in other activities at UC Davis such as being a member of SOS – ski and snowboard team, IM sports, exploring the Greeks and supporting intercollegiate athletics through Aggie Pack.

Tilak Koilvaran

Tilak Koilvaran enjoys being from the town of Davis and as a Biological Sciences major chose the Integrated Studies Honors Program because of the immediate community it provides “where people get to know each other well and fast.”  He finds the students in the program to be highly motivated to meet high academic expectations, but that they are also available to help each other succeed.  He notes first year experience courses are taught by professors “who share their own interests and passions which makes the class more interesting for the students.”  Tilak’s advice to other students who may be considering a non-traditional academic experience is that “while it may be a little more work than usual, it builds great social networks, and puts you in close community with people who you will continue to interact with while you are in college.”  Tilak’s other activities include participation in the pre-med club, and spending time at the ARC (Activities and Recreation Center) where he enjoys playing basketball.

Ashwini Mulgaonkar

Ashwini Mulgaonkar, a Genetics/pre-med major, came from Saratoga to UC Davis, both because of the strong campus climate with a pace “conducive to hanging out” and because of her interest in the Davis Honors Challenge program and its ideals.  She resides in the program’s residence hall where she really appreciates being able to study together, socialize, and being exposed to the diversity of people.  She finds the small size, discussion-oriented classes in DHC offer a relaxed feeling, and the professors are really “cool,” creating an interaction of “give and take.”  Her advice to incoming students regarding these first year experiences is to “expect to work, as there will be other things that compete for your attention, but the experiences are worth it; these opportunities aren’t designed to waste your time - it’s like finding hidden gems at the other end.” Ashwini’s other interests include outdoors activities and sports.

Zach Margolis

Zach Margolis was attracted to UC Davis because it is one of the few UC campuses that that offer anything like a Technoculture Studies major.  Zach likes the idea of the campus being in a small college town and finds the slower pace a nice break from LA.  He attributes his interest in the Integrated Studies Honors Program the result of his participation in the spring overnight visitation program sponsored by the Regents Society.  Since coming to UC Davis, Zach also participated in a Freshman Seminar course and his advice to incoming students is to take advantage of these seminars – “…they provide a friendly experience and you get to know faculty.  The seminars are engaging, interesting and there’s so much to choose from.”  Zach’s other interests include being on the volunteer staff with Aggie TV, IM sports, and being a member of Regents Society where he also serves as their webmaster.

Ryan Thrasher

Ryan Thrasher is an English major from Oakdale, Ca which is located in the Central Valley.  He was attracted to the Davis Honors Challenge in part because he identifies it as somewhat like the Academic Decathlon in which he participated while in high school – “I’m on my own as an individual, but I’m still part of a team.”  He finds that in DHC, “the other kids are more like me than I thought they’d be” and at the same time he’s getting more exposure to diversity than his prior high school experience.  His interaction with professors in DHC are a lot more personal than professional, and as a result he’s motivated to use his other professor’s office hours “to just go talk and hang out, and not merely as a place to go when you need help.”  Ryan’s other interests at UC Davis include participation in Davis College Democrats, student government, and intramural sports.  He also plans to look into the Model United Nations.