Three Unforgetable Years at UCSD

After a brief hiatus, I have returned and will resume blogging! (You can thank finals, papers, moving to D.C., and work for keeping me away!)

I wanted to briefly reflect on my time in college in this particular post. As many of you know, I completed my studies at the University of California at San Diego on June 13. After much consideration and thought, I decided not to walk with my classmates of Eleanor Roosevelt College given my job in D.C.  I wish my fellow Tritons success, and hope they’re on to bigger and better things. Go Class of 2012!

Aerial view of UCSD

How exactly can I sum up my time in college? Phenomenal. Arduous. Busy. Life-Changing.  All these words come to mind when I think of my time at UCSD.

UCSD is one of the most reputed academic institutions in the country, attracting the best and brightest young minds to University of California campus. Who wouldn’t want to study in San Diego? There are nice beaches, cute shops, quaint cities, and a bustling downtown. UCSD’s departments, mine being political science, are nationally ranked. Long since I came to UCSD, the competition has gotten more fierce and cutthroat. That’s what one should expect at a UC school. Nevertheless, I’m glad I went to UCSD given its reputation and proximity to Orange County, CA.

On the other hand, there were times when I wished I escaped UCSD. Like most academic institutions, UCSD does embrace leftist ideas. MeCHa, the Black Student Union, Muslim Students Association, Student Sustainability Club, Students for Justice in Palestine, and countless other groups dictate campus politics. While it’s not as bad as UC-Berkeley or an Ivy League school, UCSD can certainly be hostile to conservative and pro-Israel views. Despite this, I challenged the status quo and defended conservatism to the best of my ability.

Much to the dismay of some, I didn’t become a leftist. In fact, I reaffirmed my conservatism. Whenever I felt outnumbered on campus, I retreated to blogging, events, conferences, and similar outlets. If it weren’t for Young America’s Foundation, Eagle Forum, CUFI, The California Review, and other groups I was involved with, I probably would have gone insane. Haha.

Joking aside, studying and attending UCSD was a memorable experience – one that I will cherish forever. I made some great life-long friends and got my start in the conservative movement. I will never forget those three unforgettable years.

Here’s to the post-graduate life!