A UC Davis Undergraduate Reflects on Building Community on Campus
For Katie Cohen, part of undergrad life is made up of “the grind.” For her, like many UC Davis students, the grind began in grade school. It meant to always be working. It meant to not just to be a good student but to excel.
Now in her second year on campus, Cohen, a sociology major and L&S Ambassador, has also learned that there’s a lot more to being a student than just the grind.
“Somewhere in the torrent of assignments and projects, balanced with jobs and living on our own for the first time, we have to find solace in togetherness,” said Cohen. “Our peers are the only ones who truly know what we go through on a daily basis, and retreating from this community only weakens that bond.”
Cohen said that friendships make undergrad life worthwhile, and building these kinds of connections has never been more important. Even just a moment to commiserate about a 10-page paper due at the end of the week can be meaningful.
“The little moments of joy one finds in togetherness can be the shining light in the often stress-ridden world that is college,” she said.
As an L&S Ambassador and peer advisor in the Department of Sociology, Cohen regularly helps students find opportunities to meet their peers. Even at a university as big as UC Davis, she said there are plenty of ways to create connections that lead to more than just a basic college experience.
At the same time, the sheer wealth of things to do can be overwhelming.
“I would definitely say take things at your own pace,” said Cohen “It's very easy to be pressured into doing as much as you can, like joining all the clubs, doing all of the activities, plus your schoolwork, plus maybe finding a job. You don’t have to be such an overachiever that it kills you.”
Cohen said that mentors on campus, especially when she first arrived, provided support that she still values. Last year’s L&S Ambassadors included a number of graduating seniors who actively mentored newer students. After graduation, they went on to teach abroad and land impressive jobs.
“I'm very grateful to have known all those people, and they've begun to do incredible things,” said Cohen. “It's nice to see role models like that graduate and let us know that we have a future, too.”
Katie Cohen is a L&S Ambassador majoring in sociology. She is originally from Los Angeles. Learn more about the 2024-2025 L&S Ambassadors.
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