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(From left) Ross Goldman, a first-year theater student, Sara Mier, a first-year undeclared studen

Andrew Chang recalls his first quarter at UCLA, new to the school as a freshman and leaping into college life.

He said he remembers getting lost on campus, as well as frantic attempts to cram his schedule into what little time he had. But entering into the new year after having some time to adjust to campus life, Chang said he is not worried about winter quarter.

Returning to UCLA this quarter, many freshmen said they have become more acclimated to university life both in terms of their academic and social lives.

Unlike when they came to UCLA for the first time, many students said they now feel more comfortable in the college environment.

“The first week here was mind-blowing,” said Chang, a first-year electrical engineering student.

But he now laughs and suggests it won’t be hard to get back to work.

“I think I’ve changed a lot,” he said.

With UCLA’s freshman population of 4,981 students, adjusting to college life can often be difficult at first.

Nicole Green, a psychologist at Student Psychological Services, said that for students, adapting to an academic and social culture entirely different from their high schools can be overwhelming.

Most students said they have experienced difficulties related to the fast-paced lifestyle at UCLA.

Green said the most difficult adjustments are moving away from a very structured family life to living in dorms where there is a “24-hour existence.”

Additionally, Green said meeting the demands of university life is a major source of freshman stress.

“A lot of students have trouble getting adjusted to a totally new academic structure ten thousand times bigger than what they’re used to,” Green said.

Some students seemed to agree with these sentiments, a particular worry being academics.

“Everyone says that, but it’s true,” said Nina Behdin, a first-year biology student.

Behdin added that one of her main worries for winter quarter was “keeping up with the pace of the quarter system.”

Jonathan Bobrow, a residential assistant at Hedrick Summit, said many freshman students had problems with “homesickness, adjusting to schedules and getting into the swing of things” earlier in the year.

However, he said he has not had to deal with these problems for some time.

Green said students generally become integrated by the end of fall quarter.

Students said that in the process of having to deal with their new lifestyle, they have become more mature.

“I think I’ve learned from the mistakes I made in the first quarter and I’ve become more responsible,” said David Lo, a first-year neuroscience student.

Students also noted that they were becoming more tolerant because they were constantly being forced into close contact with other students.

“There were some ‘space issues’ at first because I was living with two other people in a small room,” said Stephanie Hawkins, a first-year undeclared student.

“But I think that experience has definitely made me more tolerant and accommodating,” she said.