UCLA Computer Science Department

Orientation for Computer Science Students


MOVING IN



Getting Started

A good place to start is the UCLA Campus Map and the online UCLA Campus Phone Directory.

If you do not have a web browser handy for the Phone Directory, call UCLA Information at (310) 825-4321. (To get out of the irritating phone menu interaction, press "0" anytime.)

The Computer Science Department provides online information about faculty and staff -- including phone numbers, office numbers, email addresses, and home pages.

UCLA Graduate Division's excellent new Grad Student Orientation page is good for getting a bigger picture of UCLA.

For advice on how to get the most out of graduate school, check out the Graduate Student Survival Guide (PDF) and How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and Advisors (Part I) & (Part II).


Transportation & Parking

The UCLA Commuter Guide lists many ways to get to UCLA. For bus travel, the subsidized BruinGO! Program has been generally regarded as a good deal. The UCLA Transportation Office site has many other suggestions.

For travel by car, get directions to UCLA (also available by phone at (310) 794-RIDE), and go to one of the parking information booths on campus.

Real-time Los Angeles freeway traffic maps are useful sometimes, but you will learn pretty quickly about traffic patterns.

Availability of parking permits for students is limited -- the demand is greater than the supply. You can apply for a parking permit online, but the application deadlines for Fall parking permits is in July, and for Winter parking permits is in October. So, often there is no way for you to get a parking permit during your first quarter at UCLA. You can always pay for parking by the day, but it can be expensive.

Also, beware: parking enforcement is aggressive at UCLA (and in Westwood, and everywhere in Los Angeles). Expect $35-$50 parking tickets.

Many people feel that UCLA Parking is a sort of unfriendly empire. The friendly Computer Science Department staff in 4732 Boelter Hall handle parking for the department, and can help orient you.


BruinCards

You need to get a BruinCard, which serves as an identification card on campus, as well as a library card, bus pass, etc. You can even make online cash deposits in your BruinCard and use it as debit card (in all campus stores and restaurants) -- which is very convenient.

To get your BruinCard, go to 123 Kerckhoff Hall (across from the restaurants in Level 1 of Ackerman Union) during normal office hours. They will take your picture etc.; see the BruinCard FAQ.


Registration

Registration is done through the University web pages: http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/soc/register.htm

Many aspects of registering and taking classes have been integrated into your MyUCLA academic web portal (http://my.ucla.edu).

URSA (University Records System Access) will give you immediate access to your UCLA academic records as well as allow you to enroll in classes.

The schedule of current classes is always at http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/schedule. The academic calendar for 2004-2005 lists all campus deadlines, special dates, holidays, etc.

The CSD's Academic FAQ page should also be helpful in figuring out things like: The related Academic Links page gives you a quick index to all academic offices on campus.


Housing

The UCLA Community Housing Office can help you find an apartment or other accommodations. The Computer Science Department is only involved in housing assignments during the admission process. Most students live in apartments found on their own. However, the university also runs some apartment housing for graduate students, as well as for married students. These are usually at an excellent price, but the waiting list can be up to one year. Make sure you contact the Community Housing Office and get on the waitlist early if this applies to you.

Apparently some students have had good experiences with Westside Rentals for finding an apartment in L.A. Although for full search it does require a subscription fee, in the end this reportedly has been worth it. There are a number of resources like this for the Los Angeles area, though.


Other Student Services

UCLA has many student services: Financial Aid, Health, Student Loans, Student Legal Services, Career Center and more. A complete list of these is available in the Directory of Student Services.

These services may not seem that relevant or useful to you now, but they often turn out to be useful in unplanned ways.

For example, many students have found the Student Psychological Services really helpful in dealing with the stresses of graduate life. Putting up with roommates, managing course assignments, coping with faculty members, making the payments on the Ferrari, and surviving UCLA parking all generate stress -- sometimes a lot of stress. It is nice to know that, in strict confidentiality, and by phone if you prefer, you always have someone to talk to.


Keys and Swipe Cards

You can get keys or swipe cards to CS Department doors (like the door to the Graduate Workstation Room) from Terry Valai in 4732D Boelter Hall. There is a deposit charge of about $10 for keys, which is reimbursed when you finally return the key.


Desks and Offices

Office space, desk space, telephones, Xerox, etc... are typically obtained through your Advisor, not directly from the department. (The basic reason for this is that groups of students who work with a given Advisor are located together.) Speak to your Advisor for more information.


Furniture

Places to look for reasonably-priced furniture include the Daily Bruin classifieds and L.A. Times classifieds, and furniture listings on ebay (sorted by "distance: nearest first", e.g.: sofas).

Online yellow-page-like resources such as LA Citysearch also have listings for new furniture and used furniture.

The nearest IKEA outlets are in Carson and Burbank. Very nearby are Pier 1 and Cost Plus World Market.


Books etc.

For books, the UCLA Library is a good place to start; you need your BruinCard to check books out. The library also offers good online Computer Science resources, including electronic texts such as: For these resources, you have free web access inside the ucla.edu domain.

The library also has access to many online article databases, and even Gartner Reports on the latest trends in computing. If you have questions about the Library, Anita Colby can help you.


The UCLA Store has a Textbook section and also the BookZone bookstore, which has trade books on computing. These are great for getting books quickly, but students often use:


GETTING MONEY



Payroll

Payroll issues are handled in the CS Department office in 4732 Boelter Hall. The friendly Computer Science Department staff can't help you find a job, but can help in filling out the paperwork necessary to get paid, and for handling problems with your pay.


Financial Support

If you need financial support, talk to Prof. Reiher or Verra Morgan in the Graduate Office (4403 Boelter Hall). Support can take several forms: See the Graduate Division information about Financial Support for Entering Graduate Students. You may also want to visit the UCLA Financial Aid Office.

If you receive financial support, see the FAQ about financial support disbursement (how & when you will be paid, your BAR account, your income tax, etc.)


Teaching Assistantships

For a general overview, the TA Handbook (developed by the UCLA OID TA Training Program) gives a good overview of most issues regarding Teaching Assistanships. You may also want to consult the Academic Apprentice Personnel Manual, which explains regulations, salary scales, medical insurance, NRTs, etc.

For being a TA in the Computer Science Department, the TA FAQ will probably answer most of your initial questions. The head teaching assistant this year (or Teaching Assistant Coordinator) can be contacted at tac@cs.ucla.edu. If you have TAship questions not related to a particular class, please contact the TAC first.


If you are not a TA, but want to be one, submit a TA Assignment Preference form to Verra Morgan in the Graduate Office in 4403 Boelter Hall. This form asks you to describe your technical background, and your preferences for courses (that you would like to be a TA for). Do this as early as possible. (Bear in mind that TA assignments are finalized in August or September every year, but right before each quarter some openings inevitably appear, as schedules change.)

If you are an entering foreign/international student, you must pass the TSE & SPEAK test in order to be a TA.


If you are a TA, and already know the class and the professor in charge of the class, talk to the professor about your responsibilities before the start of the quarter, and the teaching assistant work area in 4428 Boelter Hall.

If you are a TA but do not know what section you are assigned to, talk to Verra Morgan in the Graduate Office (4403 Boelter Hall).

As a TA in the Computer Science Department, you must enroll in and attend CS495, the seminar for new TAs. It is offered once a year, in the Fall quarter. You also should enroll in the appropriate section of CS375 during the quarter(s) that you are a TA.


Research Assistantships

If you are a research assistant, talk to your Advisor about your duties.


Jobs on and off Campus

Below are a number of links that may help you find a job on campus, job off campus, or summer internship. There are a variety of advantages and disadvantages to each of these options; you might want to talk to your Advisor and/or to your friends about whether these will be compatible with your graduate research agenda.

Jobs on Campus:


Jobs off Campus:


Occasionally companies post job notices on the walls in Boelter Hall, send them to the dist-grads mailing list, or just tell Verra they are looking for someone. Keep your eyes open.


Summer Internships:

The UCLA Career Center has a database of internship opportunities (local, national, and international), as well as links to other internship resources.

Job search services (like Monster.com) generally also have a internship opportunity database (like MonsterTRAK.com).

Often it is best to apply for summer internships early, like late Fall or early Winter, after identifying specific research groups at the labs you are interested in. The labs often route intership applications to the research groups (the ones that identify an intership opening or two) as they receive them, and openings then filled first-come first-served. Deadlines vary, but they generally are before Spring.

Students often take summer internships at computing research labs in the U.S.; some introductory overviews of these are available at cra.org's reports on U.S. Computing Research Labs.

There are many other scientific labs to consider; a resource available to you at UCLA is Science's Next Wave electronic network.

The UCLA Career Center also has many resources to offer, including their comprehensive online Career Guide, which covers job search strategies, networking, and successful interviewing.

For good job interview hair, people have recommended Jeffrey at Xperience Hair Salon.

Dan Kegel's How to Get Hired -- What CS Students Need to Know gives essential, no-nonsense advice about interviews.


GETTING ONLINE



The Graduate Workstation Room

The graduate workstation room (3286 Boelter Hall) has workstations, PCs, printers, a scanner, etc. Once you have obtained your card key and your CS account (see below) you can use any of the computers in that room. Even without an account, you can use the Windows computers as a guest.


Computer Science Department Computer Accounts

All CS graduate students are entitled to a user account for the CS Department Computing Facility (DCF). Some graduate classes will assume you have such an account. Answers to many common questions are in the DCF FAQ page.

To apply for a departmental account, you can fill out the computer account application form (PDF) and take it to Charlie Fritzius in 3413 Boelter Hall. You must use the facility responsibly, and live up to the Computer Account Policy.

Important: you can always send email to help@cs.ucla.edu for any hardware or software questions concerning the facility.

Students sometimes get additional accounts with research groups. Arrange your departmental account first, then talk to the research group administrator about these additional accounts.


SEASnet Computer Accounts

You can obtain another computer account through SEASnet -- the School of Engineering's computing network -- in addition to your departmental account. The CS departmental account is required and is generally more useful. However, some courses assume you have a SEASnet account, and SEASnet has some PC applications like Matlab that the CS department does not. To get an account, go to the SEASnet office inside the courtyard on the second floor of Boelter Hall.


Bruin Online Computer Accounts

All students may also obtain a campus-wide account through Bruin Online, the UCLA campus ISP.


Getting a Computer

The ASUCLA Store has a respectable computer store that often has excellent deals on computing gear.


Getting Software

The computer store also sells shrink-wrapped software for the PC and Mac. In some cases, the UCLA Software License office has site licenses for software products that you may want (such as for Microsoft software and Mathematica). There are also UC system-wide software and hardware agreements (such as for RedHat Linux).

UCLA also offers a variety of free Security & Virus Resources.


GETTING ADVICE



The Graduate Student Office

If you have general questions, or questions about material not covered here, you can always talk to Verra Morgan in the Graduate Student Office (4403 Boelter Hall). The Graduate Student Office is your friend.


Computer Science Department Mentors

The CS Department Mentors are a great source of advice and perspective. See their web site and FAQ.


Your Advisor

If you know who your Advisor is, you can use contact email or telephone to make an appointment with them. Also, outside their office doors, professors post office hours during which they should be available for visits.

If you do not know who your Advisor is, talk to Verra Morgan in the Graduate Office (4403 Boelter Hall). New students often meet with their Advisor near the start of their first quarter to discuss degree requirements, classes, and their research goals.

At any point, you can change advisors by submitting a Change of Advisor form. The protocol for doing this is a two-phase commit process: (1) make certain your prospective New Advisor and Current Advisor are aware of the change and both agree to it (prepare to commit); (2) have the Current Advisor and New Advisor both sign the form (commit); (3) return the form to the graduate office (end of transaction). Before you start this two-phase process, it is important to be sure that the prospective New Advisor is willing to be your Advisor. Also, it is often advisable to get the signature of your Current Advisor before you get the signature of the New Advisor.

Changing Advisors is a nontrivial step, and not to be done hastily. However, do not avoid it because you are worrying about hurting your Current Advisor's feelings. The Advisor-Student association should be mutually beneficial. Furthermore: it is your life.


Advice for International Students

If you are an entering foreign/international student, check out the International Student Center's orientation for new students, which includes links about available programs and information.

All newly-arrived international students must apply for a Social Security card after they have registered and enrolled. First, stop at the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), in 106 Bradley Hall. Bring your passport, visa and proof of registration and enrollment. OISS will issue a letter that you will need to take to the Social Security Administration, which is at 11500 W. Olympic Blvd.

OISS can also orient you for other useful things such as getting a driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).


Online Resources

There are sites at UCLA that can answer straightforward questions. A good general resource is the Graduate Division page for Current Students and their excellent Orientation Guide for New Grad Students.

Another good starting point for links to sites at UCLA is your MyUCLA academic web portal.

Finally, for CS grad students, a good resource is the Computer Science Department's Graduate Office page, including the Academic Links page and Academic FAQ page.


MEETING DEADLINES

As a student, it is your job to manage either You must complete these academic steps while keeping in mind the following deadlines.


UCLA Campus Calendar

A core resource managing deadlines is the complete academic calendar (for 2004-2005). It lists mainly academic deadlines, like deadlines for Registration and for Thesis filing, but also lists special dates, holidays, etc.


The Jungle of Fees

You must pay a variety of academic fees in the process of registration and enrollment.

See the online tutorial about Graduate Student Fees and Fee Remissions (including in-state fees and nonresident tuition), the Registrar's official information about fees, as well as UCLA's official rationale behind these fees. If you have questions, visit the friendly people in the Computer Science Departmental Office, in 4732 Boelter Hall.

If you are a TAs, RAs or qualified fellowship recipient, you may request the Computer Science Department to grant you a fee deferment -- to defer your fees until something like the first week in November. If you miss this deadline there are severe monetary penalties. See the TA Handbook.


Registration Deadlines

Every quarter, you must register before the registration deadline (2 weeks before classes begin) to avoid a $50 late registration fee.

If for some reason you register but later decide you want to cancel registration or withdraw, you may still be able to get a refund.


Enrollment & Drop Deadlines

Every quarter, you must also enroll in all classes before the enrollment deadline (the last day of the second week of classes) to avoid a $50 late study list fee. This is also the last day for graduate students to add courses (with $3 per course fee through URSA).

The UCLA Registrar has all course availability and enrollment information -- past and future -- available online:

You should drop courses by the drop deadline (last day of the fourth week of classes). Failing to drop by this time risks the wrath of the Dean, who does NOT like it when students drop courses later in the quarter.

The last day of the third week of classes is the last day for graduate students to enroll in enough units to qualify for fee remissions. See e.g. the document UCLA Academic Apprentice Personnel Fee Remission Benefits 2004-05 (PDF).


California Residency Application Deadline

Students who are "Non-Residents" (i.e., not California residents) must pay Non-Resident Tuition (NRT). This is expensive.   (The University of California is a public institution of California.)

Becoming a California resident will save whoever is supporting your education a considerable amount of money. You should apply to become a California Resident as soon as possible.

To become a California resident, you must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident. In other words, domestic (U.S.) students can become California residents, but international students cannot.

If you are eligible for California residency, see the Registrar's page about Residency for Tuition purposes and file the right forms before the registration fees deadline. Specifically, the Registrar's Office can help you submit a Petition for Residence Classification. To do this, you will need to have things like: Also, for you to obtain this residency, your parents will not be able to claim you as a dependent. This all takes some patience, but it is worth it: you will be able to establish residence for tuition purposes and be excused from NRT.

To repeat: you should apply to become a California Resident as soon as possible.


Fellowship Application Deadlines

There are many fellowships for which you can apply; see Graduate Division's information on Fellowships and Grants. For the fellowships listed on this page, you can submit a fellowship application form for entering graduate students by December 15. Many fellowships are also listed in the GRAPES, COS, IRIS, SPIN -- funding opportunity databases, and you can get emailed fellowship opportunity alerts from the Grad Fellowships Listserv

It is in your interest to apply for a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (including Women in Engineering and Computer and Information Science Awards). Receiving this fellowship will not only allow you to focus more during your career at UCLA, but it will open doors and reflect strongly on you after you leave UCLA also. The deadline will be in the Fall, probably in early November. Preparing an application takes a fair amount of work, so start early.

You may also want to visit the UCLA Financial Aid Office.


Parking Permit Deadlines

Student deadlines for applying for parking permits are earlier than you might expect. For a Fall permit, the deadline is in July; for Winter, in October; for Spring, in January. Take these deadlines seriously; the UCLA Empire of Parking is not a benevolent, understanding organization.


WQE Deadlines

The Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) -- which must be passed by students in the Ph.D. program -- is offered on Monday and Tuesday of the 8th week of the Fall and Spring quarters. Thus it is generally offered just before Thanksgiving and also around St. Patrick's day.

The deadline for signing up for the WQE is a week before. Signing up requires you to submit a completed Fields of Study form ("Program Letter") giving your major and minor fields, and a Breadth Requirements form itemizing the courses you've taken to complete your Breadth Requirements.


Thesis Filing Deadlines

The deadline for submitting a M.S. or Ph.D. Thesis at the library is always on Monday of the 10th week of class. Thus in Fall quarters it is something like the first Monday in December. See the campus academic calendar.


STAYING ON TOP OF THINGS



Health Services

All UCLA students pay a mandatory health insurance fee. This fee entitles you to various health services offered by the UCLA Student Health & Wellness Center. Check out their New Bruin's Guide for orientation about these services.


Café by the SEAS

Café by the SEAS is a small food service in 5800 Boelter Hall run by ESUC, the student Engineering Society. It has coffee, candy, sodas, sandwiches, and various other stuff at reasonable prices. It does not accept Bruin Cards, however -- cash only.


Café Synapse and Café Med

A little off the beaten path, but close to Boelter Hall, is Café Synapse. It has decent coffee, Krispy Kremes, and an interesting menu. Café Med -- located within the hospital just south of Boelter -- has been off many people's radar, but now offers interesting food (including Pollo Loco, Numero Uno Pizza, and a Sushi bar) and has long hours, something like 6:30am - 10:00pm.


Espresso Roma

Espresso Roma is a café located in the courtyard of the Anderson Graduate School of Management, at the northern end of campus. It has the most intense coffee of any establishment on campus, and they do accept BruinCards. It can be a nice retreat from Boelter Hall. Some people seem to think of it as an outpost of Berkeleyness at UCLA, but it is also a hangout of MBA students.


Food on Campus

There are a number of other food services on campus. These include the Bomb Shelter (located in the Engineering Quad), the Kerckhoff Coffee House, Panda Express and Sbarro (located in Ackerman Union), Taco Bell (located near the Men's Gymnasium), etc. The ASUCLA Student Store (located in Ackerman Union) also has packaged foodstuffs for sale, including both healthy and not-so-healthy things. All these places have different hours!


Places to Think

Just walking around the UCLA campus can be a good way to get your thoughts together. However there are nice places to think, including the Sculpture Garden and Botanical Garden. UCLA even has a Japanese Garden (reservations required).

Almost any day you like, even late on Friday and Saturday, you can drive 5 minutes to the nearby Getty Museum, park for $5, and get perspective on UCLA and Los Angeles.


Fitness & Recreation

Check out http://www.recreation.ucla.edu for information on the many recreation facilities available to students.

Wooden Center is a complete gym and fitness center that operates an impressive list of activities. It can also be a good place to meet people; many students hang out in the hallways and on the exercise equipment there.

UCLA even has a Marina Aquatic Center. You can go there for windsurfing in the evening -- after going to nearby ski slopes in the morning and taking mountain biking trails and the beach bike path to the Marina when you get back.


MEETING PEOPLE



Computer Science Department Events

The Computer Science Department Calendar lists all departmental events, including seminars.

The department has a picnic every autumn. Watch for the announcements. Graduate students periodically run ice cream socials. We hope to continue a series of faculty/student sporting events, such as basketball and tennis.
This year's (2004) graduate student vs. faculty basketball game is scheduled for Oct 22, 2004. If you are a graduate student and wish to play, watch your email for announcements, or email Gruia.

In 2003, due mostly to the accurate shooting of Ray Huffaker and leadership skills on and off the court of Christian Cardenas, the student team won the game. The 2002 game was a dark one -- the faculty overcame all odds to win.


Campus Events

UCLA is a large campus with lots going on at all times. The UCLA Campus Calendar lists month-by-month events at UCLA and related links, such as the Central Ticket Office. Your student status entitles you to free access to some campus facilities (such as the recreation center) and low cost admission to others (such as intercollegiate sporting activities and music programs at Royce Hall).

The Melnitz Movies program presents free, high quality movies on campus. Tickets are available first-come, first-serve at the box office located in Melnitz Hall (at the north end of campus). This program is funded and operated by UCLA's Graduate Students Association (GSA), which also has a calendar of events, offering many other activities and ways to meet people.

There are a number of student-run chapters of engineering organizations and societies, sponsoring UCLA engineering school events, including in particular the Engineering Graduate Students Association (EGSA).

The Entrepreneur's Association is the largest student organization at UCLA's Anderson School of Management, and it works closely with the Howard Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which sponsors many social events.

Also, there are hundreds of student clubs, groups, and organizations at UCLA, as well as programs promoting student life at UCLA.


Adventures

Associated Students of UCLA (ASUCLA), a student-run organization, uses a mandatory fee paid by all students to support a wide variety of student organizations covering many different types of interests, and your fee entitles you to benefit from these.

An example of this is UCLA's Outdoor Adventures. See also the list of classes and other activities offered each quarter at the Recreation web site.

Every quarter, the GSA also sponsors the Grad Outdoors program, which sets up hikes and outdoor activities for graduate students.

Of course, Los Angeles offers just about every kind of adventure you could want.


UCLA Computer Science Department
Graduate Student Affairs Office
Verra Morgan (verra@cs.ucla.edu)
(310) 825-6830, (310) 825-2273 [UCL-ACSD] fax
Wed Oct 27 17:24:28 PDT 2004