Should I Go To University of California, Los Angeles

Should I Go To University of California, Los Angeles The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Aki is a Los Angeles tutor specializing in several subjects including SAT prep tutoring, Japanese tutoring, Calculus tutoring, and more. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 with a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Aki:My campus is in Westwood, so it is very urban and the campus is safe. There are buses that have routes all around UCLA, and a car/bike is not necessary to get around. Having a bike is actually a pain because UCLA is built on many hills and the walk between classes includes at least one hill, and those hills are harder on a bike. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Aki:Honestly, my professors were not very available as they were very busy with their own research, and most of my professors (in Electrical Engineering) were not very sociable. The teaching assistants were the same way, as almost all of my TAs were international students and they were also busy with their own studies and research. The academic advisors were available, having office hours at their given times, and I was welcome to walk in at any time during those hours. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Aki:The dorm life is on the top of my list as the source of opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. From making friends on your floor to meeting other people from other dorms through the people you meet, the opportunities are endless. The dorms in UCLA are all located on one ascending hill, so they are all built close to each other and the walk from dorm to dorm is very short. The dorm administration puts on social events such as ice cream socials and dances, and the dining halls at UCLA are very good. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Aki:UCLA attempts to represent most of the programs equally, but I think that the Engineering programs were better represented because of the number of buildings dedicated to just Engineering programs and the number of events and info sessions. I studied Electrical Engineering because I grew up dealing with and playing on electronics. The university did a good job supporting Electrical Engineering through the number of research opportunities and the company info sessions, but they could improve on the quality of professors. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Aki:it was easy for me to meet people and make friends as a freshman because my dorm floor was very social and went to dining halls together for meals throughout the day. Greek life is a large influence at UCLA, but it is not for everyone, as it was not for me. It is a place where you can make more friends and form a brotherhood or a sisterhood, but some of the Greek programs are more known for parties, raids, and loose social conduct despite how hard some of the fraternities/sororities emphasize the importance of brotherhood/sisterhood and professionalism. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Aki:The Career Center hosts career fairs every quarter, and they are very helpful for networking and spreading your resume to obtain the internship or full-time offer you seek. I do not know about the career fairs in general, but the Technology and Engineering career fairs host many reputable companies such as Qualcomm, Microsoft, Apple, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and many more. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Aki:The study areas, in general, are very nice and clean, and are easily available most of the time. However, when midterm or finals season comes, the libraries are over-crowded and it is hard to find yourself a space to study. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Aki:UCLA is in the heart of Westwood, with many different restaurants, movie theaters, and other shops that make life in Westwood fun and entertaining. Westwood Village is a five to ten minute walk away from campus, so it is very accessible and many students go there often. Downtown and Santa Monica are easily reachable through the public transportation system, so many students take trips there over the weekend. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Aki:The student body is large at UCLA. The typical class sizes were large at best, and usually over-crowded. This made it even harder to reach a professor or speak to a TA, and getting into a class during registration periods was sometimes difficult. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Aki: I took a Digital Signal Processing Design class that taught me how digital signal processing systems work in general and how to apply our previous knowledge to create a program that would do a specific digital signal processing application. This class, unlike my other classes where the classes consisted only of book-learning, was fun because I got to program an application where I applied my digital signal processing knowledge to create a guitar tuner. UCLAs EE signals and systems classes lack actual application, and this class was one of the only classes where I enjoyed applying my book knowledge to real-world problem solving. Check out Akis tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Cooking Ratatouille for Beginners

Cooking Ratatouille for Beginners Making Ratatouille ChaptersThe History of RatatouilleA Typical Ratatouille RecipeWhat You Need to Know About Cooking RatatouilleDifferent Types of RatatouilleWhere Can You Learn to Cook Ratatouille?Gusteau: “What do I always say? Anyone can cook!”.  Remy: Well, yeah, anyone can, that doesn't mean that anyone should.” - Ratatouille, 2007.More and more people are deciding to take up cooking. This increase in popularity has been a result of popular cooking shows like MasterChef, the Great British Bake Off, etc. That said, not everyone’s an expert. Many of us wouldn’t call ourselves that, at least.If you want to learn some easy dishes that taste great, ratatouille (the dish, not the film) is a great place to start. With some olive oil, fresh herbs like herbes de Provence, fresh basil, oregano, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables, you’re ready to go.While it's basically a vegetable stew, the ratatouille is a fairly simple recipe to make, you can serve it as a main dish, a side, and even reheat it the next day. Ratatouille is better reheated! GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe History of RatatouilleNever had ratatouille before?This dish is a typical southern French dish and is popular in France and around the world. It’s a simple and tasty vegetable dish. Ratatouille was a peasant's dish for many years before gaining a reputation. (Source: mosiaonegrl)While this Mediterranean dish is popular both inside and outside of France, it was once considered basic.Its name comes from the Occitan word “ratatolha” which means “vegetable ragout”.So when was it invented?The recipe is quite modern. While many dishes originated during the Antiquity, this one didn’t. It wasn’t until the 19th century that ratatouille started popping up in literature and the Journal des sciences militaires des armées de terre et de mer (Army and Navy Journal of Military Sciences) in 1831.  Ratatouille was described as a “dish of diluted vegetables floating in a few pieces of listless veal or bad lamb”.In 1848, it appeared in the French dictionary with another definition:“Leftovers, hodgepodge, reheated food, bad ragout; soup for rats”Let’s just say that ratatouille wasn’t a popular dish in restaurants at the time.  While it wasn’t popular when first invented, the arrival of certain vegetables helped turn around ratatouille’s fortunes. During the Renaissance, the aubergine was brought back from India, the tomato arrived in Europe during the 16th century from the Americas, but we’d have to wait until the 19th century for the courgette to appear in the dish.  It was then that the ratatouille took on its modern form.That said, it still wasn’t very popular in the 19th century and we’d have to wait until the 20th century before people started appreciating it. Nowadays, many great chefs are trying to reinvent the dish.Similarly, the animated film “Ratatouille” regenerated the dish’s popularity.Learn how to make some other simple recipes.A Typical Ratatouille RecipeRatatouille recipes can vary a lot from one cook to another. Each family has its recipe and methods for making ratatouille better. That said, here’s a basic recipe for ratatouille. Make sure you have everything you need before you start making your ratatouille. (Source: Dgraph88)For four people, you’ll need:600g of courgettes600g of aubergine600g of tomatoes (while you can use tomato paste or crushed tomatoes, it's much better with fresh tomatoes)300g of yellow or red bell pepper200g of onions15g of garlic125ml of virgin olive oil5 basil leaves1 bouquet garniSalt and pepperStart with a big pot.  Pour a bit of oil into the bottom and add chopped garlic and onions. Cook for a few minutes while mixing with a wooden spoon.  Peel the tomatoes and cut them into strips. Add them to the pot to make a bit of juice. Cut the courgette into slices or cubes and put them into a preheated frying pan with a bit of olive oil. Do the same with the aubergines. Strain these vegetables and add them to the pot. Cut the peppers and add them to the mix.  If the mixture seems a bit dry, you can add another tomato. Finally, season with the bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley, etc. ), salt, and pepper.To make the perfect ratatouille, you need to simmer on a low heat for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finish it off by adding some basil leaves.  Now your ratatouille is ready.This is a quick and easy recipe, meaning you can make it on a weeknight and eat is as your main dish.Learn how to make couscous. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat You Need to Know About Cooking RatatouilleHere's some advice f or making your ratatouille even better. Ratatouille is made from summer vegetables. (Source: congerdesign)Firstly, you need to know that ratatouille is a summer dish. While it’s often served hot, the majority of ingredients are summer vegetables. Courgettes, aubergines, and tomatoes are all summer ingredients.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t cook ratatouille when the ingredients aren’t in season but it does mean the ingredients won’t be as good.By cooking ratatouille in summer, you’ll get fresh tomatoes, which are an essential part of the dish, whereas they're not as good in winter. Ratatouille season is between June and October.If you want it to be in season, consider growing your ingredients. Not only will you know that they’re in season, but you’ll also know that they’re organic and ecological.We also recommend that you make your ratatouille the night before you plan to eat it or in the morning as it’s much better reheated. The same is true for dishes like poulet basquaise (Basque chicken).While we often eat ratatouille warm, you can eat it cold.Different Types of RatatouilleRatatouille is usually made with courgettes, aubergines, and tomatoes. Then you add garlic, onions, peppers, and seasoning like thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, etc. You can always alter the recipe for ratatouille and include ingredients grown in your own garden! (Source: marijana1)For example, why not add a few more vegetables?You can always change the recipe.Not like aubergines?Replace them with leeks, cabbage, chickpeas. You can change the flavours for something you prefer. It’s also a way to breathe new life into an old recipe.Why not serve ratatouille with something else?Rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, etc. Ratatouille is a dish that works with plenty of other drier ingredients.Trying new things will ensure that your cooking remains interesting.Learn how to make a lasagna.Where Can You Learn to Cook Ratatouille?Each family has its ratatouille recipe and it varies from household to household. Recipes are passed from generation to generation which means learning how to cook ratatouille will differ depending on who your teacher is.If nobody taught you growing up, don’t worry! You can always teach yourself how to make a ratatouille. You just n eed to practise with the recipe we showed you earlier.  It mightn’t be perfect the first time but bit by bit, you’ll work out what works and what doesn’t, what you like and what you don’t.You’ll soon create your recipe.Once you get confident with making your ratatouille, you can always adapt it to what's available and what's in season. Be it red pepper flakes, peeled yellow squash, fresh thyme, there's plenty of ways to experiment with the recipe.You can also get cooking lessons and learn from somebody else how to make ratatouille. You’ll benefit from professional advice.  Don’t forget you can also get private cooking tutorials. It’s not just the top chefs who can make a great ratatouille. There are plenty of cooking tutors all over the country who can help you make it.Go for it!If you'd like to learn more about cooking or learn how to cook, consider learning with a private tutor on Superprof. No matter where you are, you can find a private tutor to help you. On the platform, there are three types of tutorial on offer: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face private tutorials involve just the student and the tutor, ensuring that the student has the tutor's undivided attention. Additionally, the tutor will tailor their lessons and course to the student. Of course, the tutor's time comes at a price and while these types of tutorials are the most cost-effective, they also tend to be the most costly per hour.If you're looking for something cheaper, there are online private tutorials. These tutorials are provided remotely via webcam and as long as both you and the tutor have a decent internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone, you can get tutorials from tutors all over the world. Since the tutor doesn't need to travel to you, they have fewer overheads and can schedule more tutorials each week, allowing them to charge less per hour. Of course, these tutorials are great for academic subjects but not so great for hands-on subjects.Finally, you can also get group tutorials. Since each student pays their share of the tutor's time, these tend to work out cheaper than any other type of tutorials. Of course, you won't get the tutor's undivided attention like you would with the other types of tutorial. That said, if you and a group of friends all would like to learn how to cook, this is a great way to do it.