My biggest back-to-school tip is to time block 3 MAIN things per day. Do less work every day. I read in a book that people should only focus on three things to do per day because the rest of the activities distract us from the most critical things. By doing this "3 a day" strategy, you will spread out your work without getting overwhelmed. Note* this is in reference to "productive" activities like studying, scholarship writing, and work. Excluding lectures/ classes. For the time block part, I recommend time blocking because it gives you a template for your day, and narrows down your focus to those 3 main events. Keep the time blocks pretty spaced out and flexible so you can still work on these productive tasks even when something unexpected gets tossed your way. Less is more, and consistency is key. The hard part is to do this every day, doing 3+ hours of productive work isn't that hard, but doing it every day is. However, I'd rather do that than try to cram 12 hours of studying in 40 minutes. The nice thing about this tip is that you can scale it. Time block more activities. @sam.l0p3z

I started serving the community before high school even began. Just doing the small stuff like volunteering at this thrift store near me to put the merchandise back on the shelf, occasionally going to the town center, and volunteering at charity events. I liked to volunteer from a young age because my mom had always taught me to help around whenever I can. Initially, I didn’t like it too much because I wanted to spend that time watching YouTube videos or lazing around, but I got used to it eventually. Volunteering just became something I would do about once a month, which explains how I got more than 100 hours of community service by the end of my high school career, even when we didn’t need to serve because of COVID. That was just in high school where I was hosting fundraisers and volunteering to serve the community. In the future, I want to do much more, especially helping others in the Filipino community. After learning that the majority of Filipinos in the US don’t go into higher education to earn their bachelor's degree, I knew that something has to be done. The Filipinos/Filipinas I’ve been surrounded with are incredibly talented and intelligent and I know they aren’t the only ones. So it doesn’t make sense that the majority of us don’t even earn a bachelor's degree. I’m planning to begin a tutoring service for low-income Filipinos and fund the education of Filipino children both in the Philippines and here in the US through charities. I serve my community as a low-income Filipino, and I want to show other low-income Filipinos that there are opportunities to leave that low-income status. I was already a part of my high school UNICEF club, and we have already started fundraisers for the education of local foster children and have been encouraged to tutor. I know that I will be able to help future Filipino children. Teach for the Philippines, Room to Read, and UNICEF. These are the most popular charities for Filipino education and I am committing myself to helping these organizations as much as I can. I will serve the Filipino community by helping young Filipinos find higher education.

Feeling like I was incompetent was the stage of my life where I felt the most fulfilled. I didn’t care about the results as much as simply trying to improve. I haven’t had that feeling in a while, sometimes it felt like I would just be cruising in high school. I was going through the motions. There were certainly topics and tests that were quite challenging, but it wasn’t the same as middle school where I had to move to a different school in the middle of the semester. Higher education is essential not only to allow me to learn but to challenge myself and strengthen my love of academics. It was around 7th grade when the academic challenge hit me. My dad had been jailed. My family was virtually homeless and forced to couch surf at my uncle’s house and I needed to change schools in the middle of the semester. Due to the situation I’d suddenly been thrust into, I felt powerless and my mental health took a hit. My grades dropped to an F because the content was different from what I was learning and I became apathetic. After about a week or so, I knew that I couldn’t keep being apathetic and doing the bare minimum to get by. I became aware of my situation and knew that I was starting at square 1. I was no stranger to difficulty because I was used to taking the most difficult classes, but this was different. Like I was cornered. Despite this, I smiled. I accepted the difficulty as a challenge and used that drive to finish both semesters with all A’s. Recently, I’ve become a tad apathetic towards school. I was taking the absolute most difficult classes that my high school offered. All AP classes in my sophomore year, all AP and IB classes for junior and senior year, along with multiple extra-curricular activities. And I maintained almost all A’s finishing with a 4.6 GPA. Yet, I became lax and only cared about doing around the minimum to get an A in all of my classes. As long as I had an A and enjoyed my extra-curricular activities while maintaining a decent sleep schedule (I’m still working on it), I was fine with just getting by. I don’t want my academic journey to continue like that. I want to have a true passion for what I’m learning, and I think higher education provides that exact solution. By having a specified major and being able to build my schedule around my interests (granted I need to meet a couple of requirements) I can do what truly excites me. I will feel incompetent due to a difficulty I never faced in high school. I want to feel incompetent to experience what it is truly like to be an academic in a professional environment, rather than in a high school environment. UCLA will be the place where I can transform my passion for academics from a candle to a blaze.

Physiological sciences, the study of the human body. This field of study is certainly ranked the absolute highest in my "coolness" hierarchy of majors, even before I started middle school. Eight years old. I walked downstairs, and my mom was watching a show about real murders, making me think "it's probably just another action movie." No, it didn't delve into the action or police chases of crime, but the science. I became invested and started watching with her. I loved it. Every second of it. I started to watch the show more and more often, using the tablet to look for clips and episodes on YouTube. This interest followed me into my high school years. I cannot thank Forensic Files enough for causing a sparkle in an eight-year-old boy's eye. I joined my high school's Science Olympiad club to compete in Forensics and Anatomy (very fitting), and to discover more STEM interests by surrounding myself with other STEM people. There was only one thing that irked me. There was a very clear lack of diversity in our Science Olympiad teams. Composed entirely of Asian and White people, it didn't bother me while I was a part of the team, but it made me think about why there aren't any other ethnicities joining this club. They didn't stop other races from joining the club, it's just that Hispanic and African American students never really joined. I don't want this in my career and college. I want any member of the LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and any other minority student to be given the same chance at reaching their academic dreams, and to take advantage of the opportunities we are given. Diversity in the workplace indicates a forward shift in society, a shift where people are given the same opportunities, are aware of these opportunities and can use these opportunities. What I see most often is that companies and organizations often say that they have a multitude of opportunities for marginalized individuals. This is especially applicable to women in the world of STEM where multiple engineering schools may advertise that they support women taking this path, yet the demographic for these schools is very primarily men. The problem I have found is that these companies do not advertise to the marginalized people they speak of. Some programs are not talked about enough for BIPOC or LGBTQ+ students to be aware of them. Case in point: scholarships. There are 26 million low-income students in America, yet only around 7.5 are awarded a scholarship each year. Scholarships and grants are FOR these students, yet less than 1 of 3 students take advantage of them. I want this to change, and the best place to observe this change is in the workplace, especially in STEM. With the necessary certifications required to pursue a STEM career, STEM is a difficult career path to follow (a bit of an understatement). Seeing increased diversity in STEM careers would indicate increased opportunities given to these marginalized groups. This is why diversity in the workplace is important to me. Workplace diversity means that companies are finally reaching the audience that had been disadvantaged for generations.

“To what extent do agree with the claim that ‘there’s a world of difference between truth and fact’ (Maya Angelou)?" I stared at this question for quite a while. For our TOK essay, we were given six prompts to choose from, and I chose this one because it seemed somewhat easy. It was not. The more I stared at the question to try and reason an answer, the more I got mad at how ambiguous this question becomes. How do we define truth? How can we define fact? What is the differentiating factor and how can I even compile evidence for this philosophical question? Where do I even begin? I was writing this essay in contempt and with anger toward the seeming uselessness of having to write a philosophical question trying to answer some question that I thought would hardly even affect my life. It sucked. It would take a long time to write. It would take a long time to research. Why does a high schooler have to write an essay to solve an ethical and philosophical question? Though, the more I wrote and researched, the more I realized the real purpose of making us write this question and the importance of such questions in understanding the universe: these questions forced us to make our interpretations, to advance humanities ability to think but creating different answers for us to learn from. There is not meant to be one single correct answer, rather, multiple answers to find to learn more in the pursuit of knowledge. It is essential to understand the nature of our universe to advance humanity’s ability to think and drive to answer the problems created by this universe. There is no stimulus to find a solution or improve our lives or seek knowledge when a problem is not presented. As humans, we are wired to solve problems. First, it was for the sake of our survival. Problem: We are dying due to the harsh weather. Solution: Make some sort of shelter. Problem: Our people are starving and it is difficult to hunt. Solution: Create farms where we plant the food to eat later. These basic problems were the stimuli to progress humanity from hunter-gatherer tribes to civilizations where humanity was able to thrive. However, as time passed and the secular problems such as basic amenities required to survive - and even luxuries being created for the basic problem of boredom - humanity was losing stimulus to progress. *Enter philosophers* To advance our ability to think and create ideas (solutions) we needed to look to more than just Earth. We needed philosophical problems posed by the Universe to act as a new stimulus to progress. What is the meaning of life? How can someone lead a good and meaningful life? How can someone give meaning to life? What is the “truth?” Unanswerable questions such as these were the exact stimulus that allowed humanity to create and invent things beyond what anyone in the past could even think possible. For example, from the question “how can we quantify the forces of the universe?” or “why did this apple fall?” came a series of mathematics and sciences that have become the modern standard for engineering and the understanding of how the world was created (still highly debated). From the question “what composes our white blood cells?” came the earliest discovery of DNA from Johann Friedrich Miescher, propelling science in the direction of genetic modification and the ability to tamper with life as we know it (whether this can be considered ethical, however, is a different question). I’ve outlined why I believe understanding - mostly the process of attempting to understand - the Universe, but how can I, Samuel Lopez, gain understanding and enter the process of attaining knowledge to understand the Universe. I believe the greatest thing I can do to progress my understanding of the universe is very simple: to Do. In terms of philosophy, I align with the Existentialist beliefs that the way to obtain meaning in life, one must simply experience living. By being an active participant in the Universe and this world, I can establish meaning in my life, I can create my reason for why living in this universe is worth experiencing the struggles we face. The second way I will work to better understand the universe is something I learned while in the IB program in high school: to learn from the various wisdoms of the past and connect those wisdoms to the modern age. The past and present are connected somehow, and it is the job of the “knower” to connect the ideas of both eras of history to gain an overall view of the world, see the changes in humanity as time progressed, and connect the past not only to the present but to the future. I will do this by recording some of the things I do and some of the observations I have about the world. Simple things, even. Like the blueness of the sky, my feelings of the day, the world news, and how I feel about the world. I believe that the understanding of the Universe is collected through the human experiences of all, rather than the work of an individual. Yes, there were individuals like Sir Isaac Newton and Plato that revolutionized humanity through their concepts like physics and philosophy, however, it was the following and usage of their ideas that truly progressed our understanding of the Universe. Had no one sought to prove or use Newton’s principles, physics would likely not be studied today. Plato’s ideas would not have been known if other humans, both in his time and in the future, did not want to learn about his teachings. Attaining an understanding of the Universe is not the job of an individual, it is the job of all humanity, and I will make sure that I can participate in such an endeavor.

Health is wealth. A saying I’m sure many of us have heard before. Whether it was because our parents are trying to get us to eat our leafy greens, or we’re trying to push ourselves to go to the gym, all of us know that “being healthy” and leading a healthy life is important. But what does it mean to “be healthy?” Is it keeping our waistline below a certain number? Is it having six-pack abs? To me, a healthy life consists not just of eating healthy and exercising every day, but a healthy mind. Thankfully things like eating right and exercise contribute very strongly to a healthy mind, which is why, in this society where mental health is being put out in the spotlight, a healthy life is becoming more and more necessary. Especially coming from someone who previously had body dysmorphia and was obese (not a good combo) I have personal experience that shows how physical health and living a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise and a balanced, healthy diet impacts the mind. Nothing made me feel more confident than being able to step on a scale without being scared of the number, being told that my high blood pressure is decreasing, and being told to “keep it up” by my cardiologist and pediatrician. The mental effects of living healthy, to me, have become an integral part of maintaining this healthy lifestyle and have allowed me to enjoy life without needing to constantly watch my weight or look in the mirror to see if it was going to be a “good day.” I remember one instance in seventh grade, we just left my dad and I had to move to a new school without any warning whatsoever. It wasn’t the greatest school. Had a lot of the types of kids I didn’t want to surround myself with, some of which teased me occasionally for being chubby. “How do you even eat that much?” “Eat a salad or something.” It wasn’t often enough to consider bullying, but it still hurt me. I wanted to change. No… I demanded change within myself. Basketball. Every single day. I shot, worked on my dribbling, and did conditioning to get better. I didn’t even want to join the school team, I just wanted to play to lose weight. Due to my status as a plumper kid, I started to lose a lot of weight fast. People started noticing me and congratulating me. In hindsight, it isn’t the best to say that the recognition from other people motivated or helped me feel better, but it wasn’t their words that made me more confident. It was the fact that I had made progress. Due to other family circumstances, I was already in a very lowered mental state. Wondering why my family had to go through this, why we had to practically be homeless. But this little bit of progress I made in my health through eating right and exercising… It made all of the difference in my mental state. I was, more or less, back to my old self. Full of life, hanging out with my sister and cousins, telling my mother how much I loved her every day. Yes, there are the obvious impacts of living a healthy lifestyle: decreasing the chances of cardiac disease, increasing life expectancy, decreasing the chances of diabetes, and other very very important physical benefits of a healthy lifestyle. But the ones that I have found more impactful to me are the psychological impacts of eating healthy, especially when starting in a state of obesity and poor mental health. The increased mood in confidence, not needing to wear a shirt in the pool, and not being ashamed of the number on the scale. They seem small in comparison to the life-altering physical benefits, but the mental aspect of a healthy lifestyle has an additional, and incredibly important, impact on someone: seeing this progress and increased confidence makes someone WANT to continue to live healthy, rather than viewing exercise and nutrition as a chore. I continued to improve myself. The confidence made me proud of myself. A healthy lifestyle not only changed my life but changed how I view my life and I could not be more thankful for the changes I have made in the positive move forward. I became better.

Incarcerated. Mental illness. “If something ever happened to your mom, I won’t take care of you.” On top of all the stress of taking five different AP classes, the apprehension of entering the International Baccalaureate program, and the upcoming finals, these reminders of my disadvantageous situation were pummeled into my head nearly every day towards the end of my Sophomore year. I shouldn’t have to be reminded of my dad’s incarceration and mental illness. I shouldn’t have to be told that my grandma would abandon my little sister and me without a second thought. Obstacle after obstacle, I had to push through. I had to make myself a top 5% student. I had to take the most advanced classes, do an Extended Essay, multiple Internal Assessments, and the dreaded TOK essay. I had to make everything harder than it already was if I wanted to get somewhere. I easily could have given up. Quit trying in school, focused on making money for my family, and threw away my dreams and my pride to help the family in the short term. But I didn’t. The easy way wasn’t the correct or best way for me to get my family out of the hole of poverty and couch hopping. I can’t say I’m out of the woods yet, I’m still a low-income upcoming college Freshman that will pretty much be relying on scholarships and grants to pay off college. But, I can say with full confidence that I will do everything that I can to finally allow my sister and my mother to live in a full house. One that isn’t owned by someone else. One that we can truly call our own. I had to make everything harder to make our situation a little bit better. This drive, this lack of wanting to take the easy route is exactly what attracted me to STEM, specifically, Forensic Science. Eight years old. As the typical screaming bouts erupted, as the typical curse words were said, I sat there innocently watching a show most eight-year-olds really should not be watching: Forensic Files. It was (sometimes) gory, explicit, and scary, but - to me - it was cool. The blend of science and investigation was just something that I was not aware of, and was something that immediately piqued my interest the first time I watched it. My eyes physically sparkled (probably). All I could’ve wondered in my eight-year-old head was, “How do I do this?” Or some derivative of that question. I knew that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Even now, as I write this essay, I still believe that Forensic Science will be the career I will be pursuing, that and conducting scientific research and working in academia. I want to give back to the community that has helped me and the world for putting me through struggles that have made me stronger. In the ultimate test of endurance and mental fortitude, I will overcome my obstacles and give back to the world that has presented me with opportunities that I cannot be more grateful for. And, I will do this through my hard work and opportunities in forensic science and research. Giving closure to victims and their families so that abusers, murderers, assailants, and other sorts of criminals will not be able to victimize another. Researching disease and the biomechanics of people to create a greater quality of life. I will do everything I can to make a positive impact on this world. Thank you to the world for giving me a second chance.

Health is wealth. A saying I’m sure many of us have heard before. Whether it was because our parents are trying to get us to eat our leafy greens, or we’re trying to push ourselves to go to the gym, all of us know that “being healthy” and leading a healthy life is important. But what does it mean to “be healthy?” Is it keeping our waistline below a certain number? Is it having six-pack abs? To me, a healthy life consists not just of eating healthy and exercising every day, but a healthy mind. Thankfully things like eating right and exercise contribute very strongly to a healthy mind, which is why, in this society where mental health is being put out in the spotlight, healthy life is becoming more and more necessary. I believe that a healthy life not only helps people live to a longer age but helps people enjoy life at any age. But doing that isn’t exactly a straightforward process. Step One: Eat Right. You can’t outrun a bad diet. But how do you out-diet a bad diet? Well, I’d say that has to start with your health goals. Whether you need to cut sodium, enter a calorie deficit, or simply eat to meet nutritional goals and enjoy the food, everyone needs some kind of clear goal to start their healthy life. Now, general health advice is pretty hard to give because everyone is completely different in their goals and body. However, the greatest way to maintain a healthy diet, and hence a healthy lifestyle, is to ENJOY the food. There are healthy options of delicious food, diet does not mean torture and starvation. Enjoying the healthy food one eats will allow people to maintain their healthy eating for as long as their entire life, making it a healthy lifestyle rather than a healthy year with cheat meals. Going back to why it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods would make people feel better rather than the junk food people can find themselves indulging in. After all, eating that turkey burger FEELS healthy and makes us feel better about what we ate without any of the guilt of eating a “bad” burger. Step Two: Exercise. I love to exercise, whether it’s by playing tennis, lifting weights, or going on a bike ride on my favorite route, exercise has become something pretty central to my life. And what I learned about exercise is that there is probably a form of exercise that everyone likes. There’s something like running, soccer, weightlifting, basketball, baseball, and any sport really that anyone should be able to enjoy. Cardio does not have to be just running. Exercise should not be torture or an obligation. Exercise can even be in the form of playing with your kids, playing with your dogs, or going to an amusement park (although costly). There is a form of exercise for everyone. Of course, all of this advice is pretty general and almost a no-brainer. Like “Well yeah, of course, people need to like doing something to keep doing it,” but this gets thrown out the window when it comes to living healthier. Think exercise and healthy eating is a chore rather than a privilege. And so, even though I do personal training and dieting like a Push-Pull-Legs or maintaining a caloric deficit, enjoying every second of what I’m doing remains the backbone of my training and diet. Enjoy living healthy, and it’ll be easier to live long and enjoy living.

Patience. A virtue every person reveres as a characteristic. A virtue everyone likely believes they have. Yet a virtue that less people in our modern, fast paced society has. March 22, 2022. The day application results would come in for my class of the class of 2026 college graduates. Nobody was really paying attention to class. Nobody was calm nor patient. Everyone was anxious. Then there was me. UCLA was of course my dream school, and the fact that the application result would come that day most definitely jarred me and impacted my ability to focus that day, but I decided to take a breather, turn off my email notifications and just go about my day. Anxiety free. I decided to just wait until the day after to look at my result. I could wait. I mean, the decision was already made by the Office of Admissions, it wasn't like looking at the decision sooner would have made a difference. I slept well on a night where everyone was crying, celebrating or unsure about our future. None of that impacted me. Why? I was patient. In our modern society of technology that allows us to receive information at a seconds notice. A fast paced society where every teen wants to achieve greatness at the youngest age possible. The glamour of being fast and doing everything in our twenties is heard by every teen, making us want to do everything as quick as possible in fear that we may be "left behind." Yet we are also a part of a society with growing mental health issues. Patience is important to me now in order to appreciate the small things, to slow down and enjoy the people and things around me in the present. Patience gives me time to enjoy small things.