Accelerator For Engineering Transfer Students

Accelerator info-session (save the date)

How to Spend the Summer before you start at UCLA Engineering info-session

Wednesday, June 3, 2023 | 9:00 – 10:30 AM
No need to register – all incoming engineering students that submit their SIR will receive an invitation to attend this session.

Diagnostic Assessments – Summer Session – New Student Orientation – Course Refresher – Basic Training – HAcK Technical Competition – eTransfer 101 – Classroom Boot Camp – wot?!

The summer before you start is an important time for incoming engineering transfer students to prepare for your first year.  You will have half the time at Bruin Engineering before having to apply for a job as a professional engineer or pursuing for an advanced degree in engineering.  You will quickly learn that taking courses is only the first step in exploring the world of engineering, connecting with and networking with people, and gaining the hands-on technical experience that is needed to be marketable.

Accelerator was created to help our engineering transfer students to transition their learning to UCLA Engineering, connect the dots on the importance of utilizing all that Bruin Engineering has to offer in preparation for life after graduation as a professional engineer.

At this info-session, you will learn more about the Accelerator program, why you would want to participate, and how to register.  There are several Accelerator programs and resources which include:

             Diagnostic Assessments (available after June 3) 
             zyBooks Course Refresher
             eTransfer 101
            Basic Training skills workshop
            HAcK Technical Competition
            Classroom Boot Camp

We will also discuss the importance of taking the Diagnostic Assessments and how you should spend your summer to brush up on content you are weak in.  For some of you, taking a summer session course will be highly-recommended.  For some majors, taking a summer session course is highly recommended to reduce your time to degree.  Finally, we will share some important dates for the summer.

Diagnostic Assessment Tests

June 5 – June 19, 2023

To access the Diagnostic Assessments, please visit the Diagnostic Assessment web page. 

Engineering transfer students (eTransfers) who submit their intent to register (SIR) by June 1 will receive an invitation on Monday, June 5, 2023 to take Diagnostic Assessments to help you assess your knowledge and strengthen any areas that may prevent you from succeeding in your first year courses.  Students can view the results of their scores to determine the best course of action to brush up on content before fall quarter classes.  We encourage students to take the Assessment by June 19, 2023 in time to register for a summer session course if it is needed.

The Diagnostic Assessment Tests are available in the following subjects:

• • • UCLA’s CS 31 (C++)* – to test your proficiency; particularly if you need to take CS 32
    • CS 32* – to test your proficiency; particularly if you need to take CS 33
    • Math 33 A (Linear Algebra)** – all students should take this assessment if you have taken this class
    • Math 33 B (Differential Equations)** – all students should take this assessment if you have taken this class
    • ECE 10 (Circuits) – take this if you want to check your proficiency
    • M20 (Matlab)– take this if you want to check your proficiency

*UCLA’s CS 31, 32, and 33 courses are rigorous courses.  Faculty who teach this course have helped us to create the Diagnostic Assessment to help students understand if they are prepared to take CS 32 or 33 at UCLA.  

** Math concepts in differential equations and linear algebra will be utilized in your upper-division engineering courses to solve engineering problems rather than equations.  Students will want to brush-up on these concepts before starting courses.  

Incoming students who have taken the equivalent of the UCLA engineering course should take the corresponding Diagnostic Assessment test.  Please check assist.org for articulation agreements for equivalent courses.  Please note these assessments will NOT earn you credit for any courses.  They are for gaining an understanding of your core proficiency in order to address any gaps in learning and preparation needed for subsequent courses at UCLA Engineering.

Based on the results from the assessments, students have elected to self-study using our zyBooks Course Refresher online textbook, pulling out their notes and textbook from the course they took, or auditing a summer session course if they are weak in more than 1/3 the course content.  Information on the zyBooks Course Refresher textbook will be provided at the Accelerator info-session.

There is no fee for taking the tests.  We recommend all incoming eTransfers take the relevant assessment for any class they took at their previous institution.

Participant fee: $0 (Open and free to all incoming eTransfer students)
For more information and to access the tests, visit our Diagnostic Assessment webpage.

zyBooks Online Course Refresher textbook

To help students brush-up on courses they have taken at their previous institution, we have created an online textbook that includes practice problems, challenge questions, and practice-labs aligned with the content from our Diagnostic Assessment tests.

Students utilizing our zyBooks textbook will get to spend their summer brushing-up on modules of their choice.  zyBooks will provide feedback as participants work on practice problems to focus on learning the content.

All students will be welcome to retake the Diagnostic Assessment at the end of the summer to re-evaluate their proficiency after their efforts to brush-up on content.

Participant fee: Check back shortly for zyBooks license
Information on making payment to zyBooks and access to the text book code will be provided shortly.

To learn more about the Course Refresher program, please visit the Course Refresher webpage: https://etransfercenter.seas.ucla.edu/course_refresher.

Learning Assistant Mentors

Learning Assistant Mentors are available over the summer to provide peer-advising and tutoring through our ETC Discord Server. Need some help with your summer session course or brushing-up on concepts you were weak on identified through the Diganostic Assessments?  The LA mentors are here for you.  Want to get some insight to what classes or fall recruiting is like?  Want them to take a look at your resume?  Ask your LA mentor.

Your Learning Assistant Mentors will also plan some fun activities for our incoming engineering transfer students to help them get to know one another over the summer.

Here is the schedule for the summer:

Welcome & Meet your Mentors – Monday, July 10, 2023 | 6 – 6:30 PM
Join us at the Welcome to meet your Learning Assistant Mentors who will be available to you over the summer.  They will share a bit about themselves and explain the events that they will host over the summer.

Tutoring & Mentoring Office Hours on the ETC Discord Server – start on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 (see office hours below)

Game Night – Thursday, July 20, 2023 | 6 – 7:30 PM (maybe 8)
Test your UCLA knowledge by joining us for a fun evening of UCLA, UCLA Engineering, and UCLA Engineering Department-themed Jeopardy!  This will be a fun way to get some useful information about your campus and Department while testing your engineering-knowledge.  Come and spend some time with your mentors and meet your fellow eTransfer students.  There will be prizes!

Understanding your 2 year plan & other useful tips about engineering classes – Tuesday, August 8, 2023 | 5:30 – 7:00 PM
Okay, so your mentors want to share some things that they feel would have been helpful to know as a first year student.  The direction to the mentors was — if the students admitted as freshmen know about something; then the incoming transfer students should know about it. They will talk about the sample 2 year course plan and what works and what doesn’t.  They will answer questions you may have had after attending orientation.  They will explain what a petition is and how to use it.  Hear the details from the students that have walked the walk.

eTransfer Student Welcome & Academic Year Kick-off (in-person) – Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | 5 – 7 PM | Location TBAnnounced.
Come meet your mentors and returning engineering transfer students in-person at the start of the academic year.  

Didier Lucu, Electrical Engineering, transfer from Butte College
ETC Discord Server office hours: Sundays (9 – 11 AM) & Thursdays (4 – 5 PM)

Hey hey hey! My name is Didier Lucu (DDA for short). I am a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering,
and just like most of you, I am also a transfer student; coming from Butte Community College. When it
comes to my extracurriculars, I have been involved in several different groups Formula Bruin Racing &
IEEE. I have also taken an E96 Design class and am currently interning as a IoT DevOps engineer with Edged Energy an Endeavour company. Outside of school, I like biking, eating, and playing games.

Richard Jiang, Computer Science
ETC Discord Server office hours: Mondays (4 – 6 PM) & Wednesdays (4 – 5 PM)

Hey everyone! I am Richard Jiang and I am a rising senior majoring in Computer Science. I am from New Zealand, born and raised, and moved to LA in 2021 for college. I am interested in machine learning and deep learning, particularly in a neuroscience setting. Outside of academics, I like to hoop, gym, play chess, word hunt, and cook. I am a part of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (the computer science honor society), acting as an Entrepreneurship officer, as well as new president of Bruins Down Under.

Varun Saketharam, Aerospace Engineering, transfer from Pasadena City College
ETC Discord Server office hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays (8 – 9 AM)

Hi everyone! My name is Varun Saketharam, and I am a rising senior Aerospace Engineering major. I am an international student from Thailand but have been living in LA for 2 years now. I am also a transfer student from Pasadena City College and was a former Accelerator program participant. I am very passionate about flow physics, aircraft and rocket propulsion. I have been involved in a few projects at UCLA such as Design Build Fly, research assistant at SRI lab working on SolidWorks modelling parts for Marine Robotics. I am also a part of Tau Beta Pi and Thai Student Association, and will be working as International Student Ambassador starting next Fall. Outside of school, I love to hang out with friends, trying new food and dessert places around LA, movie nights and exercising. I look forward to meeting all of you and having a great time together over the summer!

Zoe Li, Civil Engineering
ETC Discord Server office hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays (8 – 9 AM)

Hello, I’m Zoe, a rising 3rd year Civil Engineering major. I changed my major from pure math to civil
engineering during my first year. I’m actively involved in the UCLA Chapter of the American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE) and XE, the civil engineering honor society. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, I now reside in LA for college. Outside of academics, I enjoy watching horror/suspense movies, being a home barista, and traveling. I’m highly organized with a fixed schedule for my studies and extracurriculars, but I’m also spontaneous when it comes to having fun with friends. I am excited about my first job and to meet new people this summer.

eTransfer 101: for engineering transfers – do not miss this!

Evenings starting Monday, June 5, 2023 – Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Please see program web page for workshop dates. 

eTransfer 101 is an orientation specifically designed to help incoming eTransfers make the most of year 1.  You will meet other eTransfers, learn what to expect during your first year, decide what organizations and clubs you’d like to get involved with, and prepare for the fall industry recruiting season and winter academic research opportunities. eTransfer 101 is open to all incoming engineering students. 

Participant fee: $0 free & open to all incoming eTransfers

To learn more about eTransfer 101 and see the scheduled events, please visit the program website.

Basic Training – design skills workshops

Evenings and weekends from Thursday, June 22, 2023 – July 22, 2023

Students increase their competitiveness for industry internships and lab work as they gain technical experience.  Start building your engineering design-tool-belt at Basic Training.  Students will learn coding, circuits & working with Arduinos, computer aided design (CAD) and fabrication.  Learning about these technologies will give you the essential tools to create your own projects and help you to get involved in our student design teams in your first year.   Add skills to your resume for fall recruiting!

Workshops are virtual with the exception of the June 22, 2023 session which will be held in the UCLA Innovation Lab Makerspace.

Workshop schedule:

1. Thursday, June 22, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Welcome & Orientation
2. Friday, June 23, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 1: Basics of C++
3. Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 2: Intro to Javascript
4. Thursday, June 29, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Coding 3: UI/UX
5. Friday, June 30, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 1: Intro to SolidWorks – 2D drawings
6. Wednesday, July 5, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 2: Solidiworks – extrusions and mates
7. Friday, July 7, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – CAD 3: Solidworks – mates continued and assemblies
8. Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | 6 -9 PM – Engineering Design, Fabrication, and 3D printing
9. Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Circuits 1: Intro to Circuits: electricity, resistance, schematics, bread-boarding & working with potentiometers
10. Friday, July 14, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Circuits 2: basic circuits theory
11. Tuesday, July 18, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 1: Introduction to circuits and Arduino
12. Wednesday, July 19, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 2: working with sensors
13. Friday, July 21, 2023 | 6 – 9 PM – Arduino 3: intro to serial communication protocols
14. Saturday, July 22, 2023 | 9 – 2 PM – Intro to UCLA Engineering MakerSpace (optional; but recommended for those participating in-person at HAcK)

Participant fee: $0 (free and open to the first 50 registrants) –  Student completing Basic Training will be invited to participate in the HAcK technical competition.

For more information on Basic Training, please visit the Basic Training website.

The Basic Training application is now closed.  For more information, please contact Wes Uehara, Program Director, at wuehara@seas.ucla.edu.   

HAcK Technical Competition

Monday, July 24, 2023 (6 – 9 PM) – HAcK Orientation & Training
Tuesday, July 25 & Wednesday, July 26, 2023 (6 – 9 PM) – Specialized Training
Thursday, July 27, 2023 (6 – 9 PM) – HAcK Competition Reveal & Team Assignments
Friday, July 28 – Sunday, July 30, 2023 – HAcK Competition
Tuesday, August 1, 2023 – Design Review presentation submission deadline
Saturday, August 5, 2023 ( 9 – 12 PM) – HAcK Awards Ceremony

Team up, work on a technical project, and prepare for the HaCK competition and design review.  This activity will provide eTransfers an additional technical experience to share with recruiters in the fall. Show your ability to use your skills and design tools to accomplish this technical challenge. 

This experience will also help participants to start exploring various engineering fields and identify areas of interest.  It’s also a lot of fun and there will be prizes!

HAcK is run in a hybrid format accommodating students participating in-person as well as remotely.  Remot participants will be assigned portions of the project that do NOT involve prototyping.  While there is an option to participate remotely, we highly encourage students to consider participating in-person for the full experience.  In year’s past, students have commuted in to UCLA, arranged to stay at a relative or friend’s house that lives in Los Angeles.

Participant fee: $0 (Open to 50 participants)

Pre-requisites to participate include attending eTransfer 101, Basic Training, and Classroom Boot Camp or CEED Breeze or CISE Bridge programs.  Students that participate in HAcK will be invited to a Networking Practice with alumni working in industry to practice sharing your ability to engineer.

For more information, please visit the 2023 HAcK page: https://etransfercenter.seas.ucla.edu/2023_hack/.

The HAcK application is now closed.  For more information, please contact Wes Uehara, Program Director, at wuehara@seas.ucla.edu. 

Classroom Boot Camp 

Monday – Friday 6 – 9 PM starting Tuesday, August 29, 2023 through Friday, September 15, 2023.
Final examination – Saturday, September 16, 2023

You will spend 3 weeks learning the content from either CS 32 or M20.  You will experience the rigor of the classroom, start working with eTransfers who will be taking these classes with you, and take a sample examination or work on a culminating project. 

We recommend all eTransfers who need to take CS 32 or want to brush up on CS 32 content before taking CS 33 to enroll in the CS 32 Boot Camp.  Students needing to take M20, want to learn or brush up on Matlab to enroll in the M20 Boot Camp. 

Schedule:

1. Tuesday, August 29, 2023, 6 – 8 PM Welcome, Orientation & Assessment quiz
2. Wednesday, August 30, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 1 (virtual)
3. Thursday, August 31, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 2 (virtual)
4. Tuesday, September 5, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Discussion 1 (virtual)
5. Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 3 (virtual)
6. Thursday, September 7, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 4 (virtual)
7. Friday, September 8, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Discussion 2 (virtual)
8. Monday, September 11, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 5 (virtual)
9. Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 6 (virtual)
10. Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Discussion 3 (virtual)
11. Thursday, September 14, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Lecture 7 (virtual)
12. Friday, September 15, 2023, 6 – 8 PM | Discussion 4 (virtual)
13. Saturday, September 16, 2023 | Final Examination & Project Submission (time tba)

Participant fee: $0 (Open and free to 50 participants) – supported by UCLA Samueli Engineering

Register for Classroom Boot Camp visit the Registration section on the bottom of this web page. 

Accelerator helps with eTransfer Challenges

The summer Accelerator for eTransfers program activities were designed to address specific challenges shared by past generations of engineering transfer students.  Here are some things we’ve heard from engineering transfer students that came before you:

Note: Transfer Bridge went through a name change in 2021 and is now being called Accelerator for eTransfers.

“I was lost in my CS 32 course.  I ended up dropping the class and auditing CS 31, a class I already took at my previous institution.  We spent a week on a topic that we spent 20 minutes on at my previous institution.” ~Computer Science Transfer Student in 2018.

“I wish Diagnostic Assessments were available in my incoming year.  It would have saved me a lot of time and headache.  My first year experience would have been a lot different.”  ~The same Computer Science Transfer Student in 2021.

“My ECE 102 course was difficult because I took Math 33A & B a year ago. I had to spend time brushing up on my differential equations before being able to apply it on problem sets in class.  I seem to spend all my weekends and breaks between terms trying to relearn concepts that are necessary for the classes I am taking.” ~Electrical Engineering Transfer Student in 2020. 

“I took my coding class over a year ago and haven’t coded since.  Participating in Classroom Boot Camp gave me a really good refresher for my first year at UCLA.”  Transfer Bridge participant in 2020.  

“Everything is such a whirlwind.  We get to campus.  They tell us to get involved in engineering orgs and apply for scholarships.  Then there is the engineering career fair in week 3.  I completely missed the fair because I wanted to prepare for my first set of mid-terms.  My head is spinning.  If I miss it in year 1, I’ll have only one more chance next year.”  ~Civil Engineering Transfer Student in 2018.

“Knowing what each week will look like has prepared me to manage my time differently. The student panel gave us really good insight on what to expect while attending UCLA. The networking practice interviews with real professional engineers in industry was an excellent opportunity to get feedback on how to attain the same kind of success outside of school.” ~2020 eTransfer 101 participant.

“How do I find the other engineering transfers?”  ~Civil Engineering Transfer Student in 2017.

“Meeting the other transfer students in Classroom Boot Camp, eTransfer 101, and the HAcK made me feel like I was a part of a community before classes started in the Fall.  It was good to see people I met over the summer in my fall classes.  We still get together.”  2019 Transfer Bridge participant.

I am an electrical engineering student with a 3.7 GPA.  I don’t know what kind of work I want to do, I don’t really want to go to graduate school and my parents wouldn’t pay for it anyway.  I’m graduating at the end of the quarter and I don’t know what to do.  ~Conversation with an Electrical Engineering Transfer Student in 2019. 

Transfer students that have participated in the Accelerator (previously the Transfer Bridge program) have out-performed their peers in the classroom with an average GPA in the first quarter of 3.6 participants vs. 3.3 transfers that did not participate (Fall 2020).  Additionally, Accelerator participants have already surpassed the extra-curricular professional development (academic research, industry internships, participation in student design teams) in the first year of study in comparison to the two – three years it takes for transfer students that did not participate. These activities are vital in helping a student find an area within engineering to pursue and to strengthen their narrative when applying for employment or graduate study. ~GPA data, Senior exit survey data, and Bridge Participant Survey.

Accelerator Program Calendar

Hit this link to download a current copy of the Summer Accelerator Program calendar.

Event dates subject to change.  Check back closer to the start of the program for an updated version. Last updated: July 2023.

Application for Accelerator Programs are as follows:

We are re-opening the Accelerator Program application for students interested in attending Classroom Boot Camp.  Please register by Friday, August 18, 2023.  Here is the link for the application form – https://forms.gle/7GcEAwerGDN1EarG8.

• eTransfer 101: no registration required.  All incoming eTransfers should attend this and will receive an email with the Zoom session link.
• Basic Training, HAcK, and Classroom Boot Camp registration – click this link and complete your registration by Friday, June 9, 2023.  There are spots for up to 50 participants in each of these programs.
• Check the zyBooks Course Refresher page for information on how to purchase your zyBooks license.

Registration for selected participants:

Participants were notified on June 12, 2023 about their acceptance into Basic Training, HAcK, and Classroom Boot Camp.  Please do NOT submit registration materials unless you were sent a confirmation to participate.

To complete your registration, please review and complete the following:

• Accelerator Contract (click this link),
• Administrative Forms (click this link), which include:
  • Activities Waiver for all Accelerator activities,
  • Elective Voluntary Activities Waiver for all activities that you participate in connection to your formal Accelerator activities
  • Publicity Release
  • SEASnet User Account Policy
• Basic Training & HAcK participants, you will need the following in addition to the Accelerator Contract & Administrative forms:
  • A Face-pic of yourself.  Please make sure your face is the focus of this image, that it is high-resolution (300 dpi or better), cropped to a square.
  • Complete the UCLA Environment, Health, & Safety (EH&S) Lab Safety Fundamental Concepts training.  This course is required of all UCLA Engineering students who are working in a lab or the UCLA Makerspace.  For instructions, please review the following:
    • Click this link to access the UCLA EH&S training website, called WORKSAFE
    • Log-on using your UCLA LogOn ID or follow the links to get help.
    • In the search bar, located in the upper-right corner, type the code LSFC (Lab Safety Fundamental Concepts) and hit the search icon.
    • Click the Lab Safety Fundamentals course on the screen and begin the training.
    • Complete the course by taking the quiz and save your certificate of completion email message.

To submit your registration materials, please save your files using these instructions:

• Save your files as follows:
  • Accelerator Contract and Administrative Forms (see above) into one .pdf file and save it using your first name, last name, and the word forms.  For example – JoeBruin_forms.pdf.
  • Basic Training & HAcK participants, please save your file as follows:
    • Lab Safety Fundamental Concepts completion certificate as a .pdf with your first name, last name, and the word training.  For example – JosieBruin_training.pdf.
    • Face pic as a .jpg with your first name, last name, and the word foto.  For example – JuniorBruin_foto.jpg.
• Upload your files to the 2023 Accelerator Participant Registration form: https://forms.gle/1Ja8simX92Yu6MuD9.

UCLA Summer Sessions

Summer Session A begins on June 26, 2023 – see UCLA Summer Sessions website for courses, schedule, fees, and deadlines.

For some of you, taking a UCLA Summer Session class is encouraged.  Here is a list of summer courses (by major) that are highly-recommended by our engineering academic counselors to ensure you are able to make progress to your degree in year 1.  This includes:

1. Any missing course prep required for admission (Chemistry, Physics, or Math) – all majors
2. Bioengineering – Physics 1C, Math 33 A, and Math 33B
3. Chemical Engineering majors – MAE or CEE M20 (Matlab) 
4. Materials Science & Engineering majors – MAT SCI 104
5. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering majors – Chem 20B and MAE 82

These courses will enable you to more seamlessly continue your education in the fall and reduce your time to degree.  

Participant fee: See the UCLA Summer Sessions website, for information on fees and deadlines.

Please email the eTransfer Center for additional questions or concerns at etransfercenter@hsseas.ucla.edu.