Graduate International Connection

Culture & Community: Join Stella Choi and Jina Chun, GIC Mentors, as they discussed the transportation options in Irvine, including walking, biking, public transit, and car ownership, with practical advice to help you decide whether getting a car fits your budget, lifestyle, and graduate student experience.

Host: Stella (Yeryeng) Choi, GIC Mentor

Guest: Jina Chun, GIC Mentor

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nPVil7oLcckMl_SpwteRf-UzPnVo3Sr0K4jqOy_gHbs/edit?usp=sharing

Campus Compass: Join Jina Chun and Seungjun (Josh) Kim, GIC Mentors, as they discuss essential UC Irvine resources for graduate students, including academic support, career services, health and wellness programs, basic needs assistance, and community-building opportunities to help you succeed on and off campus.

Host: Jina Chun, GIC Mentor

Guest: Seungjun (Josh)Kim, GIC Mentor

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmRlqpqF0p-lOe8o_TAVsnln4JBDItSW/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Culture and Community: Join Medi Zakizadeh, Taryn Mary Williams, Seungjun (Josh) Kim, GIC Mentors, to learn the various ways you could build connections and find a sense of belonging at UC Irvine and beyond, through student groups, campus events, hobbies, local activities, and meaningful community experiences in Irvine.

Host: Medi Zakizadeh, GIC Mentor

Guest: Taryn Mary Williams and Seungjun (Josh) Kim, GIC Mentors

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QrShYU_S0roVOItNxoaDW0qkDs074Thj/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Career Corner: Join Taryn Mary Williams, Christian AndradeHerrera and Pranav Upadhyay, GIC Mentors, to learn about academic and non-academic on-campus job opportunities at UC Irvine, including where to find them, eligibility requirements for international students, and how these roles can help build professional skills, connections, and experience.

Note: This episode addresses matters regarding employment, social security, ITINs and taxes in the U.S. based on student experiences and is not official advise on these matters. For official guidance, please contact the UC Irvine International Center. 

Host: Taryn Mary Williams, GIC Mentor

Guests: Christian Andrade Herrera and Pranav Upadhyay, GIC Mentors

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1poO1NXo9ctZm8N-x3at-t14sXSPhXYgS/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Countdown to California: Join Nidhi Pandey and Zhaobin Li, GIC Mentors, as they share practical tips for navigating your first days at UC Irvine, from airport arrival and housing setup to banking, phone service, campus essentials, and settling into life in Irvine as an international graduate student.

Host: Nidhi Pandey, GIC Mentor

Guest: Zhaobin Li, GIC Mentor

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18VU0S2Uyjzsk2xrqBpscszkjlMxXHWBaBRA_oAZzCB0/edit?usp=sharing

Campus Compass: Join Frances Li, GIC Mentor and MeganPetersen, International Student Advisor from the UC Irvine International Center as they talk about arrival essentials, maintaining your visa status, employment, and finding community at UC Irvine. This episode provides general visa information for incoming international students and does not reflect recent immigration policy changes. For the most current guidance, please refer to the UCI International Center website. 

Host: Frances Li, GIC Mentor

Guest: Megan Petersen,International Student Advisor at the UC Irvine International Center

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SrD-k8_WrFgkFjn4tSpfNDXFyko0cbeI/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Countdown to California Series: Join Aayushi Sadani and Nidhi Gyan Pandey, GIC Mentors as they discuss how to pack smart for Irvine, including what to bring, what to skip, and what you can buy once you arrive.   

Host: Aayushi Sadani, GIC Mentor

Guest: Nidhi Gyan Pandey, GIC Mentor

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AHRGOsc3V6mYuymhO9pS6W6ouwCf_-1l/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Countdown to California Series: Join Will (Chih-Chao) Chang, Aayushi Sadani, and Frances Li, GIC Mentors as they discuss housing options at UC Irvine from on-campus, off-campus and everything in between.   

Host: Will (Chih-Chao) Chang, GIC Mentor

Guest: Aayushi Sadani and Frances Li, GIC Mentors

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ch0X-AlvHWHX1SinzqkrgeGa4C4yykPp/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Join Advitha Thotapalli Arun, GIC's new Podcast Coordinator and Ruth Ortega-Gonzalez, Manager of Graduate International Recruitment and Retention as they introduce the new season of the GIC podcast. Many new exciting episodes to come!  

Host: Advitha Thotapalli Arun, GIC Podcast Coordinator

Guest: Ruth Ortega-Gonzalez, Manager of Graduate International Recruitment and Retention

Music: Intergalactic by Alex Jones/Xander Jones

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y6J-6k-QVtZoSrkvGHL_vKs_NuU8qfcX/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117589225904358100836&rtpof=true&sd=true

Join Catherine, GIC Podcast Coordinator and Anna Fitzpatrick, Account Manager at Sprintax as she goes over tax forms, filings and common mistakes international students should be aware of. Please note that anything discussed on this episode is for general informational purposes. This is not official tax advice as any decisions you decide to make regarding your taxes, including any services you may or may not use, are up to you and only you.    

Host: Yeonseong (Catherine) Seo 

Guest: Anna Fitzpatrick, Business Development Manager, Sprintax 

Edited by Yeonseong (Catherine) Seo 

Music: Travel The World [Original Mix] by Aftertune is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Transcript Available Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t4JGIcvzCpYYDpC-xFWkps2QR_LyejuKEtEb16yi_10/edit?usp=sharing