University of California-Riverside Top Questions

I have a diverse, intellectual, determined set of classamates here to learn.

My classmates are motivated and smart; I befriend most of them and they help me with any questions I have.

They keep to themselves for the most part so you're going to have to approach them and keep in touch with them yourself--face it, most of them don't want to be there (because it isn't exactly a highly-ranked school) or don't care to be there (parents probably pushed them into university that they got into by the skin of their teeth).

My classmates are a blend of all sorts of ethnicities, each hailing from different strata of life; all however express the desire to better themselves in whatever path they choose.

UCR being the most diverse campus out of the UC's, you would think that we would be great to meet all these different kinds of people, when in reality people form cliques with their "own" people. It almost feels similar to high school over here. I see that the asians stick with the asians, whites with the whites, etc.

I am involved with the Pacific Islander Student Alliance on campus, and they are great. I danced hula in high school, and was sad thinking that I had to give it up because colleges don't usually have hula teams. I was practicing a routine in the Recreation Center one day, and one of the girls from the group was there and asked me to be a part of their group. Now I'm still able to do what I love, and I'm meeting some amazing new friends. I also became a part of the LGBT center on campus. As a recently outed LGBT-indentified person, it was awesome to have a safe place to go and meet other people I could talk to about whatever I wanted. They have some amazing staff there that are always available to talk and counsel or answer questions. There are so many clubs and groups at UCR, that I truly believe every student can find something that fits them, no matter how abstract it may be. If they can't, you can always start your own group, and I guarantee you'll find other students interested as well! The students at UCR are generally accepting, of anyone, no matter what race or economic position you may be in. Many students embrace themselves at this school, and are free to express themselves in the way they dress, act, or things they do and become a part of. Students are generally solid in who they are, or are in the midst of finding themselves, like I am. I truly believe that there are many resources and opportunities this school gives for the students to help them define themselves and ready them for the world, which is an unmeasurable gift to every student.

We are a very diverse campus and everyone is pretty cool with everyone. No one would really feel out of place, it's big enough so that there is something for everyone. Students dress relatively nicely to class, but you can always find someone in sweats too. Everyone interacts with everyone, we are lucky that way. People eat with their hall mates so tables wouldn't really be divided by "status quo" but by hall. People are from everywhere!

There is nothing you wont see at UCR. We are a special grade of people. Anyone and everyone can find their place here because we dont discriminate on race, religion, socio-economic, or LGBT groups. We actually try to embrace all of there groups and create ways in which the can celebrate their culture. We feel that we are all in this together and we all work collectively to make a comfortable and studious environment.

There is no dominant type of student here on campus, which is why I always push UC Riverside as one of the more diverse schools in the state. Its possible for people to think that the dominant ethnicity for our school is Asian-American, however from my 4 years here on campus, thats definitely not true. You wont feel out of place here because you're always going to find somebody of the same ethnicity or religion as yours, however its the people you meet outside of your comfort zones that always seem to be the most interesting. From my point of view, people here aren't the most social people I've met. Yes it takes some time to meet people and build relationships with them. I believe this to be true just because school spirit here is a bit lacking. However, if you become involved and spend some time outside of your dorm room, you're going to meet some awesome people on campus. Most students here are from Southern California and the Inland Empire. There are a few from Northern California as well out of state, but those people are maybe 1/10. To really emphasize my point on campus diversity I will say this, as a Korean American attending UC Riverside, I have maybe only 3 other Korean friends here. The majority of my friends range anywhere from Hispanic to French. There are very ambitious and friendly students here on campus, you just need to step out of the box to meet them.

I am a Chicana student. I believed that it would be a struggle to fit into the school. However, no one has given me a problem about my ethnicity. Actually, I was surprised at how diverse the school is. Most students I have met come from difficult financial backgrounds. UCR tries to accommodate every student's needs. I will warn potential students, there is a great chance they might have to take out loans. Don't be afraid! As for the diversity in school, it is huge. Politically, the allegiances to parties vary from person to person. There really isn't an edge to any political view. I believe that in everything, from politics to race, the school is good at trying to maintain a balance.