University of California-San Diego Top Questions

The best thing about the school is the vast resources. Though it isn't known for its football team, the university is highly esteemed and attracts students, faculty and recruiters of equal caliber. The school is quite large and some majors provide more intimate classroom conditions than others. For example, I am a Psychology and Photography double major--in psych my lectures usually have at least 100 students but in Visual Arts the courses are capped around 20 students. People are usually impressed when I tell them I go to this school, and admire the area in which it is located. Great weather! Most of my time on campus is spent in Muir and Price Center because that is where my majors and jobs are located. It is certainly not exclusively college town, but certain areas nearby such as Costa Verde and apartments on the shuttle line are highly concentrated by students which provides an enjoyable mix of neighbors. The administration tries hard to be accommodating, but the bureaucracy of the UC system can be hard to swallow at times, particularly with tuition being raised greatly in the past few years. There is not too much school pride which I think is unfortunate and an unfitting but frequent student complaint, as we are attending a quality university. I have been working at the alumni office and witness firsthand the lack of participation, which could be greatly improved. The school has a great art collection with quirky Stuart Art collection pieces installed all throughout the campus. These are always completely unexpected and innovative, including the piece being installed currently called "Fallen Star" by Do Ho Suh. This year I'll always remember my involvement with the on campus newspaper the UCSD Guardian, and covering the rallies partnering with OccupySD. My favorite moment was when the students re-opened the closed off CLICS library for Finals week so that we could study in the previously open 24/7 space. Students brought blankets and pillows and spread out across the floor or sat atop desks as all the chairs and books and shelves had been removed. The spirit of rebellion and desire for learning could be felt throughout the library--inspiring.

I would say that aside from the top-notch academics, the best thing about UCSD is probably its campus. Though many complain about it being too large (and I will admit I sometimes find myself groaning at the walking commutes going to classes), I find that the campus boasts a diversity and abundance of interesting places to explore that others simply can't compete with. Thus, aside from Geisel (the main library) I honestly could not pick any one location I spend most of my time, as I am constantly out and about at the many unique places campus has to offer. I would most likely change the school's lack of athletics and school spirit, as it is very obvious UCSD lacks any true sense of student cohesion and could really use a morale boost. This is most likely the largest complain students makes about UCSD. When I tell people that I go here, they generally think (if they are able to distinguish it from State or USD) that I am most likely a nerd and don't do much with my life, though this is far from true. La Jolla certainly does not help this stigma though, as it is about as far from a college town as you can get (though it is a very pretty place to live). UCSD's administration is questionable, and though the school does run well there are many times myself and fellow students find ourselves wondering "WTF?" at some decisions the administrators make. I'll always remember the initial weeks following the Compton Cookout incident my first year, as it was most likely the largest controversy UCSD had seen in its short existence. It was nearly impossible to walk to class between the news crews, rallying students, and commotion that the party had created.

Overall, I have enjoyed my experience at UCSD, though it is definitely a campus for proactive people. It's a very large campus with many opportunities, which can be overwhelming and requires a positive attitude. I myself joined a sorority, which instantly made my experience better by giving me something other than school to focus on. Though the beach is right there, La Jolla is not a college town by any means. This has a severe impact on the UCSD atmosphere. Students don't usually live close to campus, and parties get broken up easily by local residents. Recently, increases in the UC tuition have decreased the appeal of attending a pubic university. Unlike several other UC's, UCSD does not have a football team or any other large sport that draws a lot of attention, resulting in a lack of school pride and spirit. The one thing about the expansive campus that is nice, however, is the extensive art collection and consistently growing exhibits and pieces of artwork displayed everywhere. UCSD definitely appreciates the arts in contrast to the heavy academic focus on the sciences.

In general, I've quite enjoyed my time at UCSD. The atmosphere is very chill and relaxed--except, perhaps, around finals and midterm weeks. The school is right next to the beach, and the weather is generally cool and sunny, with maybe a week or two of rain (cumulatively) the entire year. Class sizes can be quite large, especially in many of the science (especially biology) classes, which can make it more difficult to get to know professors. However, their are many more opportunities given to students to get a more personalized education, such as independent study classes, seminars, research opportunities, and dine-with-a-prof programs, among others. The campus is fairly large and spread out, but it's broken up by the smaller colleges. The colleges definitely have a smaller feel with their own programs and res halls, general education requirements, advising, and administration offices. There's definitely a lot of stuff to do, but if you're looking for a HUGE party scene on campus, this might not be the best place for it. There's no college town, and La Jolla is very much a wealthy suburb. You can go into downtown San Diego for more of a city-feel, and the trade-off between having a school in a somewhat duller town is that UCSD is a pretty safe campus in a pretty safe area. There isn't a tremendous amount of school pride, probably because UCSD does not have it's own football team. Students do go out for basketball and water polo games, among others, but it's not the same school spirit atmosphere that football games probably attract. There are a couple of large events throughout the year like the Sun God Festival, but for most of the year, the atmosphere is fairly relaxed smaller on-campus events throughout the year. Overall, I've found that UCSD has a little something for everyone. You can have a party atmosphere if you seek it out, and you can have a great academic experience, especially if you major in the sciences, if you take advantage of it. There are tons of opportunities here, if you're willing to look for them, but UCSD is probably geared more towards science majors who are fairly academically driven.

This school is a good bang for your buck.

Most of the professors I had were passionate about the students' learning, despite that they're already so busy with research. They're available during and sometimes outside of office hours. Geisel library, which is located at the centre of the campus draws attention for its unusual architecture (Shape of an upside-down pyramid), which inspired the design for a building in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Public transportation is available from campus to nearby shopping centres, Down Town SD, train station, various research facilities, etc. The scenery at UCSD is overall very peaceful with ample amount of trees. Efforts to create an environmentally friendly campus is seen: Meatless Mondays at dining halls, a few vegetarian options, and lack of buffet-style dining hall system prevents food from being wasted as much as it would have if it were all-you-can-eat. Plus, all the beautiful beaches (bioluminescence and frequent dolphin sightings) are walking distance!

UCSD is a huge school, and without Division 1 sports teams, I would say there isn't a huge sense of school pride. People definitely buy and wear UCSD gear (I have a couple sweatshirts and sweatpants myself), but most people don't attend school events. There is no college town, which is definitely a disadvantage, but being right by the beach is amazing. It's a great school especially for biology, but recently budget cuts have made campus resources such as libraries less available for students which is a shame. Most people don't live on campus, so it does get pretty empty late at night, but during the day,most parts of campus are filled with people.

Let's begin with the location. UC San Diego is located right in La Jolla, about five minutes from La Jolla Shores and Black's Beach, where students are free to surf, tan, read, or even make smores together on any given day. The weather is always mild and sunny, so this is a great school for people who love the outdoors. While students do need to have a car to get around, the campus is located near Downtown San Diego, Downtown La Jolla, Pacific Beach, and many other great places to have fun with friends. One of the most unique features of UC San Diego is that while it is a very large research university, it is divided into six smaller undergraduate colleges to provide students with a closely knit community. You really get the best of both worlds this way, because students can still mingle with the rest of their peers in class or in student organizations around campus, but also get to be with a close-knit group of friends who have taken all the same GE classes together since freshman year. UC San Diego can be a large university or a small college; whichever way you see it.

UCSD has been a fantastic growing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. The education is top notch, the people, administration and staff I've met have all been very interesting and influential; there are many opportunities for involvement; and you're surrounded by smart people everywhere! As I meet new friends off-campus and tell them I go to UCSD I always get shock for a couple reasons; the first is simply the respect that comes with attending a top tier university known for it's academia; the second is because they have stereotyped personality beliefs about the students that simply are not true, and they are surprised that someone like me attends what they believe to be a school of nerds. It's actually quite the rewarding experience telling people I'm a UCSD student. With that said, there is one thing I'd change on our campus, and that's our sports program. Fortunately, change is in the works! You see, UCSD is a Division 2 NCAA school. We're very successful in our division, being one of the most successful programs around, but the truth is, we should be Division 1 and most people know it. Division 1 is what brings in the crowds at games, and fortunately for prospective students we're working on making the switch! The experiences I cherish most were my involvement on campus. Being a Senator for the Associated Students, a participant in CGI U, a mentor for foster children, running the Center on Equal Justice with the Roosevelt Institute on campus...the list goes on! Getting involved has been more rewarding than words can express, and UCSD is such a big campus that finding your niche(s) is very easy to do! I should mention that the campus is extremely large, so you're in for some exercise! I have gotten much healthier since coming to the campus. I should also mention that La Jolla is not a college town, that we are not allowed a "frat row" anywhere on or off campus, and that if you're planning on commuting you're in for some rather terrible parking conditions. Most people use alternative commuting solutions, or if you're like me you ride a motorcycle and all your parking problems are gone!

I absolutely love the campus. I find it very to be a very inspirational place to think and learn. Honestly, coming to UCSD has been one of the best decisions in my life. I've grown so much from all of the experiences that UCSD has provided me. The best thing about this school is that there's always something to do. No matter if the activity is on campus or off campus, there is always something to do in San Diego. One thing that I would change is increasing the number of enrollment for minority students from African American backgrounds. The school size feels large, but within UCSD, there are 6 different colleges. Each college feels a lot smaller. When I tell people that I go to UCSD, they tell me that I am super lucky to live and be able to attend school in San Diego. I spend most of my time in the library on campus. There's a lot of resources in the library and hundreds of computers that can be used. UCSD isn't near a "college-town." It's not like UC Davis or UC Berkeley where when you step out of the campus, you reach miles and miles of coffee shops and local bakeries and whatnot. My opinion about the school's administration is that I know they are working hard to bring enrollment up for minority students, but I think they can do a lot more. The administration team is strong, but can only be strong with the support of the students and staff.