University of California-San Diego Top Questions

there is no college town here which i think really makes a difference on the social life of ucsd. the campus is empty on the weekends. im excited to see price center expand because i have begun to use it for socializing and it is gets very crowded, so making it bigger will attract more students.

Its a great school--but its not a top tier.

I wish UCSD was in more of a college town. I think that would make UCSD more social. Also, if there was an area off campus that all college students could live or a frat row. I think frat rows at other schools make college life more social because it's known to be a guaranteed good time there.

I love the multiple college system. We're a big university altogether, but each individual college has its own smaller community. (Muir college is the best, by the way.) Also, the people here are super chill. We don't have the competitive tension that many other universities do. I've met and continue to meet the most amazing people here.

La jolla is definitely not a college town. THere is an older population and also if you are looking to go party or barhopping...you had better be 21, have a fake ID, be willing to drive far, or have friends that can offer there house, or have older friends. Most students complain about the lack of school spirit and unity. We don't have a footbal team. i spend most of my time at the library. Best thing about UCSD is its abundance of opportunities, on campus and off.

I'd change the parking access. I think the school is just right in size (some may think it's big, but I love it). People think I'm a genius when I tell them I come from UCSD (I don't like that reaction). I spend most of my time at work in my lab (okay, so that fits the stereotype, but I still do a lot of other things). What college town? I think they do what they can, but it's more scattered than I'd like it to be. Construction. In research and science, yes. Everything else, not so much (which is sad because the music department is WONDERFUL). Our library looks like a spaceship (but it's supposed to be the tree of knowledge). Sungod Festival!!!!!!! PARKING!!!!! and the shuttle service.

Best thing about UCSD = FOOD! I'd change the parking situation...it's very hard to find any. Just the right size! People are impressed when I say I go here =) I spend my time everywhere - i love it! College town - plenty of places off campus to go to, downtown, mission valley, pacific beach, downtown la jolla, the beach, the movies are just down the street, but you either have to have a car or man up and take the bus. la jolla is safe so people shouldn't feel stuck on campus at all. UCSD administration - I don't know too much about it so I can't say... Recent controversy - raising tuition! No good. There's a lot of school pride at games, everyone is wearing UCSD sweatshirts and other paraphanelia, people are proud to say they go here! Unusual - our library looks liek a spaceship but it's really supposed to be based on the tree of knowledge... I'll always remember my orientation - I realized I was at such a huge school when all the freshmen of my college stood on the lawn...and that's only the warren freshmen! Most people complain about not being able to get the classes they want/need, including me! =(

I LOVE the weather, the people, everything.

The best thing about UCSD is the location. Within walking distance to major beaches and near the heart of lively San Diego, there is always something to do and to see whether on campus or not. However, I would change the architecture of the main buildings. Many of the different colleges within the university are haphazardly positioned, and none of the designs match from one place to the other. Muir College, in fact, has some of the ugliest buildings I’ve ever seen—ten story buildings made of concrete that tries to look like wood. It’s all wrong. The campus itself is actually pretty large—I think it’s about a 3 mile journey on the campus loop, which only covers the west side. However, the six-college system helps out a lot. I like to think of it as Hogwarts, where everyone is sorted into different colleges/houses and although they share classes with the entire school, they are separated by their housing and dining facilities as well as what it expected from them (in this case, general education and graduation requirements). This system breaks the campus into smaller pieces so that you are more connected to your living environment and the people in it, but it does make school spirit less of a priority; it even deters school spirit all together, in my opinion. UCSD’s administration is nothing special, and they treat the student body with as much respect as can be garnered by a board of high-paid officials who aim to please everybody and who fail miserably. There is always the student body complains about: high tuition, lack of vegetarian options, not enough parking, strict campus security, and useless expenses made. The most controversial subjects to crop up recently has been the administration’s failed attempt to rewrite many free speech policies for the campus, which received a lot of outcry from the students as well as ACLU, who denounced the new policies as undemocratic and unfit for a college campus. Depending on who I’m speaking with, when people discover that I attend UCSD they are either immediately impressed or empathetic. “Oh, you attend a UC? That’s amazing. You must be really smart!” Or else it’s, “San Diego? Isn’t that a party school?/Isn’t that the research school?” A lot of people get us confused with San Diego State, which is more widely known for its rigorous social life than ours to say the least.

The best things about UCSD are the weather and the two year housing contract. The dorms are fantastic and the beach is very close and accessible. I would like it if there was a football team to boost school spirit. The school size is large, but it feels smaller due to the six colleges. People did not react well due to the bad social stereotypes. I spend most of my time outside, in coffee shops, in class, in my apartment, and at the beach. There is no college-town feel. The administration is ok, but there is room for more improvement, especially dealing with student needs. The best experience is at Sun God, the best UCSD party/concert.

The best thing about UCSD is the six colleges - it individualizes parts of campus and shrinks the large campus to feel more at home for students. We have a huge parking problem. I'd definitely like the parking problem solved. When I say I go to UCSD they have no idea what it is because we don't have a football team and aren't very spirited. They typically think I mean SDSU and then assume I'm so crazy party animal. A sucky thing about UCSD is the La Jolla community. It's waaaay too expensive so many students have to live farther away and commute which is a pain in the ass. Also, the rich snobs of La Jolla typically hate us which is why we're not allowed Greek housing which is also a bummer. One of the best things about UCSD is the location - right on the beach! The weather can also be pretty amazing. Because we don't have a football team and aren't much into athletics, there's not much school spirit. We're known as "the smart ones".

Ucsd has amazing academic opportunities with a lot of access to undergrad research. there is not a lot of school pride because of the lack of sports teams, but the greek system is a great way to gain pride in your school and chapter.

Best Thing: Beautiful beaches. One thing to change: get a frat row or a football team. When I tell people I go to UCSD, adults are usually fairly impressed, but other students often comment about the lack of a party scene or all the asians. There is absolutely no college town, no frat row, you need a car to get anywhere, there's no school pride. Honestly if I weren't in the greek system I would be transferring. The art department sucks, classes aren't very interesting. Biggest recent controversy-- none, this school isn't very exciting. Students are politically apathetic.

prestige is great but more people of diverse backgrounds should be encouraged to apply and attend however they will not until there are already some here so that becomes a vicious cycle. i will always remember the friendships, relationships and connections.

i really like the college system so you feel like the school isnt so big. but it is bad sometimes because it can limit you from meeting people, especially the suites because you get close to a few people but if the poeple in the suites around you aren't that cool, its hard to meet people. the town isn't that college-y especially if you have looked at berkeley or la or even sdsu. the school is kind of isolated on a hill but there are cool places around in sd. there isn't much school pride but it is starting to improve, we need a football team but our basektball teams have been doing better so there has been more show at the games. i like to make sure people know i go to ucsd and not sdsu when i say where i go to school. PC is a great place to hang out-- vrey central with a lot of people all the time

I like that everyone is very chill; there is a certain stress level in the background, especially during Finals Week, but for the most part, people tend to be lax. I think it can be a bit big sometimes, it's hard to feel like there's a entire school unity, but that's where the separate colleges come in. When I tell people I go to UCSD, they always have this look of awe, they acknowledge the prestige of the school. I'm mostly in my room. I think the administration is ok. I don't feel like there's enough clubs to have the majority of students to have the opportunity to be involved.

It's close to the beach. i wish wouldnt people go home.

I think that the best thing about UCSD is that it has really good academic reputation which is the whole reason why we go to college. It means a lot to me that my degree from UCSD will be impressive to future employers because it is a very good school. I wish it was a little more geared towards athletics, and it would be really nice to have a football team. Another thing about UCSD that I would change is that we don't have greek housing. As a cheerleader, I have seen that people aren't really that into going to sporting events, but our basketball teams are pretty good, and the games are very exciting. During spirit week the campus shows its school pride and it is really fun! I wouldn't say that LA Jolla is really a "college town" but it is not too far from the heart of San Diego, and it is a beautiful place to live, and it is right next to thee beach! SUNGOD is the best thing at UCSD!!!!

There is not enough school pride!! I love UCSD, its is a very unique college in comparison with others. The six college system makes the campus VERY large and spread apart, unlike a lot of other campuses. However, I wouldn't go to any other school, even if I was accepted everywhere in the nation. I feel like everyone could enjoy life at UCSD, so long as they tried! There are organizations for every person. My suggestion is: GET INVOLVED!! Life at UCSD is a million times better when you are involved in things on campus. The people who don't like UCSD are the ones who sit in their dorm rooms all day long and study.

Best thing = my sorority - CHI OMEGA! Collge town = non-existent the people of La Jolla absolutely hate us, the traffic lights are set up to "slow us down" and everything closes early because the senior citizens go to bed early School pride doesn't exist - only personal pride in your individual activities so there's Greek pride, Athletics pride, pride for the student newspaper, pride for the people working in student government, etc