University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

students here are just plain beautiful, not a lot of diversity compared to my high school, and most people are middle to upper upper class/i would think a black student would feel out of place but it all depends on the individual/people wear all kinds of things but never dressed up with heels- it is very very casual and you can get by wearing anything- i am on the crew team and never really dress up at all i wear sweats etc but i make sure to put make up on every day which is kind of how this school is- we dress up to look as casual as possible/students are pretty politically aware and shift towards the left for sure- we have the highest percentage of voters out of any uni in the usa

i think our school is pretty liberal. people all have their beliefs, but no one pushes it on other people too much. many people seem to come from wealthy backgrounds. it definitely has the so cal feel. tan. short skirts. surfers. skaters. what more could you ask for?

good

Relatively diverse.

i'm cool with everybody unless they're dumb. unfortunately, not everyone is as smart as me so people start doing stupid stuff. people who might appear different on the surface may actually end up having some genuinely similar characteristics, making for some interesting friendships and interaction. girls wear their big sunglasses, juicy pants and uggs while i usually wore a hat, jeans and a t shirt to class, but i don't know why they asked about that. i guess you now know how to conform, to all you conformists out there. most of the students are from california, either northern or souther with some people hailing from fresno or bakersfield, which are neither. all the people i was friends with were cool with me so i didn't really care unless they asked me to say "hella," which is an example of doing stupid stuff. depending on who you talk to, some people are relatively intelligent and are aware of the world around them, but some people are really dumb and have the spelling capacity of an 8th grader. moreover, i like to think that people are predominately left, but that could just be a product of my education there. with all the ritzy fancy schmancy places downtown and in montecito, you could easily get a part time job down there and easily rake in some coin, so networking is key there too.

ucsb is a very liberal campus but there are concervative niches for those on the other side of the spectrum. from womens activist groups to ethnic clubs, i feel like anyone and everyone could find at least one place or group of people to fit in with if they just looked. for the most part students interact around campus, however to me there is an obvious segrgation of races, to a certain extent. i think this has to do with the overwelming white population. hispanic/latino groups seem to connect with each other as well as asian and black social groups. but i think its more so because people just feel comfortable with what they know, their background. i do not sense any racism in this at all. p

Morning classes are dominated by sweatshirts and PJs, but as the day gets decently later, clothes are fashionable and due to fabulous weather dresses, skirts, and shorts, are sported year round.

To be honest, UCSB is most white, upper-class students. I believe many racial groups who are non-white would feel out of place. UCSB is very politically active. We have the most registered voters per capita out of any campus in California. We have also had numerous rallies against the war in Iraq.

We're rich and white to be honest, but we're also liberals to the bone. I can imagine it would be hard to be a minority at UCSB (especially African American), but I don't think there is a lot of prejudice. The biggest problem with our students may be that we expect something from the world. We live in this complete paradise on someone else's dime (often our future self's dime) and it convinces us that we deserve a high paying job and a nice car. I am the same way, but now I am learning the world doesn't work like that. I'll be a teacher in two years... I'll be lucky to have a car. As a member of Real Life and a Christian, I was really surprised how rich the Christian community is at UCSB. We aren't large (200-300) but we are truly a community. That was the last thing I expected from Playboy's top party school (at least when I was a freshman).

UCSB is pure gold when it comes to socializing. It isnt possible to NOT meet someone new every day. Between the sun, the beach, and the vast majority of alcohol and recreational drugs you would have to be a hermit not to know 100 people in your first week. The vast majority of students come from California, splitting themselves between NorCal and SoCal sects. There is also a large population of foreign students. Normal class attire can range from sleep pants and sweat shirts, to board shorts and bikini tops. Most girls are cute enough in their sweatshirts. Bikini tops are just a treat. Sandals are the norm all year long. Most students come from middle/upper-class white families throughout the state. Something like 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are caucasion. Students are politically aware, but are either too drunk or too apathetic to care.

Diverse

The typical UCSB student wears a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops. If it's a little chilly, they put on a sweatshirt. If it rains, they might wear rain boots and/or a rain jacket, if they have one; either way, they'd complain about the rain, because they came here to escape bad weather, and they're getting cheated from that bargain. Also, we're a pretty liberal and diverse campus. I know for a fact that there are several places on campus where you can get free condoms. Last week at the arbor, a person dressed up in a giant vagina costume to advertise a showing of "The Vagina Monologues." Walking to class today, I saw a student-organized protest about a local issue concerning unfairly unpaid illegal immigrants. From what I hear, we also have really great anti-rape programs, a Queer Student Union, an International Students Association, fantastic Christian fellowships, a Lebanese Club, a surfing club... Pretty much anything you can think of. Those were just off the top of my head.

I have not had much interaction with many groups on campus. I have spoken to different religious groups and they all seem nice and more than willing to talk. many students are politically aware and active. We have had many protests concerning the war. We are a pretty liberal campus, but if you are conservative you will not feel totally out of place. I rarely hear students talking about how much they will earn.

I'm part of a Christian group on campus, and have friends in other religious groups. They sometimes do feel a little out of place on campus, but they all seem happy to be here. It would be nice if that was a little more welcomed. UCSB is not the most diverse campus either racially or socioeconomically, but it's getting more diverse and people are accepting. People are also accepting of LGBT students, as far as I've seen. Students can wear anything from sweats to dresses, probably depending on where they're going after class. Some people wear jeans and a tshirt every day, others look like they stepped out of a fashion magazine. Most UCSB students are from California. There's a big NorCal/SoCal rivalry in the dorms. Students are politically aware, predominently left.

From the perspective of a black student the diversity here at UCSB is seriously lacking. The ratio is 2.7{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} black students here at UCSB. That is about 450 out of 17,000. I often find myself to be the only black person in my class, even in lecture halls with over 100 studnets. But even with out small numbers the black community is very tight nit and we embrace every black student that comes to UCSB so they can all feel like they have a place here on campus and a home away from home.

It would be awesome if more Asians come to UCSB. There aren't many now, but the numbers are climbing. In clubs like TASA/HKSA, we get to meet w/ each other and kind of feel like family. Do not be scared to come to UCSB because you think there's no Asians like you. THERE ARE and we're all waiting for more to join the fun.

UCSB has 56{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} caucasians. Sometimes, you'll come across racial problems, but our campus has so many resources for almost everything, for example, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trangender) community. In general, students feel more comfortable with people of the same race, so it is common here for you to see a group of African Americans socializing. However, students here are pretty accepting of others. During winter, EVERYONE owns a pair of rain boots or uggs. In the summer, everyone dresses like a beach bum, but girls dress a lot cuter. UCSB students are the richest of all the UCs, and for those who aren't as rich, there are programs like the EOP (education opportunities program) that help you financially and educationally. Students here are extremely politically active. We have the highest percentage of registered voters and when there's a rally going on--it's so pact that you can't even move.

It is not possible to feel out of place at UCSB. Somewhere on campus there is a group or organization that applies to everyone and wants to make them feel welcome, safe, and at home. UCSB is soo diverse, and, while the majority of students are white, there are still an incredible number of ethnicities represented here. We have a lot of international students that are always fun. Political activism is huge here; if you've got a cause, you're strongly encouraged to stand up for it. I feel like we are a predominantly left-leaning campus.

My experience here with race, religion, and all the other groups on campus here have been really good. People here are awesome, and everything is very open for a free trial. All the groups do not get along because of some different views on whatever the case may be, but it is great to have so many different groups and outreaches going on for the campuses. I do not think any student would be out of place at UCSB. there are a lot of different groups of people here on campus. But there is also a lot of work for you to put yourself out there to get involved. So it takes both sides to get out and get involved. All students dress differently. Some people where sweats and sweat shirts. Some where dresses, nice skirts, and nice pants. Some where shorts and t-shirts. and others where suits because they have meetings afterwards. So it does not matter. oh! and people where PJ's too! One has a group of boys and girls from their hall. They are all hanging out eating ice cream. there is another with just two or three people having a deep conversation. there is one table with just one person on it eating alone and fast because you know they have some where to go, and the last has a few people on it, not talking and reading. there are students from across the world! there are international students here, and there are people from nor-cal and so-cal here, and there are students from across the states. So, there is a very diverse group of people. The most prevalent financial background is middle class/upper middle class. Some students are very politically aware. But like every group on campus, there are those radical members who stand out and make sure people know what is going on in the world. They go both left and right side. So it all depends on the group. And no, most students do not talk about how much they earn each day.

I am part of a "religious" group on campus and I have great experiences as a part of it. What is wonderful about UCSB is that people want to learn about culture and people who are different then themselves. Its easy to get into a great conversation with someone about spiritual, racial, or other issues because people are open minded and want to learn about it.