University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

mentioned above.

You would be surprised how outstanding UCSB is in academics. The accounting program alone is know for producing top quality graduates who have ranked first on the CPA exam and also ranked top five in the national auditing competition by PG&E. Additionally, UCSB was the first to have an Asian American studies program or a Womens Studies Program in the US. Not only is UCSB on the cutting edge of academics but also research. You should check it out.

The students here aren't very competitive, which is really nice. So far, all the students I've encountered are extremely friendly and very helpful. Class participation really depends on the students in your class. Sometimes they participate a lot, sometimes it's dead quiet. Students here actually study a lot, much to my own surprise. You'll find the library and Student Resource Building packed during the weeks before miderms and finals. Many students will spend all day at the library. For the most part, all my professors that I've interacted with outside of class for help have been very helpful and so were the TAs. The best classes to take are Psych 2, Ess 3, and Soc 152A. Psych 2 is a very interesting class and Fridlund, the professor, is very enthusiastic. Ess 3 is about nutrition and it's really good because it can be applied to your own health. You learn about a lot of health myths. UCSB has really opened my eyes globally. Before coming here, I must admit I was very self-centered. After coming here I realized what was going on in the world and learned a lot even from the most boring and hardest classes.

Academics at UCSB depend a lot on what the students put into their studies. Since there are so many options of classes and studies I have found that most people are really involved with what they are studying becuase they are really interested in the subjects. Especially when you get to the upper division classes they become really specific and you get to really pick and choose what you want to take. Most professors I have had have been really involved with students as long as the students take initiative to seek out help. I also always hear conversations about science or literature around campus, I have found that not only do UCSB students party hard, but they are very intellectual at the same time. So far the most unique class I've taken is Geography of Surfing. It is realyl interesting to learn about the culture of such a popular sport here. I really respecty the academic requirements because it helps students become more well rounded but they are not extemely hard requirements they are just enough to get a shallow knowledge of a little but of everything. UCSB education I find is geared a lot toward career building and research which I enjoy a lot because the professors always have some research going on and they can always use help. I have personally been able to get jobs in labs which is great expereince for the line of work I am headed toward.

Not competitive. lower division classes are packed and not much professor interaction unless in honors course - but upper division classes are smaller and there is definately interaction during lectures. Plus discussion / lab allows for extra attention if you need it. Also there is an excellent tutoring program for the maths and sciences called CLAS and this is invaluable. I have loved all of my environmental studies classes and when i go to the department for help with my schedule I always get it. leaving UCSB is like a wake up call because you realize that you are among an elite group of young adults at UCSB - we TOTALLY have itelectual conversations outside of class!!!!! All of my friends are passionate about their studies and even if the dont like a class they are in they definately still have an opinion on the topic.

THEY ARE GREAT. Some classes are huge others are smaller.. You need to find out what you like and there will be something to fit your preference.

As a freshmen, most of my classes have been in large-400 person lecture halls with little student-professor interaction. The discussion sections are helpful because they are in smaller classes with TA's. I think that as students get into upper-division classes, class sizes get smaller and student-professor interaction increases.

The curriculum I have gone through over the last 4 years have been tough. Many homework assignments and many tough tests. I have loved all of my design classes. These classes are very competitve especially since there is a design competition in everyone. UCSB's ME department has definitely put me in a position to get a very good job coming out of college.

With my experience so far as a major in the sciences, I find that students are rather competitive (in a healthy way!). I don't encounter many intellectual conversations outside of class among the undergrads, though I am aware that the people within the math and sciences tend to study a good amount. There's a lot of people I know who are in less rigorous majors who do not have to study as much. I've gone to office hours for professors, though I have never attended regularly. I feel the education at UCSB is definitely geared toward learning for its sake. If you want an excellent education, you can most definitely achieve that at UCSB. But if you think "C's get degrees," and that's all you want/need, then you can achieve that here too.

Most classes (especially introductory courses) are extremely big, held in huge lecture halls, and very impersonal. Most professors and TAs welcome questions and attendance at office hours, but it can be intimidating which makes it unlikely to make the effort. I am a communication and psychology major. A disadvantage of UCSB [in my eyes] is that it is all geared toward research, which I have met very few people who that interests. Therefore, many of the classes focus around theories and preparing one to do research, when in reality, very few are actually planning on using that in their future careers.