University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

If you want to party you can find a reason any day of the week. (Halloween, need I say more) Usually the night begins with a pre-party with friends. Everyone meets, gets ready, and shares a few shots. Then everyone heads out into Isla Vista and finds a house party, just follow the loud music. At any house party there will be drinking if you get there early, the booze runs dry quick when its free. But some will usually be reserved for a tournament of beer pong or flip cup. When midnight rolls around the music is cut (sound ordinance) but the party goes on. You'll group up with your new friends and migrate to one of the awesome establishments open late a very night for the after party snack. My favorite is Freeb!rds or Super Cucas for a burrito. Once the food has sobered you up at about 3am you realize that you have class in 5 hours and stumble home. Some people do this every night. They're called dropouts or . . . frat boys. But don't let the stereotypical party school fool you. The majority of students are here to get their work done, hang out with the homies, and enjoy the beauty of Santa Barbara. You can even go to the parties and socialize without drinking!!! Really, no one cares.

The most popular clubs on campus: Surf Club & Snowboarding Club. Snowboarding club is usually good to join your first year because not only do they have great deals on snowboarding trips, but they always have parties that you can attend for free if you're a member. I am on the UCSB cheer team and I really love it. I thought it might be cliquey and the girls would be snobby but it's so fun and the girls are so fun! It's not well-known so most people are surprised when I tell them I'm on the cheer team here. The dorms are very essential to making friends your first year. I became very good friends with the girls in my dorm and hall and am still very good friends with them. I know that we always had our door open but not very many people do. I would say that the friendliest & most lenient dorms to live in though is F.T. although Santa Cruz & Manzanita has the best location and ocean views. The most popular athletic events are soccer and men's basketball game. Quite a large amount of people attend these games. Greek life is very present but not essential to having fun and making friends. On the weekends, besides partying, downtown Santa Barbara is really nice. There's a lot of shops and the beach down there is beautiful. There's a bowling alley nearby that a lot of people like to go on the weekends called Zodo's also.

I am on the club ultimate frisbee team at UCSB. I couldn't imagine not being on a team in college becuase i have been on one my whole life. I love the team, we travel to Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and all over California. I have met my closests friends on my team and i could not imagine not spending everyday with them. Most students leave their doors open in teh dorms, its nice to be able to jsut walk in and talk for a little or just hang out. Atheltic events, especially soccer and volleyball and basketball are very popular. I have been to many games and i enjoy every one. There are also the many traditions like floatopia and extravaganza that are huge social events. They are so unique because no one else has a party on the ocean (literally!) There are many traditions that students hold too that people just keep alive because they are so much fun. People party almost every night. If you want to party everynight of the week there are definitely ways to make that happen, however the majority of the parties are Thrusday-Saturday night. Even at parties though there are people who do not drink and still havea great time just hangin out. Frats and sororities are not that important. They are fun to go to when they have theme parties and such, but it is by no means the only way to socialize. There are so many other things to do other than go to a frat party. We also go to theme parks, surf, play sports, watch movies, and just goof off doing random things rather than drinking.

Whatever your interests may be - you will find a social life to share them with.

amazing

Soccer games are very popular here at UCSB. Because we don't have a football team, the soccer games are where most of the students go to show pride an spirit. I play ultimate frisbee for the school and enjoy that very much. My closest friends are on the frisbee team. I love my roommates. A lot of people leave their doors open in the halls. People party a lot in Isla Vista every weekend.

I'm part of UCSB Rugby. I've had an amzing time being part of that team. I've met all of my best friends on that team. Fortunately rugby was all I needed socially in my four years here. Frats were not for me.

Greek life is sort of big here, but not too much. If anything, I think I hear a lot of people (including myself) making fun of them. Frat parties can be fun, but house parties are usually better. I'm involved in the UCSB Crew team, and I love it. We get up at 4:30 in the morning six days a week to practice, and I've never been pushed to the limits the way Crew has pushed me. I am in the best shape of my life. It is definitely a lifestyle change. I pretty much stopped drinking since I have to get up so early to workout. But I still go out, but usually only about once a week. And I don't really care to drink anymore- I'm actually kind of turned off from it now, and enjoy going out sober and meeting people!!!! But this is definitely not typical of the average UCSB student. I think most students go out 2-4 times a week. And just about always involves drinking.

I feel that people involved in the Greek system and/or sports teams have the most active social lives and seem to be the most well known. Most people constantly drink and go to parties, which is a little hard to adjust to if you're not used to it. Because I personally don't drink, the party scene can get overwhelming very quickly and I often feel there are few people that can relate to me in my situation. Those others who I have met that to do not choose to drink are very rare and scarce. Most people I meet are completely shocked by the idea and constantly question my motives.

i'm involved with the rowing team which eats up a lot of my time but i am a big big partyer (except during dry season when we can't party or drink alcohol)/our political groups are popular but everything is pretty much you pick to do it and you're i guess/i left my door open int he dorms last year definitely/everything is popular to certain ppl so when you go to things they are always packed but it's with people that choose to take part in those things/there is no dating scene- it is get as drunk as you can and girls pick which guys they want to hook up with/i met my closest friends through crew and the dorms and partying and my boyfriend at a party/you'd be in the library studying or out partying/floatopia, halloween is HUGE, and i don't know what else but we have a lot of random stuff every year- we love dressing up for things and we get vey very into things/people will be partying every day of the week mostly thurs-sat nights tho, thurs a lot of ppl go downtown to bars though/frats and sor's have a bad name here because it is such a small percentage of our community they are known for drinking and partying and being slutty/last weekend i was out of town for a crew regatta/you can go to the library the movies downtown to eat go out to eat in general or hang out with other ppl not partying/live, eat, sleep

sororities and frats aren't as popular at ucsb as they are at other campuses. it's kind of nice to not have the greek system running the school. rowing has been a lot of fun this year, and it is really nice to make a close group of friends. people party but if u don't it's not a big deal. it's also not weird for you to go to parties but not drink. no one really cares either way. it's nice that everything you need is within waking distance. casual dating is pretty common, but people have boyfriends and girlfriends as well. my door to my dorm room is always unlocked. i trust everyone on my floor. our school is very creative with events. "Floatopia"=genius

definitely plenty of extracurricular opportunities on campus and off. lots to do, never boring.

Isla Vista is known as a party town and alcohol abounds.

do your own thing. whatever you like to do, do it. don't live by my experiences. its not hard to go get plastered with your friends, get stoned with your friends, have a trip with them, just don't be dumb about it to the point where people get hurt or get in trouble, see ivfp comment above.

the snowboard club is known not for snowboarding but for partying. campus living is fun, i did it for only my freshman year but Isla vista is practically a giant dorm complex in itself. normally there is an open door policy in dorms to keep people interacting for the firct few weeks of school. i met my closest friend in the dorms and my worst enemies in the dorms. thats just life. you get put in a hall or room with a complete stranger and you learn to adapt to it. its fun, but i am glad its over. 2am tuesday- probably doing homework- yesterday was folding my graduation announcements at 2am. halloween is one of the biggest events, students from all over california and even arizona- friends of friends of friends come to party for 3-4 days straight. isla vista becomes a giant party of grown up costumes combined with alcohol and Isla Vista foot partol arresting baligerantly drunk students- normally those NOT from ucsb are the ones getting in trouble. we are the ones too bust taking care of our visiting friends who are lost in IV, drunk, and trying to hook up with the bumble bee girl. its fun...

I am in Real Life, the Christian club on campus that is devoted to providing every student an opportunity to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and be a community of people that love each other. We are a very active organization with parties and events every week that are both planned and spontaneous. People party Thursday through Sunday, but it isn't centered on the Greek System. Alternative events to drinking include dance parties and movie nights. Last weekend I went to a movie in IV theater on Friday Night, went to a beach BBQ Saturday, baked cookies, then went out to dinner downtown. Sunday I went to church and then went for a walk on the beach.

The Greek system is definitely expanding at UCSB. I am involved with the democrats at UCSB, which has been a great experience getting people to register, vote, etc. People often leave their dorms open and are extremely friendly. Athletic events are relatively popular, though we do not have a football team, which does suck. We have many guest speakers, including Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart last year. Dating is hard because of the party scene. Dating is more hanging out at parties than going out. I met my friends in the dorms my freshmen year. 2am on a tuesday I am hanging out with my closest friends watching TV. A major tradition is Halloween, which is incredible. People party often, but its not hard to stay away from that scene if you want, just don't live in Isla Vista. Frats and Sororities are fun, but not necessary for a social life.

Don't want to drink? Fine. Go bowling at Zodo's or head to Q's for some pool. Have a night surf or break into the Santa Barbara skatepark. Come to Real Life's "complex" for some music and dancing (no booze, just good times). Blow up an extra XBOX, sneak into the attic of your dorm. People watch from your friend's balcony. Hang out at Java Jones. Go play your guitar at Dog Shit Park. Convert a stolen desk, stolen bike, and stolen caster wheels into your own mobile desk. Use two coat hangers to engineer a device that will open any dorm room door. Play Smash Bros, or Rock Band. Come to my house and I'll cook you Salmon Rushdie with sweet peas and brown rice. Go Freerunning. Find out who can lift your couch the most times in ten seconds, or do the most pushups while holding his breath. Go to Kickbox Club for some sparring. Cruise down town and pretend you're as rich as everyone else. Stroll through the moon-lit harbor. See who can swim to the pier and back with out getting hypothermia. Mix your O Chem experience and some household chemicals to produce a contact explosive, and use it to get rid of your extra microwave. Go shopping for a new desk or mattress (on the side of the street). Build/burn down a beach fort. Go airsofting in the butterfly reserve. Bob for apples... in ice water. Run the naked mile with the track team. Race the midnight crit with the cycling team. Find a skateboard/bike/shopping cart and race down the parking structures. Meet the woman of your dreams on Facebook. Dump the not-so-woman of your dreams. Study for your O Chem final (no it doesn't have to be finals week). Honestly, all of my best times are times that I was not drinking.

UCSB Soccer is the most follow sport (2007 National Champs). Gaucho Locos, Campus political clubs, and greek clubs are the majority of the orgs on campus. Dorms are usually on lock down from outsides, but are open to most freshmen. Isla Vista is the most open community in existence. Most people's doors are open, and so are the beer fridges. If you value privacy, dont bother living there. Parties usually start on Wednesday and run through Sunday. There is always music playing. So much in fact, that when you leave it takes weeks to get used to the silence of the normal world. People dont date in Isla Vista. They hook up. Then, they might date. Put 20,000 young people in a square mile and have them interact with no parental authorities. What do you think is going to happen? Just wear a condom. One in four people have some form of an STD. I was a member of a a fraternity, and it was the best choice of my life. You dont need to join a fraternity to party. However, its how I met the majority of the people I know these days. The Greek life is awesome, and it will give you some great memories, and a few scars to boot.

I'm super involved with Real Life, which is a Christian club on campus. The community there has been absolutely incredible. I've never met people with a more genuine love for Jesus and for people. We have a ton of events, some of which are outreach, and some of which are flat out fun. My favorite outreach is called "Jesus <3's IV Day," where we get into groups of about six and walk through Isla Vista on a Saturday morning (after Friday night's parties), knocking on doors and offering to clean their houses for free. They usually ask why, and we tell them that it's because Jesus loves IV. It happens once per quarter. As for flat-out-fun events, most of them involve games (Family Business, Psychiatrist, Settlers of Catan, Taboo, 4 on a Couch), dancing (our dances are innnncredible), some sort of popular movie/television show (Lost, Survivor, Arrested Development), or a combination of these three. Also, UCSB prints an After-Dark Calendar in the paper on Thursdays, and it lists a whole bunch of non-alcoholic events that are happening that weekend. There are plenty of options.