University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

No. It is definitely a liberal school, but there aren't only liberal students. There are kids who live in trees, and there is the "naked run" on the first rain of the year, but there are ALL kinds of students. We represent nearly every category of ethnicity and lifestyle. The student body is welcoming, tolerant, and eager to help other students.

To a certain extent yea, maybe. Obviously the stereotype will attract a certain type of person, but its a university and there will be stoners, activists, and preps at all of them. There are different colleges and they each have their own stereotypes, giving us a pretty wide spectrum. plus now that the regents are trying to streamline the UC system, they are all getting to be the same anyway.

There are people who do that, but most people come to UCSC in the hopes of leaving with a degree, so it isn't as massive as people think. April 20th is the only day when you will see pot smoking en mass.

No, many of us are extremely hard working and competitive students.

No. We party the same if not less than other schools and there are many students here that chose this university over UCLA and Berkeley because of the various strengths it has. Marijuana use is high in Santa Cruz not necessarily on campus, and there is a difference

Sadly, ALL true

To some extent, it depends on which college you live in. But there's definitely jock types/SoCal types. A lot of people party. College 9/10: The cliquey people who only want nice dorms Porter: The cool, artsy type people. LOTS OF DRUGS/PARTYING Kresge: Hippies and druggies Merrill: Gay people and feminists Crown: Nerdy, science lovers. Some are crazy nerdy but there are also cool nerds. Oakes: The "minority" college 8: Where all the people who didn't get into UCSB go Stevenson: Generally cool people Cowell: The athletes

The stereotypes are not accurate... everyone finds there place here. You make college what you want it to be, and what you get out of it is how much effort you put into it.

To varying degrees. There is a lot of pot smoking, but it's not as extensive as some make it out to be, and very few people are constantly high. There are some hippies, and the school definitely is liberal leaning. There are varying degrees of commitment to education here, but the vast majority of students put a lot of effort into their classes. The stereotypes regarding the individual residential colleges all have at least some truth to them as well.

Yes and no. There are certainly those sort of people here, definitely. It's my experience that they make up a particularly loud minority. It is true that people tend to be laid-back here; I have yet to meet anything close to a workaholic.

Yes, for the most part many do fit the stereotype of smoking a lot and being almost too laid back. It is a place where people come specifically for that atmosphere. They come here to smoke and drink on the beach.

Not really. Sure, the campus definitely has a laid-back feel to it, and most people I've encountered are pretty friendly. And, yeah, pot isn't exactly frowned upon by most people (you just need to look at the crowd on 4/20 for confirmation). But people here are still serious about their futures and their educations. You can't exactly run a university where nobody cares about their grades, you know? And the college stereotypes are marginally accurate. Crown is a lot more anti-social than, say, Cowell, for example. But I imagine the stereotypes are fading more as the UC takes in more and more students.

To an extent.

for the most part, yes

Students are known for being granola eating, foul smelling, stoner hippies. I'm not gonna lie, they exists in great numbers. But what most people don't know is that hippies and "normal" people live side by side in perfect laid-back harmony...just don't get sucked in and you'll be fine.

There are a lot of protests, but not all students get involved in them. The rallies are helpful because they remind the student body that we can always voice our opinions. Many students do get high and drink, but what college doesn't have that. When in class, I do not encounter a lot of high people. They usually take the day off from school.

Yes and no. UCSC is a wonderful, very notable university and one of the best when it comes to biology, anthropology and astrophysics. We also have a stellar computer science major in addition to one of the best Latin American and Latino Studies departments. Being an anthropology major I can attest to how amazing that department in. For grad students it is one of the most prestigious in America. As for the hippie thing, you'd be surprized how many aren't hippies. I came hear looking forward to the hippie culture, but instead got a whole lot of other cultures that don't include the term "hippie." If you look hard enough, though, you can find people who are authentically interested in alternative lifestyles, such as those who work on the organic farms or gardens. As for the pot, well, its kinda unavoidable no matter where you go, so I can't really say. I, personally, don't smoke, but I do know people that do. It's no worse hear than at any other college. And there aren't so many protests as demonstrations. Protests can get violent so people have been doing more silent, peaceful demonstrations. But our protesting history, that's a whole other can of worms.

I would say in some instances this could be true, in a sense it really is, but we truly are a great college and one that strives for success and for our degrees. We like to have fun just as much as anyone else, but we also try our hardest to reach our goals. I would say it's a diverse cultural atmosphere and the people are allowed to be who they want, when they want.

Nooo no no. Sure, there is some percent of the student body that abides by certain stereotypes, but what college campus doesn't? From my experience, UCSC students are mellow, down to earth, smart individuals who like the small town feel of the campus and appreciate the beautiful scenery they're so lucky to study in.

No. There are some slackers, like any college, but they don't succeed. There are a lot of hippies, but there are a lot of serious students as well.