University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

Party school--NOT TRUE! Especially for the sciences. UCSC has a world-famous physics and astrophysics department with people such as Sandra Faber and Joel Primack who are literally experts in their fields. As a research university, most undergrads have the opportunity to get scholarships or work with their professors over the summer on projects, unlike schools like Berkeley which--while famous--don't funnel as much money towards the undergrads, preferring to send the money to graduate programs. Stoners and laid back? Also not correct. There are a lot of pot-smokers on campus, but it's not that noticeable. It's not like you turn a corner and see a bunch of kids enveloped in smoke. Most of my fellow physics majors are good students, they work hard, but they do have lives.

I guess there are more hippies at Santa Cruz than there would be in So Cal.

Yes, i heard it on a magazine or news.

To a certain degree, but it is certainly exaggerated to seem like more of a problem than it is.

Yes, to a greater extent than the general population of college students, but to a lesser extent than the sensationalized picture of UCSC in the minds of the college-age public.

No. While a lot of students smoke pot, I don't think it's any more common than outside UCSC. People may be more open about pot here, but I doubt they smoke it more than the general population of the same age. And there aren't very many "hippies."

not all the time

I heard about 2,000 students attend a 4/20 smokeout at the Porter meadow. If that's true then I imagine about 15-25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students smoke pot. I think we probably have higher than average drug user ratio than most schools. I think UCSC's reputation attracts hippies and stoners, but I think a lot of students smoke less pot than they did in high school because its tough to be a stoner and take on academically rigorous subjects. I know a few people who smoke much less because of that reason. UCSC is very environmentally conscious. Everyone is very aware of the importance of being environmentally conscious and organizations promote it a lot. But, not that many people are hard-core hippies who live in the forests.

In a way they are, except the dirty one, even our hippies are relatively clean, the hippies are in fact a small minority, just a vocal and very visible minority. There are copious amounts of drugs but it's not something that is forced on anyone. It is a very liberal school, probably not a good idea to go there if you're a conservative who feels strongly about your beliefs.

no, i don't think any of these stereotypes are true. there are a lot of different types of people all over the campus.