Lisa
A few of my professors have remembered my name, but the lower division class sizes are such that you can form a relationship with your professor, but they won't know you exist unless you come to them after class or during their office hours. My favorite class is Human Sexuality, with Overview of the Universe being a close runner-up. Least favorite was Statistics, because I'm not a math person. The extent to which students study varies widely: I had a boyfriend who seemed to eat, sleep, and breathe his chemistry books, but I also know a ton of people who study about as much as I do, and some who never, ever study. Ever. A lot of people ask really stupid questions in class that don't need to be asked. You know THAT guy, the one you really wish would just shush and let the teacher continue teaching? We have one of those in just about every class. I have had a lot of intense conversations outside class with people. Most people don't really compete at all, especially not within majors, where usually we're just trying to help each other out and get the best grades possible. The most unique class I have taken was Introduction to the Horror Film. Yes, you read that right. It was a literature class and it actually gave a very sophisticated analytical look at the development of horror through several decades. My major, psychology, is super impacted, just like everywhere, but it's not impossible to get classes. The professors are incredibly intelligent, and several of them are also therapists as a profession, so if you want that career they're interesting to talk to. You can usually talk to professors during their office hours, or if you run into them randomly and say 'hey I'm in your class' most of our professors are extremely laid back and will smile and talk to you for a minute. UCSC has some academic requirements that are inconvenient, but they throw you into some really cool classes. The thing I find irritating is that a lot of classes I need are offered simultaneously so I can't take both the same quarter. UCSC is a university, so compared to the little major-intensive 'get your degree in 20 minutes' colleges out there it's much more anchored in learning for learning's sake, but if you pick a major that leads to a specific profession it's possible to get a job right out of college. Most people are looking at grad school upon completion, however, because it's becoming more and more important to employers at competitive professions to have more than undergrad.
Caitlyn
I am majoring in psych, the most impacted major, so so far as an undergrad i have gotten to know none of my professors. The only time I tend to get to know teachers is when they are graduate students. But it really hasnt affected how much I have learned or enjoyed a particular class. My favorite classes have actually been outside of my major and the reason I liked them so much was because of the brilliant professors. Its pretty rare to be able to say you took a class taught by Angela Davis; she has been through a lot and really made me question a lot of societal norms. I actually cant even recall a least favorite class because even if I dont like the subject, I love the teacher, or vice versa. Even though procrastination seems to be popular here, students do spend a lot of time studying- usually in downtown coffee shops or on campus libraries. There are plenty of places to choose from, and the atmospheres have really encouraged good study habits. One of my favorite things about college is how often students have intellectual conversations outside of the classroom. Last night I was at a party and I got into a conversation with a few of my friends on first, current politics, and next the afterlife and our beliefs on religion. People are not afraid to think outside of the box here and take others ideas into deep consideration. There is a small percentage of people who are highly competitive but most students are just here for the knowledge, and if anything they are only competing with themselves. The GE's here are awesome because they are very broad and instead of being forced to take Math 101 you can take intro to logic or observational astronomy to satisfy the requirement. Classes range from normal college topics to bizarre ones such as a study of The Beatles or of Naked Art History.