UCSC is one of the most beautiful places that you'll have the pleasure of spending time at in your life. If you like the outdoors, a friendly and community-based environment, and students and staff that are dedicated to saving the world, then this is the school for you. The academics are amazing and the resources the school offers are excellent.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Dont be afraid to really get out there here. The people here literally run naked in the rain for fun every year, we're all a little crazy. Its the definition of the California environment, and the more open you are about who you are and what you want to do the better the staff will be able to help you. The only qualm I have about this place is that the voicemail system on all of their departments is a loop: if you want information, its better to go in person.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
The classes are difficult, depending on what you take. I've taken a range of classes including Psychology, Writing, Chemistry, Political Philosophy, and Film Analysis. The basic level classes are exactly what you'd expect, in my experience: introductory courses that are run as much by TAs as they are by professors. Once you get to the upper-division classes the school starts to get rigorous, and it wont be easy. If you want to take Chem 1A, make sure you're not taking more than one other hard class: the chem and bio series is brutal. The upside is that the harder the classes are, the more you learn. Its an excellent curve.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
I lived in College Eight my freshman year and it was amazing. I lived on the top floor of the building and I had a beautiful view of the ocean. Our RA was this amazing girl who was very respectful of all of us. As long as you dont openly break the rules (walking around the grounds intoxicated, drinking in the open, or letting the pungeant aroma of your dank kush seep into the hallway) you're good. From what I heard from other students and other RAs, their guidelines are to be strict but not invasive.
I also had the luck of having roommates whom I enjoyed living with. One became my best friend at the college, and I was also in close proximity to the dining hall. The ground are kept very clean at college eight and we had a very nice cleaning lady who came every couple of days. The whole floor chipped in to buy her a Christmas present.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The food is very hit-and-miss. The breakfast they had was always amazing in the early morning, they would make smoothies and omelettes. They were delicious. Unfortunately, after around 9 all they served until 1 in the afternoon was wet eggs, dry bacon, and gross buttermilk pancakes. On the upside, they always had a sandwich bar set up so you could always make yourself a sandwich. They also gave out unlimited free tea and drinks. It was very nice to be able to go to the dining hall in the middle of the day, grab a cup of tea and some yogurt and do homework. There's also several dining halls, so if you dont like one, you can move around. From what I understand, the cooks change shifts at each hall every once in a while, though.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
If you like nature, you're gonna be just fine. The entire campus is right in the middle of this huge redwood forest, and there's several places you can hike to and explore. I remember the first week I was there it was a huge deal to go visit, the caves, which are this network of underground caves that you can crawl through and explore if a little adventure is your thing. There's also an entire forest to hike through and there's several landmarks in there as well, including a river, standing stones, and these treehouses you can climb up to. If thats not your thing, the public transportation is amazing and its very easy to catch a bus to any of the many beaches around the area, or to go downtown and go shopping or see a movie at the Regal Cinemas.
Also, this is much more of a niche, but I'm a very athletic individual and I vastly enjoy the great range of sports offered. I'm normally a runner, but my freshman year I explored the club on campus dedicated to freerunning and parkour, as well as joined the Grappling Club, which is dedicated to UFC-style ground martial arts.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Its a relatively cheap tuition for a four-year university, but if you're in my situation, relatively cheap isn't cheap enough. $13,000 a year is nothing to scoff at, and the on-campus housing is around $14,000 for a 9-month lease. The total cost of attendance is roughly $30,000 anually. But if its between this school and a $50,000 tuition private university, then this place is much more your speed. Its a relaxing environment that encourages free-thinking. I'd also like to point out I suffered a brain injury prior to attending that gave me a cavalcade of mental disorders including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and agorophobia, but spending a year in the woods definitely brought me much improvement.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
There's a strange tradition that I have participated in called, First Rain or, more accurately, the, Naked Run. On the first torrential rain of every year, people gather at the front of their colleges and strip naked. They then proceed to run to every college on campus, starting at eight and going all the way to stevenson, completely naked. Men, women, non-binary, everybody enjoys the tradition, and its really quite fun. The run ends upon reaching OPERS, the recreation center, where we all hop the fence and dive into the pool (the school is aware that we do this and they take necessary precautions including extra chlorine and lifeguards on duty).
Which types of students will excel at your college?
People that love to be out in the open air. People that want to try being a little more extroverted without being pressured to leave your comfort zone too quickly. Its as much of an excellent life experience as it is an academic institution.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
I cant say a lot because I've only been in about four clubs and all for different amounts of time. I took a fencing class and was involved in the fencing club for a short time, which is probably the most well-organized. They regularly go to competitions and hold regular training. There are a number of martial arts clubs that i'm still getting around to trying out, but I am an official member of the Grappling Club which specializes in UFC-style groundwork. Its well-organized and full of very friendly people. There are also a huge number of clubs; my roomate was involved in a club where he produced a team that made their own video game and managed to develop the idea into a full-fledged work of art. There are clubs for computer types, medical students, fighters, runners, swimmers, fencers, anime-enthusiasts, cosplay enthusiasts, anything you can think of. Cant find your club? Start one.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
This is where I can be completely confident in giving a five-star review. The campus police are the most respectful law enforcement officials I've ever come across. They dont sweat the small stuff, and they're all dedicated to the safety of every student from every walk of life. You can call the campus police for rides home, to be walked home if you feel unsafe, and even if you're feeling too intoxicated to safely get yourself back to your dorm. They send out text alerts whenever there's suspicious activity or dangerous animal sightings, and keep the entire student body updated constantly. Its a very safe campus. The city, unfortunately, is a different story at night. Be very careful when going into the city at night, and always be with a buddy. There's a night owl bus that regularly runs to take late-night partygoers to and from the downtown area.
UCSC is one of the most beautiful places that you'll have the pleasure of spending time at in your life. If you like the outdoors, a friendly and community-based environment, and students and staff that are dedicated to saving the world, then this is the school for you. The academics are amazing and the resources the school offers are excellent.
Dont be afraid to really get out there here. The people here literally run naked in the rain for fun every year, we're all a little crazy. Its the definition of the California environment, and the more open you are about who you are and what you want to do the better the staff will be able to help you. The only qualm I have about this place is that the voicemail system on all of their departments is a loop: if you want information, its better to go in person.
The classes are difficult, depending on what you take. I've taken a range of classes including Psychology, Writing, Chemistry, Political Philosophy, and Film Analysis. The basic level classes are exactly what you'd expect, in my experience: introductory courses that are run as much by TAs as they are by professors. Once you get to the upper-division classes the school starts to get rigorous, and it wont be easy. If you want to take Chem 1A, make sure you're not taking more than one other hard class: the chem and bio series is brutal. The upside is that the harder the classes are, the more you learn. Its an excellent curve.
I lived in College Eight my freshman year and it was amazing. I lived on the top floor of the building and I had a beautiful view of the ocean. Our RA was this amazing girl who was very respectful of all of us. As long as you dont openly break the rules (walking around the grounds intoxicated, drinking in the open, or letting the pungeant aroma of your dank kush seep into the hallway) you're good. From what I heard from other students and other RAs, their guidelines are to be strict but not invasive. I also had the luck of having roommates whom I enjoyed living with. One became my best friend at the college, and I was also in close proximity to the dining hall. The ground are kept very clean at college eight and we had a very nice cleaning lady who came every couple of days. The whole floor chipped in to buy her a Christmas present.
The food is very hit-and-miss. The breakfast they had was always amazing in the early morning, they would make smoothies and omelettes. They were delicious. Unfortunately, after around 9 all they served until 1 in the afternoon was wet eggs, dry bacon, and gross buttermilk pancakes. On the upside, they always had a sandwich bar set up so you could always make yourself a sandwich. They also gave out unlimited free tea and drinks. It was very nice to be able to go to the dining hall in the middle of the day, grab a cup of tea and some yogurt and do homework. There's also several dining halls, so if you dont like one, you can move around. From what I understand, the cooks change shifts at each hall every once in a while, though.
If you like nature, you're gonna be just fine. The entire campus is right in the middle of this huge redwood forest, and there's several places you can hike to and explore. I remember the first week I was there it was a huge deal to go visit, the caves, which are this network of underground caves that you can crawl through and explore if a little adventure is your thing. There's also an entire forest to hike through and there's several landmarks in there as well, including a river, standing stones, and these treehouses you can climb up to. If thats not your thing, the public transportation is amazing and its very easy to catch a bus to any of the many beaches around the area, or to go downtown and go shopping or see a movie at the Regal Cinemas. Also, this is much more of a niche, but I'm a very athletic individual and I vastly enjoy the great range of sports offered. I'm normally a runner, but my freshman year I explored the club on campus dedicated to freerunning and parkour, as well as joined the Grappling Club, which is dedicated to UFC-style ground martial arts.
Its a relatively cheap tuition for a four-year university, but if you're in my situation, relatively cheap isn't cheap enough. $13,000 a year is nothing to scoff at, and the on-campus housing is around $14,000 for a 9-month lease. The total cost of attendance is roughly $30,000 anually. But if its between this school and a $50,000 tuition private university, then this place is much more your speed. Its a relaxing environment that encourages free-thinking. I'd also like to point out I suffered a brain injury prior to attending that gave me a cavalcade of mental disorders including but not limited to depression, anxiety, and agorophobia, but spending a year in the woods definitely brought me much improvement.
There's a strange tradition that I have participated in called, First Rain or, more accurately, the, Naked Run. On the first torrential rain of every year, people gather at the front of their colleges and strip naked. They then proceed to run to every college on campus, starting at eight and going all the way to stevenson, completely naked. Men, women, non-binary, everybody enjoys the tradition, and its really quite fun. The run ends upon reaching OPERS, the recreation center, where we all hop the fence and dive into the pool (the school is aware that we do this and they take necessary precautions including extra chlorine and lifeguards on duty).
People that love to be out in the open air. People that want to try being a little more extroverted without being pressured to leave your comfort zone too quickly. Its as much of an excellent life experience as it is an academic institution.
I cant say a lot because I've only been in about four clubs and all for different amounts of time. I took a fencing class and was involved in the fencing club for a short time, which is probably the most well-organized. They regularly go to competitions and hold regular training. There are a number of martial arts clubs that i'm still getting around to trying out, but I am an official member of the Grappling Club which specializes in UFC-style groundwork. Its well-organized and full of very friendly people. There are also a huge number of clubs; my roomate was involved in a club where he produced a team that made their own video game and managed to develop the idea into a full-fledged work of art. There are clubs for computer types, medical students, fighters, runners, swimmers, fencers, anime-enthusiasts, cosplay enthusiasts, anything you can think of. Cant find your club? Start one.
This is where I can be completely confident in giving a five-star review. The campus police are the most respectful law enforcement officials I've ever come across. They dont sweat the small stuff, and they're all dedicated to the safety of every student from every walk of life. You can call the campus police for rides home, to be walked home if you feel unsafe, and even if you're feeling too intoxicated to safely get yourself back to your dorm. They send out text alerts whenever there's suspicious activity or dangerous animal sightings, and keep the entire student body updated constantly. Its a very safe campus. The city, unfortunately, is a different story at night. Be very careful when going into the city at night, and always be with a buddy. There's a night owl bus that regularly runs to take late-night partygoers to and from the downtown area.