<p>um isnt the entire campus hills?
but remember your college is for your full 4 (or 5) years not just the first few years of it.</p>
<p>But bananaslug, can't you request for a transfer?</p>
<p>yeah but dont ya wanna get it right the first time?</p>
<p>^ that is my problem. I am over thinking this whole choosing college thing. I just want to get it right...</p>
<p>See my problem is that I am going into the Social Sciences (economics/politics) and I like how 9 and 10 are right next to the social science building. I also think it would be cool to be close to the international center. But I am afraid most people only choose those colleges because they are new and there might not be the sense of community that I am looking for.</p>
<p>I think College 8 has one of the best atmospheres (very open like Porter and Kresge) and I like the theme, but it is kind of far from my classes and the gym, which I'd like to go to for the really nice view a couple times a week. </p>
<p>Crown looks good because I liked the dining hall atmosphere and the college theme, but I am afraid since the college is so focused on the sciences, that I might be a little left out. </p>
<p>I don't know what to do :(</p>
<p>cali trumpet, agreed with the 9/10. It is now my first choice because of the core course, but I wonder how many people actually take core course into consideration (or just look at location, etc.). My friend's sister went to porter and said the one thing she regretted was choosing porter without looking at their core course (she hated it).</p>
<p>*I meant 9 is my first</p>
<p>i know the general colleges i want to live in (porter kresge and 8). the problem is the core course...
porter is Writing across the Arts, which is cool, i love art, but im not artisitic myself. besides, i hate writing haha.
kresge i am soo down with their core course, but i dont want to live in an apartment. i want to have the real dorm experience!!
8- the theme is environment and society. Im an environmental major, so id like to know more people than those in the env. program.</p>
<p>i kind of wish there was a quiz you could take that told you where you would best fit.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, I talked to a couple UCSC staff at the various colleges about the core themes. Both women told me that all of the courses are basically the same, they just differ a little in content. All the classes are supposed to get students into the 'college way of doing things.' Your going to have to do a lot of reading and writing, and discussing in class, regardless which core class you take. </p>
<p>I also understand the core class is probably the least interesting class you'll take during college. One lady told me that you really should not choose colleges by the core class, but only avoid core classes that you have no interest in. For example, if you are a very moderate to conservative guy, you probably do not want to go to Merrill, because Merrill's core course is especially liberal and quite controversial. </p>
<p>So I am with you bananslug, kinda lost as to where the right place is for me. UCSC really does not help us admitted students much as to choosing colleges. I kinda adopted the "don't worry about it" idea because whatever happens, I am sure I will be happy. Worse case scenario, I'll change dorms after my first year.</p>
<p>lol, trumpet. Go to Cowell with me =]</p>
<p>oh thats a cute fling
yeah. i keep going through this cycle of severe anxiety and then utter apathy towards this subject.
right now im at apathy, but tomorrow who knows?</p>
<p>wait whats so controversial about merrils core course??</p>
<p>Zerok - </p>
<p>I actually like Cowell and Stevenson, I am just unsure of myself. Why is Stevenson labeled as the jewish college anyways? I mean jewish people coming to UCSC could not possibly know that unless they did outside research right? Not that there is anything wrong with Jewish people, it is just some sterotypes perplex me. Also, both of these colleges have substance free floors. Are these known to be party spots?</p>
<p>Bananaslug-</p>
<p>Well I guess it depends where you stand politically. I have just heard that of all the core courses throughout UCSC, the Merrill course is one of the more controversial ones. I myself am I moderate liberal, so I guess it would bother me. I am thinking if the school is making you take a course, it should be a basic course to get students oriented with the college environment like they say it does. Just reading the brief course description for Merrill sounded good to me, since I am interested in global affairs and all that jazz. I read the complete 2 page syllabus, and then decided against it. </p>
<p>I wish this college selection thing was random, because I bet I'd be happy anywhere, but picking my top 5? I just don't know... Everyone seems to have good things to say about each college, and equally bad things as well.</p>
<p>Uh... did you mean it wouldn't bother you?</p>
<p>Sorry for the double-post here, but I visited the campus today, and I gotta say, I loved what I saw. Everyone I talked to was very nice, and helpful, and they all seemed like cool people. There were some alternative-looking people, like I'm sure there are anywhere, but they weren't any less nice or anything. I really liked the vibe I got there.
As for the colleges:
Our tour started at Merrill. It was a little bit quieter than the other colleges, but there were a good number of students walking around, and it actually seemed really nice. We got to look in one of the dorms, and, although it was pretty small, it seemed nice. I obviously didn't see anyone hitting up hard drugs or whatever on our tour, so I can't really say if that stereotype is true or not, but all the people seemed pretty normal to me.
Then we went to Crown, Merrill's sister college. We didn't see much of it, but from what I did see, it was more built up than some of the others. The architecture was kind of weird too. There were definitely more people here; a few more Asians as well, compared to the others. These people seemed like some of the most normal I saw too, and I really didn't see any really geeky types.
Then we went over to 9/10. The architecture here was pretty cool, and it worked in well with the forest life too. It was cool. lol People again seemed normal, maybe a LITTLE bit more preppy, but not noticeably.
After that, the guided tour ended, and I went to check out Cowell and then Porter.
Cowell seemed really nice. It had nice grassy areas where people were playing like Frisbee and stuff, and the people, again, seemed pretty cool. There actually seemed to be more of the preppy kind of partiers here, from what I saw, but I can't really say for sure. I was kind of rushed through it. But I really liked the area there.
Then we went all the way over to Porter, because I was interested in it. There were a bunch of people hanging out in their gathering place in the middle, at least three people were smoking something, and the rest seemed really artsy. I'm not sure what to think about it, really. I mean, I think that Porter would have the most interesting people to be with, but I also really don't want to have to live with the constant smell of smoke.
I didn't see the others, but my guide was from Oakes. She was a black girl, and she said that Oakes really was quite ethnically diverse. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I don't think it's right for me.</p>
<p>Also, all the people I talked to had different things to say about choosing. Mostly they said to not worry too much about stereotypes - no matter where you go, there will be people of all stereotypes, and some not. They also said not to choose a college based solely on the core course. It's only there for your Freshman year, and after that, people said they even forgot their theme. lol As long as the course isn't something you'll completely hate, don't worry about it. The best I can say is to try and check it out for yourself. Check out the scenery, the feel, and judge the people for yourselves. It'll all work out.</p>
<p>So, <em>whew</em>, long post. Ask me if there's anything else you want to know.
Here's my top 5. (I think)
1. Cowell
2. Porter
3. Crown
4. 10
5. Merrill</p>
<p>Sweet deal kfblade. I think I am going to put Cowell in my top 5 now that I keep hearing more about it. It sounds like a bunch of friendly people. Did you not like Stephenson? One drawback I found about those two colleges was that the dining hall is being renovated and is supposed to be done in a year from now or something like that. They still are going to have lunch and dinner in the old merrill hall my tour guide said. </p>
<p>Btw, what drew you to Crown? Also, did you look inside any other colleges? Merrill dorms looked nice inside?</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I forgot that. Yes, someone said that the dining hall for the Cowell/Stephenson dorms was being renovated for a year, like you said. They said you can basically wait after your last class, wherever that is, until it is dinnertime, and have dinner at the closest hall. Or if you wanna head back home first, you can head over to any other one or whatever.</p>
<p>I didn't see Stephenson. Like I said, I was kind of rushed through Cowell, because we had to leave, and I still wanted to see Porter. I talked to a girl from there on the bus though. She said that it had it's ups and downs. But it seemed she liked it well enough.
Crown I like because supposedly it is the dorky college. I am a dork at heart, I like video games, and I'm taking a computer science major. I thought that it might have relateable people, and also probably less drug/alcohol users. The only negatives are that I think they might be all totally dorky, like with no life once soever, which would suck, and I didn't like the look of the college as well.
I only was able to look inside the Merrill and Porter dorms. They both looked pretty cool. 2 beds in Merrill, 3 in Porter (just the ones I saw), some closet space, both had two desks (I don't know how the 3-2 bed/desk situation really works... lol), and they seemed really small. I'm sure I'd get used to it, but it was pretty strange.</p>
<p>I'm really excited for UCSC!</p>
<p>btw, Cali Trumpet, if you do end up going to Cowell, we gotta hook up there.</p>
<p>lol, I'm writing so much... But I just want to give people the most information I can.
Anyway, I went again yesterday because I wanted to take a closer look at some of the colleges.
I checked out Cowell and Stevenson first. I went father through Cowell, and I liked what I saw. For one thing, the view of the coast was amazing. Also, what I said before about the people is not necessarily true. There seemed like a lot of nice, non-partiers as well. It is definately my first choice now.
I saw Stevenson for the first time too. It was pretty cool too. Very similar to Cowell, except that maybe the buildings were more bland-looking. But how much of a differnece that makes, I don't know. lol But remember - the dining hall for both Cowell and Stevenson is going to be down for most of next year, but will probably be all the better for it the next year. But again, you can easily go to another college's dining hall.
Next was Crown. I looked further than before, and while it is kind of built up, it's really not all that much more than any of the others. Maybe less grass. lol But there's was thin cool little kind of Japanese garden style walkway with a bunch of benches and stuff, which was covered with bright pink blossoms... which would only be there for maybe a week in Spring... but it was really cool. I saw lots of people, and there really weren't that many geeks, if you're wondering.<br>
So yeah! Again, ask any questions you may have.</p>
<p>I saw Stevenson, its next to Cowell, and it's pretty much the same atmosphere, just missing the great mural. You have the same access to the gym/field.
One thing I heard about Stevenson being a "jewish dorm" (ughh stereotypes) was that they served bagels all the time.</p>
<p>yeah. so I dont see a downside. (I love bagels :))
anyway, I heard that its more athletic is its population, which is kind of a turn off. I dont believe in organized sports, so I cant see myself enjoying the company of those who commit their lives to it.
Hope that helps to clear up the Stevenson dorms.</p>
<p>And hey, I hang out with some of the biggest dorks (Dungeons and Dragons anyone?) and they happen to be the biggest druggies...
FYI haha. All Im saying is dont bank on the fact that dorks tend to be antisocial.
its NOT true. </p>
<p>about porter, when you say they were artsy, what do you mean? I like the art vibe, but too much just might annoy me.</p>
<p>hey KFblade, i put Cowell as my top choice too. =]</p>
<p>Bananslug - I can't really explain what I mean by artsy. I mean, I like the art vibe too, but they seemed kind of too much so, if you know what I mean. I'm sure they're totally cool people, but I just don't think I'd want to live with any of them...</p>
<p>and ZeroK - Sweet! We should hook up some time.</p>