Choosing a college at UCSC

<p>Im going to be attending ucsc in the fall and need help picking a college. Im looking for a college thats pretty social where ill meet plenty of people, has some sort of a party scene and isnt too isolated from campus. I was thinking about porter then 9/10. Sound about right? anywhere else i would fit in well for my top 5 picks?</p>

<p>I’m not into partying, so take this with a grain of salt. </p>

<p>C9/10 seems like a good fit for you because they have somewhat of a party scene and are the most centrally located colleges on campus. From what i’ve heard, Cowell and Stevenson are even more into the party scene, but are less centrally located. Porter would also work for you, but is even less centrally located than Cowell and Stevenson. </p>

<p>Based on what you wrote, I would rank them something like this:</p>

<p>1-2: 9/10
3-4: Cowell/Stevenson
5: Porter</p>

<p>thanks! appreciate the advice</p>

<p>to anyone familiar with the colleges at ucsc-
i’m kind of the stereotypical party girl/social butterfly. i love going out to parties and the beach and just meeting people. i did cheerleading in high school and started “sisters club”, kind of like a mini sorority. i’m considering joining a sorority in college. i don’t have a problem with hippies/artsy people but wouldn’t want to be at the ultimate hippie art college where i wouldn’t really fit in. i’m fine with the whole drinking scene and i don’t really have a problem with the drug scene as long as it’s not too extreme. i just want a place where i can meet lots of “normal” people and socialize! i’ve heard colleges 9 and 8 are the most suited for my preferences… if any of you have any input i would really appreciate it asap! thank you!
also i was really hoping to go to cal poly or uc santa barbara if that’s helpful at all to giving any input! thanks again.</p>

<p>Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1</p>

<p>I’m a surfer, a big stoner, and i like to party. but i’m not artsy, or a hippy - more bro.
I’m having a lot of trouble picking a college at UCSC for this fall. I was looking into cowell or porter, but i want to be with people who aren’t “weird”, and are down to earth.
Anyone have suggestions for where i should go? When i visited i disliked oakes, 8, 9, 10</p>

<p>caligirl:</p>

<p>You’d be a good match for Stevenson or Cowell: right next to the gym/recreational facilities, good party scenes, far away from the “artsy/hippie colleges” (Porter and Kresge).</p>

<p>griffin: Stevenson and Cowell for you as well: least “weird” colleges, best party scenes on campus.</p>

<p>thanks so much! yeah i put 9, 8, cowell, 10, stevenson… so whatever’s meant to be will be!</p>

<p>@caligirl18
Stevenson or Cowell are your best fit. Most “normal”/outgoing people. Also, I can give you a bit of info on the Greek System here since you seem interested in joining a sorority. UCSC is not a big Greek college, we have a few frats and sororities. Other than that, joining a frat or sorority is a good idea because it allows you to meet/network with others. Also, parties are not allowed on campus so most of them are off-campus and thrown by frats or sororities. If you want to party a lot, join a sorority.</p>

<p>Assistance with college selection please?</p>

<p>I am a bit of a nerd, but I am also an extrovert. I like to imagine myself as being an “alpha nerd” :-p. I don’t always party, but when I do I prefer something low key like chillin with a few friends and throwing back some drinks (or possibly inhaling the combusted fumes of cannabis sativa). Location near the sciences building is nice, but not necessary. I’m gonna bring my guitar and maybe a small synth and it would be nice to have some people around who are down to jam. What say you, my future brethren and sistren (sistri?) about college affiliation?</p>

<p>Since you describe yourself as a nerd and seem a bit artsy, I would say Crown/Merrill (stereotyped as the nerd colleges) and Porter/Kresge (stereotyped as the artsy colleges) would be good fits for you.</p>

<p>You sound more like a Porter/Kresge guy. Go there if you want that guarantee of someone to jam with.</p>

<p>Since this seems to be the thread to ask, I’ll take a shot at it. My intended major is literature/creative writing with maybe a double in history. Personality wise I’m kind of reserved but I’m really out going when I get around like minded people. I play videos games, and read comic books and I like to hang out but I’m not huge on parties- I’ll drink but I don’t smoke. I can hang out with the nerds and keep up with them but at the same time I don’t want to be restricted in just being around them. I was maybe considering Porter but from what I also saw, I also like the idea of Merrill due to its rpg hall. Thoughts?</p>

<p>Thanks for the input. Based on what I’ve heard, I’d say Crown or Porter would be my top choice; but I can’t seem to decide… Slightly different question: I want to bring some valuable stuff (TV, Xbox, Laptop, Instruments…) and I am concerned about the security of said stuff. How common is theft on campus?</p>

<p>I know why you may be concerned, I also have some valuables in my room. I’ve never had a problem with theft though. As far as I know, there has only been one case of theft all year in our hall. As long as you practice common sense and keep your room locked at all times when unattended, you’ll be fine. The sole case of theft in our hall this year was because a student left his door wide open while he took off for the bathroom. He was only gone for a few minutes, but sure enough someone snatched his macbook. Moral of the story, keep you’re door locked while you’re gone regardless of how long you’ll be gone.</p>

<p>folklore: I think you’ll do well at Merrill. It’s more diverse, and not as nerdy as Crown. Parties are kept to a minimum and seems like a very quiet and peaceful little place. The Crown/Merrill dining hall is pretty good too, probably my favorite. Plus, Merrill overlooks the humanities buildings.</p>

<p>Do people at Porter have diverse majors, or are they all “artsy”? Being a physics major, would it be a pain to get to my classes on time? Also, is it true that the main 4/20 festivities take place near Porter?</p>

<p>@needforspeed897: Theft is uncommon. I’ve seen some cases of insane trust, like the Crown Harvey lounge where people leave laptops, desktops, and gaming systems lying around with no one to guard them. Not to say I recommend that, but the dorms are considered especially safe.</p>

<p>Also, Porter is diverse. A good chunk of the engineers I know come from Porter. Though most of the people are “artsy” in some sense. Your classes will be all over campus. Don’t be entirely surprised if you have a science class in the social sciences buildings, it just happens sometimes. The main 4/20 activities do take place in the Porter field.</p>

<p>@Liesel: You lurk quite a bit don’t you :-p. Anything else I should know, sacred guardian of the vault of UCSC knowledge?</p>

<p>Indeed I do. I got a lot of help from people here as an incoming frosh, and I enjoy returning the favor. </p>

<p>I think I’m going to make a topic about dining hall tips.</p>

<p>what are the big differences between cowell and stevenson?</p>