<p>I heard that since Psychology is an impacted major, it’s hard to get classes and they fill up fast. A counselor at Davis told me this isn’t much of a problem for UCD and most Psychology majors graduate on time. However, is getting classes really that much of a problem for both campuses as long as you know what classes you want? Is it a problem in both?</p>
<p>Also, a lot of people claim that walking around and even in the UC Berkeley campus often feels crowded and sometimes unsafe, not sure if that’s entirely true but I’ve been in the area before but that was around dusk. Can the same be true of Davis sometimes?</p>
<p>I have never felt unsafe on the UC Davis campus at night, and I spend quite a lot of time on campus at night since I have club meetings then. Sure there have been a FEW incidents that have occurred (like that recent homophobic attack on a gay person walking through downtown Davis at night, but that happened months ago), but those happened OFF-campus, not on, and they don’t happen on a daily basis. Just last week, I biked to West Davis from North Davis with my roommates (we didn’t have a car, and we were going to a house party one of the roommates was invited to), and we didn’t feel unsafe at all. If you’re going to be walking, then you won’t feel crowded at all. It’s when you’re BIKING that it feels crowded, especially at the roundabouts and intersections during peak hours like 9am (when most of the morning classes are held), 10am, 2pm, and 4pm, because there are more students who bike to classes than students who walk to classes.</p>
<p>I’m sure you remember how I said in a previous thread that one of my roommates is a Psychology major. She’s graduating next week, and she’s graduating on time. All my roommates and I transferred to UC Davis in Fall 2011, and she’s the only one of us who’s graduating with our transfer class (on the other hand, I still have to take two more required classes that are offered only in fall and winter, but couldn’t take last year because of prerequisites and because I needed to be of senior standing. Another roommate is also finishing up in winter quarter like I am because she missed two quarters due to severe illness). </p>
<p>Also, even if you don’t get into one Psych class, there are other Psych classes that will help fulfill the degree requirements–that’s what my roommate did when she didn’t get into a Psych class she really wanted to take because she was #36 on the waitlist–she took a different Psych class. Psych majors have the advantage because they get first dibs on Psych classes, aka they get to register before any other majors during Pass 1 registration (other majors can’t sign up for a Psych class until Pass 2).</p>
<p>(by the way, stop trying to compare UC Davis and UC Berkeley. Both have their pros and cons. Personally, I love UC Davis. My roommate knew someone back when we lived in the dorms who turned down UC Berkeley for UC Davis because he found that the environment at UC Davis fit him more, and he hasn’t regretted his decision at all).</p>
<p>What I’m also worried about is dodging bad professors. It seems according to this year’s schedules Cal has less bad professors that are active than Davis which has all of it’s professors active every 1-2 quarters it seems. I did read a review by a Psych Cal student who also said it was hard to get classes. I was thinking that it would be harder on a Semester system than a quarter system to get the right classes.</p>
<p>Except you cannot judge whether a professor is bad or good before coming to Davis. Just because the professors choose to teach once or twice a quarter doesn’t mean they are bad–their primarily obligation is to do research, which is why they cannot be around every quarter. However, just because their primary obligation is to do research doesn’t mean they can’t teach–Dr. Famula, who teaches Animal Science 1, is an excellent example of this. He’s a damn amazing professor who makes you look forward to coming to class, even though he only teaches the class every fall. Outside of teaching, he’s also doing his own research work.</p>
<p>Even the reviews on Ratemyprofessor can be unreliable. For example, when I first came to Davis and was waiting in line to get my UCD ID card (because I stupidly forgot to get mine at orientation), I overheard another student saying to her friend about how she took a Native American Studies course with a professor that was said to be very bad on ratemyprofessors, but in reality, the professor was one of the best she’s ever had, was clear in what she expected from students, and barely had a noticeable accent; meanwhile, she said people on RMP claimed that the professor had a heavy, thick accent and that they couldn’t understand her, that she was all over the place, that she gave them a grade they didn’t “deserve”, etc. when they could have just been lazy, or they could have missed classes where she said vital information.</p>
<p>One of the things that does worry me a lot about Davis is the quarter system, since I am used to CC semester system. I did take a 5 week anthropology course, but only alone with no other classes and much of it was review that went on a different tangent now and then.</p>
<p>I understand that Ratemyprofessors isn’t 100% reliable, I got an easy A in one Psychology class in my CC who does have a good and “slighlty easy” rating but in class most students got C’s and B’s. My first semester at CC I got an English professor who was really brutal and graded only on two essays and I got a B in the first and A in the second and he wrote examples of sentences from the students including me on the board and openly made fun of them but at the same time corrected them. I also had a Philosophy professor who had a good rating overall but a low easiness rating but I found that class easy because I figured all I had to do was regurgitate all the sentences she kept repeating each lecture and there wasn’t a heavy amount of reading.</p>
<p>However, I do still use it and others have found it very useful in picking courses.</p>
<p>Speaking of that, something that also worries me is the amount of reading in quarter vs. semester system. That Anthropology class I took in the summer had quite a load but again I took it alone.</p>
<p>Again some of this doubt it choosing Davis for the wrong reasons. Something that does deter me from Berkeley is that some have described the campus as crowded as stock footages of Tokyo and New York depicted, dealing with the administration can be a hassle with plenty of red tape, classes are larger(according to the schedules I saw all classes were 255 in size but at Davis it varied between 50-300 depending on the class), I saw a review by a Psychology student who found it difficult to get the classes she wanted.</p>
<p>Again, I’m not criticizing those professors who don’t teach every quarter, I’m just talking about the issue of schedule flexibility.</p>
<p>Which is why during your first quarter, you are advised to take no more than 13-15 units, to allow yourself time to adjust. They tell this to every new student. I, too, came from a semester system, but I got used to it. Every single CC transfer student here has had to adjust from a semester to quarter system–you are not the only one. Being on the quarter system forces you to stay on top of your game. Also, the quarter system isn’t THAT fast–it’s 10 weeks long (approximately 2.2 months). The first round of midterms begin around the 3rd or 4th week of classes (unless you’re one of those lucky people who don’t have a midterm until a month later), and then the 2nd round of midterms begin two weeks before finals. The length of your 5 week anthropology class is more similar to the length of classes during summer sessions. Some professors may not even assign readings.</p>
<p>Sorry to be harsh but no ONE campus is going to be perfectly attuned to every one of your specific needs; you have to choose what is the most similar to your needs. You are dissecting each campus to seemingly avoid perceived imperfections. Your multiple previous posts have indicated that you have a disability and an anxious need to have others make decisions for you. Had you picked Cal, you would be debating whether or not you made the right choice there as well. </p>
<p>Yes you will be required to take courses where you might not agree with the professor-big deal-such is life in the university spectrum, you’re in the big kids area so learn to deal with university expectations.</p>
<p>DD loves Davis, she’s a NPB science major and has done extremely well in her calc and science classes. But then again, she is very meticulous in planning her study time and her break times. She takes advantage of the tutoring offered for all of her classes-which has significantly contributed to her grades.</p>
<p>If you spend so much time over-analyzing your decisions and imperfections, you will not have time to study. Studying should be a priority, not figuring out how you can get an easy A by avoiding certain classes. That’s high school and CC thinking. You should be researching your housing, tutoring, financial aid, texts, and mental health access-lots of university students need help in this area. If you’re on an IEP, go ask Disabled student services about what they offer in the way of help. </p>
<p>So my advice: stick with a decision and go in positively. Continuous second-guessing is only going to hinder your growth.</p>
<p>I’m hesitant because I still have time to appeal, something I’ve talked to an admissions adviser at cal about already. It’s a slim chance but it’s one.</p>
<p>Make a decision and stick with it; you cannot split yourself into two persons attending the best of both universities–
unless there’s an online program? but you would eventually have to attend one university to graduate.</p>
<p>Both universities will be a difficult learning experience because they are several rungs above a community college and the pace can often be faster. If you don’t think you can handle or are ready for a university experience, you need to take a gap year. </p>
<p>(There really isn’t a whole lot of difference between a quarter system and a semester system-you learn to plan your time). But you must make your own decision. People here on CC will not make that decision for you. </p>
<p>Accept Cal if you have doubts about Davis. ONLY YOU can make that decision. </p>
<p>People here on CC have tried to help and have described both schools for you and it hasn’t helped you because you are not listening to them; you’re busy with micromanaging old information online (On professors that might not even still be teaching. On class sizes-not an issue if you’re done with basic GE classes). Quit checking old statistics, things change!
Make a decision and go, or, if maybe you’re not ready for a university experience take a year off-don’t stress and seek attention from a bunch of people online-because you’re not ready for this phase in your life.</p>
<p>Make a decision: Are your going this year? If Yes? Then, where? If no, work and save some money for next year, you will need it.</p>
<p>No, it’s just I’ve only had a few days to seriously consider Cal due to some issues.</p>
<p>And I get it you’re tired of this saga already, I know a lot of people are; it’s just it’s hard to get any clear answers in such a short amount of time.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you chose UCD for the right reasons or not, but as someone that transferred from a semester based community college, I’ve actually done a lot better here. It’s a fast pace, and the winter->spring transition in a week will kick your butt the first time around, but the fast pace is as good as it is bad.</p>
<p>You’ll accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, that’s for sure!</p>