Fall 2011 CCC--> UCI Transfer Student.

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>Hey guys. My name is Melanie and I basically lived on these forums this time last year, when I was waiting for my decisions to come out. I had a 3.7~ GPA with a few extracurriculars and some volunteer work, but I basically put the essay off until 45 minutes before the UC application was due. I got into CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, Sacramento State, San Francisco State, and UC Irvine. I was rejected from Berkeley. I think I might have had a fighting chance if I'd given an ounce of attention to the essay, but I didn't. I ended up at UCI.</p>

<p>Basically, because I did live on these forums last year, I know a lot of you are still waiting on decisions from the UCs and will be for a while, and others have gotten in but have yet to pick which school they're going to. I just want to share the experience I've had transferring to UCI and help answer any questions you might have about the transfer process, choosing schools, or UCI specifically. </p>

<p>Disclaimer: Anything I'm about to write is extremely specific to me. UCI is a great school and a lot of people are happy here. I'm just not one of them, and I hope by sharing what I went through I'll make a few of you think harder about why you're choosing the schools that you are, and if your school is UCI, I hope to give you at least a little bit of a sense of what it's like to go here. It's going to be long so you might want to skip the specific UCI parts if you aren't thinking of attending. </p>

<p>**Background<a href="it's%20a%20little%20long-winded">/b</a>: I'm 21 years old (22 next month). I graduated high school in Riverside when I had just turned 17. I spent a year at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, which was awesome, but ultimately decided that acting wasn't for me and went to community college back in California because it would be less expensive than staying in the city. I attended Fullerton College for two years straight, living away from home. It took me some time to get adjusted, but for the most part I loved Fullerton. Then, in 2010, my mom moved to San Francisco for a job (to help pay for the mortgage in Riverside-- it's a little complicated) and since I was the only one in my family who could basically pick up and move her life, I offered to go with her. I spent another year at City College of San Francisco. The city was awesome, but I was still dating a guy from Fullerton and I really let that get in the way of my making any friends. </p>

<p>If I'd gotten into Berkeley, I would have stayed in the Bay Area, but I picked UCI basically for two really stupid reasons: a) I wanted to move in with the guy I was dating from Orange County, because long-distance sucks, and I also really missed my friends; and b) it was the only UC I got into, having only applied to two, and I had a little bit of that bias towards UCs over Cal States. I didn't visit the campus or really research much about it until after I had already submitted my intent to register. When I did visit the campus, I loved it (it's beautiful) but again, I didn't really know much about the student body or the classes or the programs. I picked blindly. And for the record: NEVER move for a relationship. The guy and I broke up within three months of moving in together, before school even started.</p>

<p>The UCI Area: I live in the Harvard Courts apartment complex, just off-campus. I found my roommate last-minute on the UCI housing boards, and she's the only real friend I've made here. We got really lucky because we get along great. But what you've heard about Irvine is completely true: it is THE most boring place to live, EVER. I'm lucky because I have access to a car. I work at Disneyland and I feel like there's at least a little more to do in the Northern Orange County area. I'm also biased because I have a lot of friends up there and lived there for two years before coming here. Everything is quiet in Irvine, spread apart, and nothing is open past 11 or so. There are lots of good places to eat in the immediate UCI area, and the on-campus pub is pretty cool.</p>

<p>Major: I'm an English major. I thought I had heard good things about the English program at UCI, but now I think I might have imagined them. It really is mainly a math and science school, and as a humanities major, I don't really feel like I'm getting the full value of the tuition price tag. Most of the classes are weirdly specific (in spring they're offering such gems as "Faulkner's South," "Narrative in a Digital Age," "New Zealand Poetry," and "Moby Dick"). Right now I'm taking a really great class called "Hamlet & Revenge" which focuses on bloody revenge tragedies. I'm also taking the most pretentious class of my life, "Contemporary U.S. Fiction." It's taught by a really weird and pompous professor. Okay, so right now I hate him a little bit because I arrived at 2:02 to a 2:00 class and was locked out-- but he assigns books like "A Visit From the Goon Squad" and "Stone Arabia" then spends the entire class a) praising them for their brilliance, b) digging for really bizarre symbolic patterns that I'm pretty sure the author never put there, and c) allowing the class to raise their hands and kiss his butt and agree with the BS he just spewed, over and over, for 15 minutes apiece. His TA has an overly active role in the class, which kind of bothers me (I'm not paying $13 grand a year to be taught by a doctoral candidate) but wouldn't bother me so much if she wasn't so annoying herself: she literally started off the first class by saying, "My focus is on real estate fiction. I'm really interested in questions of ownership and what happens during housing bubbles. Like, even if you own the house, who owns YOU?" </p>

<p>Yeah, for anyone considering UCI: they use TAs a LOT, and a lot of them are honestly pretty stupid.</p>

<p>The Student Body: This is the kicker for me. UCI really isn't very diverse. I'm not talking racial diversity (although I'll be honest: that's not there either. UCI is all Asian and white). But I did come from a pretty diverse community college (CCSF) with lots of student involvement from students of all ages, religions, backgrounds-- right down to the thriving student publications, murals all over campus, and poetry written on the backs of bathroom stalls. Comparatively speaking, I see the evidence of some diversity around UCI-- there are tons of clubs (I joined a pre-law society and Dumbledore's Anteaters, a Harry Potter club), LGBTQ resources, religious and atheist clubs, ect. ect. But most of the people I meet, just in class or in between class or through my roommate, are pretty dull. They all have the same priorities, which seem to be along the lines of sucking up to professors and studying till their heads fall off. I'm a good student, too, but I kind of miss those kids in the back of community college classes who didn't care. Those don't exist anymore. Everyone is competitive, everyone is vying for the professor's attention at all times, and everyone sounds stupid constantly. I miss knowing people who had a life outside of their college campus. It's really difficult to get involved as a transfer student-- I feel like most people have already made their friends. Also, I have met tons of people for whom UCI was a backup choice, and they're still bitter about not getting into UCLA or Berkeley. I'm not discluding myself here either, but it really doesn't help the morale of a school when everyone feels like second-rate UC students. Finally, almost everyone I meet (including the aforementioned roomie) is grossly into the Greek scene, which I am not at all (but maybe Greeks are just the ones who spend the most time on campus).</p>

<p>Soooo... yeah. That's what it's been like for me at UCI. I'm sure a lot of you will really be happy there, but I just wanted to give you my take on the school after a year. I know people say it a lot, but I didn't listen when it was said to me: think long and hard about your school choices before you make them. Don't go just for the prestige of a UC. I honestly think I would have been a lot happier with the student body of SF State or Cal State Fullerton. Visit your campus. Talk to students. Make sure you're going to be able to find your niche before you dive in. </p>

<p>And if you guys have any questions about the transfer process or UCI, please feel free to ask me! I promise to answer with as little bias as possible, given all that I've just told you.
:)
Best of luck to everyone waiting on their decisions!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the write up. I’m awaiting a decision from UCI soon and honestly haven’t really put time into visiting and finding my niche there (it’s only about an hour from home). I’ll come back here with some questions when I think of them.</p>

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<p>Wow, this post made me think twice before going to UCI. I applied to UCB, UCLA, UCI, and UCSD this year and my first choice is UCI. I have visited the campus before and I really enjoy the aesthetics but I also felt that the campus was pretty dead (maybe because I visited on a friday?) Nevertheless, I do intend on joining clubs such as Circle-K, VSA, and any clubs that are active in that school. My question is how was it adapting to life living by yourself and what do students usually do when they have free time (during the weekdays)?</p>

4

<p>Hello! How is the literary journalism major there? UCI is my last choice also because of the “boring atmosphere” but regardless i think it’s boring because it’s the number 1 safest city in CA so it’s all quiet and reserved o.O anyways that’s too bad that you are not happy.</p>

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<p>As a former UCI student, I can sympathize with a lot that the OP said. I wasn’t completely unhappy but I do feel that being elsewhere would have given me a more “interesting” life. It is a really nice campus probably one of the nicest i have ever been to but Irvine is a commuter school. The campus is pretty much dead after 3pm on Mon-thurs an 1pm on Fridays. Having a car or being really close to someone with one is pretty much the only way to have a bit of fun. Everything is far and public transport is really difficult. Joining a few clubs is an option but still it seems like you have to really try to be involved.</p>

<p>Over the years and many visits to UCSD I realized that maybe it would have been a better option for me. </p>

<p>Think twice about UCI! But it’s still a great school.</p>

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<p>@fearthewrath It’s hard for me to say what it’s like specifically adjusting to being on my own at UCI, because when I first moved out of my parents’ house I was 17 and went to school in New York, which was a whole different ball game. However, I’d say that if you’re moving out for the first time, Irvine is a pretty tame place to do it. The dorms are pretty good depending on where you’re planning to live (CAMINO DEL SOL if you can get it!) but even getting an apartment lease in Harvard Courts was relatively simple. Your basic needs will all be nearby (Albertsons has pretty much everything; there’s lots of fast food in walking distance and Target is a quick drive away). But if you’re looking for excitement… yeeeeeah, there are definitely better places to strike out on your own. Again, I’m biased. I was spoiled by New York.</p>

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<p>@CosmicBubble I wish I knew more about the literary journalism major, but I really don’t. I’ve heard it’s a good major, but all I know firsthand is that they’re forced to take a few irrelevant English classes with the rest of us-- specifically, this really boring class called “History of Theory and Criticism.” </p>

<p>Sorry I can’t help more, but you can read the course descriptions for the major on UCI’s web site: [UCI</a> Literary Journalism - Courses](<a href=“http://www.hnet.uci.edu/litjourn/courses/]UCI”>http://www.hnet.uci.edu/litjourn/courses/) </p>

<p>UCI really makes you take some irrelevant stuff, no matter what your major. All social sciences majors, for example, have to take an entire year of stats even if they’ve already completed basic math requirements at a community college.</p>

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<p>I’d like to thank the OP for this thread. I love when real students are honest about their experiences. We all work so hard to get into these schools we think will be perfect for us but these schools have their flaws. It’s nice that you gave your perspective while acknowledging your biases.</p>

<p>Now I am thinking more critically about whether or not I should transfer from UCSB to UCI which is good. This kind of decision deserves a lot of thought.</p>

<p>So thank you</p>

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<p>thanks for the write up! very useful, reconsidering uc irvine now…
what other UC’s did you apply to? accepted to? rejected from?</p>

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<p>Great post. I never planned on applying to UCI, and still don’t. But, I do find that a lot of what you said can be used to aid in the realistic choosing of what schools I do want to apply to. Thank you.</p>

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<p>Wow this totally put me off of UCI, now i dont even think it was worth paying to apply :-/</p>

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<p>oh god, now that i see your GPA i am worried about my chances. mine is just slightly higher :S</p>

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<p>@AllFieldsAreReq Thank you. :slight_smile: And I haven’t gone to or visited UCSB, but I so wish I’d applied now. Obviously I can’t pass judgment on what the school is actually like or what it’s been like for you. But I don’t know-- transferring to a new school put me personally out of whack. To me it feels like there’s not enough time to get really involved, and there’s something to be said for the whole four-year college experience. Good luck no matter what you choose, though. </p>

<p>@SillyyJenn The only UCs I applied to (regrettably) were Berkeley and UCI. I was rejected from Berkeley and accepted to UCI.</p>

<p>@UCBHopeful Thanks :)</p>

<p>@uctransfer2012 Are you talking about your chances at UC Berkeley? That was the only school I was rejected from, and like I said, I believe that if I’d spent more time on my essay and written about something really meaningful, I could have gotten in. They implement a really holistic review process and have been known to reject the 4.0 GPA robots with no personality (which, by the way, run rampant at UCI) while occasionally taking 3.3 GPA people who have done something great with themselves.
Like I said, don’t write UCI off just because of what I said. Everyone is different. Just make sure you really think about where you’re applying to and why you want to go there, and visit the heck out of the school you think you’ll be attending.</p>

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<p>Really? UCI is “dead-empty”? ah man, now there’s even a less chance of a social life. Now I am also reconsidering UCI lol, wheres a UC that you can experience a huge social life and some life experiences? (I heard UCSD, maybe SB??) damn it…I’m torn apart</p>

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<p>@fred I’ve heard that about both of those schools. They’re both definitely in great areas. UCSC or UCLA too. And it’s not like you aren’t going to find unique experiences at UCI… but it is in the middle of pretty much nothing.</p>

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<p>yea, if only it was in LA. Oh wait … UCLA :P</p>

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<p>hey melanie. thanks so much for your honesty and such. but i just had a quick question about the greek life. why is it that you said it wasn’t anything special? are they too shallow and all they do is party? what is it about specifically that put you off? i am wondering because i am thinking about joining the greek life. thanks so much :)</p>

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<p>The most residential of the UC schools is UCSB since frosh live in the dorms and after than almost everyone lives right off campus in Isla Vista. From what I’ve heard people at Davis tend to live near campus too. San Diego is largely a commuter campus; many students after frosh year live in nice areas right on the coast like Mission Beach and Pacific Beach but they’re driving in to campus.</p>

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<p>Not trying to revive a dead thread but I found this to be really interesting because we almost went through the same ordeal. I’m also a transfer student but from NorCal, lived in Harvard court as well, not into this whole frat scene that apparently everyone does here (feels like you meet people that are only either dancers or in some frat/sorority) and not a lot of my professors really made me interested in what I was learning. I’ve been at UCI for 2 years and plan to stay another year. Message me if you have any questions as well.</p>

<p>Background information: entered as a biological sciences major but transfer issues that arose 2 weeks before fall quarter started made me choose a major UCI gave me out of a small list or reapply next year, I had to settle with public health policy.</p>

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<p>Obviously I’m late in the game here, but I’m posting in case someone stumbles upon this and needs info-</p>

<p>I am a literary journalism major at UCI and I absolutely love it. </p>

<p>In this major, courses/workshops are personal and engaging (with usually no more than 20 students per class) and every professor I’ve had has an extensive background in journalism such as the Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, etc. They’re all approachable and willing to work with you after hours. There are several print and online publications on campus that will hone your writing skills. The program also offers a multitude of publishing and public relations internships that will help build your resume. I’ve done three internships and I wouldn’t of had those opportunities without UCI’s LJ Program.</p>

<p>In my opinion, UCI’s student life is a bit dull, and yes- roughly more than 48% of students on campus are Asian, but as a Latina, I’ve never felt out of place here. In fact, UCI was my first choice. The overall atmosphere is bubbly and friendly and the campus itself is beautiful. What you get from your college experience is what you put into it and UCI is definitely one of those schools that won’t hold your hand. Get out there and make the most of it!</p>