Help Choosing Between UCSB & UCI!!!!

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>So I've just got my acceptance letters and need help deciding between UC Santa Barbara & UC Irvine. I have a few issues/questions on which I'm hoping members here can shed light on.</p>

<p>1) Major and School Program</p>

<p>So I am transferring as a psychology major, but don't know to much about either schools Psychology program. I have read their web pages for each school, but they can only tell me so much. I was wondering if anyone has any useful information on the programs, such as the quality of teachers, job success after graduation, etc. I was hoping maybe members here went to either school in the psychology field and could shed some light for me. I hear mixed reviews about each school and their academics. </p>

<p>2) Is living on campus worth it?</p>

<p>So my dilemma in this area is whether to live on campus or not. I should mention that I have received grants and scholarships from both schools. My tuition is fully covered for both schools. I will explain below:</p>

<p>UCSB: They are paying my full tuition, but living on campus would come out of my pocket. They have offered me loans and work study to help pay for living there. I would need to cover $10,000 by their estimations. $8K in loans and $2K in work study for the year. However, I live an hour away from UCSB so I can live at home and drive there everyday. Now the dilemma is whether I should live at home or on campus. My theory is this: I think living there would help me in my studies since I would be able to talk with professors easier and utilize the resources there better. So to put it short, I think living there would help me get better grades then having to drive their everyday. I would like to live there, but don't know if taking out the loans is worth it in the long run.</p>

<p>UCI: Now for me to go here, I would have to live here. Calculating the cost of gas, food, etc., for the year, would be close to the same price as living there. The situation is pretty much the same as UCSB, but I would have to live here. However, UCI is willing to cover almost all expenses including housing, and only leaving me to pay $5K out of my own pocket which I can cover by a loan/work. </p>

<p>In your opinions, do you think it may be worth living there despite the loans? Does it seem like much of a debt that I would graduate with? I also forget to mention, I would be attending for the next two years. </p>

<p>I think the money thing is more of an issue for me than the quality of academics. I know it should be the other way around, but I believe the work the student puts into learning makes more of a difference than the school's program. I am just lost on these issues.</p>

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<p>Lol the loans you would have to take out are minuscule compared to most other college students. I know people who will have 120k in loans so I would honestly choose whatever school you feel is best. Money aside, make a pro and cons list based off of your personal preference such as location, campus, social atmosphere, academics and go from there. To be honest I would probably try and live on campus as it adds to the college experience and driving would be a pain, at least it would be to me. Also, you’re not paying too much at all so the opportunity cost of living on campus is worth the extra money.</p>

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<p>Thanks for replying! Well the loans seem like much for me lol. It would be $18K about when I finish school. That seems like a large amount and I guess the only thing is that I feel so hesitant about taking a loan out is because you are not guaranteed a job when you finish school. I might end up working a minimum wage job and try to get the debt paid off. It be difficult. </p>

<p>Aside from the money issue, I asked about the academics of the schools haha! I can only read about it and won’t really find out until I get there. I want an inside perspective from someone who attends these schools, preferably a psych major =). Thanks though.</p>

4

<p>If you can earn 2K per year while at Irvine, the same amount that UCSB estimates you can earn, then you will only owe $6K when you graduate. Money matters to you. Comparing $18K in debt to $6K, the decision should be easy.</p>

<p>As for career prospects, there are few if any jobs that I am aware of for which a BA in Psych is the qualification. To be a licensed counselor you’ll need a MA. An undergrad psych degree is like many other liberal-arts degrees like History, Anthropology, etc. It means you’ve been exposed to a body of knowledge, but it is not career-prep in the way an engineering, accounting, nursing, etc. degree would be. </p>

<p>If you are hoping for a career in the Psychology field then you should spend some more time researching the career paths and requirements. If you are planning on entering the general college-grad workforce then you will need to work with the Career Center to identify areas of interest, get internships and other things that stand out to employers, and market yourself successfully.</p>