<p>So, i just got accepted to UCR for BioEngineering, and i have a couple of questions that will me make my decision easier.
- How is the environment, is it very partyie( i now not a real word) or more study like?
- Will the new Med school raise the ranking of UCR in the future? and will it benefit me because i am majoring in BioEngineering
- Do i really need a car to have fun? How are the Dorms and Food? Social Life?
- How are the research and internes opportunities?! VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR
- How are the teachers and people?
- Are the classes very rigorous? i've taken 7 AP's if that helps
- And just how do you like the school in general.</p>
<p>My main choices now are UCR, Cal Poly Pomona, and Community Transfer. Any insite will help.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>-Not going to lie, Riverside can be boring if you don’t know the right people. If you hang out with the Greek organizations and other social clubs, finding a party will rarely be an issue. I say it can be kind of in-between, especially since a lot of students go home on the weekends.
-I think it will. It may take a few years to see a significant rise in the rankings but it is definitely a good thing for the school. Having alumni from the new medical school will also be a positive because they like to donate money.
-I wouldn’t say needing a car is crucial if you live in the dorms. If you do have a car,it’s pretty easy to get anywhere you need to; people will also be asking you for rides all the time, so I would expect a lot of new friends haha. The RTA buses are also free for us. I just answered questions about dorms/food so I’ll post the links at the bottom. Social life is good if you make an effort to get to know people/join organizations. I’ll elaborate more if you want me to.
-Research with professors is generally given to juniors/seniors. If you’re a good student with ambitions, it won’t be incredibly hard to get one. Getting to know your professors in office hours will really help. There are also a lot of internship opportunities. We have a jobs/internship database and a career center.
-Professors and TAs can be a mixed bunch but that’s just like any other college. Sometimes they’re great at teaching, other times you’ll be wondering how they became an educator. The students are cool too. Be sure to hang out with the people who live in your dorm and also be sure to make friends with people who don’t live with you too.
-Classes can be rigorous but there are also some that are very easy. It’s college so the “not reading” thing doesn’t work like it did in high school. If you enjoy your major, put in effort to read/study, get help when needed, it won’t be a huge problem to succeed. Time management is a huge thing and don’t make the huge mistake of cracking open your books for the first time the night before your midterm.
-Riverside wasn’t my top-choice school. I really wanted to go out of state to UO but that is way too expensive so I came here. The people who I’ve become close with and all the memories I’ve gotten have given me the college experience that I wouldn’t trade anything for. No matter where you go, you really have to be the one to make college great.</p>
<p>Food: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-riverside/1488141-few-questions-about-ucr.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-riverside/1488141-few-questions-about-ucr.html</a>
Dorms: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-riverside/1484735-what-best-dorm-live-ucr.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-riverside/1484735-what-best-dorm-live-ucr.html</a></p>
<p>If you have any more questions, feel free to ask</p>
<p>It is dead on weekends because most people go home. You should worry about the prestige for graduate school rather than undergraduates… There are couple of people who went to pretty good graduate school from UCR. You can also go to some of the faculty websites and check out their undergraduate alumni. However, medical school can increase the reputation because there are only around 16(?)( I do not know the number exactly) medical schools in California and there are more than 300000 graduates who plan to attend medical school per year. Only few get into any medical school. I know a student from USC who is now attending a medical school in Australia because she was rejected by every medical school in US. Therefore, medical students who will attend UCR medical school are smart due to the limited space available for medical school in US.
For research opportunities, read my reply for other posts. For every school, there are positives and negatives for professors and students. I passed 6 AP exams. AP exams can let you skip some classes. You cannot skip any science class even though you have 5 on the exam. Lower division classes are usually easy, but it can get difficult for upper divisions.</p>
<p>My main concern is that if i go through college and not get a job because of the name “riverside” not to demean anyone. Do you think this is a problem or just in my head? And as for social life, i am not looking to specifically party ( considering my major) but i wouldn’t mind going out to a party here and there. so could you be more elaborate on the Social life scene? And how are the people paired in dorms? like i’d really like my roommate to be in an engineering major so we can work/study somewhat together?</p>
<p>The name of your college will not make or break your career future. Your grades, your experience: these are the things that matter</p>
<p>Join the engineering learning community in the Pentland dorms and you will be around other engineers</p>
<p>Why would students be here if they cannot get a job after graduation…? Anyways, most people need masters or PhD these days to get a job and riverside or any other universities will help you get into graduate school.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>How is the environment, is it very partyie( i now not a real word) or more study like?
Depending on where you live, the environment is different. It is true to be quieter on weekends and can be easier to study. If you end up in an engineering dorm, you will be able to study. There is also the libraries and being an engineer, there are the engineering study rooms. These study rooms can be helpful but also be loud depending on the time of day and whatnot. </p></li>
<li><p>Will the new Med school raise the ranking of UCR in the future? and will it benefit me because i am majoring in BioEngineering
It will raise the rank of UCR. We have been one of the schools that have been seen as up and coming. Will it benefit you? If you are looking to go to med school, it can. The med school if probably under CNAS (college of natural and agricultural science) and BioEngineering is under BCOE (Bourns College of Engineering) and I think the benefit may come as research and funding for labs but otherwise I’m not sure if it will. </p></li>
<li><p>Do i really need a car to have fun? How are the Dorms and Food? Social Life?
Yes and no. With your student ID, you can take the Riverside Transit for free so you don’t have to have a car but it can be nice. Food wasn’t the best when I was a freshmen 4 years ago and not sure if that has changed at all. Dorm life is what you make it and really no matter what is a toss up of where you end up going and getting placed. Social life is the same. It’s what you make of it. I recommend getting involved with BMES, Biomedical Engineering Society, since you’re BioEngineering. This lets you make friends and network with other engineers and many who can be a mentor to you along your way through college. </p></li>
<li><p>How are the research and internes opportunities?! VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR
YES! There are plenty of professors that would LOVE to have freshmen in their lab. Yes you won’t know everything, they know that. But it means a possibility of them having you for 4 -5 years. This can be tricky since a lot of classes are lower div genearl edu classes. This is where the clubs and club events can come in hardly and they can introduce you to professors who you can get research with. I know there is a Material Science professor looking for people to be dedicated to his research for a long person of time.</p></li>
<li><p>How are the teachers and people?
I only know CS/EE professors but most are not too bad. There are some that can be really strict but that is something that just happens and have to learn to deal with. The people, at least in BCOE, are pretty cool. I’ve met a lot of really cool people through engineering department and just make sure you stay with people who make you a better person rather than who is cool.</p></li>
<li><p>Are the classes very rigorous? i’ve taken 7 AP’s if that helps
The classes are not too bad at first. There can be a lot of weeder course though. Chem 1 series, Bio 5 series, Ochem, CS10, ME3, Physics 40 series etc. These classes cut people out of engineering and are classes you will have to just pick yourself up and get to it. </p></li>
<li><p>And just how do you like the school in general.
I’ve enjoyed my time here. There have been a lot of ups and down with classes but what I love about UCR’s engineering program especially, BCOE, is that it is still pretty small. That closeness allows a lot of different engineering groups to get to know each other and be able to support each other. I’ve also found people who have always had my back and supportive of my decision. I feel that at the end of the day you just have to be happy with where you are for college. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>P.S. Learning community can be extremely helpful.</p>