hey so ucsd might be one of the schools i get to attend
ive done my research and know what i plan on getting involved in and how many units i need for my major and all of that good stuff, ive even visited a few times w/ my friends who currently attend, i know about all of the requirements for the colleges and all of that.
but so far i just find the atmosphere a bit boring (everyone seems really young and they just look like drones going to their next class) people don’t seem that sociable or inspired by anything…it’s just about getting a grade and studying. that being said, i don’t dislike the atmosphere. it’s familiar, and it feels a bit like home - not in the “wow i actually realize i fit in here and love everything about it” way, but in the “well ive practically lived next door my whole life so of course i know the area like the back of my hand but im not going to sob about how in love i am with it” way.
i know they’ve recently upped their marketing efforts (that whole “we break things better” campaign)
and im just wondering, what is the general consensus? is it a good school? do people get excited about going there? is this a dream school for anybody? does it have a good reputation? i can’t tell because im a local, so it’ll always be very commonplace to me and everyone has obviously heard about it. and most people i know obviously express interest in attending it because it’s local, but it’s hard to tell if there’s an actual strong desire to attend the same way a kid might want to attend a dream school that’s further away (mostly because for us locals, there are many paths to attend ucsd so we don’t necessarily have a reason to be as passionate about attending since it’s very doable)
i guess the point of this thread is to be persuaded, and perhaps witness some stories of people who were head over heals over ucsd so that i can feel some of that envy lol “wow, they say it’s a great school and they really love it, perhaps i should look into it more.” it helps seeing it in a new light.
and for those of you who are local, did ucsd ever feel “too familiar” or were you ever able to grow and be your own person despite everything being so familiar?
UCSD, being one of the “main” UC schools, is obviously a good school. Local or not, if one has investigated the standing of the UC schools and the programs each offers, you would know it is more than merely the local school.
UCSD is a desired school for many, particularly their medical training program.
If you’re local, you know you’ll find more beautiful campuses, with a very different feeling, elsewhere. The architecture will not reflect the oldest schools in the nation, and the living is very different there, as climate and local culture definitely play a huge role at any university campus.
Many people love it, and work hard there. Their time pays off for them, as you know. Just look at the amazing research facilities and opportunities that are practically across the street.
no need to be condescending with “if you’re local” “do more research” i said i was local, no need for “if’s”
i wasn’t going to write a giant tl;dr about EVERY thing i know about the school, lol :)>-
yes i know it has a lot of acclaim, my parents remind me of it every week. yes i know it’s in la jolla and it’s surrounded by some of the best biotech in the country (but that’s not my major and im not interested in it). im no pre-med, and yes i know the majority of majors there are pre-meds (but again, it’s not my major, not my thing)
i obviously know it’s the top 3rd UC school everyone and their first gen grandmother knows that. but i have friends in europe who have never heard of UCSD, and im pretty sure people on the east coast haven’t really heard much of it either compared to UCLA or berkeley. (actually most friends i have on the east coast haven’t heard of those two either but some circles know about LA/cal)
it appears to me that it’s never quite THE top choice for many (unless they’re local in which case it’s more of a matter of not having any ambitions to apply to other schools, cheaper to live at home, close to friends ect.)
is there like a ucsd fanclub thread i can look at to see people who are hyped about it? i want to get in on the hype. i want to see what the hype is about. i simply don’t “get it” (and yes, ive done my research, no need to be condescending). can’t help it if i can’t get excited about it, but i genuinely do want to get hyped
UCSD is a great school with a strong rep. Some even say it is comparable to schools like UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara. The US News and World Report ranks it in the Top 50 schools nation wide. I know many people who would love to attend this school as it is, in fact, their first choice. If you get the chance to attend, I am sure you’d end up enjoying your experience if you make the most of it. Good Luck
I am currently a First Year at UCSD as a Molecular Bio major, and a local to the San Diego area too.
I really wanted to go to UCSD since freshman year because that was the only college I got to visit all my 4 years of high school (except for Cal Poly Pamona, which I visited Nov. of my senior year). The joys of being a first generation college student! However, I did apply to UC Davis, San Marcos, and Cal Poly Pomona.
All that aside, UCSD is alright, it’s not what I expected. I was so excited to go here, when I found out I got in, but once school started I was like “meh”. I am also a commuter student, so I don’t have much attachment to the campus (It’s pretty much like high school, except I have to drive an hour in traffic to get there for my morning classes). I do have a job on campus that allows me to interact with other students and residents on campus, which I love doing. Also, I do not find it dull and boring to go to a school around where I grew up.
I would recommend going here, if you want to go to a top tier UC school and save thousands of dollars. However, if money is not an obstacle, I would say look else where or live on campus at UCSD if you can!
@Dawg619 thank you very much! that’s good to hear, congrats on going to college!! (first gen here, too!)
is it like high school as in the people act like they’re in high school or the action of commuting somewhere to go to class and going home feels like high school?
and thank you, your post was very informative and helpful! glad to hear you didnt find it dull or boring either, that’s one of my main concerns oddly enough (it seems so superficial to care about that but i don’t want to get depressed, burned out, and unmotivated by my environment either)
@otoribashi The people at school are way more mature than high school students. I was more referencing the action of commuting and living at home when I said that.
My daughter is at UCSD. It is definitely not a social school and there’s little school spirit. But she is in Greek life and loves that, and is also in a campus org. Socializing has not been a problem at all.
There does seem to be a decent number of students who are pretty overwhelmed and highly stressed (even depressed). From my very limited knowledge, the first year couple of quarters seem to be the worst in this regard - while the student is adjusting to the more rigorous academics.
Generally, UCSD is seen as being a pretty academically focused school (whereas UCSB is seen as the “party school” in comparison). I know a lot of people that go to SB say the SD part of UCSD stands for “socially dead.” I would agree with SFBayMama that SD isn’t as focused on school spirit (probably because their football team isn’t renowned like UCLA?) and that, although the school has a reputation for focusing heavily on their studies, I know that two of my cousins are very happy there because they’ve found clubs and organizations that have made them feel at home at UCSD. So, to me, it seems just like any average university?
A lot of people at my high school (public and in SoCal) don’t see UCSD as their first choice, though. Maybe this is because we’re a really “over achiever” and competitive school, but everyone has their eyes set out on Berkeley and UCLA, UCSD being their “backup,” when comparing their interests in the three schools. We know it’s a good school like everyone else in CA, but no one is DESPERATE to go there? If that makes sense.
@whenyoubelieve yeah that’s pretty much my feeling of it too (socal, competitive). i’m in no means desperate to go there and ive never even met anyone who’s desperate to go there either (cuz again, im from socal so everyone sees it as their backup since it seems so accessible). im sure that if i were from another place id think it cool but since it’s so close it just doesn’t seem as difficult to attend as say a UCLA or berkeley. but i dont doubt it’s a decent and good school, and i certainly would never feel ashamed to attend there, but im just not salivating over it or anything lol.
Visit the other schools, and you will immediately see the difference. I’m local, so I get what you are saying.
My son’s and daughter’s friends who attend/ed were just going through the motions while there.
There is a reason it is called UC for the Socially Dead.
My husband went there when they were establishing their traditions.
The non-sports environment helps the school to not have any school spirit. I have never heard of a football team for this school. I thought they just asked and voted for a DI title to start a team.
You want to make your college experience something that is comfortable for you. If you are not happy about this choice, you need to look at your other choices. Visit the other UC’s, and look at the student’s faces on their campuses; you will see an immediate difference.
@“aunt bea” yeah i’ve visited the other UC’s (santa barbara, LA, berkeley, davis on the weekend) and there was a huge difference
that socially dead thing ain’t no joke, ive even sat in on a class there and it’s pretty dead, it felt just like community college but even more closed off since at least in community your classes are smaller and you get to know people and occassionally see em around
I (CA resident) know many families whose kids (smart, high academics kids) did not get into HYPSM, UCB and UCLA and are attending UCSD in CS or Engineering. Therefore, it seems to me that UCSD is very strong in CS and Engineering/STEM areas but generally is viewed as a backup school to UCB and UCLA. IMO UCSD is the best college to attend if you are passionate about surfing or scuba diving.
(first gen here, too!)