<p>People are constantly telling me that UCSC is a huge stoner school and that is about all everyone does there. I was wondering if anyone could clarify what exactly happens at UCSC, are there ever traditional parties at houses? Are there gatherings in the dorms where people just kick back and have a couple drinks or play a few drinking games? Also, how is the food selection there for people living on campus? Of course partying isnt my main choice of choosing the school, I just want to (like many other students) have some parties. My main choice of choosing the college is because it is closer to my house, and it is a top 100 ranked school, so i know ill be getting a good education. Can anyone help me out here?</p>
<p>Well you painted the stereotypical picture of UCSC. Its half true. Yea there are people that do anything you can think of, but there are a lot of chill people too. Regular drinking parties are pretty common around here so you’ll have no problem getting into those. I would say regular drinking parties are the most common ‘thing to do on the weekends.’</p>
<p>The food is alright. Not the worst nor the best. They serve the same food month to month, so it gets boring after awhile. The pizza is pretty good (college 9/10 hall) and the salad bars are always pretty full of good stuff (especially at Crown/Merrill). College 8/Oakes seems to have the worse food, from the six times that I went. Porter/Kresge has pretty good food too. I imagine the new Cowell dining hall will be the favorite once its done. It is located by the gym and has a sick view of the ocean. </p>
<p>The on-campus food joints are all very decent. Especially Joe’s subs. They are $5 and taste really good. There is also a taco shop which is a favorite. </p>
<p>Overall it is a pretty sweet place and if you are a light partier, this place will fit you just fine.</p>
<p>There is always a party off campus on any given Saturday. If you dont want to go off campus (it’s a slight hassle) then 10 people dorm gatherings are possible too. Thats pretty much what my friends and I do every weekend. Honestly, even in the “Sober Hall”, half the kids can be found in a room, drinking. Dont worry about parties.
Food is good. C8 is pretty gross, and I know because I have to go there on the weekends as a Porter student. It’s not too bad, but you will get sick of it after about a week. Porter is good, but it will be closed next year. C9/10 I had a burrito there the other day because I was starving and it wasnt bad. Also, they had 3 choices of melon, which made my day. Crown/Merrill I cant say much except at the beginning of the year, the late night pizza sucked. Also, it’s open for late night almost every night.</p>
<p>As far as dining hall choices go, I’d rather be in Crown/Merrill or C9/10. Partywise, I’d say Porter/Kresge.</p>
<p>So there aren’t any big parties on campus usually?</p>
<p>Well, not in the dorms. In the apartments is a different story.</p>
<p>One thing about on-campus parties: they are never ‘off the hook’, because the RAs and CSOs are pretty strict.</p>
<p>For any college that you pick, is it about a 5-15 minute walk from your dorm to places that you MUST go to? I’m specifically talking about places like lecture halls, a decent food area of dining hall, decent bathrooms, and the gym.</p>
<p>What is the crime rate at UCSC?</p>
<p>If you leave something unprotected it will get stolen. Otherwise I’d say it’s pretty safe. I went walking around alone in the middle of the night and I felt perfectly fine.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about the actual numbers, though.</p>
<p>The crime rate at UCSC is pretty low if you ignore any numbers for theft (basically all colleges have this). You will be safe walking around campus at nearly any hour, but it’s always good to have someone with you.</p>
<p>However, the actual town of Santa Cruz has had problems with violence and drugs after midnight. There’s usually a couple of stabbings each year in the downtown area and some big fights, but both of these instances rarely include actual UCSC students (just locals). You can use [Crime</a> Rate Comparison - Compare US City Crime Rates](<a href=“AreaConnect Free Yellow Pages, White Pages and Guides”>Crime Rate Comparison - Compare US City Crime Rates) to show some comparison with other cities but the data is from 2006.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys!</p>
<ul>
<li><p>How are the bathrooms set up at UCSC? Are they “okay” privacy-wise? I’ve heard the restrooms are co-ed, but the orientation leader said we couldn’t see the inside because there were students living on that floor. Are the restrooms and shower-areas separated well for each gender? My parents think the co-ed bathrooms are unbelievable, haha… X: </p></li>
<li><p>Does the Santa Cruz city community get along well with its college students? What are the working aspects available? Santa Cruz is a pretty small city, and even if all the jobs are taken(?) around campus, how is the outlook on jobs in the city? Restaurant? Etc.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>@Bluemerald</p>
<p>Bathrooms: It’s awkward sharing bathrooms for about a week, then you don’t really notice. The bathrooms at my college were coed and everyone used everything. There were no separate shower or toilet areas for women or men, everyone shared. In my bathroom, the showers had two curtains, so it created a little changing area that for the most part gave a lot of privacy. </p>
<p>Santa Cruz city: I can’t really answer this question, because I wasn’t looking for a job, but my roommate was. She didn’t find a job all school year, but found one almost immediately during the summer. So if you ever plan on staying in Santa Cruz for the summer, you have a much better chance of getting a job then. How does the city feel about us college students? I really don’t know…</p>
<p>I actually saw the bathrooms at the same House I was going to be living in and was surprised at how small the bathrooms were for being co-ed. I bet if you want to use the bathroom you got to get up early in the morning or else it will be packed.</p>
<p>In my experience that’s never been an issue in the morning, since not that many people on any one floor wake at the same time.</p>
<p>I’ve never had a problem with the bathrooms being packed since most people wake up/ get ready at different times. Although sometimes the showers can be full and then you have to wait but never stalls or the sinks</p>