<p>Allfieldsarerq-
A lot of what you said was exactly my impression from everything I heard about UCSB following up until I actually visited the campus and stayed with friends only to really get the full impression of what it’s like there. How I would describe it to someone not familiar with the scene is that it is like someone took all of the intelligent but slightly out of touch with reality kids from your school and put them in an intense academic arena where, in general, it is easy to survive if one is good at doing the work required and can balance fun and work, and ultimately at the end of four years the only change people go through is in weight and their disposition towards partying. Of course this is a generalization and not true for everyone but I do think it is somewhat true and describes the place well. </p>
<p>I think a good word to describe what is lacking at UCSB is the whole respect, responsibility, etc. thing.
This is something I’m really thankful for at UCSC and will miss if I transfer. I mean something almost synonymous with consideration and empathy for your fellow human beings- this is something that is really big at UCSC. A big thing here tends to be treating others how you would like to be treated. For example, it is literally impossible to walk through any door that someone is just walking through or walking out of without having them hold it open for you. I mean literally impossible. People hold the doors for each other when they go out of buildings and when they go in. I think this says about life here in general. </p>
<p>UCSC is great, I mean really it is. And in theory I should love it. I’m vegetarian, really environmentally conscious, outdoorsy, and eccentric… Just like many of the people here. And yet I don’t feel any sort of connection to the people around me. Now while one might say this is my fault, and they may be right, I think this has something to do with the people up here and their overarching values and not just their interests and dispositions. </p>
<p>In other words, I think while people here may have similar interests in the outdoors, in health, etc. and in viewpoints towards the environment I think, at least the many people I’ve met so far, seem to have entirely different priorities on what is important on life. I mean I like to think of myself as a pretty reasonable guy and I like to have a good time but from what I’ve found I really can’t relate to the people here. One thing is, I don’t smoke pot anymore. I smoked rather frequently in high school (though it was never the center of my lfie) and for one reason or another got over it by the end of my first semester of senior year and now I’m one of very very few students, especially here, who doesn’t smoke.
Of course there are people reading this who don’t think this should be a big deal in the slightest bit, but believe me the smoking culture here reflects a much larger issue I can’t get into here. Most people here prefer getting high to just about anything else. Marijuana does not complement activities, it makes or breaks them. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with weed, or weed culture even, but I really can’t understand or whats more respect anyone who puts a material thing in front of everything else in their life.
There’s almost a sense of apathy for life and the world around us (ie. no int. poli programs, int. relations, global studies, etc.) here that I feel like is dragging me down.
I’m not saying there aren’t some of the most interesting people I’ve ever known here, because there absolutely is, it’s just that I don’t feel like I belong here. While internally and from within I’m extremely happy, my current external world is just not matching up with that feeling nor adding to it. </p>
<p>Does anyone know if you can transfer as a freshman or do you have to wait until you meet the junior unit requirements?</p>
thats another reason why I want to quit. I don’t like going anywhere and doing anything when i’m high I’d rather just watch tv. </p>