<p>So what is Humboldt state like? What is the campus atmosphere? Is Arcata boring?</p>
<p>Wanderlust,</p>
<p>Well, I am a Dad of a high school senior in the SF bay area, who is applying to HSU. So, I have alittle info.</p>
<p>First of all, I think Arcata and HSU are alittle more mainstream than the extreme characterizations that are listed on sites like princeton review. </p>
<p>Second, because there are few or no graduate students, the classes are taught by the actual faculty. And given the 6000 enrollment, you get a pretty small college feel at state college prices.</p>
<p>Third, environmental and bio majors seem to be in abundance up there, at least that is what I saw. You can call the admissions dept and find out more.</p>
<p>Fourth, the economy of that area is improving greatly, compared to 20-years ago. Folks are moving up there. This is alittle like San Luis Obispo was 15-years ago. SLO now is expensive, etc.</p>
<p>My daughter is looking at other schools: Evergreen and Puget Sound, plus some east of Calif.</p>
<p>The above is, again, a parent's perspective. I think my daughter would add that an attractive feature is the town of Arcata and the college are "on the same page." They connect on many levels. There are many schools which appear to connect, but really do not - except at the local stores.</p>
<p>Good luck,</p>
<p>nathan</p>
<p>hey wanderlust, </p>
<p>I am a current HSU student and I've lived in the Arcata community for 19 years. Here are some of my impressions </p>
<p>HSU can be what you want it to be. Lots of the students are low key, don't attend classes very often, etc. etc. At the same time, Humboldt has a great biology and marine biology program and in general, the sciences are pretty rigorous. I know they have a good record of med. school placement. Arcata is a politically charged town and you can definetly partake in that if you feel so inclined. The drug and party scene is fairly good. Parties are often a bit lacking, but I think that depends on your crowd. I really tend to like Humboldt students. They are nice, laid back, and just generally looking for a good time. There are a large number of "Super Seniors" (those who have been in college >4 years). Most students live off campus and it does take some effort to meet people, be that through parties, clubs, work, etc. You generally don't hang out with classmates, at least I haven't. </p>
<p>Like most state universities, funds are lacking and you definetly won't get the kind of technology that you would get at a private uni. but for the price, its quite excellent. Also, I think the caliber of teaching at humboldt might be a bit better since it is probably a more desireable location than the other Cal States and the salary definetly goes farther in this small community.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies. So for other majors like economics, business, psychology would HSU be a good school? I wonder how academically rigorous the school is, since a lot of students dont show up to class.</p>
<p>Im not a huge partier but sometimes I do like to go out and party. I wonder what HSU is like compared to Chico State. I hear both schools are quite similar, as far as the whole small somewhat isolated typical college town stereotype goes...</p>
<p>I think the party scene at humboldt really depends on the social group you hang out with. I am perfectly content with the party scene, but that is probably becuase I mostly like small house parties with people i know. I will say that UPD is pretty good at shutting bit parties down...(this happened on halloween)</p>
<p>As far as studying in other areas, humboldt is decent, but nothing special. I am looking into economics now and having a pretty easy time with it. The prof I have is not to great, but the program seems alright, especially if you want research opportunities. Profs are VERY willing to work with motivated students becuase there aren't a ton of them.... : )</p>
<p>So does anyone have insight into selection between Humboldt vs Sonoma? Pros and cons etc? I am coming from the San Diego area but am looking for a small college in a rural setting. Is Humboldt too rural? Does Sonoma segregate transfer students? (of which I am one). Which school has the moat dedicated profs? Any sugestions would be great because classes start 1/16/06. P.S. Monterey Bay info would be handy too(:</p>
<p>I think in comparison to Humboldt, Sonoma or monterrey are hands down much better choices. I'll probably end up @ sonoma or east bay b/c Im tired of the rural setting now. Nothing is wrong with Humboldt its a nice school but there is NOTHING up there. Ive been talking to people who live there and there is NOTHING there. Atleast w/ sonoma you are 45 mins. from SF.</p>
<p>Sonoma doesnt segregate transfer students at all. I know someone who is transferring to sonoma and she recently went through orientation and absolutely loved the campus. </p>
<p>I also heard there are quite a few ppl from the LA area @ HSU for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>It depends on how rural you want the area to be if you think humboldt might be too rural you might want to look into chico. The only thing with HSU and Chico is that there is a huge lack of diversity.</p>
<p>I'm an HSU grad who has recently visited the campus and am thinking about returning for grad school in Theatre Arts.</p>
<p>I started out as an English Ed major, and then became a Business major before finally changing to Theatre (I always had a Theatre minor).</p>
<p>What's it like--rural, resident (as opposed to commuter), small-school feel, hard classes.</p>
<p>One poster indicated that he didn't attend classes. I tried that for a few semesters and almost got kicked out. I found the business program extremely difficult, before realizing I would not do well sitting in an office 8 hours a day. </p>
<p>Even the Theatre Arts program required lots of work. The good news is, if you struggle and you are showing up for classes, the professors are more than willing to help you out. You just have to ask. If you blow the class off and don't attend very much or sleep through the lectures, don't expect much.</p>
<p>What does Humboldt have to offer: small class sizes (except about 20 sections of general ed classes), beautfiul environment, highly-rated sciences college, one of the top nursing programs in California, hands-on research and other experiences at the undergrad level, their own research vessel devoted to undergrad research, professors teaching almost all classes, a top-rated art program, a theatre arts program that has a high rate of grad school acceptance for graduating seniors, a film program that continually wins awards in independent film making--you name it, they have it.</p>
<p>Because of the rural area and small town of Arcata (and Eureka's not that much bigger), you won't have the social life of a big city or suburban area. The area has improved in the last 20 years with opening of an indoor shopping mall, a Target store, a couple of new cinemas, and the revitalization of downtown Eureka and Arcata.</p>
<p>Arcata's political clime is extremely to the left. They are also into organic foods and holisitic medicine. It seems like Arcata's population is still living in the late 1960's.</p>
<p>Is anything perfect? No. But you have to decide what's important to you and what you can live with.</p>
<p>All that said (and I'm a Republican), I am still looking at getting my Masters in Theatre Arts from Humboldt in the near future.</p>
<p>Well, Arcata has more artists per capita than any other city in the United States. It rains a LOT in Humboldt county, so that is something you should consider. It's a relatively small campus, so you'll know almost every one. And if you're artsy, there is a multitude of art programs. Personally, I love it there. I'm a high school junior interested in going to Humbold, and I've spent a good portion of my life there.</p>
<p>Son is currently a senior at Humboldt and it has been the perfect fit for him. He's a geography major with a knack for cartography and has been able to take wonderful advantage of the mapping lab. Once a prof sees you are serious about the course you are taking, doors start to open up like crazy. Sonoma state is 66% female and Cal State Monterey may be in a more "exciting" location (old army base?), but both are considered basically commuter schools and won't offer much to someone looking for a campus atmosphere. As far as nothing being up there, I guess not if you need a city atmosphere to keep you entertained. But you might be amazed at the bands and speakers they have come through.If you are interested in outdoor activities, it is just the opposite. Lots of backpacking, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, etc. nearby.</p>
<p>Be sure to read the local newspapers to find out what is really going on in the community: The Arcata Eye, the Eureka Times Standard, and the Lumberjack student newspaper. Humboldt really is different. Like one commentator said, stuck in some historical 1960s time warp with values of that era. There is a different subculture of lumberjacks and fisher persons who do not like the newcomers and there is some friction. It is very different from Southern California so can be a culture shock. I studied hard and graduated and tried to avoid the controversies.</p>
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I have lived in South Los Angeles my entire life and I want to get away from all the crimes and chaos here. I’m wondering if I would fit in Humbolt State. I would love to go to a diverse place since I am Hispanic. I don’t really party but would love to slowly start. Lastly I want to major in environmental engineering. Does Humbolt have a great environmental engineering program?</p>
<p>HSU has great environmental sciences programs. They offer a BS and a MS in Environmental Resource Engineering.</p>
<p>Humboldt County and HSU are not diverse, especially compared to LA. The county is over 80% white and HSU is probably 65%+ white. However, there are lots of thriving cultural clubs, including several Latin@/Hispanic ones. The Spanish department is pretty awesome too.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to the party scene. I’ve never gone. Pot is readily available even though it is illegal on campus. Alcohol is allowed for over-21s. Beer is served on campus. I’m sure there’s lots of partying going on, though!</p>
<p>Humboldt is VERY different than LA. LA is hot, but Humboldt is HUMID, even in summer. That’s why we all feel like we’re dying in 75* weather. On the plus side, Arcata doesn’t get super cold, even in winter. You can wear jeans and t-shirts year round–just toss on a hat and sandals in the summer, and a hoodie and galoshes in winter.</p>
<p>I haven’t spent much time in LA, but students from there are always quite surprised at how friendly Humboldtians are. We strike up conversations with people on the bus, in class, anywhere. </p>
<p>I see tours on campus all the time. It’s a very open campus, if rather hilly. Come armed with comfy shoes and a water bottle. There are a LOT of stairs.</p>
<p>Food is okay, lots of good vegetarian/vegan option, no good Mexican or Asian food locally. Humboldt is pretty into natural/organic/local food. The dorms are pretty popular so if you want to live on campus, sign up early. I live off campus so I don’t know much about good/bad dorms.</p>
<p>Erm, I think that’s about it. I’m a Psych major so I don’t know much about the ERE program. I’ve heard lots of good things, though!</p>
<p>Humboldt has been my dream school since 9th grade (I’m in 12th now). I’m a straight A student (4.4 on a weighted scale) and while HSU might not be a highly ranked school, it is my favorite. I love the atmosphere and the location. Everyone is super nice and you might see people walking goats or hanging out with cats on their shoulders. Absolutely love Humboldt.</p>
<p>Class of 2001 BA in Communication Minor in Psychology
Humboldt State University Lumberjack Alumni
Took me 5 years (1 super senior year)
Started with a Major in Cellular/Molecular Biology
Changed halfway through to Speech Communication because hey, things change.
Debate Team/Forensics
Football/WR
KRFH/DJ Roundboy</p>
<p>Loved every minute of it. Grew up in the Bay Area (Berkeley) and was happy to get far from home. My choices were abundant if I wanted to leave the state or go to a UC school but to stay in California and go to a State College the choices for me finally came down to two. The farthest south is San Diego State and looking North it is Humboldt State. I wanted the furthest from home. I visited Humboldt with my folks and immediately fell in love with the forest background and the Arcata small town square. It helped too that I was already accepted based on the SAT test scores I took in my Junior year at BHS. I wanted something that would be far from home but still in California and HSU was the perfect choice.</p>
<p>It’s a 5 hour drive away from the Bay and about half a day from SoCal so be prepared for that aspect. You don’t just pop back down to visit your family every weekend. You put in the effort to be away and learn how to be on your own. Helped me become an adult. 35 years old now with two kids. My education there was fantastic. I credit HSU to teaching me many things. I learned so much there and thank all the faculty and staff who made that possible.</p>
<p>At the time there were small class sizes aside from the big Science or Math lectures and even those only topped out around 120-150 students. Kids genuinely want to learn going there. Strong in Science, but also strong in other departments. The Communication Department won me over eventually. Had many friends in different majors like forestry, sustainable living, Kinesiology, Economics, Business, and even Make your own major who all graduated and have HSU to thank for it.</p>
<p>It’s definitely a moist area. Rains and has very bay like weather patterns (Humboldt Bay).
Kids party but it’s not too hard. There is the local community of people who grew up there mixed in with students and faculty. Yes there are the occasional transients (harmless) in the town square bumming for change on their way up to Portland or back down to 'Frisco. (the City).</p>
<p>I do remember a lot of the friends I made came from the barrios in East Los. No joke. We had a group of friends who would continue to pass on the word that going up there was the best escape from LA and to this day I could point you towards 5-6 guys who would swear that going up to Humboldt was the greatest decision of their lives to get away from the chaos down in LA. Probably changed their lives forever. They would tell their younger brothers and sisters to go there as well and I kid you not I think there is a continued good following of students who come from LA to escape and learn in a soothing calm environment. So for what it’s worth if you want to get as far as possible but stay in California it’s the place to go.</p>
<p>I’ve seen Sonoma, Chico, CSEast Bay, Sac State, and yes they are closer to SF and probably more city like. I’m sure you would enjoy all of them but Humboldt holds dear in my heart because that is where I decided to go. It grew on me much like the life long friends I made by going there. My college dorm roommate is still a dear friend, I was the best man in his wedding and I’m sure he’d convince you the same to go to HSU. If you are a first time student I strongly suggest the dorms for at least a year. When they matched me up with my roommate it was done based on a surveys you fill out before going into a dorm it was perfect. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.
Good Luck.</p>
<p>-Jesse</p>
Jesse, what did you like about the communication department? I am a comm major and I’m having trouble deciding between schools. I’m trying to be a sports anchor.
I just received my acceptance letter for the fall of 2017. I’m 24 and majoring in Philosophy. I haven’t found any threads on the Phil department at Humboldt. Also, upon checking ASSIST.org I have found that none of the Phil classes I took at my CC are transferable to Humboldt. Can anybody who is currently or was a Phil major at Humboldt give me an insight of how the department is?