<p>I may be considering going to UCSC for Computer Science out of all the colleges that have accepted me. But before that, I need to know a few things.</p>
<p>It may be helpful to know that I live in a suburban city in the Bay Area, just to give an idea of the environment I'm used to.</p>
<p>I have a problem with insects and spiders(mainly spiders). Seeing as how the campus is in the woods, how often to insects invade dorm rooms? (mostly worried about mosquitoes, wasps/bees, earwigs, millipedies/centipedes, and other insects more prevalent in woods than in cities that can pose a harmful/irritating bite).
I'm completely OKAY with harmless and daily things like flies, pillbugs, snails(even though they're mollusks, not insects). Though, the flies can get on my nerves if they're too prevalent, it won't stop me from living there.</p>
<p>I heard that most students are pretty open and respect people with different interests/hobbies. Is that true?</p>
<p>How's the dorm internet? Fast downloads? Reliable connection? Able to handle many people?</p>
<p>Is theft a problem? Do I have to worry about someone possibly snooping around my bags for valuables if I leave it with other people's bags while doing a nearby activity, maybe ballroom or hip hop dancing for example. Speaking of which, how's dorm security in regards to theft?</p>
<p>Finally, how's the quality of the dorm buildings and utilities like laundry and bathrooms/showers?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I didn’t find bugs to be a problem when I was living in the dorms. BUT then again, my dorm building was brand new at the time, so I’m not sure how much of a problem it is elsewhere on campus. If you are chilling outside though then yeah, there are going to be things crawling around. However, I’ve actually found more bug problems off campus than on.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve found this to be true. I thought I was a pretty open person going into college, but after being at UCSC for 4 years I think I’ve grown to respect other people’s lifestyles even more. If you go in with a set mindset, or end up befriending people who are like that, you’re doomed. I lived at Porter, so maybe it was the hippie thing, but I found people to be overwhelmingly chill towards just about everyone. That may be different now, or depending on which residential college you pick.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’re connected directly to the internet (using an ethernet), then yes. The wifi is spotty and slow depending on how many people are using it. But for the most part, the ethernet connection works great.</p></li>
<li><p>Depends on where you are. In the dorms, you don’t really have to worry about theft as long as you’re smart about your ****. Don’t leave the door open when you’re not in the room, don’t leave a window open if you live on the ground floor, etc. There have been reported thefts at dining halls, but they’ve gotten a bit more lax about making you put your backpacks on racks and stuff like that, so you can keep your belongings with you if you want. There have also been thefts at the libraries, BUT AGAIN, just be smart and don’t leave your stuff unattended. If you’re in a group dancing or whatever, chances are there will be even more eyes watching your stuff and making sure everything stays safe, so it shouldn’t be a problem.</p></li>
<li><p>Laundry rooms are fairly decent, but there are often a couple out of order machines. To be expected. Again, I was in a new dorm building so things were working pretty great at the time. But overall, the laundry rooms are pretty much the same all around campus. Showers depend completely on which college you’re at. Bathrooms are oriented differently depending on the college. At Porter, they worked fine and there was almost always an open shower. Water was always hot. Pretty standard dorm conditions =p</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hope this answers some of your questions. If you need any more elaboration, just ask :)</p>
<p>Thanks Although I’m now curious as to the differences between the different dorms. I’ve looked up the website and I’m leaning towards College Eight. So more specifically, how’s college eight in terms of my previous questions?</p>
<p>I expect they have even less bugs there since it’s more out of the woods… Well most of it is. I have no idea what the dorms or laundry rooms are like. People there tend to be less hippie-ish, so take that into account. I really don’t know since I didn’t live there, but that’s usually the vibe I get when I hang around or have classes there.</p>
<p>Their dining hall is (in my opinion) one of the better ones, so that’s a plus. A couple of years ago, there was a weekly group that would break dance on the stage at the dining hall, so if you’re interested in that, it might be something to look into. I’m afraid I’m a couple of years out of touch with dorm life at this point though :(</p>
Although I’m now curious as to the differences between the different dorms. I’ve looked up the website and I’m leaning towards College Eight. So more specifically, how’s college eight in terms of my previous questions?</p>