<p>Hey guys - feel free to ask any questions about SC (campus, academics, city, etc) - I'll help you with whatever I can.</p>
<p>How are the gym/indoor courts and intramural sports at UCSC?</p>
<p>the gym is for sure awesome...it has two main floors and the top floor has glass floor to ceiling sliding doors that look out over monterey bay, the equipment is nice and there is plenty of stuff to do even when it is busy...there are indoor racquet ball courts/basketball courts and a huge room for dance and yoga and stuff...tennis courts and pool are both very nice but outside...there is also another, smaller gym at college 8 that has like volleyball courts i think. intramural sports are pretty good and there is a huge variety from which to choose, it just depends on your tastes.</p>
<p>How are the dorms? Are the restrooms and showers nice? =O</p>
<p>are the students pretty motivated and hard-working, on average?</p>
<p>What is the social life there? In other words, what do the majority of the students do in their spare time?</p>
<p>dorms: it really depends on what college you choose. in my opinion, colleges 8 9 and 10 are the nicest (i think they're also probably the newest)...but it all depends on personal preference (i know that the bathrooms in 8 9 and 10 are nice and clean...cleaning staff cleans them every weekday morning)</p>
<p>students: contrary to popular belief, most of the students here are awesome and very hard working...that also depends on the academic program you are in though. i did not think i would be happy here at ALL and i ended up really liking it for the 2 years i attended</p>
<p>social life: the town is pretty small, but there is always like the boardwalk and the malls in san jose/san francisco. a lot of people go visit other colleges on the weekends, and a ton of people just hang out at the beach and chill. there are frats, so thats another option. people party at the colleges too (probably 8 parties the hardest/drinks the most...they have the reputation for that) but if you look for a social life you'll most definitely find one.</p>
<p>i'm a black student... and i understand that there are very few of us at sc. so what are race relations like? lots of racial tension? do minorities keep to themselves? are minorities even visible on campus?</p>
<p>I also want to know something similar to what socal? asked. Do the races generally mix with eachother? I know you can't really generalize people, but I honestly want an HONEST opinion of someone from the school. </p>
<p>I know it's more comfortable to be around people of the same ethnicity sometimes, but I'm so used to being around people from all different cultures it would be weird if I was thrust into an environment where I suddenly was...not forced...but sort of expected (I know no one is <em>making</em> me and all that, but sometimes it happens) to hang out with people just because I'm a certain race.</p>
<p>So what's your opinion on it?</p>
<p>oh also, I would like to know what is in the dorm rooms? just a bed and desk?</p>
<p>race: being totally honest, there is almost no racial tension at all...its one of the only campuses i've been on that has a really nice atmosphere...i.e. it is not hard at all to get along with everybody. the biggest stereotypes are the different college stereotypes but those get old quickly. there are also tons of student organizations (like latino fraternities, etc) that you can join if you want to go down that path. and as far as i've seen, there is a large representation of minority students...if you have any more specific questions just let me know</p>
<p>dorms: i lived at college 8 and this was what was in my single dorm room: a bed/mattress, a small-ish dresser with four drawers, a chair, and a desk. i know at some of the other colleges you are also given like a huge stand-alone closet thing made out of wood. our closets have a shelf at the top, a rod on which to hang clothes, and no doors (a lot of people hang like a sheet or drape or something)...if you want pictures i'd be happy to take a few or find some on someones facebook</p>
<p>even though I'm going to be checking out the school on friday, I wouldn't mind some pictures!</p>
<p>Do you happen to know if we can retake classes so I can refresh my memory if we score a 3 or higher on an AP test?</p>
<p>h0ck3ydo0od, i'm not sure what you mean - this is straight from the academic advising website, "AP credit earned with a score of 3, 4, or 5 is applicable toward the total credits required for graduation and the UCSC campuswide general education (GE) requirements as indicated below."</p>
<p>(<a href="http://reg.ucsc.edu/catalog/html/undergrad_acad.htm)...but%5B/url%5D">http://reg.ucsc.edu/catalog/html/undergrad_acad.htm)...but</a> if you want to re-take an entry level lower division class even if you are exempt from it after taking APs, you can. the APs are just nice because they do not make it mandatory and they give you extra units towards graduation. did that naswer it?</p>
<p>Is UCSC a good school if you are looking to go to a professional health school afterwards (such as med school, opt school, dental school, etc...)?</p>
<p>hye345: most definitely - the science departments here are some of the absolute best...i was a biomolecular engineering major for two years until i switched to english, and we have some of the most advanced resources available today for research, labs, etc. so you'll have a huge advantage over students from other schools who don't have this kind of stuff. the genetics discipline is one of the best around i think, as are a few other of the science related disciplines.</p>
<p>How easy/difficult is it to receive good grades?</p>
<p>Is it one of those schools where you can study and get an A, or do you have to know the material very very well?</p>
<p>Also-I live 15 minutes away, in the Los Gatos Hills, so I know what mountain life is kinda like... people have said the campus is very beautiful, but when I looked at the pictures online, it looks like some kind of summer camp place in the woods... with a lot of tall grass nearby. How's the location?</p>
<p>Also, how safe is the campus? I'm talking about the surrounding wilflife (particularly the mountain lions).</p>
<p>grades: if you study (and i don't mean just like skim a book...actually study) it is not impossible to get all As...i worked my a$$ off for the two years i've been here and managed to only get a few Bs in the really hard classes - it is especially easy as a freshmen because you have to take a core class with whichever college you choose and they are known for being the easiest class you will ever take...you cant just not do the reading or get behind and expect to get an A though.</p>
<p>website: the website is $hit, they should have fired the author. since you live so close you should totally come like walk around or take one of the campus buses...i'm from los angeles and i thought i would totally hate it here because it was not my type of environment at ALL but i wouldnt trade my two years here for anything - it is incredibly beautiful and a really, really awesome place to spend some time. and it is really close to the beach, so in my opinion there is just no way to beat that. the only way to see how awesome it is is to come and visit...DO NOT trust the stupid website or online tour or whatever crap they have on there. it is hands down the most beautiful campus i have ever been on.</p>
<p>safety: as a female i probably wouldn't walk around at night alone, but that goes for most places. i have not ever heard of anyone being harassed or like put into danger or anything...and yeah they have signs for like mountain lions or whatever but i've never heard anyone talk about them, let alone see one. in fact, the most dangerous animal i've ever seen is a raccoon digging through a trash can at night :)</p>
<p>I know that this might be a stupid question, but... did a lot of people get allergies from all the trees?</p>