So, I just visited the campus and..

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Santa Cruz
1

<p>I've decided it's definitely where I want to go.. I was somewhat torn between UCSD and UCSC, but after about an hour of walking around, SD was totally out of my mind.</p>

<p>For those of you who haven't visited yet, it really is beautiful...pictures don't do it justice.</p>

<p>First place we went was Merrill. The hill wasn't THAT bad...I didn't really see too many students around, however...seemed a little dead.</p>

<p>Next, we ended up at Cowell. The view was nice, but not amazing. The buildings seemed kind of old and run down. It didn't really appeal to me.</p>

<p>After that, we walked to Kresge. I really liked it there. I talked with some really friendly students, who helped direct me to Porter...</p>

<p>Porter is under construction...from what I saw, it prettý much cut the college in half....which was dissapointing. The Porter apartments were realllllllly nice though. Seems like it'd be worth a year of construction to possibly be able to live in the apartments the following year.</p>

<p>The next day, we visited the bookstore first....we bought some shirts and a cute rubber duckie! </p>

<p>Then we went and checked out the library...which is under construction, but once you're inside, you can't even tell. The walls are glass, so it feels like you're studying in the forest...and there's even a reading porch at the top, which was way cool.</p>

<p>Then we went to College 8. It was really really really nice. It had a great view. However, it seems like this is where the more, "conventional" people are. I'm more partial to the weirdness of Porter. </p>

<p>We went to Oakes after, which I think has the best views....but it was really dead.</p>

<p>For lunch, we ate at the c8 dining hall. The food seemed to be really good. There was a large selection. I thought it was better than the food at UCSD by far.</p>

<p>Anyway, ill post pictures later...even though I didn't really take many, and none are that great.</p>

2

<p>Awesome! Thanks for posting this. Do you have any more info on what Merrill is like?</p>

3

<p>Which days did you visit? Yesterday and today?</p>

<p>Glad you liked it. The crown/merrill area is always “dead.” It is definitely the quietest spot on campus, which is a plus for some. </p>

<p>Did you go to the science library? Both are rather nice and great study spots. </p>

<p>I am glad you liked the food at 8, because its known to be the worst food on campus :)</p>

4

<p>Ha, well, if 8 is the worst food, then I’m excited to try the rest! I didn’t get a chance to see the Science library since we were a little pressed for time. On the way up, my car overheated twice…so we had to time everything right so we wouldn’t hit la traffic on the drive back to So cal.</p>

<p>Yeah, I visited yesterday and today, and I’m actually still driving home…updating from my blackberry.</p>

<p>Well, merrill was nicer than I expected. Lots of trees…it is a little isolated, but not totally cut off.</p>

<p>But I know of a few people in merrill who really love it…so I’m sure it isn’t too bad.</p>

5

<p>I visited on Sunday. I agree with you on pretty much everything. It was really strange, most of the campus was dead. Few students in sight. I’m not sure if that’s a weekend thing, or if it was because of Spring Spotlight. Anyhow.
Yeah, I got a look inside of Stevenson. It felt like a mining tunnel. There’s just a terrible, unfriendly feeling in the hallways. Dorms aren’t much better. Lots of exposed sprinkler pipes. Dunno if that’s a common thing, though.</p>

<p>I am in love with the campus. Those silly “better” UC people don’t know what they’re missing. <3</p>

6

<p>“Those silly “better” UC people don’t know what they’re missing.”</p>

<p>I’m going to UCSB, but I really did like UCSC. I live in Santa Barbara and personally would like to stay somewhat close to home. But I hope you guys really enjoy it there because the campus is beautiful!</p>

7

<p>I didn’t mean it too seriously. It seems like many people look over UCSC without much thought, and that was all I was implying. :)</p>

<p>Distance is one of the reasons I chose UCSC over UCSB, actually. UCSC is much closer to home.</p>

8

<p>“I didn’t mean it too seriously.”</p>

<p>Haha I know. No worries! Just thought I would mention that. And I like to be close to the beach too, so that pushed me towards UCSB as well. I’m sure you’ll have a great time at UCSC!</p>

9

<p>If you visited on Sunday, the campus is definitely dead. I have heard it is livelier than other campuses on the weekend though (Irvine for example). Many are catching up on sleep, catching up on homework, relaxing in their dorms, or went home for the weekend. None of these people will be out doing anything that you will see. I actually really love the weekends personally. Stuff is quieter, its nice. Don’t worry though. During the week, the campus has a ton of energy. In front of the bookstore there are always people that want to talk to you about their frat/club/idea/etc. </p>

<p>Unfortunately the food gets boring pretty quick, but that doesn’t mean it needs to get boring for you. Going to different dining halls or changing up your meals will definitely make the food more exciting for longer. I actually think Crown/Merrill food is the best, but 9/10 is what most people prefer. The nice thing about 9/10 though is that it is the largest dining hall so you can always find somewhere to sit no matter what hour of the day you go.</p>

10

<p>Also, I wanted to point out the most striking differences between UCSC and UCSD…which ultimately made it an easy decision. …and I’m going to leave out the obvious things, such as campus and student body…</p>

<p>I went to the admit day at UCSD…so there were current students walking around the campus, paid to answer questions and hype up the school…I talked to about 7 or 8 of them, and they ALL said, “Well, I wanted to go to UCLA…but I didn’t get in” and for the most part, they seemed bitter that they were at UCSD. Whereas at UCSC, everyone seemed more than happy to be there. </p>

<p>I went to the opening presentation for the college at UCSD I was admitted into (Eleanor Roosevelt) and they all boasted about how concerned they are with global affairs and making the world a better place…but at UCSC, it was obvious that there was the same mentality, but it was more a “show me” than “tell me”… It just seemed that UCSD talked about it all to impress everyone and make themselves look good…and UCSC had a genuine care and interest in it.</p>

<p>The biggest difference I saw was in the overall mood of the students…at UCSD, it was more “What am I going to get?” and “What are you going to do for me?” and at UCSC it was “What will I become after this?” and “What kind of experiences am I going to have?”</p>

<p>I might be wrong, but my dad (a UCLA graduate) 100% agreed with me on this.</p>

11

<p>It really is a great campus – worth it to see it in person. I’ve been accepted to UCSC but it probably isn’t where I’m headed, but for those that still have UCSC in their sights, the surrounding area is gorgeous.</p>

12

<p>My friend went to UCSB over the break and took pics for me. She showed me a mass beach with hundreds of college kids partying…I’m all for partying, but UCSC isnt as crazy party as SB right?</p>

13

<p>No, I don’t think UCSC has as large a party scene as UCSB. But UCSB is one of the top party schools in the nation. So, it’s not like they don’t party or anything at Santa Cruz.</p>

14

<p>So, here are the pictures I said I’d post…there aren’t that many, and they really aren’t that great…I wanted to enjoy my visit there, rather than spending all my time behind a camera lens…=]</p>

<p>View from the main library:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130013.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130013.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Library:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130010.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130010.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130014.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130014.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130015.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130015.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Music department (I think):
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130017.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130017.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>College 8:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130024.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130024.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130025.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130025.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130026.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130026.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130027.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130027.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Oakes:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130031.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130031.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130032.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130032.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130033.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130033.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130034.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130034.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Porter:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130035.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130035.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130036.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130036.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130037.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130037.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130038.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130038.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130040.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130040.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130039.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130039.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Kresge:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130041.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130041.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130042.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130042.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130043.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130043.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4120094.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4120094.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Random trees and stuff:
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130004.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130004.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130021.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130021.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130022.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4130022.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Future Banana Slug (Me!):
<a href=“http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4140006.jpg[/url]”>http://i553.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/jj399/skadforlife_/P4140006.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

15

<p>“My friend went to UCSB over the break and took pics for me. She showed me a mass beach with hundreds of college kids partying…I’m all for partying, but UCSC isnt as crazy party as SB right?”</p>

<p>^^If that was the weekend of April 4th, it’s because they had Floatopia. It’s a beach party in IV (town next to UCSB…not in UCSB itself ) that is mainly SBCC students and visiting students.</p>

16

<p>Nice pics, skad. Your ‘music department’ pic is actually the art department, I believe.</p>

17

<p>Wow. I’m not much of a fan of the supposed culture at UCSC, with all the drugs and whatnot, but their campus is beautiful! I hope one day UCSC can pick it up with the other UC’s… this place seems like it deserves it.</p>

18

<p>Woah, dude. I think you should be more careful with your word choice. Some people would call that offensive.</p>

19

<p>Haha, I don’t find it offensive. I find it TRUE. UCSC is maintaining their ‘laid back, smoke weed’ reputation. The school atmosphere really is a jewel within the UC system. The atmosphere is why I chose it over ‘better’ UCs. </p>

<pre><code> That said, contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of students actually do drugs. Drinking is very popular though, as it is at any University.

I too hope that UCSC will be able to pick it up. Construction is almost finished with the completely renovated library, new media arts building, and redone health center. Construction is starting for the new biomedical sciences building, and they are starting to get their Long Range Development Plan together to expand the capacity of the University by 25-50% in 10 years, or so. Also, every year the school is getting more and more difficult, pushing itself more towards the mid tier UCs and away from the bottom tier.
</code></pre>

20

<p>Yeah, didn’t UCSC have the biggest decrease in acceptance rates this year?</p>

<p>I think they went down to like, 60%-65%</p>