<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I’m a third year International Relations major at UCD and I’m willing to take questions. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a variety of aspects of student life–ASUCD, student clubs, Greek life, study abroad, and research jobs/internships, so please feel free to ask!</p>
<p>for research, can you do it as part of a group, or is it something you do one-on-one, where it’s just you and the professor you’re performing your research under? </p>
<p>What is the atmosphere in the dorms? </p>
<p>How many clubs are there? Do you think incoming freshmen and transfers should join a fraternity/sorority? </p>
<p>Are there chances for pre-vet and pre-med students to intern?</p>
<p>I have a question about grades… since the classes are HUGE, is it easy to get help for classes? Also, would you say (if you work hard, of course!) it is… not easy but definitely possible to achieve a great GPA, like 3.5? I am looking at a liberal arts college and UCD but I’m concerned that I won’t be able to get a good GPA since I hear UC’s are extremely hard on grading and difficult to get a good GPA… which is important for grad school.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>sopranokitty: There are many opportunities for research. You can assist a professor as a research assistant–these types of jobs are often posted on Aggie Job Link, or if you simply ask a professor in your class they can probably direct you to the research projects being done in that department. UCD also has a number of research institutes ([UC</a> Davis: Research](<a href=“http://www.ucdavis.edu/research/]UC”>Research)) that hire interns and student assistants to help out with their projects. </p>
<p>The dorm atmosphere varies depending on what dorm you’re in and what kind of people are in it. Generally most people find dorm living a good experience since the RAs try hard to make it a pleasant living experience for everyone (i.e. “quiet hours” after 11pm and during finals week). Another plus about living in the dorms is that Student Housing puts on a lot of events and fairs for students to learn more about campus resources. You’re going to get so much random free stuff your first few weeks! It’s awesome. Your RA will often have representatives from CAPS, Peace Corps, and other organizations to come speak to your floor/building about their programs, and there’s usually free food (pizza, cookies, candy, etc). I almost miss the dorms :)</p>
<p>There are TONS of student clubs and organizations. Check out the Center for Student Involvement if you want to do a little browsing on some of UCD’s club offerings. [Center</a> for Student Involvement, UC Davis](<a href=“http://csi.ucdavis.edu/index.cfm]Center”>http://csi.ucdavis.edu/index.cfm)</p>
<p>I definitely think incoming freshmen and transfers should participate in fraternity and sorority recruitment. I’m currently a member of a sorority on campus and I wish I had joined earlier just because it is such a great way to meet people and adjust to college faster. It offers invaluable opportunities for networking (I definitely would not have heard of the internship opportunity I’m doing in Washington DC this summer if it weren’t for a program sponsored by my sorority) and for academic support. Here’s a helpful link about Greek life at UC Davis: [UC</a> Davis Greek Life, A Unit of Student Housing](<a href=“http://greeklife.ucdavis.edu/]UC”>http://greeklife.ucdavis.edu/)</p>
<p>There are definitely a lot of chances for pre-med and pre-vet students to intern! I’m not too knowledgeable on this but you should definitely visit the Internship and Career Center and they have lots of internship offerings for you to explore in this area!</p>
<p>nocrackup: Do not fear!! You have just as good of a shot at getting a stellar GPA as anyone else. In huge classes, they usually set you up with a discussion section where you meet with 15-20 other students with a TA once a week and they help review material discussed in your lecture. Take advantage of your TA and professors’ office hours, they hold them just to help YOU! Granted, some classes are easier than others, but I’ve found in my experience that going to class, doing the weekly readings, and going to office hours is the best way to earn a great GPA, and I’m sure you can do it. UCD also offers many free tutoring opportunities at the Student Academic Success Center ([UC</a> Davis: Student Academic Success Center](<a href=“http://lsc.ucdavis.edu/]UC”>http://lsc.ucdavis.edu/)). Hope it helps!</p>
<p>How good is the International Relations program over there and how does it compare to other UCs?</p>
<p>sweetlacecharm: The International Relations program is great! I’m not sure how to compare it to other UCs but I’ll just post what i posted in another forum a few days ago:</p>
<p>I myself am an International Relations major at UCD, and I can speak for the amazing IR program that UCD has. UCD has a large International Relations major, with four different tracks/specialties within the major to choose from:</p>
<p>Track 1: World Trade and Development (more of a focus on econ and int’l trade)
Track 2: Peace and Security (my track! emphasis on peacebuilding, int’l conflict, etc)
Track 3: Global Environment, Health, and Natural Resources (sort of integrates the IR field with environmental issues–very relevant!)
Track 4: Peoples and Nationalities (think IR on a more anthropological/people scale)</p>
<p>Additionally, there is an Area Studies component of the major, where you take a few courses to learn about a specific area (Africa and the Middle East, East and South Asia, Latin America, Russia and East/Central Europe, Western Europe).</p>
<p>There are tons of student resources for IR majors. On campus we have the International Relations Student Association, where students get together and hear lots of speakers and discuss current events. There’s also Model UN, Roosevelt Institution, Nourish International, STAND (anti-genocide student group)…the list goes on.</p>
<p>The study abroad program at UCD is fantastic. I studied abroad in Israel through Davis Summer Abroad. Half of the students in my program were from other UC’s and a university on the East Coast, which speaks to the caliber of the UCD study abroad options. Plus, as a UC student, you have access to study abroad programs at other UC’s and at the overall UC Education Abroad Program. I encourage you to check it out!
[University</a> of California Education Abroad Program](<a href=“http://eap.ucop.edu/]University”>http://eap.ucop.edu/)</p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any more questions!</p>
<p>I had another question! I have no AP credit besides a 4 in AP English Language (I don’t know if that even counts for anything)… so I’m concerned about being able to graduate in 4 years. Coming in without AP credit, is it highly likely I won’t graduate in 4 years? that REALLY concerns me.
Also, could you talk about how the quarter system? I’m worried the classes will move way faster with more frequent big essays, projects, and tests so it’ll be super hectic in comparison to the semester system.
Lastly… I really would like to know how hard it is to get into classes.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>anisha: ooh, that’s neat. Out of curiosity, if I were to double major in East Asian Studies and IR, would that be too much work? Should I take one as a major and the other as a minor?</p>
<p>@nocrackup
your major will probably cover all the units you need. if your major is especially tiny like mine (econ) then it’s possible, but i only have 20 units from APs and i’m not even sure i need them.
@sweetlacecharm
[UC</a> Davis General Catalog | Programs and Courses](<a href=“http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/UCDWebCatalog/programs.html]UC”>General Catalog - Welcome)
decide for yourself :)</p>
<p>Is it costly to be in a sorority? I want to join and stay in the Greek house (if I get in UCD) but at the same time, I don’t think I will be able to afford it.</p>
<p>Yeah, sorority dues are like $400-500 a quarter, at least the ones i know people in. Frats are slightly cheaper but still expensive.</p>
<p>Yeah, meeting people and networking are awesome but I don’t have that kind of money.</p>
<p>You don’t need to be in the greek system to meet people 
I haven’t joined any formal clubs or organizations or anything and I know tons of people.
What my friend did freshman year was made it a goal to make friends with 3 people in each of his classes. I think I’m going to do this next year, it’s a really good idea
Just get out there, do what you enjoy, and be friendly… you will meet people, guaranteed.</p>
<p>Does being on the quarter system make it harder to achieve a good grade? I hear that it moves classes at a faster pace, and has more frequent big projects, essays, and/or tests.</p>
<p>Well, I like to be involved in the extracurricular because I get to meet people while doing something worth of my time with them. Greek system sounds very good because a family seems to be built out of them. Clubs it is for me.</p>
<p>Do you have to be in jr/sr year to take upper division courses? Like for GEs, I’m thinking of taking upper division history, can I start that freshman year?</p>
<p>nocrackup: Don’t worry about not having enough AP credits. There are many ways you can work towards a goal of graduating in 4 years–UCD offers two summer sessions (I did classes during summer session-classes are often smaller and it’s less hectic) and there are upper division writing/placement exams you can take if you want to place out of certain courses. The quarter system is faster than the semester system, but in my opinion it’s really not as grueling as people make it out to be. It just means that for certain classes, you may start having midterms starting around the third week of the quarter as opposed to semester kids, who will start having midterms around the fifth week. It does take a quarter or so to adjust to college according to what you’re used to in school but don’t fear! There are tons of academic resources on campus to help you out (not sure if I posted about them in this thread or in another). Getting into classes gets easier as you acquire more units. Unfortunately Davis Honors Challenge students and athletes tend to have higher priority for pass times, but a lot of times even if you end up getting waitlisted for classes, people WILL drop and most professors have no problem giving you a permission-to-add (PTA) number if you’re not off the waitlist by then. My only advice for this is MAKE SURE YOU PAY YOUR FEES ON TIME! I’ve had many friends get dropped from all their classes because their fees weren’t paid by the deadline. Gotta love the UCD Registrar. </p>
<p>sweetlacecharm: You could potentially double in both. I know double majors can often be time consuming, so you should probably speak to a Letters and Science counselor about the majors specifically. Also I’m not sure but I believe there may be rules about double majors with too many course overlaps.</p>
<p>syltutu: There are many sorority options on campus. Sorority dues vary from $300-$600 a quarter on average, but I assure you that it is often much cheaper if you actually live in the sorority house. There are a ton of sororities such as pre-professional, service, cultural, and special interest sororities that don’t have official charter houses (and thus are much cheaper, since they don’t have to pay for the house’s upkeep) but still have all the same events and emphasis on sisterhood that Panhellenic sororities do. And Hella is correct in saying you don’t need to be involved in Greek life to meet people. There are so many clubs and orgnanizations at UCD that will enrich your UCD experience in the same way. I encourage you to explore your options fully and keep an open mind!</p>
<p>lunaticchemist: I believe you have to acquire 90 units (upper division standing) to be able to take upper division courses (someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong).</p>
<p>The thing is that if I get in to UCD, I will be qualified for the blue and gold plan which allows me to live on campus without having to pay. So the sorority house being cheaper thing doesn’t really apply to me.</p>
<p>Blue and Gold only pays for tuition… I have blue and gold and still have to pay full room and board.</p>