I am an incoming Freshman (class of 2023). I am currently a senior and will be graduating within the next couple of months. I would like some assistance from people who have been to either of the schools I am considering to help me decide.
I have been accepted to 6 schools, rejected from 6, and waitlisted at 1.
I am currently considering either going to the University of Oregon - Eugene (U of O), or staying in California and going to UC Riverside. I will be majoring in Psychology and likely minoring in Education.
Here are some things that I “need/want” in a school:
Diversity between men, women, and races (I’ve heard that U of O is very “white” so I’m kinda iffy about that)
Education in Psychology (I have heard that u of O has a better psychology department than UCR)
Large Campus (I think that U of O is a bit too spread out, so I prefer UCR)
Weather (I have heard that because UCR is in a desert that the heat can get up to 100 degrees or higher)
Sports teams (U of O is funded by Nike and has a large amount of support/games to experience, while UCR doesn’t have much sports game hype)
Study Abroad Program (Unsure how both are)
Any information given to me or about your experience will be gratefully appreciated.
I’m not that familiar with the universities, but I worked in downtown Riverside for a while, and the campus is nice, but you are correct - the heat there in summer can get pretty brutal, with temps over 100 not being uncommon. The air quality isn’t great either, and the level of dust in the air is extremely high, so if you have any respiratory issues you should definitely not go there. On the other hand, there are days in February during which you can go out in shorts and be comfortable…
My daughter goes to UO and is a pre-major in Psychology. She doesn’t find the campus too spread out. You can bike or skateboard quickly between classes. She’s had classes that ended and started 10 minutes apart and it was not an issue. The Psych program seems good, though she’s just finishing her sophomore year. She’s had some really good teachers who she’s connected with and gotten to know even though the school is large - though they haven’t been in the Psych dept.
There’s definitely a lot of school spirit - the Ducks do have a ton of support from Nike and Phil Knight and the students are very enthused about their sports teams. It’s true that the student body is less diverse than in many areas of California but it seems like a really chill and great environment. My daughter has really enjoyed the school and has made great friends. I don’t know anything about Riverside so I can’t compare there. It is true that there are a lot of rainy days so if that bothers you, think about that. The dorm she lived in first year actually will lend out SAD lights to those who want them to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder if that’s a problem. But it also doesn’t get too hot, which my daughter really appreciates as she really dislikes heat!
My comments above were from my thoughts from what my D has shared with me, but I asked her also and here’s what she said:
–U of O is less overwhelmingly white than she expected but Oregon is white so it is what it is
– Psych dept good
– UO campus is definitely spread out but it’s good exercise and really doesn’t take too long to get to classes
– to her, the weather is perfect, if rainy
– Sports are good
– she doesn’t know much about study abroad other than one of her friends is in Australia this term
She received a good merit award based on her GPA in high school and test score, so the price differential between UO and a UC was not that great for her.