<p>So I’m still trying to decide which college to go to, although I’m leaning towards UC Davis. The only reservation I have is that I am an out-of-state student - my financial aid was decent enough, so that’s not my big worry; rather, I’m worried about the atmosphere for out-of-state students. I know that hardly any out-of-state students go to UC Davis and I guess my question is: how hard is it going to be to make friends, etc, if most people come to UCD from the same high schools throughout California and I’m the only one from my high school? Also, do a lot of people go home on the weekends, or do most people stay and there’s lot of stuff to do? Basically, I guess, how accepting are the students at UCD towards out-of-state students?</p>
<p>Outsiders shall be burnt at the stake!!!</p>
<p>Seriously though, you’re worrying too much about this I think. College is NOT high school part 2, and that’s going to be true at any campus you end up at. Even if someone has a support system of friends they went to high school with at their new college, the odds that they’ll remain close for the remaining 4 years of school are slim. I’m not a student at Davis (not yet at least) but I’ve spent a lot of time there and have several friends who have since graduated, and I’ve always gotten the sense that it is more welcoming than most of the other universities I’ve visited. The big thing to understand is that in college you bear most of the responsibility for your life, so if you’re worried about making friends be proactive and join a club, or just introduce yourself to random people until you click with someone (study groups are great ways to make friends, as well as the stupid@$$ group projects your professors will force upon you at one point or another). Don’t worry so much though, Davis is a really cool place and the people seem more approachable than at UCLA or UCB, at least to me.</p>
<p>Good luck wherever you end up.</p>
<p>I don’t think you would have a problem at all. There are a lot of people here from N. California, but this is a big area and most people are new to each other. I have seem some
kids on campus from my high school, but they weren’t people I hung out with there nor here. I have stayed friends with people I met at orientation plus new people in the dorms and classes. One I know goes home almost every weekend, but most just occasionally. One of the reasons I didn’t pick UC Irvine was that I read that almost 50% of the students go home each weekend.</p>
<p>Calfifornia is huge. there are 32 million people in the state. People aren’t going into Davis knowing a lot of people, the student body is really diverse and you wont “stick out” at all. Besides, people are really friendly at Davis, and everyone is looking to make new friends in college!</p>