<p>I am a CC transfer student, majoring in Spanish language & lit. I applied to UCI, UCSB and UCR for Fall 2010. I live in between Riverside and OC all my life, so am familiar with the areas of UCI and UCR but not with UCSB...is SB a better place to live in then OC? or is it similar? Which school is better (lifestyles, living expenses, etc.)..</p>
<p>Any info will help..thanks.</p>
<p>Santa Barbara is Less Republican (that’s good in my book!)</p>
<p>Overall, UCSB is better than Irvine by a bit, and Riverside by leaps and bounds.</p>
<p>if your choice is between irvine, riverside and SB, i’d say go to SB and don’t look back… </p>
<p>seriously,
GO THERE!
i did a year living in isla vista and loved every moment of it. </p>
<p>in a nutshell, this is IV: a few square miles of closed-off, million dollar beachfront property, inhabited by thousands of college students between the ages of 18 and 24, 8 miles down the road from pretty, quaint and beach-laden downtown santa barbara. </p>
<p>of UCSB: anyone who says that the partying - of which there is a lot - is ‘too much to handle’ doesn’t have even a shred of discipline in them. there are also some naysayers who complain about the rent being too expensive, but you can share a room at garden court for ~$375 / month.</p>
<p>rc251’s account:</p>
<p>Also, Isla Vista is a pretty magical place You have the rest of your life to live in a metropolis or boring suburb (which IMO describes most of the other UCs), but there’s nothing like living less than a mile from over 15,000 students, eateries that are open late, the beach, a theatre, etc. It’s nice to be able to do all this without having to get into a car (heck you don’t even need a bike really…). Also, the fact that UCSB is really quite isolated means that the rate of students that go home for the weekend is extremely low… The one downside to this is that those who want to intern in the immediate area have less options than they would at campuses near urban areas.</p>
<p>thanks, both of you. at the moment i’m keeping santa barbara as my priority choice. :)</p>
<p>SB ALL THE WAY. my bro goes there and I’ve visited him. Its an amazing place to live and its so beautiful and warm.</p>
<p>Irvine is the best UC for your major, and that should be the most important thing to you. if you are looking to have fun while studying, however, you should go to SB then.</p>
<p>If you want to have more of a social life I’d recommend Santa Barbara. Irvine and Riverside are both commuter schools, everyone goes home every weekend. Then again, if you want to stay close to home that’s probably not much of an issue for you.</p>
<p>Santa Barbara ALL THE WAY. Irvine and Riverside are the most boring and unmotivated campuses out there. Stay away from them.</p>
<p>UCSB 10char</p>
<p>riverside should be forgotten, immediately.</p>
<p>i would recommend irvine or sb, by far.</p>
<p>you should visit both; irvine is way more socal laid back and sb definitely has more fun things to do. but irvine is just a drive away from great stuff to do and it’s safe; plus it’s a good fit for your major.</p>
<p>UCSB. You will have great academics and an amazing college experience. Get involved with as many things as you can and stay disciplined. I transferred there and graduated last spring, and I would do it again in a heart beat if I get another chance to transfer.</p>
<p>This post is exactly what I have been looking for. Which one has the most vegan food??</p>