UCR Review by a Junior

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Riverside
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<p>transferred last year as a neuroscience major. i’m a pre-med. i agree with the poster about UCR. it’s a great school. some of my friends transferred to UCD, UCB, and UCLA the same yr i transferred. i’m the one in a research lab while others are having hard time approaching a professor. i’ve been in two biochemistry research labs and was accepted into 3 total. they’re yale, harvard, cornell, and internationally trained and one of them is also an MD. i love my professors and classes i’ve taken thus far. friends who are graduating have gotten acceptance into schools like ohio state and ivy league schools, while some others can’t even get a job since they have NO job experience and entry level jobs these days require at least 2-3 yrs of experience. career does not depend on where you received your degree but rather who you are and your ability. as a non traditional student, i’ve had 8 job offers on campus (well, part time job but still pays for gas and stuff), though i can’t work due to my school work load. if you’re willing to contact some professors and just be proactive then you will really like the opportunities offered at ucr. don’t let others say otherwise. i love UCR. and a lot of my graduate student TAs got their bachelor’s at UCR and decided to stay for their master’s or phds. </p>

<p>remember, when it comes down to hiring a UCLA graduate vs a UCR graduate, people would most likely look at who they are and what kinds of experiences they’ve had, hence what they can offer to the company, not where they got their degree. so wisely pick a school that has a lot to offer you, not just its prestige, because there’s always going to be a UCB student or an ivy league student, or someone who attended a school that’s more prestigious than yours; it wouldn’t just be the case for UCR grads. so for anyone to say that a school’s prestige is the most important factor is being ignorant and not credible at all. i know plenty of ucb grads with no jobs and are collecting unemployment because all they knew how to do was get an A. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

22

<p>This is a brilliant and spot on post about UCR. After attending my first year here, I have to agree to just about all your points. Hopefully some of the newer or prospective students can read this too, as it gives a very keen insight as to what goes on at UCR.</p>

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<p>Hello. I am a current High School senior.I want to major in computer science as well. I am aiming for a Ph.D in Computer Science. I am planing on going to RCC and transfering to UCR or Cal Poly Pomona. I live in Ontario so I am literally right in the middle from both colleges. I am leaning towards UCR now because of your post. I have seen Cal Poly Pomona. I still haven’t visited UCR. I don’t really care about the surroundings. Riverside is definitely not Beverly Hills but I can deal with it. I am assuming that you are now a Senior. Congratulations on making it this far. I have done a TREMENDOUS amount of research about colleges, majors, etc. I would just like somebody to talk to since you are actually in the program. How does UCR’s Computer Science program match up with Cal Poly’s?(If you know). What are you specializing in?(Electives). I barely signed up so I cannot send messages :(. But this will do. Maybe E-mail? I hope I don’t sound like a creeper. Thank you for your time.</p>

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<p>Thank you for a great review. </p>

<p>UCR has always carried an undeserved reputation as the runt of the UC system. Nothing could be further than the truth. The education at UCR is in many ways, similar to that of Berkeley or UCLA for many majors. </p>

<p>I’m saying this as a Berkeley alumnus who has visited each UC campus many times.</p>

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<p>Hello, Twoshoes. I really don’t come to CollegeConfidential that much anymore. I’ve sent you a PM with my school email. I hope it isn’t too late to discuss with each other so I can help you make the best choice.</p>

<p>I’m really glad everyone enjoyed this review. I wish it was in a more readable format (I realize it is an eye-sore), but college confidential doesn’t have too many text-editing options.</p>

<p>@BuBBLES For SALE</p>

<p>Thank you for the respect. Really, I mean it. Especially coming from such an esteemed and historic university where you really can look down on us if you wanted to. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, I don’t get a lot of it off campus. It has been changing very slowly, but it is very disheartening for all the students here who work and learn just as much, if not more, as other UCs to be called “■■■■■■■” and “lazy”.</p>

<p>I’ve looked through the course offerings and material of the CS major that UC Berkeley and UC Irvine offer. My reasoning was that these people are my competition and so, if UC Riverside was truly the inferior school, I had to make up the rest on my own.</p>

<p>When I saw that UC Riverside and UC Berkeley were essentially identical in many aspects except a few choice ones, I had my answer.</p>

<p>I feel, more than all the other UCs, that UC Riverside students are from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. A lot of us, more so than other UCs, came from poor high schools that didn’t have many options for us to be “more desirable” in the admission process such as AP classes, extracurriculars, etc.</p>

<p>I really think the UC admissions is very biased and favorable for students who have many opportunities to begin with. And it is really discriminatory on students who could use the UC system the most. UC Riverside and UC Merced are the solution to that problem.</p>

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<p>It is very interesting that nobody did not mention about Riverside City’s boring atmosphere. Also I do not understand why people cannot get in another schools and why they are coming here for torturing themselves. Everyone depressive, people are not friendly and summer time, campus smelling **** of animals and straw. Do you want to smell straw and **** of animals in summer time ? Oh you do ? Come here !</p>

<p>UCR is not recognizable college in nationwide. Why don’t you look at another campuses of UC’s ? Please be clever and think twice if you want to come here !</p>

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<p>dude23: What are you even talking about? Animals and straw? What? UCR smells like trees and mountain dirt and occasionally cigarette smoke (but admittedly the trees by the bookstore smell like body odor in the springtime). There aren’t even farm animals around campus except for privately owned horses on some of the larger residential properties, as far as I know. We’re not Davis.</p>

<p>I’ve actually met some of the friendliest people ever on campus, in my major, in my classes, in the club meetings I’ve sat in, and in different departmental offices. Sure, there are probably some grouchy people walking around, too, but that’s the same at every major public university, dude.</p>

<p>UCR is actually highly recognized nationally and internationally. We were ranked #1 in public service and #9 overall by the Washington Monthly, #8 in the nation in diversity and 44th among public universities by US News & World Report, and the 143rd ranked university in the world by The Times. (Source: [About</a> UCR: Ranks](<a href=“http://www.ucr.edu/about/ranks.html]About”>http://www.ucr.edu/about/ranks.html)) We’re also ranked as one of the top LGBT friendly colleges, a top military friendly school, and among the top green colleges - all on the national level.</p>

<p>And “Riverside’s boring atmosphere?” Really? Do you not participate in any clubs or sports or anything? Downtown is awesome and full of great places to eat and explore. You can take a free bus ride to places like rock climbing gyms, art museums, performance centers, and even the Amtrak to LA if you want to go crazy. Sure, we’re not full of clubs and bars and strip joints within a walking radius, but there’s still stuff to do if you’re willing to look.</p>

<p>But if you think UCR isn’t a great school, that’s your opinion. I won’t try to change your mind; you can believe what you want to believe. I think UCR is awesome, and so do quite a few other people. But if you want to toss around complaints, I really think you should make sure you don’t look silly in the process.</p>

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<p>@dude23</p>

<p>You are not making any sense. Your grammar, while mistakes are fine, is flawed to the point that I cannot understand what you are trying to say. When I have a critique of something, I would not attempt to make myself look like I was foaming at the mouth. I would go slowly point by point with valid and complete reasoning for my opinions. </p>

<p>It seems like you did something wrong, and you don’t have any valid complaints about the university itself. That would explain why your argument is all over the place. </p>

<p>There are certain aspects I hate about this university and my major too, but I make the best out of it and not blame the university for things it cannot control. </p>

<p>UC Riverside entitles you to resources to help you get a degree of your choosing alongside services to help your academic, mental, social, and emotional well being. If you didn’t take advantage of those resources then that’s on you. The university is not a mind reader.</p>

<p>You are not entitled for everyone around you to be happy and friendly. You are not entitled to an “exciting” atmosphere. You are not entitled to a school that is in the top 1 percentile of all in the world unless you get accepted and pay for it. You are not entitled to air that is flawless in smell, composition, and temperature. </p>

<p>While these things are a consideration, the university cannot control this and, if these aspects upset you so much, it is ultimately your fault you chose to come here. </p>

<p>You are entitled to a good education with great effort and perseverance on your part. Did you get that at UCR or not? I have. If you didn’t then please share as that would be a valid and insightful criticism of the university.</p>

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<p>I have been pretty harsh on UCR but it’s growing on me. They’re raising requirements and I’ve heard a lot of good things about the engineering, cs, and business programs. One thing I’ll say is you should definitely leverage ucr’s location to land internships and recruiting in LA. Good school.</p>

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<p>I was wondering if Riverside sends out notification emails for applicants- specifically, if they received our application or not, because I got emails from the other UC schools I applied to (that they received my app,) but no feedback from UCR. Please help?</p>

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<p>Yes they send out notification emails.</p>

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<p>I got into ucr for fall of 2013 in criminology (: I really want to work my way through to be some “top flight” detective… any knowledge on that program or do you know any friends currently in it? Ty in advance (:</p>

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<p>Ohhh and just out of curiousity, could I transfer from ucr into uci while maintaining my major(: (Sorry if I sound like a scrub :frowning: )</p>

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<p>@MonetteVixen: UCR doesn’t have a Criminology undergraduate major. You would have to speak with UC Irvine’s transfer center about thate. Also, UC-to-UC transfers are pretty hard because priority is given to students from California Community Colleges. I would really recommend going to a community college first and then transferring to UCI. You would be saving money, you would be able to transfer more easily, and you can give your spot at UCR to someone who really wants it.</p>

<p>To give you an idea of transferring to UCI:
<a href=“https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/university-of-california-irvine[/url]”>BigFuture College Search;

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<p>I’m sorry, it was law and society. And I do want to go to ucr, just that uci has such a great program of my ambition. I got waitlisted so my next choice was ucr and davis. I really like so cal though so I chose ucr. My parents would gawk at me for choosing a cc when I got into davis, I’d rather not deal with it… but yea, anything on law and society? (: (sorry for rambling)</p>

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<p>My top choice college is UC Irvine but I am on the waiting list. So I need to choose between UCR and UCSB. </p>

<p>Things to consider:
• UCR is close to home — I would commute
• UCR should be accepted to University Honors
• I am NOT a partier
• I am used to the Riverside weather and the surroundings - although I don’t particularly care for it
• My major would be aerospace engineering (Only UCI has that) so I would be doing Mechanical Engineering at UCR And Physics at UCSB
• UCSB is on the beach - that’s a plus
• UCR is close to a small airport - that’s a plus because I will be learning how to fly
• I come from a small high school where the teachers like to help their students and everyone knows each other</p>

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<p>So I was accepted into BCOE for ChemE. I was also accepted at CalPoly SLO for chemistry, but plan on changing my major to engineering after the first quarter. I’m not worried about changing majors, I’ve been assured by the advisors it’s totally doable. Here is my dilemma, SLO has a solid reputation, but I haven’t heard too much about BCOE. Does anyone know what companies hire their grads, what is the BCOE like, and how are the professors and classes? Can I get just as good of an education in engineering at BCOE as SLO?</p>

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<p>@MonetteVixen: “The Law and Society major leads in cooperation with one of seven majors: Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology”- some UCR website.
-So, your major would (Something)/Law and Society. It’s for people who want a future in law. It requires a few extra (I think like 9) classes, one of them called Law and Society 100. It is like the basics of law, so you get to do case briefings. It’s a small preview of what law school would be like.</p>

<p>@JustPlaneSmart (lol at your name)
-Don’t let something like partying be a deciding factor in college. Just because you don’t like it won’t have an effect on your college experience, regardless of where you go. With that being said, a lot of students at UCR party; it just takes place within a few miles off campus. We recently got an email from the interim chancellor complaining about a weekly Wednesday party.</p>

<p>@Anyhope
-I don’t know much about the engineering program here. I have heard positive things about classes/professors though. From where I’m allowed to go, the building/facilities look pretty bad ass. I also know there are a lot of research positions with professors. This website can probably tell you more:
[The</a> Bourns Difference: Home](<a href=“http://bournsdifference.ucr.edu/]The”>http://bournsdifference.ucr.edu/)</p>

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<p>I’m a senior in high school and I’m going to attend UCR! This just made my life so much easier and now I know where I’m going and I’m not just walking into a university that i know nothing about because I didn’t get a chance to visit it.</p>

<p>I have a few questions though:

  1. If I apply to housing, do I get to choose or do they randomly put me in either of the three you described above?
  2. When you said “7.2 Types of Housing - Apartments”, did you mean apartments outside the campus?
  3. Do you apply to housing from GROWL?</p>
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<p>What are the best apartments near UCR to live in?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>