<p>Well, I might be a bit biased (since I go to UCR) in my response to this question. </p>
<p>I would say first go to both schools and take campus and residence hall tours from both campuses and see which one you like the most. Talk to students who are walking around there and ask for their experience. </p>
<p>I didn’t apply to any CSUs, let alone CSULB, but I can say that my friends who applied and now go there are having the time of their lives. They always tell me it’s a waste that I didn’t apply there, since they said everything there is so much fun. (being near the beach is a big plus haha)</p>
<p>I chose UCR because I loved the environment here on campus, the diverse community, and that it was close to home. When I started my school year here, I thought everybody I met was so nice. They were all so eager to help me out on things I didn’t understand. Although the dorm food isn’t the best, it’s still decent. The area around it at night might not be the best place for girls to be walking around alone, but there’s always campus escort services available. It might be a tad inconvenient for a person to go to places, since the mall is about an hour away by bus (RTA); it would be best if you or a friend had a car. Nonetheless, UCR is still a very nice school to go to. Its business programs are top notch and rival with Berkeley’s business programs. I’m sure our Engineering majors are also the same. (I’m not too sure on that aspect, since I’m not an Engineering major) Orange juice here is very yummy. Count that you will get your daily Vitamin C if you get the homemade orange juice every time you go to the dining halls. haha (It’s really yummy :P)</p>
<p>But it really depends on what you plan to do in your future career, what your major is, and what classes you can or want to take in your college careerl. Even if you’re an undeclared major, look at what both schools have to offer, the classes and the requirements for your major and/or GEs you are required to take. See what kinds of classes you don’t have to take because you passed it from an AP exam you did in high school or a college course you took at a community college.</p>
<p>Just remember, college isn’t about where you go. It’s about what you can do for yourself in terms of your future career. That’s what matters. :]</p>
<p>So in my opinion, just do what I said above. Go to both schools and see their requirements and what they have to offer. If you’re still torn between the two, just choose one that you like (environment-wise, distance between classes, etc) and work from there. You can always do two years doing General Education classes and then deciding whether or not you would like to stay. Transferring to another may be a bit hard now, but it’s not impossible. </p>
<p>I would say go to UCR, even if it is a commute school, but aren’t most colleges/universities commute schools anyways? There’s quite a lot of things you can do here, as long as you put in an effort for it! >W<!</p>
<p>This is just my input. =D</p>