<p>I'm a soon-to-be junior in high school and was wondering about this program. It looks extremely fun and beneficial especially because I really want to go there.</p>
<p>Are you talking about the Summer Discovery program? If so, I HIGHLY recommend it. I did it last summer, I was living in Santa Cruz Hall for 6 weeks with other students in the program (from all over the country and the world) and we basically lived like Santa Barbara students for that period of time (minus the ragers in IV). I took two classes. You could take one college course and one enrichment course (which is also 6 weeks) or just two enrichment courses and only stay for four weeks. You can also be a part of the research program and stay for 6 weeks.
The course offerings are alright, I just took a couple of introductory courses in subjects that interest me, and the work was mostly limited to just reading, and then an essay for each class, a midterm and a final. Not very challenging as long as you allocating a little bit of time for studying.
I got a full scholarship for the program, which paid not only for my courses but also all of the fun activities (including trips to Disneyland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios among other things). I met some amazing people and also got to be really well acquainted with the campus. In all honesty I did not at first rate UCSB as a school but I since then I had some love for it, and now that I am accepted there I realize I am where I belong.
Most participants in the program are going to be seniors, but one of my best friends at the program was also a soon-to-be junior. You shouldn’t have any trouble at all making friends with all the activities you do and the fact that you are living in a residence hall with tons of other people your age who want to make friends, not to mention your roommate.</p>
<p>Words of advice:
- Don’t be afraid to make friends with anyone and everyone. Those who had the best times spent a lot of time with a lot of different people, especially those from outside the country. A lot of tears are shed at the end of the program but to this day we all keep in touch.
- Don’t spend a lot of time in your room, get out and have fun and enjoy the beach or head up to grab a bite in Isla Vista, or even just go down to State Street for some shopping.
- Bring a bike or a skateboard. You can also rent or purchase a bike in IV. Biking is insanely prevalent and it really helps you get to class on time.
- The price includes a 19 meal a week mealplan at the DLG (De La Guerra Dining Commons) (3 on weekdays 2 on weekends) but remember that there are tons of places to grab a bite in at IV. Go to Freebirds and Woodstocks!
- Borrow your textbooks from the bookstore. You’ll save a lot of money. </p>
<p>I hope you do eventually decide to take this program and have a lot of fun!!</p>