<p>For people who went to UCSC or are current students or even people who are planning to transfer to UCSC where have you heard is the best place to live in campus? and off-campus? I got accepted into UCSC recently and although i applied to many other schools, UCSC is giving me an offer i cannot refuse (financial aid). Just wondering since i do not know much about the housing in UCSC. Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Im not a UCSC student, nor do I plan to be; I’m a local. With that being said, I think you would have more fun living in town as a transfer, perhaps in a place with other students. You’ll meet plenty of folks that way, as their friends come over and you go to parties, etc. I made friends with a bunch of Slugs that way, and I don’t even go to the school! Plus, its cheaper. Look on Craigslist for folks looking for roommates on either the Westside or Midtown/ Seabright areas. Some great old Victorians around there that a bunch of students live in. Plus, closer to downtown, and thats where all the action in Santa Cruz is, even if it is sort of muted and laid back.</p>
<p>There’s a plus to living on campus though, and that’s not having to ‘commute’ into the campus, which is on the top of a huge hill XD</p>
<p>UCSC is a really beautiful campus anyway.</p>
<p>thank you for the info… I have not made my decision yet since i’m still waiting for the other UC’s to make their decisions. But it turns out that UCSC is the ones that gives me the more financial assistance i will attend there this fall!</p>
<p>Have you visited the campus? Personally, I hate the campus. I’m not trying to offend anyone. However to me, I’d compare it to living in the forest. I can’t even imagine walking back to class at night. I could be killed and thrown into the trees, and nobody would know. When it rains there, it gets really muddy and gross. Even the buses you can take stops at a deserted area.</p>
<p>@iequalstudent It seems like you had a horrible time when you were at the campus. It good to know that there are buses, because i don’t want to waste gas driving up and down the hill all the time. Does anybody know if the colleges are divided by areas of study, as in biology college, liberal arts college and such?</p>
<p>iequalstudent:
I feel more safe on UCSC’s campus than I do on any other campus I have ever visited. There is more danger walking around UCB’s campus around twilight than there is walking on UCSC’s campus well after dark. The campus is considered closed after 8pm and requires one show a UCSC ID to enter the campus. The city itself is another issue entirely.</p>
<p>You only encounter mud if you deviate from the paved paths and there are evening buses that will deliver you to most of the college circles (not the “deserted area” bus stops). I’m guessing you not only haven’t spent much time on campus or researching how the campus operates, but that you came with a chip on your shoulder determined to hate the campus. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but your statements prove how little you know about services offered and the safety level of the campus.</p>
<p>alvaroamorin:
It’s incredibly expensive to live on campus, but I personally find it worth it. It’s nice to have somewhere to go within easy walking distance between classes. You may find it more cost effective to live off campus, but remember your financial aid award will be reduced if you choose to love off campus because your estimated cost of attendance will be lower.</p>
<p>I find it fun. It’s like getting to have the fun of camping, but with more modern amenities. I’m saving a decent amount by not having to pay for a parking permit and having lower insurance by having my car far from me. I also save the headache of finding a spot. Parking is limited and passes are sold on a first come, first served basis. Even with a pass, you might have huge difficulty finding a spot in one of the lots available to undergrads. It’s better to take advantage of the Metro bus system (if you show your current UCSC ID, you don’t pay to ride) and bus to campus if you live off campus.</p>
<p>You can find themed halls, but you’ll find a range of people living in them. The colleges do not divide you up by major, though.</p>
<p>I’ve actually heard rumors that some students live in the trees. I really doubt that it’s true, but if it is, that could be your last-resort option ;)</p>
<p>As long as it is covered by the financial aid i will live in a tree!
@Kender thank you for your input. That really helps me put things in perspective</p>
<p>to add to this thread,should I bring my car to UCSC?it sounds as though most people like being at SC without a car.</p>
<p>@ray</p>
<p>No need for a car unless you live far off-campus. Bikes are key; you can ride from one end of the city of Santa Cruz to the other in 15 minutes. Not even that much longer from SC to Capitola. But if you live off campus, no reason to not have it either.</p>
<p>@kender Sorry, you’re totally right about the “how little you know about services offered and the safety level of the campus”. I don’t know much about UCSC’s campus, I just went there for a quick tour on a foggy day. The fogginess probably made me dislike it more. </p>
<p>I just think that even the living areas aren’t that nice compared to other UCs. I think UCR has a nicer campus. As you all can probably tell already, I’m not an outdoors person. However, I do have a friend who is going to attend in the Fall of 2011. He’s the type of person who loves the outdoors so he told me he loves the campus. Even my cousin graduated from there and he didn’t complain. The only thing I like about the campus is that it’s close to beach boardwalk =)</p>
<p>well I am going to live on campus so yeah…I dont think I will need it.But then again,I do want to visit San Francisco(I’m from So Cal).</p>
<p>I used to live in So Cal, then I moved to SF. I think SF has way more to see. You can take Bart/Muni downtown then to Union Square to shop or Stow Lake, Japanese Tea Garden, Fishermen’s Wharf, The Mission, ATT Park, Embarcadero Center, Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point, etc. It’s beautiful here although the weather kind of sucks. We just had a ‘storm’ last week and hopefully this week gets better. You really don’t need a car. I’m sure you’ll meet a friend whose willing to drive you down to the bart station and you can explore the city all you want.</p>
<p>@iequalstudent I remember the tornado warning we had.
By the way where are you guys buying your furniture and stuff like that cuz i don’t think the campus rooms come with furniture?</p>
<p>ray50117:
It depends. Are you coming in as a freshman or transfer? Freshman and sophomores are not allowed to have cars. If you’re a transfer… meh, depends. I like not spending several hundreds on a pass, my insurance being lower, not having to buy gas, etc. It takes me four hours to go home by public transportation (three buses and two BART trains), but it’s far cheaper than having my car around. However, for some it is worth it to them to have their car. Parking passes go fast, though.</p>
<p>Also, I would caution santacruzstefan’s advice of a bike with not bringing one unless you are sure you will use it and already make use of one. Do not go out and buy a bike just for campus. I kept my bike here for a little while, but ended up taking it home. I was hardly using it and it was more of a hassle than anything else. But that’s a personal decision everyone has to make. I love the bus system in Santa Cruz. I miss my bike, but I wasn’t using it enough to warrant it.</p>
<p>iequalstudent:
Coming to UCSC on a foggy day when you’re a replanted SoCal person? Yeah, I can see why you had an especially bad time on campus! Most of the SoCal people I know cannot stand the weather in NorCal and Santa Cruz can be especially foggy. The fog is what the redwoods love in the summer time. It keeps them well hydrated. I actually like the fog. Night walks are a blast in it :)</p>
<p>Like I said, totally fine to not like the campus. I know it is not for everyone. But many of your rather strongly worded statements against the campus already either have solutions in place (the night shuttles and paved paths) or were incorrect (the safety level of the campus). It’s alright to not be an outdoors person, but I want to make sure that your dislike does not discourage someone who is because they believe the campus hasn’t taken measures to protect its students.</p>
<p>It’s best to know what you hate so that you can complain about it properly, right ;)? I mean that sincerely :)</p>
<p>alvaroamorin:
On campus? Furniture is provided. There’s a bed (with mattress), desk, desk chair, wardrobe, and dresser at minimum.</p>
<p>@kender cool! i didn’t want to go through the hassle of buying cheap furniture off craigslist, I guess i will probably have to find out how far is housing from classes to decide whether i need a bike or not.</p>
<p>There’s a free shuttle system on campus. To be honest, a bike isn’t necessary to get around campus unless you really like the exercise. It’s easier to walk than bike since a lot of the shortcuts you can’t take a bike on (or at least you’re not supposed to). But that’s just my personal opinion. I know a lot of people who bike to campus (usually with a Metro bus thrown in to cut the distance a bit or to take off some of the strain of the hills coming up to campus).</p>
<p>You really won’t know how far your housing is from your classes until you sign up each quarter. Assuming you are on campus, of course. As a transfer, you’d be forced to live in the Transfer Community in Porter’s Building A if you chose on campus (unless the Powers That Be wise up that it’s only hurting the transfers relationship with the campus as a whole). I think the most time I allow to get from Porter to the east side of campus (classes in Stevenson for example) is roughly half an hour. More if I know that there will be a lot of people waiting for the bus. Half an hour is also more than enough time to walk across campus and have some time to spare.</p>
<p>I’d bring a mini-fridge and a microwave if you have either. They are incredibly handy :). I also brought my own desk chair since I hate the ones provided. They’re not very comfortable to sit in for long periods of time and since I have a desktop with me to do all my heavy duty work when in my room, a comfortable chair is a must.</p>
<p>A butterfly chair can be a nice comfort for extra sit space as well. They fold up quite narrow and are great when you don’t want to sit on your bed. I’ve used the cushion from mine as a mattress when I’ve had company spend the night as well (I always give my guests the bed).</p>