<p>What are some comparable schools in physics? What makes UCSB's physics so good?</p>
<p>I have a friend who went to Cornell and is at UCSB for Physics. This is probably UCSB highest rated department where it is a top 5 in the nation. Nobel prize winners certainly help.</p>
<p>Link to the UCSB Physics web site:</p>
<p>Well, you can't have everything. UCSD is, overall, a bit stronger than UCSB in terms of academics, and UCSB is certainly more of a party school than UCSD. In fact, from my experiences with UCSD it is a bit dead socially but some friends at UCSD would disagree with me. UCSB is a pretty good school in itself and there is not too much of a different between the two schools academically.</p>
<p>Is it really possible if you go to UCSD to go to SDSU parties? How close are the two schools, and is SDSU receptive to letting UCSD people into their parties?</p>
<p>twenty minute drive</p>
<p>in reality you might go a few times during the year, you will find you are too busy or don't have anyone to drive you.</p>
<p>My son goes to UCSB. He is a frat boy who's sole criterion for choosing a college was the quality of the social life. He isn't big on academics, but loves SB. If you are a social animal with an emphasis on extracirricular activities, you can't go wrong here. The surrounding area is beautiful, but very expensive, which is why IV is the preeminent student ghetto in the area. If your emphasis is on getting good grades and moving on up the academic chain (e.g. grad or professional school), it may be a challenge unless you are very disciplined. Also Santa Barbara is isolated, and it is not easy to go elsewhere without having to travel some distance.
My daughter goes to UCSD. She is very serious about academics. She feels right at home at UCSD. She turned down UCLA and Berkeley to attend SD. The atmosphere seems to be oriented towards studying, but the ambience of the college you go to within UCSD will affect your perception of the school. My daughter attends Revelle College, which is the most rigorous in terms of graduation requirements (every student there must take calculus regardless of major, for example). Kids at Revelle are probably the most studious at UCSD, so you would probably get the stereotypical view of UCSD at Revelle. Some of the other colleges, such as Muir, are less rigorous and attract students who are probably more interested in nonacademic activities as well. Bottom line is that you need to look for your niche in a college system like UCSD.</p>
<p>My daughter is thinking of going to UC Santa Barbara. She will not have a car. Is there any convenient public transportation from campus to downtown Santa Barbara?</p>
<p>There is good transportation in and around town in Santa Barbara. I was referring to getting out of SB to go to other venues, such as the Bay Area, LA, or other destinations outside of SB. Air travel tends to be expensive and convoluted such that it is just as fast to drive to places in California as it is to fly. For example, we live in the Sacramento area, and most plane flights take as long as driving due to the bizarre routes you have to endure due to the lack of nonstop flights which can route you through LA, Phoenix and Las Vegas before you ever get to Sacramento.</p>
<p>In terms of academics, it’s really no contest. UCSD has much better ranking programs in virtually all fields. However, if you wish to access a ton of social activities, parties and the such, UCSB is a better fit. UCSD is a very serious school. People here are students first, party animals second. It’s generally the other way around at UCSB.</p>
<p>Academics = UCSD
Physics = UCSB
Party Scene = UCSB
Environment = tie
Actual campus = UCSB</p>
<p>What do you want in a college?</p>
<p>No way the campus is better at UCSB, I’ve been to both and the UCSD campus is much nicer and modern. And Geisel library is sick, a state of the art institution that is likely to be the best library of the UC system.</p>
<p>I’ve been to both too, and I guess it just depends. I found UCSD’s campus much weirder and not as pretty as UCSB, but it probably varies person to person. </p>
<p>And no, Geisel library isn’t the best in the UC system. It might have a cool design, but that’s about it.
[University</a> of California Libraries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“University of California Libraries - Wikipedia”>University of California Libraries - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>That is a simple list of libraries, not a ranking of the UC libraries.</p>
<p>Right, but you called UCSD’s the best, and I’m showing you that it’s not – at least in number of books or collections, for example. I’m not sure what makes it the “best”</p>
<p>I really doubt UCSD has 7 libraries unless their all consolidated in Giesel Library.</p>
<p>On a lighter note, UCSB’s library is hideous.</p>
<p>Unless you are a humanity sociopath who loves to sit and read books in a nice environment for fun, please don’t choose a school based on the library…</p>
<p>It may come down to the type of partier that you are. UCSB’s classes are arguably easier because the averages get thrown down due to the number of party people at the school who weight partying over studying. </p>
<p>Most people that came to UCSD chose it over UCSB for the reason that partying isn’t the highest thing on their list of priorities.</p>
<p>UCSD actually has THAT many libraries.
[Hours:</a> All Libraries’ Hours: Week of 02/07/2010](<a href=“http://libraries.ucsd.edu/servlet/Hours?kind=week&loc=bml&loc=clics&loc=geisel&loc=_arts&loc=_spec&loc=_se&loc=_ssh&loc=irps&loc=mcl&loc=sio&description=All%20Libraries’%20Hours]Hours:”>http://libraries.ucsd.edu/servlet/Hours?kind=week&loc=bml&loc=clics&loc=geisel&loc=_arts&loc=_spec&loc=_se&loc=_ssh&loc=irps&loc=mcl&loc=sio&description=All%20Libraries’%20Hours)
Though, I think much of your research/studying will be at Geisel since it is the epicenter of the campus and the other libraries revolve around more specific research.</p>
<p>It’s a very large campus, so expect a lot of walking/biking. But they do have a nice bus transport system that goes around the campus, just in case your class is WAY too far. If you carry a lot of books, I’d suggest not walking far distances because it’s a moderately hilly area.</p>
<p>If you’re a full book worm like myself, you would absolutely fall in love with the library. It has several stories of just books, monitors, and sitting areas. Although, I would have to say though, the higher you go, the more quiet it becomes. (the lower floors are LARGE, but they get smaller as you go up = less people) They also let you bring some food inside so you’re not starving yourself. Their higher floors have large windows that bring in a lot of natural light so it doesn’t seem so “stuffed.” I would have to say, the view is very beautiful from up there, especially if you choose a spot next to the big glass windows.</p>
<p>But the life is not so active as I would think UCSB’s would be. It’s relatively quiet, so if you’re not a party animal, this is probably your best bet. Yes, you’d have to go to SDSU to party, but I guess it’s better than that “party smell” in the halls?</p>
<p>The food is also nice at UCSD. They have a good variety to choose from. They even have group study rooms and a small lounge area in the food building if you just want to study there. (But you probably don’t want to unless you get one of the rooms because it is STILL a cafeteria and it is LOUD.) The building is also not that much of a walk to Geisel, so it makes it much easier. But of course you have mess halls in your “dorm” buildings so if you get lazy, you can just go and get food there.</p>
<p>I only know about UCSD since I go there every few days, so sorry if I seem UCSD-biased, but I hpe this cleared up some stuff. :)</p>
<p>Ok all of those libraries except for Giesel are inside another research or instructional building and some of them are basically one room. UCSD really just has one library.</p>
<p>sb>sd
onlyiniv.com</p>