The UCR campus may seem empty on the weekend, that doesn’t necessarily mean that students go home. Of course, some will go, but not every weekend. A lot of students move off campus after freshman year but right next to campus, where rental fees are cheaper. The University Village area is pretty much UCR students only, it’s a short walk and you are on campus. My dd didn’t have a car her first two years, but students help each other out and go places. L.A. is right there, as is the beach. San Diego is not far either.