<p>I posted this on the parents board, but thought I should perhaps post it here as well. My daughter and I visited Davis yesterday, and we both felt somewhat underwhelmed. She called it “generic U.” It has everything one needs, but nothing seemed to stand out to her. The students seemed happy enough, but no one seemed really excited or enthusiastic. Two of the three students we spoke to said they went home on the weekends. Any thoughts or opinions?</p>
<p>If money isn't a deal breaker, try Michigan, Washington, USC, Miami, and Tulane. Try UCSB. Maybe, Virginia (harder to get into).
Most people I know are happy at Davis.</p>
<p>Of 100 plus people I have spoken to 90 plus were happy with Davis and their life there. I have never seen a college town that brought so many people back (no wonder there is a housing shortage.) I can't tell you if it is as challenging to all students as Berkeley or San Diego or UCLA but I can attest to the happiness factor.</p>
<p>As a Senior at UCD I am naturally biased, but here are my thoughts. First of all I have to remark on the date of shojomo's visit: midterms. After reading this post I pulled out my syllabi from last quarter, and on the week of May 9 - 13, I had two tests, a six page paper, a seven page paper, and two "smaller" assignments due. I can tell you that I was definitely not excited or enthusiastic that week, nor were any of my classmates. I'm pretty sure that had anyone asked me about my classes, my response would have included some four letter words. But how I feel during midterms and finals is not how I feel overall about my school. </p>
<p>Honestly, I love Davis. I grew up in Sacramento though, and am fond of the area -- again, another bias. Davis appeals to some people and not to others. I know one person who turned down Duke, Princeton, and Amherst to go to Davis and she hasn't regretted it once. To anyone considering Davis, I would ask if it has something to interest you (Remember, Davis is a research institution!). For my friend who turned down the ivy league schools, Davis had a faculty member who researched in the field she wanted to enter. From her Freshman year, my friend attached herself to this professor and has all sorts of wonderful opportunities doing what she loves. Because of her devotion to her field, she has also been sponsored by a variety of organizations to travel around the world. She couldn't have done this at the ivy leagues that accepted her because there was no one at those schools so involved in what she wanted to study. What do you, or if applicable, what does your child want to do, to study, and does Davis have something to fulfill that? If it does, then you (or your child) will be happy. Davis is among the best in the ag and vet fields, but its political science department is also outstanding because of the opportunity afforded by being but a causeway away from California's capital. </p>
<p>For me personally, it is the political science/international relations opportunities that draw me in. Davis is one of the few schools to have a diplomat-in-residence, and I was able to participate in a seminar led by a former US ambassador, where we queried other ambassadors about U.S. foreign policy, and then analyzed it ourselves. I was able to talk to the man who was the United States' liason to Charles Taylor, to the man who signed us on to the Kyoto protocol, to all sorts of interesting people, and then formulate my own opinions. It was incredible, and this opportunitiy and others like it are why I love Davis. But this is something I'm deeply interested in; browse around the UCD site and see what Davis has to offer for you. Call up the departments in which you're interested and arrange an appointment to talk about what they're doing. If there's something that draws you in, you'll probably love it. If there's not, then look for someplace that does. </p>
<p>Again, Davis (as are all UCs) is a research institution. I would not recommend it to someone who just wants to get his or her degree and isn't interested in going in-depth into a subject. But for those of you who love something, I highly recommend it. </p>
<p>Finally, Davis is a college town and definitely not a big city. If you thrive on big-city life, you probably won't be happy. There are not as many parties or clubs as some would like, but for people who look beyond that for their activities, there is tons to do. The school offers everything from kayaking in the Ahjumawi Lava Springs to photography trips in Yosemite to all levels of horseback riding to precious metalsmithing. Futher, the community of Davis is close-knit, and there is something special about walking into any restaurant or cafe and always finding someone you know. If that's not for you, then I would suggest going somewhere else. But if it is, then I can think of no better place in the world to go to school.</p>
<p>I am going into my sophomore year at UC Davis and am really pleased with my experiences so far! It is just a perfect match for me. Davis is a true college town with a whole bunch of little downtown shops centered around a beautiful campus! While the academics are rigorous to say the least, most of my professors offered countless learning opportunities and were friendly and helpful. The environment is a great balance socially and academically.....HUGE competition while also being able to play intramural sports or party on a Friday night to release all the stress. The campus is gorgeous from the arboretum decorating Putah Creek to the large quad where many enjoy reading, tossing a frisbee or just chillin' with their buddies under the warm California sun. It is truly difficult to summarize my excitement of returning next fall in a short post. Oh, and that does not even include my Aggie pride in sports! We are just moving to D-1 and everyone is sooooooooooooo excited! Please visit another time so you can see students like myself who are EXCITED to be aggies.</p>
<p>I am going to be a freshman next year, but I have lived in Davis since I was 4 years old. I haven't started going to UCD yet, so I don't know much about the academics of UCD, but I can tell you about the city of Davis.</p>
<p>Also, I was accepted by NYU, UCSD, UCSC, UCI, and other schools but I chose Davis over them.</p>
<p>Downtown Davis - small, but you can find what you're looking for</p>
<p>Farmer's Market - pretty good stuff, really good popcorn (and you can picnic on the large grass field!)</p>
<p>Borders - Main bookstore in Davis, ok prices, if you can't find what you're looking for here, you can always go to Avid Read or Sacramento</p>
<p>Movie Theaters - 2, Signature and Holiday Cinema, most movies show</p>
<p>UCD Shield Library - I went there to study a few times, I was amazed at how big it was, also there's wireless internet there! There's wireless internet throughout most of the campus I believe.</p>
<p>Arboretum - Amazing place, great place for picnics, walks, relaxing</p>
<p>Food - Safeway, Rite Aid, Longs, Albertsons, Nugget, CO-OP, a lot of fast food, and 24hr Jack-in-the-Box.</p>
<p>Picnic Day - I've gone to I think 11 or 12 of them, each year I'm impressed and eagerly awaiting next years! Though this year they didn't sell silly string:(. The UCDavis campus opens up and the students do stuff for the community. Me and my friends made some Ice Cream from liquid nitrogen, made bouncy balls out of glue, walked all over campus, watched performances, participated in tons of events outside, and just had a great time! They have little weiner-dog racing, last couple of years they had police helicopters fly down and they would show off the K9 units, really cool stuff. Theres lots more too! Some of our family friends come from as far away as San Jose to come to Picnic Day, it is just that amazing! </p>
<p>Dorms - I visited my friends' dorm, its pretty small (2 person dorm). They were going to a party (it was a Friday night) and they seemed really excited, so the social life appears pretty good.</p>
<p>Summer Advising - I just got back from Summer Advising and it is amazing. It is student led, and they are as helpful as the people that work there. Its really amazing, I could definately tell they had a lot of Aggie Pride.</p>
<p>I can still think of pages and pages of things to write about!</p>
<p>visit <a href="http://www.daviswiki.org%5B/url%5D">www.daviswiki.org</a> for even more information about Davis!</p>
<p>Oh and there is very little crime in Davis, I think the most crimes are from bike theft. And yes, I really did write this at 3:00 AM.</p>
<p>I first heard of Davis from one of my professors at Cornell. He earned his Doctorate at Davis and he impressed me enough that when I got to California it was one of the first places I went to visit. Go Aggies, we grow the IVY.</p>
<p>Davis ****ing rocks, theres no two ways about it. You probably came on a bad day, if there exists such a thing. Everybody was having a great time kickin' it when I visited..</p>
<p>I agree. After summer advising I am very excited about going to Davis.</p>
<p>From my friends experience (most third years now), and a few I know that have graduated, they've all said it's boring. Good thing San Francisco is close by. I've visited UCD a numerous times because I have a bit of friends attending and I can see why your daughter thinks it's generic. It's chill, but at the same time not much to do there.</p>
<p>The campus is pleasant and so is the nearby town, but at the same time nothing really stands out. Of course, it's still a very good school in terms of academia, and i'm sure tons of students there enjoy the social life and activities. However, in comparison with other schools i've visited, in my opinion, it's definitely lacking.</p>
<p>Well let's not beat around the bush here: UC Davis is not an inherently exciting school. The closest hot spot (I wouldn't consider Sacramento that hot) is an hour and a half away and there's not much in between. </p>
<p>As for the campus, it is flat, logically mapped out, and nice looking. Yen is right, there is hardly any exciting landscaping or architecture around. But personally, I don't consider that attention-grabbing stuff too important. You're not gonna walk through school in your 3rd year and be so thankful that the chemistry building you never use is such a grandiose structure. I think what you will be thankful for in the long run are things that are of some use to you, because the eye-grabbing stuff will eventually get old. </p>
<p>I'm not gonna tell you that it has this bustling social scene and gorgeous campus. The social scene is student created, the campus, "nice". To quote Shojomo, it has just about "everything you need"... and nothing you don't. Except for biking cops.</p>
<p>San Francisco isn't exactly "close by." It is a minimum of a hour drive, usually longer since there is some amount of traffic.</p>
<p>I think of UCDavis as a place that has everything except for location. Don't stay out too long during the summer, since the weather there can be extremely "warm."</p>
<p>Davis has added a great rec center, and the Mondavi Theater. It's rebuilding it's football stadium as it moves to division 1, it has a nice arboretum, and bike paths are everywhere. Tahoe is only a couple of hours away.</p>
<p>As well as Sac, Frisco, the Bay Area in general, etc, etc. </p>
<p>Our location and entertainment is perfectly fine. Quit the *****in'.</p>