<p>Those of you who want to attend UCSD, or transfer...listen the hell up. You might be making one of the biggest mistakes of your life. </p>
<p>As you've seen here, the reviews of current and former students are not very attractive sounding. There's good reason. I can tell you that despite I made many friends, some girlfriends, I did have a social life of sorts (as much as a biology major should)...I was unhappy there the entire time I was there. I lived through 4 years there on a minor depression (no not jumping off Revelle tower or anything), but still- not happy. </p>
<p>1) First off....for ALL majors- the school is a rather boring place, not a disaster, but kind of yes. However, you came to learn did you not? If you want to be social, you will. You can find parties and the city of San Diego (La Jolla in particular) is an awesome place. But the day to day school vibe is just BLAND. There is ZERO school spirit.Go take a look at the average student, they look depressed, no joke-that's a comment I've heard from many visitors to campus.</p>
<p>2) Administration and Bureaucratic system SUCKS. I know that could be a complaint at many universities and institutions...but I have to say out of the 6-7 college campuses I have dealt with (4 years and CC schools), UCSD has the WORST by far. Expect apathetic people to not give a damn about your concerns and just shunt you to another office, and so on. </p>
<p>3) Professors- generally apathetic professors. It gets a bit better towards 4th year level courses, but not much. Lazy, distant, and arrogant. You'll find a couple chillers (especially depending on department), I did- but not much. Very rude to those students they dont think are the "tops". And no, I was not tops, but I wasn't a slacker.</p>
<p>4) Classes- everything you've heard about this is true. Especially sci/engineering- There is NO reward for your hard work. You work, work, work, busting your balls....get a B. And that B? Consider yourself lucky.
Also, they say an average is a C+ ....its a lie. An average grade is a B-. Gotta beat that curve....I cannot elaborate much more on how the sci/engineering classes at this school are excruciatingly more difficult than they should be...its just ridiculous. The learning in the "hands-on" section is pathetic. Lab classes are not taught well at all. Shameful for a high caliber school like UCSD. Really, should be ashamed calling themselves a scientific institution when what they teach their students is worthless.</p>
<p>5) AS....one of the most worthless and idiotic student government systems I've heard of. The UC schools are already a terrible waste of money, AS makes it worse. Its taken over by some political allied club organizations that use the money to prop up each others agenda.</p>
<p>6) SunGod is pretty cool, but dont come to this school just for the ONE day in a year that the school becomes awesome. Cause the next day, it will go back to shit again. </p>
<p>CONCLUSION (thanks for bearing with me) </p>
<p>I left UCSD with a 3.11 lackluster GPA, some minor lab experience, and a lot of resentment and anger. I am in a biomedical sciences MS (thesis based) program at a non-UC institution, and I am LOVING IT now. </p>
<p>I will be going on to do PhD program one day soon, and I will NOT only not be returning to UCSD (I hope that is obvious), but I will NOT return to ANY UC campus. I will also NEVER give back a penny, as an alumni- I cursed the school to the girl on the phone who called me a few months ago. And yes, as the title implies....a few weeks after I graduated UCSD, I shredded my jacket and tossed it out lol.</p>
<p>Bottom line, if you want to get grades and be happy in life, in your BS career, dont do UCSD, and dont do a UC. They are geared more towards the graduate school life, so these are fine schools to attend as a graduate student doing PhD, not as a BS student. So beware.You will be wasting time, money, and your sanity.</p>