UC San Diego

Greetings From the Campus of….UC San Diego!

Just as UC Santa Cruz sits within a forest of Redwood trees, UC San Diego is within a forest of Eucalyptus trees, providing much needed shade from the hot Southern California sun. Another option is the beach which borders one side of campus and students can take surfing for credit as a recreation class. Certain dorm rooms provide “killer” views of the ocean.

Students would enjoy fun in the sun more, if they weren’t so focused on academics. UCSD is a “hardworking, smart campus” and students spend a great deal of time in the modern library that looks like a space ship and provides views across campus. There is a serious emphasis on research in all disciplines, starting as early as freshman year. UCSD is particularly known for the sciences and many majors in Biology and Computer Science are “impacted” meaning that there are more students who want to major in these fields than there are slots available. In these cases one is admitted to a pre-major program and must compete academically for entrance into the major. Pre-med studies are very popular and UCSD is the #1 school in the country for Neuroscience.

Students are guaranteed two years of on-campus housing. They live in one of six residential/academic “colleges” or neighborhoods. Students rank their preference for each college based on its “philosophy” and general education requirements. For example, the Eleanor Roosevelt College (ERC) stresses “developing world citizens through scholarship, leadership and service.” Requirements include six quarters of the “Making of the Modern world” course and activities include language conversation tables in the dining hall, a celebration of a different culture each quarter, and international affairs discussion groups. In contrast, the John Muir college “celebrates the independent spirit” and the environment. Residence in a college is unrelated to a student’s major.

For fun, students participate in over 400 clubs, such as the DJ and Disc spinning club that broadcasts tunes all day at the Price Center, the state of the art student center with a movie theater and billiards room. Or, they can relax in the all-student-run Student Center or host their own radio or tv show. They also enjoy the spring Sun God festival with headliner bands and campus traditions such as the roof-top watermelon drop as a physics experiment. For a very large university, students “feel well-treated and taken care of” by the school.

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