The University of California - Santa Cruz

Date: Mar 02 2010
Major: Anthropology (This Major's Salary over time)
There are many different types of people here, who are going to Santa Cruz for a variety of reasons. Before applying as a freshman get a good feel for the campuses, each of the ten campuses is different, so be sure to talk to people (though, of course, not all stereotypes are actually true).

The teaching style is very laid back, with a strong focus on self-oriented learning and a teaching style that encourages self growth rather than competition or memorization (at least I know thats true for the social sciences). Its easy to get distracted here, and things are pretty unstructured, but you are fully supported and encouraged to pursue your interests. The professors are fascinating people and helpful, be sure to talk with them in office hours. A word of caution: this lax leaning style helps some thrive (like me) but others loose focus without the rigid guidelines. I'd encourage taking some of the more challenging teachers so that the carefreeness is structured by hard work. These are always more engaging anyways.

Make sure that you visit the campus before you decide to come here. It is in the forest, overlooking the Monterey Bay, which makes it an incredibly beautiful campus but also time-consuming to get around. You may be shunned for having a car (depending on your circle of friends) so be sure to come with a decent pair of hiking shoes and a good bike