The University of California - Santa Barbara

Date: Jun 14 2011
Major: Communications (This Major's Salary over time)
I transferred here from UCR because I wanted to go to a better UC, and UCSB was the only campus that accepted me. I was hesitant to come here because of the party school reputation and the fact that UCSB is majority white (UCR was more diverse, and I grew up in an area w/ hardly any whites). Although race is not a big issue for me, I've gotten the feeling that minorities don't fit in too well at this school (esp Asians).

The Comm program is ridiculous and I feel the whole design, while challenging, is a little bit too much. I don't think the department realizes that you can't have students bust their butts trying to average a 3.0 in the premajor classes (BTW, in which the main professor designs TRICKY tests that screw over people's grades) only to have them not get in the major come junior or senior year and have to find a backup major last minute…and try completing it within 1 year to graduate in time (esp if they are transfer students such as myself). Not cool, guys. Sure the major is impacted, but you guys have to make it FLEXIBLE for students, not a one way street. And for the record, I am doing fine and should be getting into the full major, but I'm just speaking from a prospective student's point of view (and I also know many people who were screwed over by the requirements).

As for the whole social scene, yeah people say you can have fun without being in IV or partying/getting drunk/having unrestrained sex, but honestly when it comes down to the core, UCSB's social life REVOLVES around partying, as if it weren't clear enough. If you're not a party person at all, you're not gonna really have fun. I've been feeling the sting and a number of people I've met so far only want to get smashed every night or get high. Come on, really?

Needless to say, I have barely made any friends upon transferring, and I really regret coming here, even if it is a higher ranking UC. I personally think it's ludicrous how a UC school promotes partying, given the level of insanity (crime, sex, rape, all the bad things associated with it) IV is infamous for, and then keeps buttering up how hard working the students are. Yeah, UCSB has a lot of smart kids, but last time I checked, students who party and go THIS insane aren't too committed when it comes to academics. Hungover, high, or just fucking brain dead all the time doesn't get you too far.

Goleta is one hell of a boring shithole, too. I've never been to an area where there wasn't a Target or Walmart within miles. Makes me appreciate what I have at home a lot more now.

My advice would be for prospective freshmen to really think about the type of environment they want to be in, and esp for UCSB - if you are indeed a party animal. Your major matters too (in terms of what UCSB can offer you), but I'd advise transfers to focus a lot more on that because by the time you're a junior, changing majors is not going to give you much time.