University of California-Davis Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Emaly

Because the class sizes were usually very large, classmates were simply a wide ranging group of people who interacted in class, but were not likely to be friends outside of the classroom.

Kayla

I would imagine that in some classmates become friends, but to me they are all just strangers sitting and staring; they stare at their notebooks, computers, phone, lecturer, presentation, or space.

Paloma

The people I met while at Davis were the friendliest group of people I've ever gone to school with.

Pat

There are so many different groups of students on campus, whether its with a club, a fraternity/sorority, or student athletes, that it is impossible to not find a solid group of friends to hang out with.

Grace

My classmates are driven, motivated, and competitive--however they have a deep reservoir for compassion, acceptance, and kindness.

Dominik

Clubs, clubs and clubs, there are tons of associations to be apart of and you can definitely create your own as well. Personally I'm on the Rugby Club team and it acts as a sport and a Fraternity. Greek life is huge on campus, enough said. Distinctions about students are generally hard to make as we all fit in together pretty well but it's pretty easy to pick out the foreign students and they are the only major division among the student body. Student here definitely have their eyes set on the future and financial security in the future and the current stability is always important. Students and Faculty are definitely politically aware here and largely lean left but it's not impossible to stick to your guns. (I'm a rightist). Also, last note, students here are pretty darn good looking.

Denver

My classmates are willingly helpful in a friendly and hardworking individuals who live life with a passion.

Ger

Usually half of my classmates are interested in the course, while the rest are indifferent.

Shayaan

The students attending Davis are kind and well-natured people. They are open, friendly, and accepting to all. Davis is a college town, meaning there are students wherever you go. The students are dedicated to their work, and they are extremely supportive of one another. Thanks to them, Davis has evolved into a healthy learning environment that it is known for today.

Andrew

UC Davis is very diverse with a lot of different people with different backgrounds. I don't think anybody would really feel left out when they come here. Although more than 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students here are Asian, there are still plenty of diversity in this school. Every student is involved in at least 1 club or activity at UC Davis whether it is LGBT, religious or racial organization. Most of the students are from California, but there are an increasing number of international students from Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. From the Korean international students that I know, the majority of the Korean universities recommend UC Davis as a great option to study abroad at. Financially, UC Davis is fairly pricey but definitely not as expensive as the private schools. Although tuition is increasing, there are plenty of opportunities to grab scholarships and internships here to earn money and cover up those fees. Students here are pretty active with politics, but the school doesn't really have a dominant side. You could say that UC Davis is just about in the center with different views on politics.

Eugenia

Students here at Davis seem to be pretty diverse. There are many clubs and organizations for different races, religions, LGBT, cultures, interests, everything! People here seem to be really friendly as well as accepting and open-minded. People from different socio-economic backgrounds come here. For the most part, students dress casually and comfortably at school. Some people even go to class in their pjs. There are occasions we dress up for, like formals, exchanges, parties and such.

Sruthi

There are many diverse students here at UCD. I have seen the LGBT community here and they are so united and are also supported by the other students here as well. There are no student who would left out here at UC Davis because there are so many people here that you are bound to meet the kind of people that you can relate to. Students wear many things to class, some like to be fashionable, some just roll out of bed and show up to class, and others just wear what reaches the hands first before class. You have enough opportunities to meet all kinds of people and interact with them. The dorms are a perfect place to meet people with different interests or different types of people. Students here are for all over the country and also outside of the country as well. As for their financial back, there isn't much difference in that and also even if there was, it wouldn't matter.The students here are very political and active. They are well informed about the news going on around the world. Yes, some of the students, maybe not all of the students,but most have talked about it or at least have thought about it.

Andrew

The student community at Davis is great. People from all walks of life find themselves here and join to create a sense of community and acceptance. There are students involved with politics, cows, commerce and art. Engineers and historians, psychologists and mathematicians. Everyone at UC Davis has a place and without each individual, we would be nothing.

Samantha

Davis is a pretty diverse school so I feel close to all races, religions, and different groups. I don't think any student would feel out of place at this school. Most students wear comfortable, warm clothing to class. All different types of students interact on a daily basis. Four different tables of students in the dining hall would include one with all freshman, one with all transfers, one with all girls or boys, and one with a mix of people. Most of the students are from southern california. A lot of people are financially stable or have finanical aid. Not many students are politically aware or active and they are predominantly center. Some students I've talked to discuss how much they would like to earn in the future.

Alexa

At Davis there are plenty of resources available to students. Everything from LGBTQIA meetings and counselors, to ethnicity-based groups, to hundreds of campus clubs. Pretty much, anything you want, you can find or create. Davis has a little bit of everything. We may not be the MOST diverse, but I can say my friends are within different circles-the honors programs, my major, sports, classes, dorms, you name it.

Kelly

Just like my transition to high school, the thing I was probably most worried about was what the other students were going to be like. To be more specific, I was worried about how to dress. But just like high school, nobody cares! In fact, in college it seems as if people are even lazier when it comes to dressing themselves for class. Sweatpants, jeans, and hoodies are the most common items of clothing worn. If you want to see off-the-runway fashions and New York-esque styles then you should probably enroll in some textiles or design classes because a majority of the students here at UC Davis don't spend too much time putting together "cute" outfits. With this in mind, the super artsy student or non-conformist might feel a bit out of place at UCD because UCD is a research institution. While a lot of students are from California, there is also a good amount of international students who attend UC Davis. Different types of students interact well because, with such a large university, cliques are hard to form and most students want to broaden their perspective and gain new experiences.

Julia

Our campus is very diverse. Even though, Asian and white are the majority there is a good representation of all races. My freshmen year at UC Davis, I lived in a dorm and I have never been in a place so diverse in my whole life. I lived with students from Romania, Egypt and the Middle East. Being on this campus has opened my eyes to see that there are many different kinds of people in this world, way more than what I had been use to in my hometown. The students here are also very approachable and friendly. It is common to have interracial friendships because, in general, we are all tolerant of people different from us. Going to college should be more than for academic growth. We should also be in a situation where we can learn more about others in order to grow as individuals.

Julia

Like many other UCs, UC Davis runs on the quarter system. Basically, there are three quarters within each school year and each quarter is only 10 weeks long. On our campus, we are expected to learn the same amount of material as students who are in the semester system who have, on average, 15 weeks for each semester. We need to be fast pace learners and manage our academics on our own. Homework is rare in classes because there is, on average, about 100 or more students in each class and the professors cannot grade homework for each student. Our course grades are usually made up of midterms and a final. It is up to the individual student to manage their studying. Since homework is not assigned, we are expected to use the time we would be spending on homework on studying. We are viewed as adults who do not need to be supervised and forced to do work. The students themselves should be in charge of their own education and the academics here encourages it.

Karena

Everyone I have come across is very open to meeting new people. UC Davis is mainly Asian and Caucasian students, but ethnicity is not something that determines what groups we join or who our friends are. Most students dress very casually to class, jeans and a jacket. When it's hot, shorts and a tshirt. I do not think anyone would feel out of place at this school. We have to many different groups and organizations, you are bound to find good friends somewhere on campus! The students here are predominately liberal, but many are independent as well. Many students on campus work and come from middle income families.

Leslie

I don't think anyone would feel out of place at this school. Often times students are seen wearing anything from pajamas to business attire to classes depending on what the rest of the day has in store for them. Typically, there are socials held in the dorms so freshmen have the opportunity to meet, interact, and mingle with other new students. Classes are also great places to meet people!

Richard

Students at UCD come in all shapes and sizes. It is one of the many diverse schools in California. Although most students seem lazy, nonetheless, they have certain work ethic's that outweigh most people. Most students are from in state, but their are a few international students, which seem to be mostly from Korea.

Samuel

It's tough to describe one specific student here at UC Davis because our community is so diverse. One example of this happened to me at the dining hall. I walked through the double doors, swiped my ID card and proceeded in to find some friends to sit with and eat. As I looked around I saw a sight that surprised me. At 4 tables, all next to each other in a long tine, were 4 of the most different groups have ever seen. At one end of the table were 4 basketball players (the shortest of whom was at least 6'6") yelling at each other about the Monday Night Football game that happened the night before. Right next to them were a group of Engineers who had their laptops open with books thrown about the table as they attempted to cram for an exam. At the third table were members of the UC Davis Aggie Band-Uh! (our student marching band) with instruments under the table. They kept using large arm motions and were yelling profusely at east other about some party the weekend before. Finally, at the last table were 3 fraternity members and 4 or 5 sorority girls in their letters. This one scenario sums up the UC Davis community: eclectic

Brenda

From many different backgroungs, ethnicities, identities and disciplines. However, most are from CA; it is rare to find Out-of-State or Out-of-Country students. Students dress comfortably to class but appropriately to lab sessions(don't want to catch fire, now do we?).

Kevin

We have all won the second prize in the beauty contest!

Mary

I haven't started school yet so I wouldn't know.

Maricela

They're hilarious! We come from different backgrounds, so it makes for good food when we hang out. I love them all to death because when I have a problem or issue, they always have my back. You don't meet amazing people like that just anywhere.

Logan

Everyone seems to be reserved and doing their own thing. Everyone passes each other by. If you are anything other than white, then people look at you with a hint of animosity or a fake smile, or maybe ignore you altogether. At least that is how I felt, or maybe it was the fact that I didn't try as I've mentioned before. These were just my experiences. I wan't the type to have 60 million facebook friends. Not that I would want that anyway.

Gabrielle

People here are friendly, open-minded, and academically centered.

Inderdeep

My classmates were very supportive of each other and encouraging as well.

Mandana

Due to extreme competition and curving students are cold and tend to back stab. People don't necessarily want to help eachother and students tend to care only for their grades and not other volunteer, or extracurriculum activities. not many are passionate about what they learn (that is if they are learning and not memorizing onlt to pass). I love the school, not too crazy for the people.

Haley

My classmates are very friendly, talking and exchanging notes even in classes with upwards of 500 people. The smaller classes are very social, friendly, and suporting.

Hoa

My classmates were studious and filled with stress before test dates but were very outgoing and care free immediately following the test until the next test dates.

Adrianna

Most of my classmates were quiet and studied a lot, but it depended on what class I was in.

Melissa

Talented, curious, responsible individuals, constantly seeking truth and enlightenment in all areas of practice.

Qiana

Everyone here is really friendly, however you normally have to be the one to start a conversation in class. Once you do though, it is easy to form study groups and split up study guides, so I definitely suggest doing so. Most students are very into the campus community and are involved in community service, social clubs, or career advancement organizations.

Roseanne

Smart, interested, and full of potential, but many of us are consumed with the schooling and homework aspect to look at the bigger picture of embracing, analyzing, and applying what we learn in our classes.

Nicole

My classmates are polite, helpful, and engaged, yet lethargic and tired.

Xeng

My classmates varies from classes to classes with different personality in each different class.

Cheryl

My classmates are diverse in background, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, academic and career focused with a good sense of humor as well as open and friendly.

Eric

People from all walks of life, of every creed and color, and above all - intelligent.

Chiara

My classmates were diverse and came from different educational and socio-economic backgrounds.

David

Classmates in college are very different than the classmates you have in high school; you do not spend an extensive amount of time with most of them, so you will not have as many close friends in your classes as you do in high school.

Haley

My classmates come from all over the world, bringing to the table their own experiences and looking to make life-long friends while gaining a competitive edge on their educations and careers.

Thinh

My classmates are quite at times but always curious.

Amanda

In big lecture halls, you don't really get to know your neighbors, but you do in discussions.

Olympia

My classmates are very driven and tend to know what they want to do with their lives after college. I find them to be willing to listen to others and speak their own opinion.

Justin

Very friendly and willing to help when and if the need arises.

Michiko

My classmates are very racially mixed, never judge me, and are almost always willing to set sort of studying group to share notes and study for tests.

Kyle

Students tend to keep quiet suring most of the lecture but are not affraid to speak up when the time calls for it or when they have something to ask/say.

desiree

they are mostly asian and don't participate in class