University of California-Davis Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Pat

Davis is a unique place to go to school, due to the fact that it brings together such a diverse student population. Although there aren't any big time athletics, athletic events are still fun to go to. Classes are hard,but once you start to take classes in your major, they become more engaging and fun.

Dominik

The best part of school is definitely the atmosphere, it's Northern California after all, it's the perfect mix of cold and warm weather at least in my opinion. Everyone here for the most part is happy go lucky and without a doubt friendly. There are always new people to meet and you always see people that you've already met, and people love to make others feel welcome. If I were to change one thing it would definitely be the prices of college, the experience is amazing but the price makes think about if there wasn't a cheaper alternative. You don't really hear the Davis name around too much in casual conversation but you'd be surprised that when you actually bring it up it'll connect you to people who otherwise you wouldn't normally expect to associate with. I spend most of my time doing shenanigans with my floor mates from the dorms, whether it be IM sports, going out to eat places, or just discover new parts of Davis. Davis is definitely a college town, I would argue that the city of Davis is really just an extension of the University itself. The biggest recent controversy on this campus is about the debts that student get into when they sign up to go to big UC schools like these, it's no choice to laugh at, there is a level of commitment and pride in your education you have to put forth when going to this school. Speaking of pride we have one of the largest and best student associations for school pride, our AGGIEPACK goes nuts at all the games and a lot of our events are free and give out free prizes just to facilitate students abilities to support our athletes. The most unusual thing about this school is our all biking campus. Campus is fairly large and a bike is pretty much a must have, but it keeps you in good shape, everyone does it, and it definitely beats walking or driving. One experience I'll always remember was my first Rugby party, there's nothing better then feeling so welcome and feeling so part of a team and having such a great time. One of the most frequent student complaints is definitely getting your bike stolen, hasn't happened to me yet, but I assume it'll happen at least once in my four years of attendance.

Ngoc

Davis is overall a good place for education and has a lot of nice people. Everyone is so approachable and willing to help others. I remember when I was a freshman, lost and confuse trying to find a building. A person looked over and saw me with a map, approaches me and said “Do you need help?” I thought he was very nice and helpful. Also, everyone is so approachable in class and I made some of my good friends there. We not only study together, but we hang out together too. We like you go eat (so many delicious places), catch a movie, sleepover to catch up on each other’s live, work-out together, take road trips, and so many more activities to do. The best part is that we are a college town. There are many opportunities at Davis. We are one of the few colleges that allow their students to create their own majors. Personally, I have not tried to create my own major, but I have helped to start a club called “Operation Smile at UC Davis.” My organization’s goal is to educate our communities about clefts and raise money to help children get free surgeries. I also took part in other organization such as to raise cancer awareness for women. Also, I am in a community service fraternity where we help our school, community, and country.

Yng

Overall I think this school provides excellent education with high academic standards. Professors are very knowledgeable about the subject they teach and they always offer help to students.

Andrew

Our school has huge pride in sports, events, and clubs. The best thing about our school is that we have cows and bikes. Why cows? UC Davis is an Agricultural School (not everybody is an Ag major!) and we like to be unique. We have amazing animal science program, biology program, etc. What I really like about UC Davis is the fact that the school is structured to only have bicycles go in and out of the campus. Cars used to be allowed all the time on campus, but one day the school decided to limit the number of cars on campus and encourage students to ride their bikes to classes everywhere. You could say Davis is a Bike City. Really, nearly 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students have bikes and bike to classes everyday. The school and the city of Davis built bike paths for students to ride on. I say that is a pretty cool experience...plus you get a good amount of exercise out of it! I think the size of my school is just right. If I am not mistaken, UC Davis has one of the biggest campus size in California. Because Davis is vastly flat, the campus is spread out nice and wide with plenty of space. It's not too big and not too small. All the buildings are close to each other within walking distance and you don't need to bus from one end to the other side of the campus. It's just right. When I tell people to come to Davis, I mean it. It's not like any other schools and you have so much freedom here. It's not too crowded, not in the middle of nowhere (between Sacramento and SF!), and there's good food everywhere. I spend most of my time on campus at the food courts like the "Silo" and the "Coho" (short of Coffee House). They are both great places to study and socialize, with a good number of places to eat. If you go to the Silo, I would always recommend people to eat at Shah's Halal Food, a food cart just on the side of the Silo building. It's too good. Davis is definitely a college town. There are no tall skyscrapers, just blocks and blocks of small shops and restaurants that is convenient for college students. It's a beautiful city with lots of parks and places to go to. The school's administration is just alright. After the pepper-spray incident, many of the students have been furious with the administration and how they run the school. Unfortunately, we cannot really do anything about it because all UC schools run together systematically such as fees. I don't hate the administration, but I do not favor them either. But I think the positive aspects of UC Davis definitely covers this bad side up. As I said before, the pepper-spray incident happend on UC Davis on November 2011. It was a horrifying experience to see. My friend was one of the victims and he sat there courageously, willing to take on the police force with his fellow friends to peacefully protest for Occupy Wall Street. The entire world watched this small, often unheard university take an inhumane act by the Davis police for the sake of the students' public rights on campus in regards to tuition and police brutality. There are so many experiences that I have gone through as an Aggie such as Picnic Day (the whole campus opens up for friends and family to enjoy like a festival) and many other events. Definitely worth coming here.

Andrew

Our school has huge pride in sports, events, and clubs. The best thing about our school is that we have cows and bikes. Why cows? UC Davis is an Agricultural School (not everybody is an Ag major!) and we like to be unique. We have amazing animal science program, biology program, etc. What I really like about UC Davis is the fact that the school is structured to only have bicycles go in and out of the campus. Cars used to be allowed all the time on campus, but one day the school decided to limit the number of cars on campus and encourage students to ride their bikes to classes everywhere. You could say Davis is a Bike City. Really, nearly 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students have bikes and bike to classes everyday. The school and the city of Davis built bike paths for students to ride on. I say that is a pretty cool experience...plus you get a good amount of exercise out of it! I think the size of my school is just right. If I am not mistaken, UC Davis has one of the biggest campus size in California. Because Davis is vastly flat, the campus is spread out nice and wide with plenty of space. It's not too big and not too small. All the buildings are close to each other within walking distance and you don't need to bus from one end to the other side of the campus. It's just right. When I tell people to come to Davis, I mean it. It's not like any other schools and you have so much freedom here. It's not too crowded, not in the middle of nowhere (between Sacramento and SF!), and there's good food everywhere. I spend most of my time on campus at the food courts like the "Silo" and the "Coho" (short of Coffee House). They are both great places to study and socialize, with a good number of places to eat. If you go to the Silo, I would always recommend people to eat at Shah's Halal Food, a food cart just on the side of the Silo building. It's too good. Davis is definitely a college town. There are no tall skyscrapers, just blocks and blocks of small shops and restaurants that is convenient for college students. It's a beautiful city with lots of parks and places to go to. The school's administration is just alright. After the pepper-spray incident, many of the students have been furious with the administration and how they run the school. Unfortunately, we cannot really do anything about it because all UC schools run together systematically such as fees. I don't hate the administration, but I do not favor them either. But I think the positive aspects of UC Davis definitely covers this bad side up. As I said before, the pepper-spray incident happend on UC Davis on November 2011. It was a horrifying experience to see. My friend was one of the victims and he sat there courageously, willing to take on the police force with his fellow friends to peacefully protest for Occupy Wall Street. The entire world watched this small, often unheard university take an unhumane act by the Davis police for the sake of the students' public rights on campus in regards to tuition and police brutality. There are so many experiences that I have gone through as an Aggie such as Picnic Day (the whole campus opens up for friends and family to enjoy like a festival) and many other events. Definitely worth coming here.

Victoria

SIZE As far as acres go, UC Davis is the largest UC in the system. Enrollment wise they rank 3rd largest among the UC's. There are around 31,000 undergraduates and graduates that attend the university. A lot of the time lectures can be as big as 250-300, so if you really want one on one time with professors you need to make an effort to attend office hours. Even if your professor is just decent, the one on one time should make a world of difference. TRANSPORTATION When students aren't biking to and from school the best way to get around is the student run bus system, Unitrans. It's an incredibly efficient way to get around and is free to students. However, if you forget your student ID you have to pay $1. THE SPOT ON CAMPUS The BEST place to get a bite to eat, get coffee with friends and study with earphones in is the COHO (short for Coffee House) right on campus. It was recently remodeled and has a wide selection of food from pizza to sushi. The entire COHO is student run, so it really is a central place for the campus and is, in a way, unifying. The prices are a little above those acceptable for a college student's budget, but if you happen to forget your sack lunch and are really desperate the COHO never disappoints. SCHOOL PRIDE Although sports aren't HUGE at Davis, they are still well respected. We have a great dance team and a well known school band that rocks. We have a student section called, the Aggie Pack, which gets pretty full at football and basketball games. I would say on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the most spirited campus in the U.S., Davis would rank a 3 or 4. When it comes to the rest of the campus attending events and supporting each other at events, the majority of the campus is a little lackluster. THE BEST THINGS The best part of UC Davis is the Spring when the sun is shining and you are able to sit in the Quad (huge central part of campus that is mostly grass) in between classes. The Rec Pool is also one of the best parts of the campus. It usually opens mid-Spring quarter and students go after class to lounge around the pool and relax. The ARC is also great because it has a huge basketball court, it offers different fitness classes, personal training, nutrition advice and so on.

Stella

I like this school much more than I expected. People (both students and professors) are so kind, helpful, and easygoing. It seems like a place most people can find their niche and blend in well. Plus, Davis is a college town, meaning there are lots of opportunities and events for UCD students. Though there was the recent controversy over the use of pepper spray, people still seem generally happy about the campus. I have yet to meet a person who hates UCD after attending.

Sruthi

I have to say, the best thing about UC Davis is that you have the great opportunity to meet all kinds of different people. When I say different, I mean different in many ways, Davis is very diverse in terms of ethnicity and also different in terms of interest. It just so happens that Davis has a good academic standing in all sorts of majors, so many people come into Davis with different majors and for many other reasons. The size of the school is just like any other UC and personally, I sometimes like it and sometimes I don't. The reason I like it is because it truly feels like a college campus with so many people around and it makes everything much more livelier and exciting. The times I am not so excited about having such a large student body is when we are in a lecture hall trying to take a test and the person sitting next to me and I are fighting for space and mainly the arm rest. I am a freshmen, so I stay at the dorms and I do spend most of my time in the dorms, in my room, and at near by fast food places. Davis is a college town, but the benefits to that is, everyone here is so considerate of your educational needs and timings. Non-student residents of Davis are the sweetest people. Often at stores or restaurants, they will inquire me on how my midterms and tests are going and how I like it here at Davis. They like to keep up with the sports here at Davis and they will talk to you about everything that goes on in campus, so you are always learning something new about your campus. The schools administration is very helpful and very resourceful. They will attend to your needs and make sure that you are taken care of and are well on your way. A recent controversy at took place at Davis, was Occupy riot. I am sure it is on the news and is well known. However, none of the protests were of hindrance to the learning environment at Davis. The teachers didn't avoid questions or references to it and tried to sympathize with the students on the unfortunate event. They made sure to clear the air on how they felt about the event and also requested that this event be left outside the classroom so that the classroom can be a good learning environment. The students here are packed with school pride. Football games and other sports games are thrilling to go to because of the student that cheer there. We have an amazing Aggie Pack which is our student cheer group. There is nothing too unusual about Davis other than the weather. The sun beams through even in the winter sometimes and it is quite refreshing. One of the experiences I will always remember is the trip I made to the UC Davis Waste Water Treatment Plant for my freshmen seminar. A friend from class and I had planned to get there together on our bikes, but we got lost over and over again and were lost for about an hour. Then a really nice man on a cart drove by and said that he is willing to take us there because he feels like doing a good deed. It was the funniest thing ever. From keeping up with the cart on our bikes to asking people for directions and getting lost again, it was such a memorable event. Some of the things the student complain about the most around here is the smell of the cows near us. I live in Tercero and there are cows near us and personally I don't mind it that much and it doesn't really affect us that much, but that is something the student here complain about.

Sarah

UC Davis gets a lot of slack for being a "cow town." When I first told my friends I was planning on going here, they gave me a hard time about how I was going to live in the middle of no where and have nothing to do. Honestly, that is hardly true. The reason I chose Davis was solely because of where it was located. I came to visit during my senior year of high school and it just felt right. The town is a true college town-- any time you go out, on any day, during any time of the day, you'll see more college kids than "grown ups." You will always run into people you know, and you will learn that even though the size of the campus is very large, certain areas will start to feel like home. Davis is a very different town because it is "bike friendly"-- this means that bikes have 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} control over the roads. If you don't have a car (which you won't be allowed to when you're a freshman) this is perfect. You can ride your bike almost everywhere in Davis (it might take awhile) and showing up to work or school completely soaked (with rain or sweat) is acceptable because everyone bikes. Davis has fantastic work out facilities, a really nice quad/ food area called "The CoHo" (short for Coffee House, although it has all types of food) and, from what I've heard, a nice greek system. There are lots of ways to get involved on campus, too, and they're not as hard to get involved in as some prestigious university. But, don't get me wrong, Davis has a phenomenal reputation for academics, in fact, we're currently ranked #38 in the nation. Any employer who sees that you've graduated from here will surely be impressed. The only thing I warn about Davis is this: If you're looking to party everyday, don't come here. We have fun, but it's not our main focus. And if you're looking for a school with a huge athletic focus, Davis is probably not the school for you. Our programs are getting better, but we're not anything major. Other than that, I'd give UCD a very good recommendation because I have quite enjoyed my time here.

Andrew

UC Davis offers students everything they need and more to accomplish their academic and life goals. The faculty here are extremely accommodating and work to ensure student success. Take for example the recent movement to stop tuition hikes. Teachers worked side by side with student advocates and even acted on their own to ensure students were heard and taken seriously. Ask anyone who goes to Davis or has spoken to a current/former student, the focus here is on the students and it shows.

Samantha

What i like best about this school is that it is really diverse and very school spirited. I would change how large the school is. It's very easy to get lost, but once you know your way around it's not too bad. People are really happy for me when i tell them i go to this school because it's ranked pretty high in the UC system. I spend most of my time in the dorms with my friends. It's also a very friendly college town. The school's administration is overall very good. The recent controversy at this school is that the chancellor of this school was responsible for the davis police using means of violence to remove peaceful protestors off school grounds. There is a lot of school pride here at davis. I don't find anything unusual about this school and as a freshman, I still have a lot to experience. I was present when the police were arresting students in the quad on the 18th and that is something I will always remember. The most frequent student complaints are currently about the issue going on at the school with the davis police and the chancellor.

Jenny

Coming in as a freshman, I did not know what to expect, as many would agree. But as I have gotten to know the academic criteria and campus much better throughout the years, I have come to realize that UC Davis offers so many different opportunities. Such opportunities consist of clubs that fit your interest - whether you like to ski or snowboard, you like to read and share stories, or you're interested in practicing or just getting to know more of a religion, the campus has a club for that. It also helps that UC Davis is ranked one of the top public research universities in the nation, and is known for its prestigious academic standards and graduate programs. In addition, the town of Davis itself provides such a friendly and warm sense of community. The environment is very laid-back and relaxed. It is a great way to meet new people with the large amount of different people, yet it is not set in an urban setting where the population and environment of a city may be overwhelming.

Kelly

Coming from a high school that pretty much funnels its students into the UC system, people's reactions when I told them I was going to UC Davis were not of shock, amazement, and they certainly did not contain any "oohs" and "ahs". But while I felt I was just another student attending UC Davis along with 17 other students from my high school, there still existed among those who heard of my college news an understanding of the hard work and dedication necessary to earn me a acceptance at UC Davis. The saying that "you never really know what a place is like until you get there" truly applies to UC Davis. Reading reviews of the school and taking a tour gave me one perspective of the academics and campus, but it wasn't until I actually started living here and going to classes that I understood how special this school is. UC Davis feels like home. Not the kind of home where mom or dad have dinner ready for us after soccer practice, but the kind of home where you feel like an adult, where you are finally doing something on your own.There is a strong sense of independence, yet there are many resources that the school provides in order to help students transition to their new lives. For example, academic advising, stress-relief, and simple fun&games are brought to the freshmen in their residence halls. UC Davis is a medium-sized school. It is big enough for students to spread their legs and not get bored, but at the same time there are many different ways in which students can shrink the size of the school to fit their needs. For example, by joining the Greek community, a student becomes part of a smaller community within the larger community of UC Davis, creating a tight-knit community.

Alexandra

So as corny as it sounds...I love my school. I love the people, I love the professors and I love the community members. Davis as a town was rated one of the five friendliest cities in the U.S., which I think is accurate and awesome. A great feature of the school is that it is that it is situated inside of a very quaint and cozy college town. I love to go to the downtown area of Davis and eat at all of the great restaurants. There is also an array of mom and pop shops as well as a weekly farmers market. UC Davis and the town of Davis are very eco-friendly and emphasize sustainability. UC Davis has been getting a lot of attention in the National media lately because of an incident regarding police brutality. This situation has highlighted how involved, intelligent, passionate and resilient the students of UC Davis are. I cannot even explain the comradery and pride that UC Davis students feel for their school.

Sydney

UC Davis is a very big school, but I have yet to experience feeling alone, One of the things that attracted me to Davis was the strong sense of community I felt on campus. Being on your own is hard, but everyone pretty much has each other's back here. Overall, the student body is a very accepting and supportive group. My favorite thing about the students here is that everyone is incredibly smart, but not pretentious. No one is trying to compete with you for better grades or brag about what other schools they got into. Everyone is very laid back and down to earth. The other thing I love about UC Davis is the town of Davis itself. It is perfect for someone looking for a college in a college town. The town really revolves around the school and you will usually see someone you know when you go downtown. I know Davis is incredibly small, but it has a lot of charm. Davis is overal a very happy environment to go to school in. It may be in the middle of nowhere, but because the people are so cool you won't feel like you're missing out

Ruth

The central valley is not particularly known as a prime location for young people to live. Davis is overlooked next to more well-known areas nearby, like San Francisco or Tahoe. Full disclosure: I did not expect much from this campus. But UC Davis, to my surprise, turned out to be the perfect school for me. Davis is a small town, so the university definitely sets the tone. Davis residents tend to be intellectual ex-hippies, retired professors, and young families looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of bigger cities. The campus is huge, but easily accessible on foot or by bike, which is how most students get around. Downtown has lots of great restaurants, and Davis is only 20 minutes away from Sacramento, California's capital. I feel obligated to include a comment about recent events on campus that may have put UCD on your radar. Just two weeks ago, a group of students peacefully protesting tuition hikes and showing solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement were pepper sprayed by the police. We held a rally, a general strike, and have been peacefully protesting this horrible incident of police brutality since it occurred. I do not feel unsafe on this campus. In fact, I feel an indescribable sense of pride in my school and my fellow students. This incident did not create hate or anger, it promoted an already present feeling of unity and brought everyone closer together in peace and love.

Alexa

Well, although the school does have cows, and focuses on majors in agriculture and environmental sciences, the students have a wide range of interests and end up broadening their knowledge by taking fun classes that you can only get at Davis, like tractor driving. The students have all different backgrounds with both a relaxed atmosphere, while still striving for success in academics and in extracurricular activities.

Karena

UC Davis has many majors, and their graduate school programs are excellent as well. The classes are generally quite large, but there is plenty of time for a one on one conversation with your professor during office hours. There are also discussion sessions for many of the classes where the number of students is around 20 and the teaching assistants are very accessible. Davis is a "college town", the community revolves around what activities are going on around campus. However, if a college town is not what you like, Sacramento is only 20mins away! If you are very school spirited, the Aggie Pack is something you should join. It is the student section group at all sporting events and their faces are painted with blue and gold every time! We also have many clubs and activities you can join on campus. There is an activities fair at the beginning of every year showing what UC Davis has to offer!

Richard

UC Davis is a decent 4 year university which strong academics and faculty. The overall view of Davis is that it is in the middle of nowhere. If you imagine partying long nights and having the college experience, this is most definitely not the school you want to attend. However, if you do not want to end up like the 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} complaining about their college degree, and want a university that not only has the resources for success but also the environment, look no further, because UCD is the place.

Leslie

UC Davis is in the ideal location. Situated right next to Sacramento provides students the ability to live in a small, safe town, yet intern in the most politically dynamic place in the state. Although small towns don't appeal to everyone, living in Davis often feels like being in a larger town due to the size of the campus. UC Davis boasts the largest campus in the UC system as well as being known for its cutting edge medical research, advancement in agriculture, and politically active students and faculty. In fact, the most controversial subject to reach the UC Davis campus has to do with politics. Due to prospective budget cuts and increases in tuition, students and faculty have united and have begun protesting against these issues. I think this just exemplifies how much the students and faculty care about the school.

Leslie

UC Davis is in the ideal location. Situated right next to Sacramento provides students the ability to live in a small, safe town, yet intern in the most politically dynamic place in the state. Although small towns don't appeal to everyone, living in Davis often feels like being in a larger town due to the size of the campus. UC Davis boasts the largest campus in the UC system as well as being known for its cutting edge medical research, advancement in agriculture, and politically active students and faculty. In fact, the most controversial subject to reach the UC Davis campus has to do with politics. Due to prospective budget cuts and increases in tuition, students and faculty have united and have begun protesting against these issues. I think this just exemplifies how much the students and faculty care about the school.

Samuel

Whether you are looking for a big party scene, or somewhere quiet to study, or huge open spaces to play sports, or building to do research in, UC Davis has it all. When I tell people that I go to UC Davis, they sometimes assume that I study cows all day and don't ever have fun, but that couldn't be farther from the truth! As a member of a fraternity as well as an active member on campus by previously working for Aggie Pack (the student spirit organization) and having jobs on campus, I have so much fun outside of the classroom as well as in it. Because UC Davis is located in a small town about 1 hour from San Francisco and 20 minutes from Sacramento, Davis is the quintessential college town. By that I mean that with out the city of Davis, UC Davis couldn't exist and without UC Davis, the city of Davis couldn't exist either. It is a perfect symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties. The students get to experience a town, specifically downtown, that caters to them while the city gets the business from the students as well as energy that the students bring (especially in the fall and spring quarters).

Brenda

UCDavis is a place for opportunities. I moved from a US territory 3500miles away just to come here. Though I left everything behind, I do not regret it because I have been given a top notch education and many research and performance opportunities(I am a Neurobiology and Theatre Major). UCD has changed my life, for the better.

Emma

The best thing about UC Davis is the overall school spirit and connection with others you feel on the campus and in the town. In a city of 60,000, over half are associated with the university. Davis defines the word community.

Robyn

UC Davis is HUGE. You get used to it, though! After you have ridden your bike just about everywhere, things start to seem closer together so it makes it more confortable. When I tell people I do to UC Davis, they say congradulations because they know it is intense (or so they've heard) and that many people have done and continue to do great things at the University. I also get a lot of "Oh so you're not too far from home, right?" PSH! I am the PERFECT distance away. Not too close, not too far. Who cares if it's more widely known for it's medical achievements, there are plentyyyy of other things to study :) On campus, I spend most of my time at the CoHo which is short for Coffee House. Besides the fact that they have food, it's fun running into people you've met the weekend before ;) haha.. Another food/study place is the Silo. Named for it's figure, there are plenty of places to get food, and lots of room for studying or chatting in between classes or meeting up with friends to get a Crepe! Most recently, someone was though to have a bomb on campus! I think they exaggerated things but my friends from that dorm area had to sleep in the recreation hall ALL night. Some had papers due the next day and they were allowed extensions because of the tragedy or being locked out of the dorms. School pride! Are you kidding? I only know ONE person who doesn't like it there and that's only because his girlfriend goes to SB and he wants to be with her. I think he's coming around, though. We have Aggie Fridays where students only wear AggiePack shirts (Given free! at the first football game you attend) to show school spirit! Also, the AggiePack is the largest student-run student cheering section in the WORLD! (JK I don't really know) But they give out free food at games, throw beads into the crowd, and even candybars and coupons for local food venues! I have no opinion of the administration, just that they want all the feedback they can get, and send out a campus-wide survey. I should learn more about that. I'm glad they accepted me, though! <3 I will always remember my first roommate and how I hated her so. Luckily! She moved out before Winter Quarter ended, and Spring was awesome with a new roommate of a less-uptight mindset. You become really close with hall-mates. We all used to just go over to the neighbors' whenever, and walk right in. (We had suite-configurations) and no one minded because the visitors mattered to them. Also, bonds are extremely tight when you stay up ALL NIGHT writing a paper with someone! You soon begin to try and take classes together, go to parties together, etc. It's awesome. PS: Obviously, I love people :) Some student complaints are that the freshmen have the latest "pass time" in which they choose their classes. If you go to summer orientation, this willbe solved. All you have to remember to do is WAKE UP EARLY! AND TAKE ALL PLACEMENT EXAMS! lol. I missed my pass time and registered later than everyone else. Another complaint is about the food. I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THIS ONE!?!?!? I LOVE THE FOOD! We have one of the best dining hall facilities in California. It's just that people complain about the monotony of it all. DON'T WORRY! There are PLENTYYYYYYYY of awesome local restaurants AND chains like In N Out! <3333 Lot's of late night trips there :) I want everyone I know to come to Davis and have as much fun and I am having.

Charlie

This campus is definitely the life blood of the city of Davis. UC Davis has a variety of activities that students can partake in but it does not seem to take into account that most students are under pressure from the 10 week schedule most of the time. For a research campus it is not completely wireless accessible, which is bothersome at times. I bike everywhere so I am fairly familiar with the campus structure, more so than students that tend to keep to their campus of specialization. The administration is as helpful as the students who utilize their services but would be even more helpful and resource filled if more students took advantage of such services.

Dylan

Classes are big. That's annoying, especially if you are the kind of person that needs professor-student interaction. Also, the undergrad discussion sections are pretty deadbeat--it's hard to find anyone who cares enough to participate in a legitimate discussion. It's a good school though. I am enjoying it, and there are awesome people if you connect with the right crowd. The town is perfect, a cute downtown but practical and spread out outskirts, with only 2 hrs to san fran or tahoe. Best place to be! But not if you're a city person. Be comfortable with open spaces.

KJ

I love that Davis has a somewhat small-town feel, less urban and quiet. No that there aren't any parties, because there are a lot, just that you can have quiet time and relax without feeling too threatened.

Blake

It's a college town. Everything in the town is centered around the campus, which is great because college students college everything! I love the bikes too because I dont' need a car!

Mel

school is too big, they should just compress the whole campus too much school pride, 3 out of every 5 ppl wear davis stuff

Ryan

-I love the environment at UCD-the campus, ARC, and the way it is set up. -The one thing I would change is providing more classes for students especially for the majors in high demand. This places a bad situation for many, including myself, in waiting to take higher division courses by next quarter or next year because of the overload of students. I hate being place in this situation because it postpones my graduation date. -I think my school is just right -People react in a good way and think highly of UCD, which I love. -I spend most of my time in the lounge or study rooms at the MU area. -The community at Davis is very supportive and dedicated. There are banners all over the community and the stores around there also support the students and gives great deals. -There is school pride but wished it was much more involvement that took place like Standford.

Ryan

Most of my time is spent at the library or at my apartment studying....studying takes a lot of my time. I do like to spend time at the arc.......its a great gym with a great atmosphere. You can take classes there...group fitness classes as well as work-out by yourself. There isnt a pool there but there is one in hickey gym or across the street called the rec pool that is available. A variety of machines are available as well as racquet ball courts, basketball courts, and badmitten area.

Kyle

The best thing about UC Davis in my opinion is the diversity of people. You could ask me to summarize the typical UC Davis student and I could not come close to narrowing it down to even five or ten different types of people. People of widely varying age and ethnicity can be found at any moment anywhere on campus. This pretty much just keeps things interesting and gives you the feeling that it is a serious, non discriminatory, academic community that serves to reach all people. As far as size goes, the UC Davis campus and student body are enormous. The enrollment is somewhere around 35,000 students, and the campus is by far the largest of all the UC campuses if not the largest in college campus in California. This benefits me though, because I prefer a sense of anonymity in my education; I got enough close quarter education in high school and I prefer this much more. Overall, Davis is a diverse, all inclusive, fun, interesting, stimulating place. Every facet of college life is covered here.

nicole

The best thing about UCDavis is the tight knit community in the small college town atmosphere. The town is so accommodating to the students that it makes it easy to have a community of students. The town itself is so proud to have the university in their town that they are welcoming to all students. It is a large school but seems small because there are so many ways to get involved and find your niche on campus.

Jay

the big picture is: davis is a great place to go to college. i was hesitant to go there at first, but now really enjoy it. the whole community is very friendly to students and is built around the college.

Steph

The best thing about UC Davis is the homey and comfortable atmosphere. I feel like everyone can find their niche on campus and find their own personal favorite study spot. If I could change one thing it would be a heightened sense of school pride on the large front. I wish there were more student traditions that had a large hype every year. I don't think Davis is too large at all. I seem to run into the same people over and over. What typically happens is you start taking classes with the same people and sort of go through everything with them. One thing I'll never forget is picnic day. I got to milk 2 cows and thats just not something that everyone can do on their college campuses.

Connie

The best thing about Davis is that after you are here for a little while, you get to know a lot of people and you see people you know everywhere...or people that know people you know. Many people spend a lot of time in Davis rather than outside of it because everything here is college student friendly and that means that you get to know PEOPLE really well. By your fourth year, you will be out at the bars downtown and everyone there will be people you know or have seen around campus. Everyone is really friendly. This is an environment that you will not find anywhere else. The people you will meet here and the connections you will make will make your college experience really great. However, you do have to take some initiative. UCD is a big school (although by the end it wont feel that way at all) and you need to make some effort to be a part of SOMETHING to make your experience worthwhile. Join the greek system - its fun and not as crazy as it is at other school, or join student government, or get an on campus job. There are a lot of opportunities. Also, pre-professional sororities or fraternities are a great way to go. Again, being a large campus you will find that many of your intro classes your first year or two will probably be pretty big. But they go way down in size after that. Once you get into your major you will get to know people in your major that will be in most of your classes and you will get to know professors. The best thing to do is to take initiative to sign up for multiple classes with the same professor so they can get to know you. And go to office hours! Talk to people in your classes. Sit in the front row or near the front if you can. It gets easier by your 3rd and 4th year and with some majors you will feel just as connected as you did in high school. I spent most of my time near the Quad area (by the memorial union) on campus. Actually, this is where most people spend their time. There is the well known coffee house right in front of the quad where you will be guaranteed to run into people you know if you walk through there or sit there to study. That is one of two main gathering areas on campus. Also, I spent a lot of time at the Activites and Recreation Center (ARC). This is one the BEST things about campus. It is a newly built huge two-story fitness center complete with a spacious main workout room (with new equiptment), indoor track, indoor raquetball courts, indoor basketball court, machines on the second floor, and great group exercise classes that are just for students! There are also some computers you can use for free near the entrance to check your email on the way into or out of the ARC, a snack shop, and two study rooms. You can practically live there if you wanted to! Again, Davis is definitely a college town. Its very bike friendly...lots and lots of bikes here! Also, you will see some of your professors biking or walking to class. After your first year you can have a car but there are buses that are free to students provided by the student government that come by many areas of davis every 10-15 minutes and take you to campus, so you dont really need a car necessarily. Most people take the bus or bike to school. Davis's administration can be a handful sometimes. It may take a while to actually get what you want or figure things out because the campus is big and you will probably get re-directed a time or two. But thats to be expected of a large campus. This is a downside. There is a lot of school pride, more than you would expect for sure. People ride around on golf carts with signs promoting different sports games. Basketball is big, as is football. Football is actually really big now, especially after the new stadium was built last year. We also moved up to Division I in football I believe so we are very competitive. Some students complain that there isn't much to do on weekends. This can be true. You have to take initiative to plan things out but there are always concerts or entertainment events of some sort going on. Most of the time you will be at a house party or out at the bars downtown...its a unique experience though to be in a city where almost everyone is your age. Once you turn 21, it gets a whole lot more fun as you can go dancing and drinking at the bars.

michelle

its definitely a college town the city is mainly made up of students and you make friends very easily everyone in the same major basically know each other it pretty cool. there is definitely a lot of school pride....i medan who wouldn't be proud to go to one of the top 50 schools in the world.

John

It's really hard to really give someone who has never been to Davis an idea of what it is like. The campus itself is pretty big, but Davis is also the bike capital of the US, so getting around the town or the city is never an issue. Since I live on campus, I spend most of my time on campus, and I get the feeling that most students do, regardless of where they live. When I don't have a lot of homework or studying, I usually bike over to the Coffee House, right next to the quad to get something to eat and hang out with my friends. The only complaint I really can think of is that the weather here changes all the time. We don't get snow, but we get lots of rain, wind, or heat, depending on if its winter, fall, or summer. But most of the time the weather isn't an issue. One thing I didn't expect when coming to Davis was that there is such a big social community. Not everyone chooses to party in college, but at Davis I think a pretty big percentage of students go out on the weekends. There's at least one big party going on almost every weekend, most of which occur at fraternity houses. I think around 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students on campus join a fraternity or sorority which is a life changing experience.

Quinn

UCD is the ultimate school for a passionate student. The student run aggie pack is top ranked in the nation for providing school spirit. The school has a spirit of their own as well. It's a laid back town with huge ambitions. Student play Frisbee and party on the weekends but hit the books on the weekdays. The fun never stops on Greek row and spring quarter provides the perfect party months. Classes are intense though. UCD is all about the students, from the town to the classes, Davis is the epitome of what everyones college experience should be like. You come out of here with friends, and great memories, and with a degree that means something.

Lorie

I think davis is the perfect size especially for central campus. I love that it is flat and that there is grass everywhere. It's easy to bike or walk to class which is always a plus. Living in the dorms makes me spend most of my time around here but next year I will probably split my time between on campus and downtown. there is a lot of school pride and most people appreciate and love being at Davis.

Jess

it's a big university in a small town, but not too small. and it's pretty close to big cities such as sacramento and the bay area. too many good things about UCD to name just one. we aren't the stereotypical party school, but the party scene is poppin'. we have a wide array of sports organizations: intercollegiate, club, and intramural (i hear we have the best IMs). the students organize many campus activities including picnic day and the whole earth festival, etc.

jessica

I think Davis is just the right size. Not too big because you can still run into people you know everyday on campus, but also not too small so you can meet new people in all your classes. I spend most of my time in the Silo, because it is a good place to study and people watch.

Jesse

Davis is a GREAT town. It is college friendly and easy to get around in. There are bike paths everywhere, beautiful running paths and while generally rainy in winter and oppressively warm in summer, spring and fall are AMAZING in Davis. There is a lot of food downtown and it is affordable to live here. COME TO DAVIS

Alex

Best thing about Davis is that the west side of davis is quiet and nice. Lush greenery at putah creek and flat land to bike wherever you are. Especially when gas prices are so high. The administration is great, very helpful only if you seek the help yourself. School is one of the largest campuses so it's a bitch to walk from one end to another in 10 minutes if you have class one after another. I'll always remember getting high and taking my chem final and acing it.

Melanie

UC Davis is a big school and some people may be put off by that, but the enormity of Davis just provides more room for diversity. The campus is also so large and spread out that most of the time it seems like the school really isnt that big. Davis as a city is awesome if you are not one for big cities, and even if you are Sacremento and San Fransisco are just simple car rides away. Most of the time spnt on campus is in the dorm or just chilling outside. There are lots of places to play catch or nap in the sun. There is a lot of school pride and if you go to any of the sports games free stuff will be attacking you from all sides. GO AGS!

Ryan

The one thing that initially drew me to Davis was the beautiful arboretum and Putah Creek, which runs through it. It is a great place to relax, sit in the sun, nap or try to get in some studying. This school is the perfect combination of a small town, immense diversity in the student population (in terms of both interests and ethnicities), and a proximity to big cities, so that you get a little bit of everything.

Charlie

UC Davis is a great campus. There is plenty of greenery, places to sit outside and enjoy the sun if you want. Everyone is friendly and welcoming. I haven't been made to feel like I shouldn't be there at all. There are several things that I would like to change. If you want to be a tutor, and you are a transfer student, you can't tutor any of the courses that you took elsewhere. You have to had taken the class at UC Davis. The biggest controversy right now is that we are in a budget crisis, our governor is cutting $400 million from the UC budget and our new UC President is getting over $100,000 more than the last one. Everyone is cutting their budgets, and layoffs may happen, but the new president is getting way too much. I have had fun at UC Davis. I wasn't able to do many of the activities I would've liked, but circumstances are what prevented me from those. Davis is a great town for college. You can bike everywhere or take the Unitrans, which is cheap. For students, just show your ID card. I would definitely reccommend going to UC Davis.

Abby

It's a pretty big school but it's amazing how you'll see the same people EVERYWHERE on and off campus. People are impressed that I go to UC Davis and then ask me what there is to do there. It's close to Tahoe and Sacramento and San Francisco is not that far so it's easy to get out of and go to a big city. The campus is HUGE. There is a lot of school pride at athletic events. The football games are a lot of fun to go to.