University of California-Irvine Top Questions

Coming for the Inland Empire, Irvine was a drastic change for me. The City in general is gorgeous. The campus is beautiful. What I truly love about the campus is that it is shaped as a circle, so you never get lost! Also, we have a park in the middle of our campus, where there are so many bunnies and squirrels and you can just do and relax at the park. Also, there are so many things to do on campus. We currently have over 500 registered clubs on campus. So you can find a club about harry potter to a club that is focused on getting into grad school. We also have many events at our school. Like in October, we have a concert called Shocktober Fest, during Spring Quarter we have Waysgoose and Reggaefest. We also have a great recreational center where they offer many classes and a great pool. I think the campus is not too big but not too small. It's just the right size.

The best thing about this school is the people, the atmosphere, and the resources. Many people are open-minded and friendly. Even if you're quiet, you will make friends and meet new people. The atmosphere is great. UCI has a park in the center of the entire school where you could just sit down and study, listen to music, play frisbee, talk, or just sleep. It's very relaxing. During big events like Welcome Week and Homecoming, people are very energetic. So depending where you are, UCI has different atmospheres fit to your liking. UC Irvine has many great resources. We have free tutoring services for certain classes. We have LARC which is a really great tutoring service, but it is not free. However, it is very affordable and helpful! There is an Academic and Advising center for each school and they will answer any questions you may have. There are many leadership, academic, and service opportunities as well. One thing I would like to change is to have a day to celebrate different cultures all over campus. Some clubs do this type of thing, but it is a small-scale event. I would like this to be a large-scale event so that we can be more aware of different people and cultures on our campus. UCI is neither too small nor too large. I did not want to go to a large school because it would be really hard to get to class. Since it is a UC, it is not that small. UCI is just right. When I tell people I go to UC Irvine they usually say, "Wow, great job! That's a good school." Although UCI is not as prestigious as UCLA or Berkeley, it is just as good in academics and sports as both those schools. I spend a lot of my time in the library, my room, the student center, or the ASUCI offices. One experience I will always remember is living in the dorms. I highly recommend it because you meet a lot of different people. Living in the dorms has its ups and downs but when it's over, you will wish you had just a few more days. The Resident Advisors held events for their residents and there were community events as well as competitions, which were very fun.

I love UCI! We do work, we're pretty fly. In all realities, UC Irvine is almost nobody's 1st Choice (I am part of the 1{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} that it is!), but that does not stop its student from falling inlove with the campus! There are so many things to do and so many ways to get involved! UC Irvine is a place to learn and grow as a student, but more importantly as a person. Would not have changed my choice even if I could.

I really like my school actually, hard to believe but i really love going to lecture! I have had some great professors in the past and took some different/interesting classes. One thing I would change is the food available at the school of medicine side of campus. there is only one cafeteria there and it is not very good. I think my school is a good size. There aren't too many students and there is adequate space provided. The park in the middle of school is beautiful. When I tell people I go to UCI they are all impressed and say 'wow, you must have had great grades to get in there from high school.' That's nice that they recognize my hard work. I spend most of my time in the sciences side of campus, away from the front of the school where all the excitement happens. There are always great events and sales happening in the student center. The biggest controversy on campus right now is the fee increase. Students have been protesting and walking around campus blowing whistles during class to show their protest of increased tuition. Something unusual is that we have a lot of rabbits at the school because they were let out by the laboratory and kept reproducing. An experience i will always remember is running around campus at night doing a scavenger hunt with my friends. We had to solve riddles and take pictures of the item when we figured it out. A great thing about my school is that it has a wide range of activities so everyone is able to find an interest.

The best thing about UCI is that it is always becoming better. UCI has the most land out of all of the UCs but it is yet to be fully utilized (thus the acronym, Under Construction Indefinitely, reflecting upon how new buildings are always being raised up). It seems that the school's academic reputation is continually increasing as well. The campus could quite possibly be one of the best out of all the UCs -- it is very well organized and has tons of plants. The atmosphere is very calming. There are many good facilities for students to use. However the atmosphere at UCI has much more of a modern look, so if you think a good looking campus is one with a prestigious historical look, then look elsewhere. The city of Irvine is an important consideration too. Many people call it a giant retirement home, which I wouldn't say is completely true. There's a lot of conservative retirees but also many young professionals who work at the local companies. There are also many families who want to raise their kids in a nice suburban lifestyle. The city strives to be somewhat utopian. Much of the land and many buildings (including probably over half of the off-campus apartments) are owned by the Irvine Company, which is owned by one of the richest people in America. So what does all of this mean? A very quiet and pleasant atmosphere with parks every 3-4 blocks (literally). It's dull if you don't make the effort to find things to do or people to meet. I must stress again that there are things to do, you just have to find them and meet the people who are interested in making things happen.

UCI is a huge school. It is way too big. It's a commuter school, so people leave on the weekends, which makes life quite dull. School pride is subdued, but people don't seem to mind. Time is definitely spent milling around in dorms or at Yogurtland.

When I went to school, which was not that long ago . . . I graduated in 2005. . . there was not much school pride at all. I remember my freshman year, it was more common to see people wearing sweatshirts from schools they wished they had gone to and not UCI. I live in New York now and I'm going to graduate school at a VERY VERY prestigious university and let me tell you I have SO much pride that I went to UCI. I consider myself lucky to have gone to school with such down to earth people from diverse backgrounds and in a relatively chill area. Yeah it got boring from time to time, and the cops did shut down the parties pretty early . . . but when I see and hear these spoiled and pretentious undergrads at the school that I now attend, I thank my lucky stars that I can call myself an anteater. So basically Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover. UCI may not seem as well known or popular as other schools but it gave me the most amazing time of my life. Plus, now that I have graduated, UCI gets a lot more respect than it used to, pretty much all my friends are in amazing grad school, are working abroad or have stable, well paying jobs. Also UCI has been getting a lot more TV time these days (ie Kaba Modern, Aubrey ODay from Danity Cane, Miguel Zarate on Step it Up and Dance) . . . just give us a few more years and we will have just as cool of a rep as all the normal schools you think of as #1 choice schools.

UCI was the first University of California campus to have a majority Asian population, which makes this seaside campus "feel" kind of like Hawai'i. Biology (Premed - "best on the West Coast"), Engineering, and ICS (Information & Computer Sciences) are among the leading programs for this University. But like Pomona's Harvey Mudd college, this doesn't mean that hard work can't be rewarded with a "party hardy" social life. For years, UCI has tried to conceal it's "O.C." Newport Beach beach culture behind it's brainy Irvine address, but by now the word is out that UCI grads are actually a more "balanced" brand of high achievers. UCI's ideal coastal location and state of the art facilities in a beautifully landscaped masterplanned community make it a top choice for those who like the best that California lifestyle can offer. UCI has been able to attract a world class faculty due to its ideal location in coastal Orange County, California; besides having an excellent local reputation as a preeminent training ground for future doctors (UCI passed Stanford back in the 1980's pumping out premed graduates with the highest acceptance rate into medschools), UCI is very much Pacific Century focused and actually is quite well known in India and China where some of my fraternity brothers have pursued careers in film and corporate mergers and acquisitions. A UCI degree is admired around the world. UCI is relatively peaceful, although the campus administration has taken measures to pacify tension between Jews and Muslims at UCI. Recently the campus was a focus of Muslim activism when a symposium reviewing the "Danish cartoons" of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed drew hundreds of vocal demonstrators who tried to intimmidate conference attendees.

One of the things I'd like to see at UCI is more attention to the School of Humanities and the School of Social Science, especially research opportunities. There's a lot of attention (and funding) being given to School of Biological Science and School of ICS. I can envision UCI as THE place for interdisciplinary studies for recently, UCI has attracted scholars of high-caliber, supported new majors and minors like Queer Studies and even opened up new centers like International Writing & Translation Center. A lot of people tell me that UCI is a good school when I tell them I go to UCI. Still, they do not regard UCI on an equal term to UCLA or UC Berkeley. I really do believe that in 10 years, more or less, UCI will find itself rising in rank, even surpassing UCSD and UCSB, because of expansion of the campus continuous development of academic programs. Law school, for example, will help attract prospective students and notable scholars to UCI. What I dislike immensely is the administration and its handling of campus affairs, especially the administrative sides. There seems to be a huge disconnect between the administration, the faculty, and the students. For instance, it took hours for Zotalert to put out an alert to student body about armed robbery or missing students. Another is a ban of bikes on Ring Road. Rumor is that a student hit the Chancellor with his bike and there was a swift reaction. Even if that was true, there should have been an open roundtable discussion between the administraiton and the student body. There's no school spirit and yes, many students say the reason is due to UCI's lack of football, a statement I disagree with. I just think that how the administration deals with university affair set the tone for the entire campus. Collaborative nature is missing and should be considered on all levels, something that students do notice. I really miss the old school pub! I think the new Student Center can be more student-friendly. I really adored the pub and Cornerstone...and I spent a lot of time there. The University Center is something that can help promote the college town feel.

UCI is a school full of amazing opportunities. It is currently going through phenomenal growth, something that won't slow up soon. Although there are always 'growing pains' associated with rapid growth of any infrastructure or organization, it also creates the need for leaders and the opportunities to seek changes. Other Universities already have very established programs and traditions, whereas UCI offers you the unique opportunity to play a visible role in forming those traditions for our future. I will admit there are still lingering signs of being a 'commuter campus.' However once students find their niche (whether in the Greek system, the performing arts, leadership, honors, athletics, service clubs, etc) it becomes easy to really enjoy the student life that we do have.

I really appreciated the layout of the campus. All of the main buildings are organized in a circle, all within easy reach via Ring Road or by cutting through Aldrich Park. Aldrich park was another aspect of UCI that I loved. It is a beautiful park in the middle of campus. Quite the refuge from the hectic life of a student. There's not as much school pride as I would have liked. Not like the kind of school pride you hear about at old, private universities. This is something I wish would have been different. As an alum though I do feel a sense of pride having come from UCI. UCI is unique particularly because of its mascot, Peter the anteater! I don't know of any other school that has the anteater as its mascot. I think it's the best, most interesting mascot out of all the UC schools. When I was in college, one of the biggest controversies had to do with ASUCI and the mis-use of monies (i.e. for extravagant retreats). I am not sure if that was ever resolved.

Outside of academics, UCI's biggest strong point, particularly in busy southern California, is the beauty of Aldrich Park, which is in the center of campus. There are lots of trees and paths, creating a nice setting for walking across to your next class or for just spending time outside. Because of the large student body, it is difficult to get personalized attention for general administrative matters. However, some organizations like the Career Center, Counseling Center, Health Education do cater to students, which is nice. If you're a part of Campuswide Honors Program, it's really easy to get to know the staff, and they are VERY responsive to your needs. UCI is definitely a large public university, which is great in the huge diversity in academic offerings and student organizations. Along with that, though, come long waits in line for administrative things and anonymity, which can be good or bad. Most people do not know UCI outside of California. I generally say that I went to school in southern California or Orange County to not confuse them. In Cali, though, I think most people are familiar, but they think of UCLA or Berkeley first as their favorite UC. I was really fortunate to have awesome roommates and to have on-campus housing the whole time I was at UCI, so usually if I wasn't in class or something, I would be in my dorm or apartment complex. However, the student center, eating places, and the library were pretty popular during lunch. Although the school is UC Irvine, it's actually on the edge of the city and is practically in Newport Beach. Irvine is an upper-middle-class planned community, and Newport Beach is a pretty ritzy beach city. As a result, UCI doesn't really have a nearby ghetto area, and there isn't as much interaction with these areas as there could be with the exception of some pretty large donations from the rich businesspeople who live in the area. Some people are extremely involved in student government, but from the outsiders' perspective, it mainly benefits those who run it (e. g. boosting the resume or lavish spending for their personal use), especially since many of them are also involved in Greek life. UCI has no football team. Instead, we have a strong baseball team and a really nice science library. As a biology major who studied a lot, I had no problem with that, but it does kind of bring down school spirit as a whole. However, there is the enthusiastic Completely Insane Anteaters (CIA) organization that encourages people to go out to basketball games and such. Nevertheless, zot zot! Probably one of my most unique UCI experiences was participating in Alternative Spring Break where a group of us went to a new location to do community service over spring break. I met such a great, diverse group of people and accomplished a lot while having fun too. Since I've gone, the program has done even bigger and better things, including restoring an area in the South affected by Hurricane Katrina. As for complaints, everything is expensive: cost of living, tuition, parking, books, etc. Administration can be a hassle too.

People always think UCI is boring when I tell them I went there, but I partied all through college and loved my professors and the campus. Irvine is not just about being in Irvine, but about being in Southern California. It is so easy to go to LA or San Diego for the night or Vegas or Palm Springs for the weekend.

I loved UCI. It is a large school, but one can easily find a niche. There are so many opportunities to be part of something. All 300+ clubs are constantly looking for new members and leaders. There is always an art show going on at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. There is always a great jazz concert by the music students, a great musical put on by the Drama students. All the shows that I have been to are intimate and professionally executed. Our Associated Student body puts out great programs; free film screening, holiday games, homecoming games, and speaker series. I spent most of my time at the Cross-Cultural Center. I was an officer for the Asian Pacific Student Association. Then I became an Publicity Intern at the Cross. We programed insightful and timely events that brought inspiring speakers to UCI. I remember one event was a fair trade coffee tasting/talk. We also invited the creator of Boondocks as a keynote for one of our events. I spent the majority of my time working on a publication I founded called Jaded magazine. Jaded was a serious commitment. I was able to publish it for three years with the help of talented writers, artist, and editors all from UCI. We took our passion for social justice, art and journalism and set strict guidelines for running the magazine. It eventually won the respect of students, professors, and even non-UCI students. We gain national recognition with Campus Progress' "Best Publication" award. It was truly a feat, beating out all those east coast ivy leagues. UCI or any other school will be memorable if you choose to make it memorable.

The best thing about UCI is the laid back atmosphere. People let you do what you want, within reason of course. There isn't an awful lot of school spirit, but I think that is largely because there isn't a football team. Irvine itself is not a college friendly town; a lot of places close at 9pm or 10, but neighboring cities like Costa Mesa and Newport Beach offer a variety of night life activities and other fun adventures. I spent most of my time on campus, either working or attending classes. People always know UCI, it's not something that needs explanation. People know it's a good school.

Its hard to pick one thing that I liked best about UCI. I really liked the fact that I had many opportunities to get involved with organizations on and off campus. Because of the people I met and their encouragement I was able to step outside of my comfort zones and get involved in internships and leadership positions that I would have never done in high school. Also loved the size of the school. Coming from a large high school I liked the idea that every class would have different and new people in them. One thing that I wish UC Irvine had more of is school spirit. Because the school is not very old as well as not having a football team the tradition is lacking. It seems like the alumni base is building which will in turn help build this school spirit--but that will only take time.

UCI is great because it is a great environment to really educate yourself. It's safe and quiet atmosphere is conducive to learning. There are also a lot of really great people at the school who, if you take the time to get to know, can become life-long friends. Just like in everything, The experience to get out of UCI depends on the effort that you put into it. As for a "college" experience, UCI is pretty lacking. The adventures that you are likely to have are not the drunken exploits expressed in movies, rather, they are journeys into the tunnels underneath UCI, or ice-blocking down the various hills in the area. The main problem with UCI is that the are very up tight about a lot of things, and that puts stresses on social activities. Although, they recently reopened the Pub on campus, which, if you are 21 is a great place to hang out and bond with friends. Also, the Jews, Muslims and Christians tend to fight a lot over stupid things. Like Israel. They seem to think that arguing about it around you will solve the problem, but the only thing that they end up doing is propagating hate between one another. It is good times.

its close to the beach and the weather is amazing. And academically it is top of the line for a public school

Its in Southern California. I'd give us a football team so we can have some kind of nightlife. Just right. Most don't know what UCI is unitl I say UC Irvine. I spend most of my time in Engineering Gateway. What college town. No opinion with administration, never dealt with them. The Jewish community is constanltly bad mouthing the Muslim community through various clubs, organizations, and even the school newspaper.

The best thing about UCI is Aldrich Park. It's nice just to lay out on the grass on a spring day and read between class. The worst part is the lack of community cohesion. You don't really get the "campus" feeling like at other schools because it is a commuter school and we don't have a football team.

get your education and get out.

One of the reasons I chose to come to UCI was because I felt it was big, yet small, I know that sounds weird, but it has a sense of community and familyness that I didn't find on another campus. It felt like home.

UC Irvine is still making a name for itself, and I think that in a couple more years it's going to be one of those "top tier" schools with that everyone wants to go to, just like UCLA or USC. It's drawback is that it's in a suburban area, so the area around it doesn't necessarily cater to college students. However, being in the OC area, there's a lot to do. Disneyland is right around the corner, the beach (Newport and Huntington) is a 10 minute drive from the campus, Angels Stadium and the Staples Center are about 20 minutes away, and it's right in the center of all of the southern California schools, about an hour from UCLA, USC, UCRR, UCSD and SDSU. The school itself is not too big, on the average day, I run into at least 10-15 people that I know on the campus, but at the same time, with any college, you have to put yourself out there and get involved in something, anything to have fun. We are also National Champions in men's volleyball.

The area and education. The location is not only safe, but very pretty. The campus is big, but because of the layout feels small. As with most UC schools, when I tell people that I go to UCI, I always get the response that it is a very good school I spend most of my time on campus in classrooms, sometimes visiting the library to study. This campus is not really a "college town," as it is a "commuter school." Most people live fairly close to home and so on weekends UCI becomes a ghost town. There was some controversy over the dean of the new law school, but all issues have been resolved regarding that. We have a national champion men's volleyball team, however school pride is not the same as colleges with top 20 basketball or football teams. The most frequent complaints that I hear is the demographic of students being heavily weighted toward asians, but over the past couple years I feel that it has become more well rounded. Dorm life is something that I will always remember as nothing I have ever done had really compared with it.

UCI is a little bland. There is very little school spirit. But after that not much to complain about. The one thing (and it is true about any big school) is that you got to get invovled with a group of friends, club, lab, sport, greek system or something or you'll feel detached. At UCI, people love UCI through their little pieces of UCI. Note remember the bio majors who study all the time will tell you their lives suck and that UCI blows, yes it does if you study every second in major that offers very little creativity when it comes to research. For me as a Psychology & Social Behavior Major + English Minor, I have small classes and great labs. Yeah I have lectures but I've got to know those professors, and honestly lectures are best things for certain introductory topics. UCI provides a safe home atmosphere. I can’t stress enough you will love the fact that no one is waking you up at 3am in the morning. Note housing isn't too great for Freshman but the upperclass housing (2nd year is guaranteed) is awesome. Plus, the apartments just across the street are plentiful and quite nice. Compare this to stuff you see at schools like UCSD with there concrete ugly mammoth apartments and UCI looks even better. UCI is beautiful, the park in the middle is stellar, the intramurals and recreational (dance, kayaking, martial arts, sports, yoga) classes are phenomenal. UCI is a great school in a great place. It literally is located 5 minutes from the beaches that The OC and Laguna Beach are filmed in. This place is amazing. New Port Harbor is breath taking and quite uncorporate. The campus food is no UCLA, but it dominates about 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the competition and the meal plans aren’t real ridiculous like say Cal-Poly SLO where they force you to buy more meals than you’d ever be able to use, recommendation though is get the smallest mandatory meal plan. Finally, at UCI, you get to be your own person. No one will tell you who you should be. There is no UCI identity like there are at some bigger schools (especially private schools). You come to UCI and whatever majors and activities you want to do, you can be. Comapre this to say to Chapman which is the size of high school, were there is a norm of dress, of interests, and of activities.

UCI has a beautiful campus. They are trying hard to change it from being a commuter school and are slowly succeeding. The new Student Center is beautiful and the ARC is off the hook! I think UCI is neither too large or too small, but just right. People outside of orange county generally don't have much of an idea of where UCI is, but as it grows bigger and more prestigious (as it is currently), I think this is changing. If you're looking to go to UCI soon, it's definitely on the upswing....it's a really good time to come here! Irvine isn't much of a college town, but is a really central location for the beach, Disneyland, LA, San Diego and more! School pride is increasing, but we could definitely use more!

A lot of people have never heard of Irvine. I think it was supposed to be UC Newport Beach but Irvine redrew their city lines because they wanted UCI. It would have been way cooler if it were UCNB. But, once people see the campus and ralize how close we are to the beach and mountains, they can't deny that we have a beautiful campus, minus the horrible 60's architecture. We lack school spirit and people call UCI "Under Construction Indefinitely" or "University of Chinese Immigrants." It is a wet campus which is pretty cool and it does seem to be getting more school spirit so slowly but surely we are getting there.

The professors and the actual classes are the best part of UCI. Parking rules need to be adjusted. School is growing too large, they need to stop expanding the incoming classes. People know and understand UCI to be a good school, and it is, it will definitely educate you, but like with any university experience the student has to take the learning into his/her hands. I spend time in classes mostly and then in any cafe's on campus or the library/gateway to study. If the pub was still there I would have spend time there. Definitely--"what college town?" The environment does not support UCI students unless of course it's significant research that will get them more notoriety--it's understandable for a suburban town that is really modern. Administration is good, no complaints. Lots of controversy, but mostly it's just so superficial. No school pride at all. But people still participate in things and it really doesn't hinder from a student in having a good time in general. Not much of a school pride atmosphere. Lots of unusual things about UCI...too many to list, but it's like any other place. Mardi Gras at UCI was fun. Freshman year was fun. But I can't pick one experience--I will remember as many as I can. Students complain about the lack of interesting things going on around campus. Although some groups put on interesting things, a lot of them are culture specific so they leave other students out. BUT, at the same time those students learn and grow by experiencing new cultures all around them...so there is a plus and minus to that. Mostly it's the lack of students meeting other students. It is very difficult to meet new people without some socializing atmosphere.

I like the size and layout of the school. I love the campus altogether; the only thing is Irvine is a boring town. The beach is practically the only place to go, and when it isn't hot, there is no where, especially if youre not 21. I know a lot of people that don't have school pride for some reason, but I consider myself to have school pride. There is no point in looking down on the school you are attending. It only makes you look bad. Freshman year has been the most fun for me because you meet so many people when you dorm. I also was on Mesa staff, which has been one of the most rewarding and fun experiences that I have had here at UCI.

The best thing about UCI is its proximity to San Diego and Los Angeles. If I could change one thing, I would give us a football team. The school is a good size. It depends. My older sister went to Princeton so people who know her are surprised that I am going to such a less academically acclaimed school, but other people seem to think it's a pretty good school. I spend most of my time on campus in class. I'm not on campus a whole lot other than that. I get coffee with friends at starbucks every once in a while, and go to the Bren center for sports games once a week or so, but other than that, I'm off campus most of the time. "what college town?" UCI's administration seems pretty good. I guess I don't really have anything to compare it to. Some guy who had been working at ASUCI for a long time tried to strangle another employee. Nope, not a lot of school pride. There are an unusual amount of Asians. Living on campus first year with such great friends. No school spirit, no football team (although the second explains the first), and nothing to do in Irvine.

I love the campus. I love how the school is situatied around Aldrich Park. Irvine, the city, is bland and unappealing, but for those same reasons it feels safe and comfortable.

My favorite thing about UCI is being close to Newport, Laguna, Corona del Mar, etc. I lived off campus my 2nd year in Costa Mesa and rode my bike to the beach when i didn´t have school. Something I would like to see changes in is the counseling.. everytime I go in to ask questions I feel like I get general answers, nothing too specific to my situation and that they dont really care.. I guess it´s hard to with so many students but it feels too impersonal. Not so much a college town except for the off campus housing around the campus. Another great thing about our school is that we have an AMAZING gym. The ARC is big, has everything you need from yoga and other classes to a lot of basketball courts, indoor and outdoor, a pool, indoor track, rock climbing wall, machines, etc. Sometimes it is hard to take advantage of when you live farther off campus but totally worth it and better then the 24hr across the street. There is good food options right around campus and now there are more on campus. I am studying abroad for my Junior year but I hear the Student Center is great. Speaking of studying abroad, the CIE office has a lot to offer although there are some issues with communication but, definitely study abroad.. I had to have a good GPA to leave for a year and when I was a little short, they worked with me and helped make it possible to go to Spain for the whole academic year. Ring Road is great, easy to get to classes, and I like the booths always set up and the events they have for students.. One thing that bothers me is they outlawed bikes on ring road because, rumor has it, the Dean got hit.. Well that is a lame excuse and now they give tickets out and actually have people enforcing it. I wouldn´t say there is an extreme amount of school pride, but we can´t all be USC right? I do wish we had more focus on sports and supporting our athletic teams because sporting events always create more school pride, maybe it´s because our baseball team and volleyball team are the only ones known, oh well, you should still go to the baseball games, they are fun, we are good and the field is beautiful. The Greek system is pretty big, although I am not into it at all because personally a lot of the frat and sorority students are so wrapped up in the Who´s Who and its really lame, especially their parties. I haven´t had too many issues with the Administration, and after switching majors from Humanities to Social Science, the SS faculty was very welcoming and I continue to get loads and loads of emails with updates, events and anything related to Social Sciences. I plan on getting more involved my 4th year, I do suggest that of everyone. There are more clubs then you know and I am eager to do so. It will be hard returning to Irvine after being in Barcelona for a while, but hopefully I can find more diverse opportunities when I do so.

To be honest, I am in love with this school. I think it was exactly the right place for me to go to college and i can't picture being anywhere else in California. Irvine is in a great location. We are close to the beach, LA, San Diego and Disneyland! I love Aldrich Park and the beauty that is this campus. I love that students can shine anywhere here and there are so many opportunities for everyone. Each person brings new energy to the campus and I think that the campus community is amazing! As a person who is very involved, I love seeing all the people I know on Ring Road and the smiling faces of everyone that I interact with. There isn't very much that I would change about UCI because I think that we are a unique school with so much to offer. I think that one thing that I might change is the massive amounts of construction. i know that it's to be a bigger and better school, but it's so noisy all the time, and the campus is much better without all the noise. I really like hanging out in the New Student Center because I always see people I know and there are always concerts or speakers going on on the stage. There is also food and I can use my zot bucks, which is awesome! I also hang out a lot at Cha for Tea across the Street. That's not really on campus, but ask anyone and they'll know what you're talking about! Irvine isn't really a college town. You pretty much have to drive anywhere that you want to go, but its okay! We have out places to hang out (Spectrum, Fashion Island, University Towne Center, etc.) I definitely think that we need to work on school pride. I often see people wearing sweatshirts and other apparel from other schools and it bothers me. I wish more people came out to games and supported our teams...'cause they are pretty good!

THe best thing at UCI is the availability of resources. From the career center, to the study abroad center to jobs on campus, to office hours..the entire UCI campus is filled with easily accessible resources. I'd probably change the atmosphere around UCI, make it a little more college-like. Have more places to hang out around campus, like open a lounge or something. I think the school's just right. If it were larger, it'd be harder to meet ppl, if it was smaller, it would be too suffocating because everyone would know everyone. A lot of people give me a reaction like 'oh wow..you're smart' and some people, that either go to UCLA or Berkeley are like "oh thats cool". I spend most of my time in class or outside on the Student Center terrace, eating and hanging out with friends. Its not a college town, but we do the best we can with our apartment parties and whatnot. I like the admin. THere's a big issue between the Muslim community and the Jewish community, but what else is new? It depends on what group of people you look at, but i think there's a sufficient amount of school pride, but it'd be better if there was more. the only unusual thing is the fact that our mascot is an anteater. I'll always remember the professors that are really understanding and caring about their students, who help out a lot during office hours. the most frequent complaints is the parking tickets. its ridiculous.

The campus is very laid back and designed very well. The teachers and researchers here are amazing also. Prob would try and get sports bigger at uci.

Getting involved in campus tours and student housing has been the best thing! And the study abroad options! Big contraversies on campus... the Israli versus Palistine issue. Most memorable moment... walking through the school of the arts and being sung to be a random arts student while he played his guitar; midnight tours; housing training; Disneyland with fellow staff members; late night In n Out, etc... The school gives you the small school vibe with the big school experience. Things I would change, that people would get out more and do more/take advantage of all the amazing resources on campus. Also, the City of Irvine, while beautiful, has no downtown, no "college" area, no nothing. The city is boring but there is lots of wonderful shopping. :) You're close to the beach too!

The best thing about UCI is the fact that it requires you to move outside of your comfort zone and question ideas, develop new ones, and be entirely unapologetic in self-discovery. It seems like this would be high praise for a university that was not my first choice, but I have grown to realize that UCI's particular brand of teaching is unique, and I could not have had the same experience had I gone to that exclusive private school on the East coast. Every aspect of UCI is a niche in itself. UCI is perhaps the largest group of cliques and clusters of people, although no one is left out. At UCI everyone belongs somewhere, and you can pick exactly where you want to belong to- which is a huge positive point in my opinion. College is an opportunity for a new student to discover exactly who they are, and to made decisions based on their new-found sense of identity. It may take a year or two, but a student must understand that it is a process that is reflective of their environment. UCI meshes a liberal point of view in a conservative city, but more than that, it exposes its students to different world views, religions and activities the way a good college should. It certainly does not provide a one-sided argument, as you will always find someone who will have a different point of view, and those who will relate to your particular brand of opinions. I was pleased to find a large population of unashamed Muslim students, as I know controversy is apparent in today's society. One of the best things about UCI is Anteater Square- where each student is allowed to express him or herself, no matter what their views (I would not go as far as to say without dissent, because that would take away the whole point of this forum!) On a lighter note, UCI does sustain some of its stereotypical "geek" background, and is shaped in a perfect, 1 mile donut, with a large park at the center. The pathway around campus is named "Ring Road," connecting to one of the freshman housing complexes called "Middle Earth." It is lighthearted and reminds us to take each step with a fresh outlook on the day's activities. It would not do to dwell on the heavier aspects of life all the time. There are always programs going on and Alumni also take an interest in the school, putting on a huge homecoming carnival every year. There are a lot of movie nights on campus, as well as fairs and health weeks. Every quarter there is a vendor's fair that comes to campus, selling trinkets and clothes; it sort of reminds me of a small vintage town with thrifty wares at university prices. (I always get the free "taste test" kettlecorn) Basketball is our most popular sport, although I'm told that we perform well in Baseball and Volleyball too. (My interest in sports extend to the level that I just don't want the volleyball tournament to be on the same weekend of Relay For Life, Colleges Against Cancer's 24-hour walkathon that raises money for cancer research) It does bring a lot of people together however, and on game nights, the streets are packed with students proudly wearing their free, neon yellow "CIA" (Completely Insane Anteater) shirts. Although game nights find UCI students popping out of the woodwork with astonishing and somewhat alarming regularity, weekends bring new meaning to the term, "ghost town." UCI finds itself in a spot where most students go home on weekends, forcing those from Nor-Cal to bond in in the awkward absence. Being from Nor-Cal myself, I delight in the fact that there is parking galore, unlike the school days where there is hardly parking to be found, especially because of the limited spaces and none-too helpful rules imposed on exactly who can and cannot get a parking pass. (It is sort of like who gets an earlier enrollment period. It seems to be based on standing, amount of credits, what time of the day you were born, color of hair, foot size and whether you are rock or grass Pokemon type- quoting my favorite essay on why you should Never Become a Japanese Major)

The best thing about UCI is the education. I would change the environment around campus--make it more amenable to student life (such as several hangout spots that are open late). The campus is large, but somehow there is not enough student interaction because of the lack of places for students to congregate. I spent most of my time at the Cultural Center. It is definitely not a college town. The UCI administration does not seem to be very active with the students. There is not much school pride.

The people I met were the best things about UCI. Loves, best friends, room mates, brilliant students and professors, staff members--they all made UCI a great experience for me. Irvine is too big to be considered a college town.

The area is nice...we need more school spirit. a football team, a GOOD basketball team or something....People always say UCI is a great academic school...and i think we are, so that's good. I spent a lot of time at the student center area. A college town requires food/bar establishments to be open past 9pm. I think there is school pride, but it's different from a school like USC, UCLA or even somewhere like Illinois...they have something to be proud of...i mean YES we did get fairly far in the College World Series..but other than that? no football team, since for some reason MR and MRS. Irvine think that having a football team will somehow destroy their utopian society. It's safe here in Irvine. That's very nice to have...i'm just glad I didn't grow up here. I'm glad I grew up around crime and more "ghetto" areas...it builds character and street smarts...something not many "Irvine-ers" have.....Complaints include too much amdin rules...how do you BAN skateboarding on campus? that was huge....you might as well ban walking on ring road. because of ONE incident, they ban it..i mean i remember hearing someone jumped off the parking structure building in a suicide..sad, yes. But should UCI blow up all parking structures more than 1 level high? it doesn't make sense...

It's a tie for the best thing about UCI: on campus housing and the cirriculum. I wouldn't trade my dorm experience for anything ni the world. Also, in four years I had only one, maybe two "bad" classes that were either poorly organized or executed. If I could change one thing it would probably be more student hang outs off campus (especially now that the pub is closed; R.I.P. Anteater Pub). Irvine is NOT a "college town." When I was on campus I spent my time in the area around the food court and bookstore, or lounging between classes in Aldrich Park. When I tell people that I'm a UCI alum, they have always been impressed. Not only do you get the benefit of the "U.C" reputation, but I think that UCI really stands out in the top ten public universities in California. I always had great experiences with faculty, staff and administration when it came to my schedule, special requests and paperwork.

Best: SPOP - the 3 day orientation programs changed my life as an incoming freshman and the two years I staffed Change: Culture...get away from being a commuter school School: Just right! Better than UCLA Reaction: most people have no idea where UCI is until you say Irvine or the OC Spent: CCC or the Student Center What college town: ???? There was no central place that we could walk to other that the UTC that sucks Administration: With the new chancellor I thought things would be better but I really enjoyed the old Chancellor because he was active in all sporting events including attending the baseball games frequently. Controversy: Hate crimes committed at UCI Pride: We do internally but it wasn't known to the nation until this past baseball season Unusual: We're a small school with an Anteater as a mascot Experience: Becoming part of the SPOP family for life Complaints: UCI is not a party school

Although UCI is a rather large school in terms of number of sudents (+25,000), it always had a small feel to me. The group of students you will meet in your classes and especially in your extra curriculars will make you feel like you have a smaller campus within the larger university. Most people in northern California do not know about UCI. I always liked to think of it as my own little secret -- a great place to be that not too many people realize exists. It sometimes gets old trying to explain where UCI is ("Have you ever seen the OC? Well go a few miles inland, and you're at UCI!"), but I didn't mind keeping it my own secret place. It is most definitley not a college town. Luckily, there are communities close around (Newport Beach, for example) that have more of a college town feel, but if you don't have a car and are stuck to the UCI campus, you wont exactly be surrounded by bars and night clubs.

There isn't much of a "college town." UCI is in Irvine. The school is near a residential area as well as an old folks home. Things have a tendency to close by 6pm. Loud parties are usually stopped by 11pm. The biggest controversy on campus in my year was the removal of the Pub, which was the one lifeforce left on campus. However, I've been told they rebuilt that area and have put in a new pub. The school size is good. There are many great opportunities on campus, especially if you are into the arts. The drama department has a great program on campus with 7 mainstage plays and several workshop productions directed by students each year. Unfortunately the film department, mostly based in theory, has a limited production program. In fact, the drama department has better film equipment than the film department, having their own green screen video studio. The film department is growing, however, and hopefully will soon begin to develop into a better organization. Networking is important.

Being a part of the Drama department was amazing. The sense of community I felt while there was what made my college experience so wonderful. I would say that most, if not all, of the other departments are lacking that. I knew almost everyone in my program, but other majors I talked to said they only really knew about 10 other people in their program. They also seemed sort of down about this. Not a lot of school pride, so far as I know. Mostly we were all just embarrassed about how damned boring the town is. Next to no culture, and I'd say the school was a part of that. Like I said, I loved my department. There was a definite sense of culture. But stepping outside of that was like stepping into a wasteland. Just sterile and constricted.

The best thing about UCI is the location. It is 5 miles from the beach and the surrounding community is suburban and consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in the country. Orange County is a unique and albeit beautiful place to go to college. I'd change public transportation on the campus. The campus is large at about 1500 acers or so and while the walk is nice--I think a lot more people would go to events if they had some way easy to get there. For the amount of students (around 25,000) and the size of the campus I think it is just right although I know they will probably increase the population in the next 20 years. People who live in the west and have for a while are impressed I went to UC Irvine and know it as an academic school--But I live in Washington, DC, now and nobody has every heard of it. I spent most of my time on campus hanging out in my college dorm living room or with friends I met there. There was a controversy at the UCI Medical Center where some organs went missing. There is school pride, but only if you are really into the historical parts of the school. I will always remember my dorm experience in Mesa Court. We were all transfer students and bonded immediately when ever there were housing activities. I've heard that the most recent student complaints are directly toward the student elected government, Associated Students of UCI.

My school is unique and it has helped me to grow who I am - i think it's stupid and pretentious to think that I am not a stereotype.

UCI is unrecognizable, not a lot of name recognition. When I say UCI, employers are like 'UCWho?' UCLA or Berkley have name recognition, not UCI. I spent most of my time on campus looking for parking, walking to class, or in the library. Racial issues were the biggest issue when I was on campus; From what I observed was between Asian and Middle Eastern cultures speaking disrespectfully. Specifically when the cartoon of Mohammad came out.

Best thing: Location, Orange County is beautiful and its right by the beach. One thing I'd like to change: wish we had more school spirit with sports. I don't think our school is too small, but you feel like you know everyone. I personally like the size. When I say I went to UCI, they just kind of nod their head. It seems to be a very average school in the UC system. Or maybe they just don't know a lot about it. UCI's definitely not a college town - its a huge commuter school. Actually, thats another thing I wish I could change. I think the school would be better if more of the students stayed on campus instead of going home on the weekends. Recent controversy: BRING BACK THE OLD SCHOOL PUB. There's a fair amount of school pride I think. I still have it.

The best thing about UCI was the people I met there. I know this is probably true of any school, but almost everyone I met at there seemed unpretentious and interested in learning. I also loved living in the dorms freshman year, and I wish there was more upper class student housing. I would definitely change the parking situation, there was never enough. People are generally impressed when I tell them that I went to UCI, but are also confused when I say that my degree is in art (they may not know that the school has a great arts program). When I was on campus, I spent time at the Cyber A cafe (the coffee shop on the arts side of the school) and sometimes in the library or the student center. Unfortunately, I haven't been back to see the renovated student center, but I'm sure it's amazing. I never had any problem with school administration, although I was a little bummed when they discontinued phone registration for classes (now it's only online). As far as school pride, I'm sure there was a lot when you were at a sporting event, but I only attended one basketball game my entire four years.