University of California-San Diego Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Bob

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Bob

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nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

nikolai

There's a very active Greek life, religious groups, and cultural groups. I am involved with activism on campus working to preserve public education (keep fees down and reverse cuts to campus). Athletics are division two but the recreational facilities are great and there's a lot of beautiful nature to exercise in (hills, beach). I generally hang out on campus, but there's some nice neighborhoods in San Diego with bars and good restaurants like City Heights and North Park. Write me if you want more info!

Antonios

Answering that question would be biased since i am a member of the track and field team of the school. I believe we, as a team, are popular but only among athletics. The most popular students are in my opinion students who take part in the majority of the activities that take place on campus and spend a lot of time socializing.

Kevin

This is definitely not a party school. Fraternities and sororities are not supported by UCSD. If you are looking for a strong education without Greek Life interference, UCSD is the school for you. If students are awake at 2 in the morning they are dilligently working to be the best in their field. Popular events on campus include going to the beach, playing club sports, and other traditional events. The beach is just a short walk or drive away and is plenty spacious for many different activities. Our club sports are there for students to relax and have a little fun with their peers at the end of a long week. One example of a traditional event is the watermelon drop in Revelle college. It is also the oldest tradition on campus and is marked by the watermelon festival each year.

Sam

There are many popular religious groups as well as many professional student organizations. In particular, there is an overarching group of engineering organizations ,TESC, (Triton Engineering Student Council) that overseeing a multitude of student clubs that compete in various engineering challenges, such as Formula SAE, an underwater submarine, human-powered bicycles, and many more. There is plenty to do in the city of San Diego/La Jolla: there is always the beach barely 10 miles off campus, plenty of excellent places to eat, and Old Town San Diego, which is a bit far from campus, but has plenty of independent, rustic stores and shops.

Tanya

DISCLAIMER: This could be a very biased view 'cause I'm sure if you talk to other people they might list something completely different. UCSD is big and has lots of organizations, so this is just amongst my group of friends. CLUBS 1) AS Student Council: They're the equivalent of ASB in high school. They plan all the concerts, design all these banners, and they staff the events on campus. Volunteers are welcomed. 3) Intervarsity: It's a christian club that throws really extravagant events on campus. They are really nice and active, and christian. 4) KP: It's a Filipino club where all the stylish & talented Filipinos are. haha But then there are lots of other races that join too. 5) MACOKE: Where people come to chill, hang out and play video games. 6) Camp Kesem: They raise money for kids with family members that have had cancer. FRATERNITIES/SORORITIES. (I don't know that much about this, so if I've heard of them often, I'm assuming they are good/ or I guess they could be bad too.) - TKE - PIKE - FIJI - KAPPA SIG - DG - CHI O - THETA - Tri Delts - KDPHI - SOPI - AK PSI - PHI D E - APO SPORTS (I also don't know that much about it.) - Water Polo & Crew is apparently really good. - Men's Tennis is pretty good. - And I heard soccer was pretty good? ACTIVITIES 1) SUN GOD: It's a huge concert on campus. Where it's common to get intoxicated, dance, and enjoy music. 2) LGBT dance: It's the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transexual/Transgender dance. Everyone is welcome and it's usually the best dance every quarter. 5) The undie run: It's every quarter during finals week. I'm involved in Alpha Phi Omega (APO listed above) and Active Students for Kids (ASK). Alpha Phi Omega is a co-ed community service fraternity. I have had lots of fun ever since I joined it. ASK is a program where you go to a school and you tutor kids english, math, or technology depending on the teacher. When I was in a dorm, I always left my doors unlocked for my friends to come in whenever. I was just really lucky 'cause no one ever come to our place to steal anything. But then again I think that's because I was always living on the second floor. I think it'd be more safe for you to keep your doors locked if you were on the first floor, because there has been some robberies. My friend got his xbox stolen freshman year. And then the whole building (of 55ish people) chipped in to buy him one 'cause we were all really close and used his xbox basically everyday. I met my housemates right now completely randomly! haha I met my roommate while standing in line for free tacos at UCSD. I met my other housemate at a free Lupe Fiasco concert at UCSD. I met my other housemate 'cause she was randomly placed as my roommate sophomore year, because my original roommate got kicked out of UCSD for her bad grades. All my other close friends I met freshman year in the dorms. haha ooh, those days were craaaazy. If I was awake at 2 am on a Tuesday I was either studying, or messing around with my friends. We were most likely dancing, playing games, procrastinating, or trying to cram for something. haha On a Saturday night, if you don't drink, there might be events on campus like dances, or concerts. You can even go to the movies near Ralphs, or go eat at Convoy. (Lots of asian food) We also go eat at rigobertos a lot cause it's 24/7. Mcdonalds it 24/7 now too!

Whisper

The most popular students activity would definitely be the fraternity/sorority scene along with the school athletes. As someone not in either of those, I can't necessarily say it's because they're "cooler" than everyone else, but they do tend to host a lot of pretty fun parties. :) When you first come to UCSD, everyone is just like you - new and open to trying new things. I didn't come to UCSD knowing anyone, but I left my door open like everyone else and I was able to make new friends who were fun and inviting. The best times everyone shares on campus is definitely SUN GOD it is thee most epic campus event of ALL the UC's definitely and probably any other California campus. It's an awesome concert that holds a ton of fun events. And being on a college campus, obviously tons of drinking is involved. I got tired of that whole thing, but I found there are a million other things to do like dancing, going to the beach, going to this beautiful museum downtown. Meeting people is so much fun - that's how I met my boyfriend! We're always going out and doing something new.

Alyssa

The popular organizations on campus are religious and fraternities/sororities and sports teams. I am not involved in any, so I do not know too much about them other than seeing the excessive amount of t-shirts they have to represent such. Frats/sororities do not have arrow, so their houses are spread throughout the area which makes them less concentrated, and less focused on partying. Though plenty still goes on. I am involved at KSDT the student radio station, where I have been a DJ and hosted an one hour radio show with a friend for over a year now. It has been highly enjoyable and a place I feel comfortable and relaxed on campus. Student in the dorms are excited about college and open to new friendships, so they try to be welcoming and leave doors open at least initially. I met some of my closest friends in the dorms, as well as in my major courses. The dating scene can be weak, but I know many couples who have met at school or at college parties. At 2 am on a Tuesday I am chatting with my roommates over our school schedules and winding down for the day. On the weekend I enjoy going to one of the several small venues around town and catching a concert. A lot of great bands come through the area, and many come to our campus itself. Its also great fun to explore some of the amazingly delicious restaurants around town--Ethiopian, Indian Korean, Italian, French, everything you can think of.

Bob

Students at UCSD seem to be largely not involved, again due to an unhealthy emphasis on studying and lack of sociability. Popular organizations are mostly those that are pre-professional or academic in nature. Personally, I am involved in Greek life (I am a TKE) and the Greek system is truly the school's only real social outlet. The NCAA athletes are also known as the other socialites of UCSD, however that is not to say sports are popular at UCSD. In fact, there is very little to no school spirit and athletic events are more or less unattended by students. Like the party and general social scene, the dating scene at UCSD is also shot due to the school's lack of social students, and as such the larger portion of students are sadly foreveralone. I managed to meet my close friends by finding the other people who were down to be social and party in the first weeks of our college time, and then rushing TKE and joining the Greek system further opened the door that such initial networking had opened. Outside Greek life and Athletics, people rarely party and will most likely be found studying, playing videogames, or some other general nerdy activity. This bleak college context is largely due to the fact that UCSD lacks a Greek row, and as such any and all real partying to forced to happen off campus (mostly outside of La Jolla).

Kristina

There isn't a huge partying scene on campus, unless you go to fraternity or sorority events, and the parties that do happen tend to be smaller, especially on campus. There are a few festivals and events throughout the year with dances, rides, and/or concerts and performances. Probably the largest and most well-known one is the Sun God Fesitval spring quarter, but there are a few smaller ones throughout the year. Students in the dorms are pretty open to socializing, though this probably depends on the people and the the set up of the dorms. In the dorms, usually the RAs and HAs hold events for their residents. In the Muir ResHalls, for instance, every two floors were a "house" with two HAs who would hold events throughout the year, like ice blocking and assassins. I think most people meet others through their ResHalls freshmen year (I shared an on-campus apartment with four people from my house the next year), though I've certainly met people randomly in classes, in dining halls, or in price center. If you don't have a car, there isn't a huge amount you can do off campus, besides going to the mall, the movies, or the beach. If you have a car, you can pretty much do whatever you like off campus, such as going to San Diego or TJ.

L

Associated Students, the Student Foundation, and intervarsity are popular on campus. Our sports are not popular at all. AT ALL. Our theater department and plays are great.

Latifah

The suite-style dorms at UCSD allow closer interaction and bonding for suitemates. This is especially important for freshmen who may not know as many students and want to get to know others at a more personal level. One organization I found out about in my freshman year that was especially interesting was the "Barefoot Club," which is comprised of students who promote walking around barefeet everywhere as a normal way of living. On-campus art/music-related performances are common, and lots of student discounts are offered for movies and shows. There is an annual event called the Sungod Festival, which is popular not among UCSD students but draws the attention of guests outside of UCSD as well. Last year, performers were Jimmy Eat World, Crystal Castle, Mike Posner, Wiz Khalifa, etc. There are many religious fellowships and student organizations, where students can bond with others who have common interests or beliefs. There are also pre-professional organizations that guide students who have trouble deciding which career path to choose: (i.e. Pre-Med students, Pre-Vet students, Pre-Pharm, Business, etc.)

Roshmi

Intervarsity, a Christian organization, is one of the most popular clubs on campus. I am involved in an honors society, and I did play club rugby freshman year. Students do not leave their dorms open; it's a public campus, so that wouldn't be safe. However, most students that live off campus can be seen hanging out at the dining halls or other places around campus. I can't say that athletic or any other events are that popular. Fraternities and sororities have most of their events off-campus, so you don't see them much except for rush week. People do party, but it's mostly small kickbacks or going to bars in Pacific Beach or clubs downtown.

Jacob

It's very difficult to pinpoint particular activities on campus as being "most popular". There are some annual dances and festivals that are very popular (Sun God Festival is AWESOME!), but there are also some political events that have very good turnout. For instance, the theater was packed for a speech given by Tim Wise, and it turns out that speaker events generally have high attendance. When the Clinton Global Initiative University came to campus, many people were buzzing about trying to get accepted in. I was lucky enough to be accepted, and RIMAC stadium quickly filled with people waiting to hear speeches by Bill Clinton, Mandy Moore, Sean Penn and the likes. There are no overly-popular groups on campus. Politically conscious people follow closely the work of the Associated Students. Frat/Sorority types are well aware of the stigmas attached to each of the other Greek houses. Conservative groups are aware of the liberal ones. Sports teams support one another and often follow the division standings. One of the most well known publications on campus is "The Koala", which has always tried it's hardest to push the limits of free speech. A quick Google search will enlighten you to their antics, which have been extremely controversial. Dating on campus is pervasive. When you go to school with 23,000 undergraduates, your bound to have some catch your eye, and also get caught up in the cross hairs of another. Just don't let it get you distracted from school! I for one will go on record in saying the stereotype that girls at UCSD aren't attractive is absolutely FALSE!! If you ever have your doubts meander over to RIMAC gym sometime. I can't say there was any single avenue that I met most of my friends through. I've grown strong bonds with fellow AS members, mentors, roommates, classmates and even people I just randomly talked to about campus. Take a chance and say "hi" to a stranger, you'll find students at UCSD are very receptive to making new friends.

Lien

I am involved with an organization known as APSA (Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance). APSA is open to EVERYONE and community members. It is a safe space for students from a diverse background no matter one's ethnicity, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, APSA welcomes everyone. APSA has challenged me in a way that I never thought. I grew to be more politically aware of my API community. I learned more about identity and culture. In addition, APSA also organizes social activities such as bonfires, study jams, retreats, and more. During my first year, I lived on campus in the dorms. My suitemates were all really friendly and always had their doors open. It really depends on the student. Sometimes, students want their space so they have their doors closed, but when they are free and want to hang out, their doors are always open and people usually come by and say hi and just take a study break. UCSD lacks a football team, which usually is one of the major sports of a college campus. I think for that reason, the athletic spirit isn't present as much as other college campuses. However, there are other athletic teams such as basketball, waterpolo, tennis, soccer, swimming, etc. I met my closest friends from a summer college transition program called "Summer Bridge." Another thing that I appreciate about UCSD is that there is a lot of resources present. Through summer bridge, I truly made life long friendships. The friends that I hang out with till this very day all attended Summer Bridge with me 4 years ago. There are also other programs for transfer students as well.

Lien

I am involved with an organization known as APSA (Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance). APSA is open to EVERYONE and community members. It is a safe space for students from a diverse background no matter one's ethnicity, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, APSA welcomes everyone. APSA has challenged me in a way that I never thought. I grew to be more politically aware of my API community. I learned more about identity and culture. In addition, APSA also organizes social activities such as bonfires, study jams, retreats, and more. During my first year, I lived on campus in the dorms. My suitemates were all really friendly and always had their doors open. It really depends on the student. Sometimes, students want their space so they have their doors closed, but when they are free and want to hang out, their doors are always open and people usually come by and say hi and just take a study break. UCSD lacks a football team, which usually is one of the major sports of a college campus. I think for that reason, the athletic spirit isn't present as much as other college campuses. However, there are other athletic teams such as basketball, waterpolo, tennis, soccer, swimming, etc. I met my closest friends from a summer college transition program called "Summer Bridge." Another thing that I appreciate about UCSD is that there is a lot of resources present. Through summer bridge, I truly made life long friendships. The friends that I hang out with till this very day all attended Summer Bridge with me 4 years ago. There are also other programs for transfer students as well.

Anna

Definitely joining fraternities or sororities is a big thing. Other frats such as co-ed business, service or specific professional field like engineering, premed, etc. I feel like orgs are also the place where most people meet their boyfriend/girlfriend. Closest friends are often formed in first year dorms, the people you live with, and then continue to live with second, third, years. Sungod is definitely the biggest and most spirited event that happens at UCSD all year, it gets so crazy people fight for tickets by camping out at 12 am for the next morning. When you turn 21, there's definitely a lot more opportunities to go out, Pacific Beach is a huge spot for UCSD students, filled with bars, taco shops, shopping, beaches. PB Thursday is a big night out for cheap drinks. Downtown SD is big for clubs and a lot of guest appearances/dj's/club events with famous people, and it's convenient because both PB and DTSD are 15-20 minutes away. When you're younger, drinking is mostly in dorms, frat houses, and off campus apartments. If you're not drinking, then I don't know what you're doing.

Maria

I would say academic groups are the most popular groups on campus although other come very close as well. I am very involved with Christian fellowships on campus. I am currently involved with one called InterVarsity. They are really great and have been here for over 20 years. Athletic events are not very popular unfortunately (they are if you really want to be involved).

Jesse

There was a sterotype when I was there that UCSD students were anti-social and studied all the time. Well depending on who you ask, this may or may not be true. Students at UCSD study hard, but they also party. Does this make them anti-social? If you compared the average UCSD student to a student from SDSU, then yeah, you may come to the conclusion that UCSD students are more anti-social than SDSU students, but hey, you're supposed to learn something while in college, so having to study and do a fair amount of partying may not be a bad idea.

Maureen

Students on the library walk.

Maureen

A shot at a Guitar Hero tournament.

Cary

the greek life isn't large but very vital. you have to get involved to make friends

Abra

Sports teams are not that popular on campus. Our most popular event on campus is sungod, but that has started to become something to dread rather than get excited about.

Dana

social life is greek and organization centered. Largely speaking, if you aren't a major follower of a club, organization, or the greeks, you won't have a spankin' social life. Dating can be difficult because everyone is so antisocial. A popular poster says "19 out of 20 Tritons stop if they say no on a date." That means you get raped 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time! Wow thats way better than my odds! I am part of the undergraduate investment society. Its a new organization on campus that aggressively tries to build connections and a business reputation to let UCSD students in on the business world. Highly recommend joining if you are thinking about stocks, investment, finance, accounting EVERYONE IN CALIFORNIA COMES TO UCSD FOR OUR SUNGOD FESTIVAL IN MAY! Mexico is 40 minutes from campus and a popular destination for people who want a wild night if you know what I mean. I went there once and a really old hooker kept hitting on me, ach!

Jessica

Sports clubs are a very fun way to get involved without the huge time commitment required of intercollegiate teams. Students in dorms are very open; living in them is a great way to make friends. Athletic events don't tend to get to many spectators, but they can be very fun. Sun God is the best event of the year: it is a huge festival where many huge bands play and everyone parties all day long. Frats and sororities are around but they aren't as huge a deal as at other schools.

Emily

The beach is huge. Warm spring afternoons mean everyone's carrying their surfboard down to Black's, whether it's a weekday or not. There are some fun clubs downtown and great restaurants in Hilcrest, shopping in Mission Valley, or hitting the scene in Pacific Beach. There's not too much to do in La Jolla. Athletics events aren't very well attended, especially for how good the teams are. There are a lot of religious and cultural groups on campus, and an org for every service project there could be.

Jerry

If one wants to have their social life handed to them or organized for them, then should definitely join the Greek system at UCSD. That guarantees at least a party every week for you. Most people party on the weekends at UCSD, while the Greek system parties Wednesday-Sunday. Athletic events have become more popular and better-attended by students this year than they were my freshman year. UCSD has great guest speakers: Al Gore and Jane Goodall are two I remember. There are many different student organizations on campus that suit a myriad of interests. Our A.S. (student government) holds "Bear Gardens" (beer gardens) for free every month for those of us who are over 21; everyone gets free food and free beer. UCSD is set in one of the most beautiful cities in the entire U.S. Upon turning 21, you will be in a city offering an amazing nightlife. Almost every concert tour stops in San Diego. During my freshman year, Kanye West's and Snoop Dogg & the Game's tours made stops at UCSD's RIMAC Arena. UCSD offers free concerts for their students from big names (The Roots, Jimmy Eat World, etc).

Sasha

So there are a bunch of sororities and fraternities, They all have different purposes. There are student councils inside each of the colleges. We do not have a Football Team, nor do i see one in any near future. There are often events to get people to hang out, they are mostly organized by college. Warren College for example, has poker tournaments. Students are often studying. Since it is on a quarter system, its hard to really make time for other things until you are use to your schedule. UCSD also has SUNGOD.. ahaha fun stuff.. but yeah activities are endless...

Adrienne

-i guess the most popular clubs or whatever are sororities and frats. those are always on library walk, they always have something going on, and there's so many of them. - not many people go to athletic events. there's always a few, but we don't really have much school spirit. - people party all the time. i know in the dorms, we party every weekend. friday night and saturday night. woo! and then if there's a party going on or just some occassion, there's more partying. -last weekend um.. there was an lgbt dance, so i went to that, and then partied some more before and after. and then friday night, was basically the same thing. sunday... just lounged around doing nothing. - i guess on a saturday night with no drinking... uhh... you can play board games? haha that sounds lame. okay.. umm go to downtown or something? or watch a movie? video games? study? (that sounds super lame).. uhh that's all i can think of. wow.. i need to have one of those sometime, so i can actually see what happens. - tuesday at 2am, i'm probably on facebook. (dang that thing is so addicting, facebook chat makes it even worse! ahh!), or i'm watching some tv episode online. or sometimes, we're hungry, my friends and i will make a food run to like mexcian food or some diner. - i met my closest friends in the dorms. i really like the dorms and having suites is really nice too. some i met by joining clubs. that's nice too. - hmm.. i know that i leave my door open all the time, which maybe i shouldn't do. :/ haha but like last year when i lived in a suite, my door would be either open all the time or just unlocked. i never locked my door. and then this year. i live in an apt, so the front door is always locked automatically, and my aptmate flips out when it's left open. (lamee and relaly annoying. -___-) but yea my door is always wide open. i don't think i've ever used my room door key. wow.. i'm way too trusting of people. haha oh well.

John

Despite all the complaints, social life here doesn't seem all that bad when compared to other campuses. The crazy fraternity party scene isn't present, but there are parties available for those who seek them.

Vick

the best dances on campus are the nonsexist dances held by the LGBT organization. I wish I had lived in a dorm my first year, but they ran out of space so they put me in the apartments, which basically isolated me. I still made friends and went out, but I had to make that extra effort to make friends and get into the social scene. I wish that athletic events, and other events in general were either more publicized or something to encourage school spirit. I went up to Berkeley and it happened to be game day (football), and EVERYONE was dressed in blue and gold and sporting CAL wear. I loved it. I wish I saw something like that here. There are people here that party.. I think it's harder to find the parties here since we don't have frat houses.. and I don't think there's ALWAYS something going on, unlike in UCLA and UC Berkeley. I like to go eat off campus. Getting desserts off-campus is a great tradition I just started this year. Yogurt World, Extraordinary desserts, etc. YUM!

Eric

Really, really good concerts, but pathetic attendance. I don't mind though, small shows are cool. But the majority of campus doesn't seem appreciative of the musical talent that plays at UCSD. GO GREEK if you want to limit the number of parties you can attend and friends you can make. Closest friends are met either in the dorms or working on-campus. People party from time to time, but it's definitely not a party school.

Chris

I don't drink. And I am proud to state that. You can always find something to do. It's San Diego. You don't have to drink. Last weekend, I went to a concert, I went to the beach, I went to a Deaf play, and then one of my friends (who's going to be a famous phtographer someday I know it) walked around campus and took artsy pictures of various things on campus. You probably will be very unhappy wherever you go in college until you find your social niche. It took me about3 months to find mine. I joined the UCSD Snowboard team and it was great. I was happy, but before that life was very hard. I think that's normal for everyone, it's quite difficult to be shoved into a building with people who the only thing that you necessarily have in common with is that you go to the same school, and arae probably around the same age and sex. So you have to GET OUT THERE and find your social niche! It may be hard at first, but most good things are! Frats are not that important, we don't have a frat row, we don't have a football team. Greek life at UCSD is pretty small - they all are in pretty much the same circles, and you party with the same people all the time.

Peter

Cultural organizations and greek orgs are clearly the most visible and the most popular orgs on campus. Student government is also very visible and very active, however fewer students tend to be involved in these orgs than on might expect. There something for everyone, as there are over 400 student orgs and 7 student governing bodies, and the only thing keeping students from connecting to other people with similar interests is their own reservations and shy personalities. Once students move past that, the interact much more with other people and express a much higher satisfaction with the university overall. There's always stuff going on at UCSD, both on-campus and off, and with the opening of the new expansion to the student center the campus life is likely going to be much more centralized and vibrant. As alcohol sale has been allowed on campus, I look for 3rd and 4th year students to spend much more time on-campus and feel much more connected to the community here.

Tristan

UCSD is somewhat of a commuter campus on weekends, most student who live close enough to go home on the weekends do, therefore the campus is quite dead on weekends. Nightlife at this campus aside from studying at the many great libraries, is a choose your own adventure format...if you wanna party you have to find one or make your own. Getting involved in clubs is a great way to meet people, and to get involved. Athletics would probably be bigger if we hada football team.

Reese

Sucks.

Reese

AWESOME! Get involved in the Greek system.... so much fun!

Connie

there are several social activities to engage in, if you're into that type of thing. the school sponsors several musical festivities as well.

Emmerson

UCSD has an awful stereotype about being socially dead. It's totally untrue! The things you get involved in at UCSD are never forced on you, so those who aren't willing to be proactive may not gain much out of the experience. But if you put yourself out there, the social and extracurricular activities are completely fulfilling and fun.

Devin

Go Greek! The biggest complaint you hear from people about UCSD is that there is no social life, and that's not true. I agree that my first quarter of freshman year was boring, but I wasn't involved. I found out about Greek life, and I haven't been bored since. Greek life is the best way to have fun and get involved on campus. sororities and fraternities do philanthropy, fundraising, socials, exchanges, and so much more. Greek organizations give you the opportunity to develop emotionally, socially, professionally, and academically all in one organization. If you think you aren't a Greek kind of person, try it anyway, because it was the last thing I wanted to do until it became the biggest part of my life. I have become such a better and more developed person because of my sorority. UCSD is as fun as you make it. You can't expect to have fun by chilling in your dorm, you have to make the best of it all around.

Russell

Here's a trick I learned. On the first week of fall quarter, just talk to everybody. Sit with people you don't know. Nobody will even question you because they'll assume you're a new student wanting to meet people. With that momentum going, you'll have at least five good friends to start the year off with. During the school year, you'll have to think of other clever ways to get to know the student body. The best way is through student organizations... There are many Christian orgs on campus that put together outreach events. There are Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic, and many other religious orgs on campus as well. This is a good thing to have because it allows you to explore spirituality and personal growth. GREEK system is not entirely nonexistent. You'll see lots of fraternities and sororities advertise events on campus. Orgs that center around CULTURE are available for all students. Asian-themed clubs are ubiquitous. There are plenty of non-Asian culture orgs that a student can join as well. There are tons of recreational things to do: theatre, sports, hang out in dorms, concerts, campus events, cultural events, and more. Finally...dating. It's kind of hard depending on the types of guy/girls you go for. But...that's a whole other story. Depending on you, dating is either pleasant or difficult.

Amanda

There are many organizations at this school. I mostly stuck to those associated with Res Life because I lived on campus all four years.

Lisa

Dorms are fun, but be careful, because RSO's can get you in trouble if you are being too rambunctious. Especially if you are on the first floor of your building or really loud. Sun God is a festival everyone looks forward to. Fallfest is fun, and at the end of every quarter they give out food and massages, and have a TGIO concert. There are lots of concerts througout the year, and movies on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays for three dollars. Partying is hard to find, but it is definitely happening, if you get in with the right people. If I wanted to I could go to a party tuesday through sunday. Getting into the greek life is the best idea if you want to party, or at least know someone in te greek life. Frats/Sororities don't have on campus housing, but they are definitely still felt on campus. They have a cool lecture series called 'last lecture' where a professor gives what would be their last lecture ever. The school has a lot of school papers, which is fun. the MQ is like the Onion, the Koala is really dirty, the Triton is just opinions, and the Guardian is the main paper that comes out biweekly. On the weekends I normally go to one party, go out into San Diego by bus another day, and study on Sunday. The campus has a really good theater program. Freshman activities are normally dumb, but you should take advantage of them because technically you are paying for them.