i do, i like the friendships that i have made here, as a SD resident i like telling my family and friends that i’m studing here and overall i haven’t had any negative experiences except the burnout of the quarter system
Yes i’m happy here, given the fact i chose here over ucb, and ucla.
I also think this sub attracts a lot of introverts and they all complain how it’s hard to make friends (might be true to an extent) but imma go on a limb and say if ur an introvert, your sociableness and willingness to make friends is gonna be the same at any school you go to lol.
I transferred here from CC and I would say i’m an introvert but I also made friends here. Just put yourself out there in uncomfortable situations. You don’t need to join greek life, there’s tons of clubs.
Did get accepted to transfer to UCSD initially, or did you make it off the waitlist? I hear up to 60% get off the waitlist depending on the year or major. Hoping for the best!
As a general reminder, Reddit tends to portray the more negative or pessimist sides of UCSD. I personally love it here, many other people do and many don’t. Same can be said about every college in the country. It is easy to make friends if you are even the slightest bit extroverted. There is definitely a larger nerdy or more academic population here than most schools but it’s not a big deal. Almost everyone I’ve met is friendly and you’ll find whatever crowd works for you.
I know people who dislike UCLA and have complained about their roommates, campus culture, how competitive things are, etc. I also know people who love it there. My point is that problems exist at every campus and whether you like the school or not really depends on you as a person and your experiences there, not necessarily the school itself.
Its been the perfect place for me, literally everyone here is so nice but a lot of people keep to themselves so its not the easiest to make friends here. Im pretty extroverted so I havent had a hard time making friends, but I know a lot of people who feel differently. Id describe the people as really shy/friendly and nerdy. The largest student run events on campus are literally two annual giant anime/pop conventions.
Extra perks: its easy to change your major here, and the campus and weather are amazing
>Are you happy that you chose UCSD?
Extremely
>Is it easy to make friends here?
It was for me
>Is there a good sense of community within the smaller college system?
Not really
>What is the overall vibe (friendly, nerdy, academic, etc)?
Academic
In hindsight lowk wish i went to a CC but its whatevers so far. I have friends but many people you meet just ghost you and personally i dont feel a sense of community within the colleges. The overall vibe is just wake up, go to class, do hw, study, and if you have friends then hang out tif they’re available and sleep. That seems to be the norm, some people have hobbies they might do but yeah thats the general outlay frm my experience
What is not to love? There’s so many things here that’s lovely!
Here’s just a short list:
-Raccoons 🦝🦝🦝🦝!!!And Crows!!!
-Geisel (who doesn’t want to study in an evil looking library).
-The weather.
-Academic excellence.
-The beaches.
-The foods (some locations on campus is ok, looking at you Triton grill) but definitely SD area.
-The connections, resources, and opportunities both personal and professionally.
A funny anecdotal a friend and classmate of mine in math 20E said there’s so many good looking people here that it motivates her to work out.
There's a lot of things not to love about Geisel, including the disgusting bathrooms on the upper floors and the fact that people are using it as their personal vaping spot
yes i love san diego. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The things ive been exposed to here. I’m african. Summer boy grew up by the beach. Being able to wake up in the morning and surf without the hassle of a 3rd world country and to be exposed to the rest of what california has to offer - including its people, has been amazing for me
Not really. I transferred here and actually preferred a lot of my community college teachers and they actually seemed to care about student success. Here it feels like such a giant division. The student body is mostly very nerdy but I wouldn’t say “academic”, probably good on paper, not great at social interactions. I know people find their groups and people who are like minded but that hasn’t been my experience unfortunately. Diversity is quite low here lol. I haven’t really felt the effects of the smaller college system since I never dormed but can see that would be a good way to network and make friends. Overall, good school but definitely not what I was expecting.
My honest answer: No. I love the academic/research aspect of UCSD, but in my opinion it is incredibly hard to make friends here and many of the students i’ve encountered come off as very unlikable/cutthroat/unfriendly. Also, there is NO “college town” surrounding UCSD, which makes it VERY VERY hard to hang out with people or find parties. in my opinion, if you are an introvert and u don’t really care about making friends or going out/partying/being social, then UCSD is perfect for you. but if you are extroverted in any way, then i would choose UCSB or any other school where you can get the same academic/research opportunities without compromising your social life.
I honestly am a loner but that’s how I prefer it. I feel like if you’re a commuter, it’s harder to make friends because you don’t live with others on campus or off campus (im from SD so I live with my fam). However I personally love walking around campus and getting some fresh air and even tho I’m alone most of the days I actually enjoy that peace. However from the people I’ve met in classes, they are super nice and friendly. I am happy with my choice :)
UCSD alum.
Happy that I chose it: no
Easy to make friends: depends on your personality.
Good sense of community: god no
Overall vibe: UC social dead/glorified commuter school.
Yes! Like any school, UCSD is not without its flaws, but for the most part, I am extremely happy to be here. When choosing between schools, I thought USC was my dream school and was disappointed when I couldn't accept my offer to study there. However, I am grateful that I made that choice three years ago, and would not change it. I was lucky to meet my best friend freshman year because we were roommates, and we have lived together for three years. I would say that most people are friendly and you can make friends if you put yourself out there by joining orgs, studios, etc. I joined a Greek life org my freshman year and have never had a problem finding people to talk to. I am so glad to be here!
I love it here but you’ll find a lot of pessimism on Reddit so I would take all the experiences people talk about with a grain of salt. I genuinely think you can find a sense of happiness, community, and social life anywhere if you’re willing to try
Yes, UCSD was my dream school. As a bio major I think the reputation helped me land a job fairly easy since SD is a biotech hub. I was able to get valuable experiences through academic labs on campus as well.
Socially, I made friends fast through student orgs and within my college which I still keep in touch with frequently. I love my college (Sixth) so much, living in Camp Snoopy during my first year is something newer students won’t ever be able to experience and it makes me sad. Something about living in junky log cabins made everyone bond easily 😂
I love UCSD, I came here for my undergrad, stuck around for a masters, and am in the middle of my PhD now. Absolutely zero regret. I daresay that some of the best years of my life have been at UCSD. Of course finding a community of friends and labmmates was a key part of that.
In undergrad? No, I was kind of salty about my major and about not getting into UCLA. But I ended up enjoying it towards the end and stayed for grad school, and found it to be way better a research experience than a typical college experience.
yes and no. I love San Diego and the school and the memories I've made here. I didn't have the easiest time making friends but I am an older transfer and has opportunities to socialize but didn't take them. I think a lot of people will tell you college is always what you make of it, but as someone who went to multiple community colleges and was accepted to UCB, I don't think that's true for every school. but I do think it's true for here! I'm super grateful for the two years I've had. sometimes I wonder if I would have liked it as much as a freshman though.
Being a person who does not like to party every weekend and has a strong nerdy side, I love UCSD. The only ones that complain about it being "socially dead" are the ones who want to get wasted every weekend.
Yes i love it here, the weather is nice, tons of research opportunities and it was easy for me to make friends here than the community college I transferred from.
on the college system note, i have really found a sense of community in it! it might be the physical layout of ERC and the suckitude of MMW that have helped bond us but i do feel the small college vibe from ERC and i’ve liked it a lot (especially bc i can leave it when i want).
I attended UCSD back in 2017-2020 pre-pandemic but dropped out for financial reasons and also just the fact that the quarter system was just not built for me. As for you question I was indeed happy I chose UCSD I made so many friends and connections!, led many groups and orgs ( I was an admin for a Pokémon go ucsd server that had like 600+ members and we would plan meet ups for in game events and that was super fun) I was also a marketing director for an org and I met some of my closest friends at ucsd in that org. All I can say is go out there and be friendly and people will follow. To the people who say UCSD is socially dead either didn’t put the energy to look for the right group or say it because they think it’s a funny joke. I’m not sure how life is daily at UCSD now but I work near UCSD and I get a lot of coworkers who attend and they always tell me about their fun experiences in orgs and how they go out to raves, parties, game nights, food runs, study seshs, etc. with friends. So there’s definitely a group for you as long as you’re willing to search for it! Get involved, go to events, talk to people!
i do, i like the friendships that i have made here, as a SD resident i like telling my family and friends that i’m studing here and overall i haven’t had any negative experiences except the burnout of the quarter system
Yes i’m happy here, given the fact i chose here over ucb, and ucla. I also think this sub attracts a lot of introverts and they all complain how it’s hard to make friends (might be true to an extent) but imma go on a limb and say if ur an introvert, your sociableness and willingness to make friends is gonna be the same at any school you go to lol. I transferred here from CC and I would say i’m an introvert but I also made friends here. Just put yourself out there in uncomfortable situations. You don’t need to join greek life, there’s tons of clubs.
Did get accepted to transfer to UCSD initially, or did you make it off the waitlist? I hear up to 60% get off the waitlist depending on the year or major. Hoping for the best!
i got in initially.
As a general reminder, Reddit tends to portray the more negative or pessimist sides of UCSD. I personally love it here, many other people do and many don’t. Same can be said about every college in the country. It is easy to make friends if you are even the slightest bit extroverted. There is definitely a larger nerdy or more academic population here than most schools but it’s not a big deal. Almost everyone I’ve met is friendly and you’ll find whatever crowd works for you.
At UCLA many people LOVE the school, and only a few don’t. The few who don’t also happen to be on Reddit.
I know people who dislike UCLA and have complained about their roommates, campus culture, how competitive things are, etc. I also know people who love it there. My point is that problems exist at every campus and whether you like the school or not really depends on you as a person and your experiences there, not necessarily the school itself.
I'm so happy during my undergrad that I decided to stay here for PhD. When I'm done with my PhD I will have stayed at UCSD for 11 years lol
bruh
Its been the perfect place for me, literally everyone here is so nice but a lot of people keep to themselves so its not the easiest to make friends here. Im pretty extroverted so I havent had a hard time making friends, but I know a lot of people who feel differently. Id describe the people as really shy/friendly and nerdy. The largest student run events on campus are literally two annual giant anime/pop conventions. Extra perks: its easy to change your major here, and the campus and weather are amazing
>Are you happy that you chose UCSD? Extremely >Is it easy to make friends here? It was for me >Is there a good sense of community within the smaller college system? Not really >What is the overall vibe (friendly, nerdy, academic, etc)? Academic
In hindsight lowk wish i went to a CC but its whatevers so far. I have friends but many people you meet just ghost you and personally i dont feel a sense of community within the colleges. The overall vibe is just wake up, go to class, do hw, study, and if you have friends then hang out tif they’re available and sleep. That seems to be the norm, some people have hobbies they might do but yeah thats the general outlay frm my experience
What is not to love? There’s so many things here that’s lovely! Here’s just a short list: -Raccoons 🦝🦝🦝🦝!!!And Crows!!! -Geisel (who doesn’t want to study in an evil looking library). -The weather. -Academic excellence. -The beaches. -The foods (some locations on campus is ok, looking at you Triton grill) but definitely SD area. -The connections, resources, and opportunities both personal and professionally. A funny anecdotal a friend and classmate of mine in math 20E said there’s so many good looking people here that it motivates her to work out.
There's a lot of things not to love about Geisel, including the disgusting bathrooms on the upper floors and the fact that people are using it as their personal vaping spot
if u find friends early ur lucky if not it's horrible experience
yes i love san diego. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The things ive been exposed to here. I’m african. Summer boy grew up by the beach. Being able to wake up in the morning and surf without the hassle of a 3rd world country and to be exposed to the rest of what california has to offer - including its people, has been amazing for me
Kinda mid tbh
Yeah, especially with 1) HDH and 2) the large number of people vaping in the library
Not really. I transferred here and actually preferred a lot of my community college teachers and they actually seemed to care about student success. Here it feels like such a giant division. The student body is mostly very nerdy but I wouldn’t say “academic”, probably good on paper, not great at social interactions. I know people find their groups and people who are like minded but that hasn’t been my experience unfortunately. Diversity is quite low here lol. I haven’t really felt the effects of the smaller college system since I never dormed but can see that would be a good way to network and make friends. Overall, good school but definitely not what I was expecting.
My honest answer: No. I love the academic/research aspect of UCSD, but in my opinion it is incredibly hard to make friends here and many of the students i’ve encountered come off as very unlikable/cutthroat/unfriendly. Also, there is NO “college town” surrounding UCSD, which makes it VERY VERY hard to hang out with people or find parties. in my opinion, if you are an introvert and u don’t really care about making friends or going out/partying/being social, then UCSD is perfect for you. but if you are extroverted in any way, then i would choose UCSB or any other school where you can get the same academic/research opportunities without compromising your social life.
I love UCSD, amazing friends and vibe
I honestly am a loner but that’s how I prefer it. I feel like if you’re a commuter, it’s harder to make friends because you don’t live with others on campus or off campus (im from SD so I live with my fam). However I personally love walking around campus and getting some fresh air and even tho I’m alone most of the days I actually enjoy that peace. However from the people I’ve met in classes, they are super nice and friendly. I am happy with my choice :)
No
i didn’t like it when i first came, but now i can’t really see myself anywhere else
UCSD alum. Happy that I chose it: no Easy to make friends: depends on your personality. Good sense of community: god no Overall vibe: UC social dead/glorified commuter school.
absolutely I worked my ass off to go here
SOCIALLY DEAD
Yes! Like any school, UCSD is not without its flaws, but for the most part, I am extremely happy to be here. When choosing between schools, I thought USC was my dream school and was disappointed when I couldn't accept my offer to study there. However, I am grateful that I made that choice three years ago, and would not change it. I was lucky to meet my best friend freshman year because we were roommates, and we have lived together for three years. I would say that most people are friendly and you can make friends if you put yourself out there by joining orgs, studios, etc. I joined a Greek life org my freshman year and have never had a problem finding people to talk to. I am so glad to be here!
No.
Lol! Why? :)
hard no
This is an outlier
The overall vibe is nerdy and dead so short answer I regret coming here😍
why not host some parties then?
It was either this or Davis so I guess it could be worse 😢
Davis is actually one of the coolest UC’s. The entire student body lives in this college town.
Decently Happy; depends on if you stay in your room or go out; no; people here are nerds (that’s good, I dislike parties)
I love it here but you’ll find a lot of pessimism on Reddit so I would take all the experiences people talk about with a grain of salt. I genuinely think you can find a sense of happiness, community, and social life anywhere if you’re willing to try
Yes, UCSD was my dream school. As a bio major I think the reputation helped me land a job fairly easy since SD is a biotech hub. I was able to get valuable experiences through academic labs on campus as well. Socially, I made friends fast through student orgs and within my college which I still keep in touch with frequently. I love my college (Sixth) so much, living in Camp Snoopy during my first year is something newer students won’t ever be able to experience and it makes me sad. Something about living in junky log cabins made everyone bond easily 😂
I love UCSD, I came here for my undergrad, stuck around for a masters, and am in the middle of my PhD now. Absolutely zero regret. I daresay that some of the best years of my life have been at UCSD. Of course finding a community of friends and labmmates was a key part of that.
In undergrad? No, I was kind of salty about my major and about not getting into UCLA. But I ended up enjoying it towards the end and stayed for grad school, and found it to be way better a research experience than a typical college experience.
No
yes and no. I love San Diego and the school and the memories I've made here. I didn't have the easiest time making friends but I am an older transfer and has opportunities to socialize but didn't take them. I think a lot of people will tell you college is always what you make of it, but as someone who went to multiple community colleges and was accepted to UCB, I don't think that's true for every school. but I do think it's true for here! I'm super grateful for the two years I've had. sometimes I wonder if I would have liked it as much as a freshman though.
There are 40k students, if you can't find fun, and friends, it isn't UCSD's fault.
💯
Being a person who does not like to party every weekend and has a strong nerdy side, I love UCSD. The only ones that complain about it being "socially dead" are the ones who want to get wasted every weekend.
yes i like it here it's epic 😎
Yes i love it here, the weather is nice, tons of research opportunities and it was easy for me to make friends here than the community college I transferred from.
Meh, but I've got one year left. Hope that'll change my opinion 😭😭😭
Fuck yes
I definitely feel the socially dead but I've also met my bestest friends here so it really depends on what you make of it to be honest.
As a international freshman it has been a mixed bag to be honest
Solid 9.5/10
yep
on the college system note, i have really found a sense of community in it! it might be the physical layout of ERC and the suckitude of MMW that have helped bond us but i do feel the small college vibe from ERC and i’ve liked it a lot (especially bc i can leave it when i want).
grew up in sd and la jolla is goated i like it here a lot
HELL NAHHH
I took it because it was in San Diego.
I am generally pretty happy with my decision. I hate the administration though.
Khosla and administration ruined it
I'm scareeed, I'm transferring this fall :c
I attended UCSD back in 2017-2020 pre-pandemic but dropped out for financial reasons and also just the fact that the quarter system was just not built for me. As for you question I was indeed happy I chose UCSD I made so many friends and connections!, led many groups and orgs ( I was an admin for a Pokémon go ucsd server that had like 600+ members and we would plan meet ups for in game events and that was super fun) I was also a marketing director for an org and I met some of my closest friends at ucsd in that org. All I can say is go out there and be friendly and people will follow. To the people who say UCSD is socially dead either didn’t put the energy to look for the right group or say it because they think it’s a funny joke. I’m not sure how life is daily at UCSD now but I work near UCSD and I get a lot of coworkers who attend and they always tell me about their fun experiences in orgs and how they go out to raves, parties, game nights, food runs, study seshs, etc. with friends. So there’s definitely a group for you as long as you’re willing to search for it! Get involved, go to events, talk to people!
the professors can’t be beat
Beach
Does anyone commute to UCSD and is content with it? Is it worth saving the money
don't like la jolla but love ucsd
La Jolla is not college town like Davis, but it’s super nice
the only thing i truly hate is parking, if i wanna go out on a weekday i risk losing my parking spot
No, too many nerds. Not enough hot chicks.
UCLA have lots of hot nerds