There's no place like UCLA! It's wonderful!

Introduction
UCLA is amazing! That is, if it's the school for you. I find that most every student at UCLA was a top student at their high school, but was also very well-rounded. If you can see yourself thriving at a huge school in a huge city, then you can reap the benefits of the best UCLA has to offer: endless opportunities. As there are so many students here, you find diversity and opportunity in everything. It is competitive, and no one is going to hold your hand (in most cases, you are pretty much your own academic counselor), but I once heard someone say, "there's no other school in the world that prepares you for the real world like UCLA." There are good and bad elements to this, but it's what you make of it. It's a challenge, but if you are willing to meet it, the rewards will be great!

Campus Life and Social Life
First of all, the campus is insanely beautiful. Especially as a North Campus major (Humanities), the walk to class is always inspiring. Living on the top floor in one of the residence halls, I have an ocean view to wake up to in the morning, majestic brick buildings and fountains on my way to class, and the surrounding neighboorhoods of Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Bel Air if you ever leave campus. Westwood is the best part of going to school here - it's a wonderful, safe, and beautiful college town just on the outskirts of campus. It's not uncommon to run into a movie premiere/celebrity on your walk back from coffee. And as if the dining hall food wasn't amazing enough, there's a plethora of fantastic restaurants in Westwood for your dining pleasure.
The party scene is just like the rest of the university...what you put into it. Being in LA, there are a ton of great opportunities to go out, but most of them require you to be 21. Frat parties are always lively, but get to be the same ol' same ol' after time. Thursday nights are huge here. And you'd be surprised to find that the Greek system isn't as stereotyped as one would think....you can definitely find your houses full of Barbies and Kens, but an unexpectedly great way to get the most of out UCLA, especially the social scene, is to join a sorority/fraternity. Greek life is fun....but not crazy.
Students at UCLA were/are almost always involved in a huge variety of extracurriculars. There are so many clubs and organizations, again, the options are limitless! It is easy to get lost in the crowd without involvement in one, so I would recommend taking the initiative to getting involved with a few that suit your tastes.
Sports are always a good time. UCLA athletics are always top-rated, and basketball or football games are an experience not to be missed. The rivalry with cross-town USC is also, surprisingly, fun.
I feel like students that can go home on weekends, usually do. The campus is by no means "dead on the weekends", but it certainly seems to shrink in numbers. There is always something to do and someone to meet, however, and the weekends are no exception. Do yourself a favor and stay at school on the weekends...I promise it will improve your experience! Academics
The best part about UCLA academics is the variety of options to choose from. That being said, there are some of the most amazing classes and professors here that you could possibly imagine...but there are inevitably some that are just not up to par. Especially with some of the TAs here, the academic experience can be overwhelming, frustrating, and downright disagreeable. One tip to avoid such experiences is to research classes/professors on www.bruinwalk.com. I couldn't do without it!
Being a student, I have gotten the impression that UCLA's greatest departments are in Engineering, Pre-Med majors, Theater/Film, Business Economics, English, Geography, and Psychology.
The workload here is exactly how you create it for yourself. I know students who study 10 hours a day and some who go to class twice the entire quarter. Depending on your major, the classes you select, and your motivation, UCLA really is what you put into it.
The one gripe I have about UCLA academics is that it can be hard to find a helpful academic counselor. They certainly aren't required, and a lot of the time, students act as their own guidance, which suits some people. Again, they definitely will not hold your hand here! If you need something, you have to speak up or seek it out.
It is easy to feel like a number at such a large school. But it largely depends on the classes you select, and seems to narrow down after GEs are taken care of. As a sophomore, however, I have found myself in two out of three classes with less than 18 students...

Student Body
There is absolutely no "typical" Bruin. Other than the fact that the majority are from California, there is a diversity at UCLA that can't hardly be found anywhere else. People are pretty friendly for the most part, though certain departments are known for the student's cutthroat competitiveness.
In general, students are certainly intelligent, dedicated, hard-working...all the inherent qualities you would expect at a top university. But I have also found students at UCLA, more so than at other schools, to be well-rounded: that is smart, but also generally good-looking, sociable, and involved. A lot of students, especially female, seem to fall into the L.A. lifestyle, and it can be pretty hard to go a day without seeing designer apparel. You really have to be confident in yourself to thrive amongst the quality and sheer number of people at UCLA.

In Closing...
UCLA, both the university and the city of Los Angeles, can be overwhelming. But to a student who is intelligent, confident, and ready to take on a challenge, UCLA offers one of the greatest and most well-rounded educational experiences!