Santa Cruz Has The Best Bud...

Introduction
Santa Cruz is a mellow place with tons of cool people, in a ridiculously peaceful environment. Basically, you live in the forest for two years, then on the beach in Monterey Bay for the other two. It's chilled out and everyone around you is interesting.

Campus Life and Social Life
Socially, there's always something going on and and it's always fun. (Ed. Note: by reputation, "fun" here often means rampant marijuana...attend and smoke at your own risk). Tripping on the weekends is a widespread pastime. Smoking bowls, walking around, saying what's up to people because everyone is nice and down to chill, soaking up the essence of Santa Cruz either in the mountains or at the beach...that's what it's like here. Oh yeah, and did i mention 4/20 is ridiculous up here? The place is a meadow full of smoke and college students. I know you're dying to know if the cops ever come, and the answer ie yes, but they have about as much authority as you and I do. How can you stop a whole school from smoking bowls in the meadow? You can't! Hah! Advertisement
Academics
UCSC offers interesting classes on everything from The Beatles to Quantum Physics. It's not too hard if you're willing to do some work.

Student Body
To figure out what the typical student is like here, come and visit. From the above, you get a feel that the majority is chill...but just check it out.

In Closing...
That's basically it. Light one up, bro.