UCSC: It's On You to Love It

Introduction
UC Santa Cruz is what you make it. Most of the resources here - great classes, school social events, non-school social events - you have to seek out. It's not difficult to find really awesome classes to take and fun things to do, but you can't sit in your room and expect to be told about them.

If you don't like to walk, don't come to UCSC. It's too big and spread out to take buses everywhere, but luckily it only takes 10 -15 minutes to walk anywhere on campus...though it feels like being in the forest.

If you are looking for Greek life, don't come to UCSC: there is barely any and it's not endorsed by the school. However, if you are interested in an amazing campus in a beautiful city by the ocean, Santa Cruz is probably right for you. Classes are great, people are great, and everyone who goes there finds a niche right for them.

Campus Life and Social Life
Santa Cruz is really spread out, so there isn't a central partying area. Partying on campus is cool, but parties are shut down fairly quickly. Partying in town can be cool, but the really huge house parties are usually busted by the cops. The best parties are medium-sized ones in town that don't get out of control. You have to know people to go to parties, as opposed to some college campuses where you can just wander into a party off the street.

The bar scene if you're over 21 can be fun, but expensive. Campus social life outside the party scene is ok. There aren't ever all-school events, but there are some big campus events like the Music Festival organized by the school.
Sports aren't huge, but a lot of people go support some of the bigger teams. There are a lot of specialized sports clubs, like Rock Climbing and Ultimate Frisbee. Basketball, Tennis, Lacrosse, and Volleyball are big. Other kinds of clubs on campus are pretty big, especially the multicultural groups. There is a fair at the beginning of the year where all the clubs advertise themselves. Advertisement
Academics
Academics are pretty good at UCSC. Again, the classes are really based on what you want to take away from them. When you're a Freshman, the classes are big and general, and then as you advance through semesters they become a lot smaller and more personal. The Psychology major is really popular, so the classes tend to be crowded. The Hard Science majors are starting to become more popular, but the classes are still small compared to Sociology and Psychology. The Art program is really good and pretty big, and the Theater major is really amazing. Some of the smartest and most committed faculty on campus work in the Theater Department. The Film major is overcrowded and it's really hard to get into classes. Workload depends on your major, but if you go to class and study, chances are you'll get good grades.

Student Body
Students at UCSC generally come from California, although there are definitely students here from all over. Santa Cruz has a reputation of being a party school or a surfer school, but the truth is that there are all sorts of students, from the most preppy (colleges 8, 9, and 10) to the most laid back (Porter and Kresge). People are into all different things, from art to surfing to tennis. There is a niche for everyone, and often you have to look beyond your cluster college and your classes to find it. There is no "UCSC experience" that is the same for everyone: Who you meet and hang out with is entirely up to you.

In Closing...
UCSC is a great school, but it's definitely not for everyone. nyone who is considering going there should go and check out the school, walking around campus during a busy time of day, to get a sense of the people and the place. Santa Cruz is also a great town to live and go to school in. Throw yourself into your Santa Cruz experience and you will get everything you want out of it.