University of California-San Diego Top Questions

The typical UCSD student is generally thought of as an overly stressed, nerdy recluse of a human being, and sadly this is farce stereotype is not entirely off the mark. The vast majority of students here are fairly unsocial, study-focused creatures (though the latter is by no means a bad thing). It is also worth noting that the school has a strong Asian majority, which effectively works to reinforce the archetype of student. However, one should also know the UCSD does have is (small) share of a more typical college student population - those who enjoy partying, socializing, and the such. These people are generally found in the Greek and athletic populations however, as such can be hard to network with if not involved.

When people hear the name UCSD, it's easy to call to mind the stereotype: UC of the Socially Dead. On one hand, the stereotype is true for many students. Walk into the library at any time during the quarter and you're likely to spot many students who appear stressed to the brink of a mental breakdown and who have probably long forgotten the meaning of the word "social". Parties for these students are the stress breaks offered by the school's Associated Students in which a free slice of pizza equates a good time. On the other hand, many students at UCSD have pointedly rejected the stereotype by making serious efforts to meet and socialize with others. The Greek system grows larger each year, there are copious amounts of clubs and groups around campus, and the school's unique six college system makes it easier to make lasting connections.

Students at UCSD are generally stereotyped as anti-social students who spend all of their time in their dorms studying (I've heard UCSD referred to as UC Socially Dead), and I'm sure you would be able to find a fair number of people who do fit this stereotype. However, in my experience, you can have whatever social experience you like at UCSD. I've found the students at UCSD to be extraordinarily relaxed and chill about most things. There is a certain academic nature about students--most people do actually want to do well in their classes--but at least with the people I've been around, most students are pretty laid back about it. I think what gives UCSD it's reputation for being socially dead is that parties tend not to come right up to your door. Most students who complain are the ones who do spend a lot of time in their rooms. Go out and find whatever experience you're looking for. You can have anything from just a chill group of friends to people who want to party every night. It might be harder to find certain types of people than others, but they definitely exist and I've known quite a few. I've even known people who had trouble finding people who didn't want to go out and party every night, so you can definitely find all sorts of people here. That having been said, there's no real Greek row here, which could contribute to the "socially dead" stereotype. There are fraternities and sororities, which are pretty active, if you'd like to join one. There's also no football team here, so school spirit isn't always as wildly apparent as other schools. Also, UCSD isn't extraordinarily diverse. There are certainly all sorts of people here, but if racial or ethnic diversity is a concern, the majority of students are Asian or Caucasian.

Students at UCSD are generally stereotyped as anti-social students who spend all of their time in their dorms studying (I've heard UCSD referred to as UC Socially Dead), and I'm sure you would be able to find a fair number of people who do fit this stereotype. However, in my experience, you can have whatever social experience you like at UCSD. I've found the students at UCSD to be extraordinarily relaxed and chill about most things. There is a certain academic nature about students--most people do actually want to do well in their classes--but at least with the people I've been around, most students are pretty laid back about it. I think what gives UCSD it's reputation for being socially dead is that parties tend not to come right up to your door. Most students who complain are the ones who do spend a lot of time in their rooms. Go out and find whatever experience you're looking for. You can have anything from just a chill group of friends to people who want to party every night. It might be harder to find certain types of people than others, but they definitely exist and I've known quite a few. I've even known people who had trouble finding people who didn't want to go out and party every night, so you can definitely find all sorts of people here. That having been said, there's no real Greek row here, which could contribute to the "socially dead" stereotype. There are fraternities and sororities, which are pretty active, if you'd like to join one. There's also no football team here, so school spirit isn't always as wildly apparent as other schools. Also, UCSD isn't extraordinarily diverse. There are certainly all sorts of people here, but if racial diversity is a concern, the majority of students are Asian or Caucasian.

Nerds. Anti-social. Geeks. It is accurate in a sense. It's a very study-intense atmosphere. However, the nerds and geeks part is great- it's nice to see people passionate about what they do.

When walking from lecture to lecture, many students stare at the ground as if everyone around them is invisible. However, there are plenty of friendly people at UCSD who would smile at and open the door for strangers. Stress comes for all college students, and when we're engaged in our own thoughts, it isn't uncommon to acknowledge every passerby in the school.

I feel that students at our school are reputed to be less social than those at other campuses because UCSD is a commuter campus, so there aren't as many people on campus when classes aren't around, whereas other schools have football games and other events that thousands of students attend. However, there is plenty going on at UCSD; you just have to search for it a bit more by joining clubs and meeting new people.

UC San Diego is a highly competitive, prestigious research university, and so the students take the rigorous curriculum very seriously. Because of the number of high achieving students, there is a stereotype of students being "nerds" or "geeks". While this is true in a sense that the students do put in a lot of effort into their academics, there is also a very high participation rate in extracurricular activities such as student organizations, sports, the international community, the LGBT community, and many students even hold part time jobs. I'm sure that every university has its jocks, nerds, geeks, hippies, and so-forth, but yes, UCSD does have many intelligent over-achieving students, which makes this university a worthy educational investment.

UCSD Students are most often known as nonsocial due to the heavy emphasis on academics and the absence of greek housing on campus. Since UCSD does not have greek housing on campus, it takes out the experience of having a row of frat/sorority houses that is normally associated with a lot of parties and social activities. The stereotype is true or false depending how stance you are taking. Most of the students who are part of a social group or greek life would say that UCSD is pretty social because they make it social. Whereas, if you're a student who can't seem to find any social activities, then they would most likely say that UCSD is socially dead.

I don't want to stereotype the entire school into one thing, because that would be quite inaccurate. At any school, I'm sure there's all types of students ranging from frat kids, nerds, jocks, what have you. At UCSD, there is a large Asian population, and I believe most are highly academic driven, definitely expecting those A's, and studies hard before midterms and finals. But you can party just as hard, whether you are in a frat or not, because it really depends on your what your priorities are and who you are friends with. There isn't a specific frat row, but it definitely doesn't mean UCSD kids don't drink or party. But I guess when it comes down to it, school > partying for most students.