University of California-Santa Barbara Top Questions

I don't think any student would or should feel out of place at UCSB. It is welcoming and diversified to the point where comfort is the only option. I think the students of UCSB are extremely politically aware and active. When Hillary Clinton came to speak at the Rec Cen, there were mobs of people outside and a number close to 3,000. UCSB also has the highest amount of registered voters in the entire UC system. I think those numbers should speak for themselves. I think most students are predominantly left, which is to be completely expected.

I joined the Filipino club and dance team freshman year which was awesome because I’d never had Filipino friends before. But as the end of the year came, I came to realize that they only hung out with each other! I wanted to expand my horizons and get to know other people but I would get a guilt-trip from them. It was kind of weird because I’m the type of person that needs a few circles of friends, not just one that I’m with all the time. I eventually stopped going to the club. It seems like most cultural and religious clubs on campus are like that – united, welcoming but also really dependent on one another. A typical student UCSB is open-minded, intelligent and outgoing. Someone who is narrow-minded, shy and awkward would definitely feel out of place. Also, the student body is pretty physically fit – the Rec Cen, or gym, is always packed. In class, most kids wear jeans, t-shirts and flip flops. On warmer days, you’ll see people that have come straight from the beach or laying out in sundresses, cut-offs and board shorts. Different types of students interact in class and for academic reasons but outside of class, you usually stick to your group of friends, whether it’s your fellow athletes, people in your sorority of fraternity, club, etc. It’s not that there’s tension or animosity among groups, there just isn’t much mixing.

Most students who go to UCSB are from California. Only a very small percentage of the student body is international. Most of the students come from middle class backgrounds and are paying for school with student loans, but there are also good portions of the student body on scholarship or paying without student loans. The student who would feel out of place at UCSB is one who enjoys a more fast-paced academic atmosphere. UCSB is fast-paced because it is on the quarter system, but the students are very casual when speaking about their studies and this makes the students seem laid-back and relaxed about everything. UCSB does have a majority of white students and at times this lack of diversity limits the students' ability to expand their knowledge of others. In general UCSB students are not very politically active, but we do have student groups for both left and right political sides.

Since my freshmen year I have been involved in Real Life which is part of a national Christian organization called Campus Crusade for Christ. As someone who had just become a Christian, I wondered if UCSB had anything to offer me in this area. I soon realized that Real Life had a great community (over 200 students) of people who believed in what I believed in but also cared about reaching out and loving the UCSB campus too. Yes, Real Life is a close community that leans on each other but they are in no way exclusive. Weekly meetings on Thursday night are a great way to meet new people and experience a personal connection with God. There are other spiritual/religious groups as well. Hillel, the Jewish student group, is another popular and active one. One of the things that shocked my most was how active UCSB students are politically. We are known for being the school, or one of the top schools, with the highest amount of voters at the election polls. The overall feel is a liberal one, but which public campus isn't? For the last two years there have been marches against the war and active campaigns for social justice. But the best part is seeing how political groups, religious groups, sororities/fraternaties, and different ethnic groups can all co-exist. Most of the UCSB population is open-minded.

We definitely have a very active campus at UCSB. However, it really is what you make out of it. If you don't want to be involved, there is no pressure to, but on the other hand if you do want to be involved there are hundreds of clubs here on campus that our students actively particpate in. I love how the majority of our campus bikes around and there are no car-streets across campus (they have to go around). It makes it really easy (and fast) to get around and I feel a lot safer.