Paige
If you want to party you can find a reason any day of the week. (Halloween, need I say more) Usually the night begins with a pre-party with friends. Everyone meets, gets ready, and shares a few shots. Then everyone heads out into Isla Vista and finds a house party, just follow the loud music. At any house party there will be drinking if you get there early, the booze runs dry quick when its free. But some will usually be reserved for a tournament of beer pong or flip cup. When midnight rolls around the music is cut (sound ordinance) but the party goes on. You'll group up with your new friends and migrate to one of the awesome establishments open late a very night for the after party snack. My favorite is Freeb!rds or Super Cucas for a burrito. Once the food has sobered you up at about 3am you realize that you have class in 5 hours and stumble home.
Some people do this every night. They're called dropouts or . . . frat boys. But don't let the stereotypical party school fool you. The majority of students are here to get their work done, hang out with the homies, and enjoy the beauty of Santa Barbara. You can even go to the parties and socialize without drinking!!! Really, no one cares.
Casey
The most popular clubs on campus: Surf Club & Snowboarding Club. Snowboarding club is usually good to join your first year because not only do they have great deals on snowboarding trips, but they always have parties that you can attend for free if you're a member. I am on the UCSB cheer team and I really love it. I thought it might be cliquey and the girls would be snobby but it's so fun and the girls are so fun! It's not well-known so most people are surprised when I tell them I'm on the cheer team here. The dorms are very essential to making friends your first year. I became very good friends with the girls in my dorm and hall and am still very good friends with them. I know that we always had our door open but not very many people do. I would say that the friendliest & most lenient dorms to live in though is F.T. although Santa Cruz & Manzanita has the best location and ocean views. The most popular athletic events are soccer and men's basketball game. Quite a large amount of people attend these games. Greek life is very present but not essential to having fun and making friends. On the weekends, besides partying, downtown Santa Barbara is really nice. There's a lot of shops and the beach down there is beautiful. There's a bowling alley nearby that a lot of people like to go on the weekends called Zodo's also.
marie
I am on the club ultimate frisbee team at UCSB. I couldn't imagine not being on a team in college becuase i have been on one my whole life. I love the team, we travel to Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and all over California. I have met my closests friends on my team and i could not imagine not spending everyday with them.
Most students leave their doors open in teh dorms, its nice to be able to jsut walk in and talk for a little or just hang out. Atheltic events, especially soccer and volleyball and basketball are very popular. I have been to many games and i enjoy every one. There are also the many traditions like floatopia and extravaganza that are huge social events. They are so unique because no one else has a party on the ocean (literally!) There are many traditions that students hold too that people just keep alive because they are so much fun.
People party almost every night. If you want to party everynight of the week there are definitely ways to make that happen, however the majority of the parties are Thrusday-Saturday night. Even at parties though there are people who do not drink and still havea great time just hangin out. Frats and sororities are not that important. They are fun to go to when they have theme parties and such, but it is by no means the only way to socialize. There are so many other things to do other than go to a frat party. We also go to theme parks, surf, play sports, watch movies, and just goof off doing random things rather than drinking.
Jamie
Whatever your interests may be - you will find a social life to share them with.
Shannon
Soccer games are very popular here at UCSB. Because we don't have a football team, the soccer games are where most of the students go to show pride an spirit. I play ultimate frisbee for the school and enjoy that very much. My closest friends are on the frisbee team. I love my roommates. A lot of people leave their doors open in the halls. People party a lot in Isla Vista every weekend.
Eric
I'm part of UCSB Rugby. I've had an amzing time being part of that team. I've met all of my best friends on that team. Fortunately rugby was all I needed socially in my four years here. Frats were not for me.
Linda
Greek life is sort of big here, but not too much. If anything, I think I hear a lot of people (including myself) making fun of them. Frat parties can be fun, but house parties are usually better. I'm involved in the UCSB Crew team, and I love it. We get up at 4:30 in the morning six days a week to practice, and I've never been pushed to the limits the way Crew has pushed me. I am in the best shape of my life. It is definitely a lifestyle change. I pretty much stopped drinking since I have to get up so early to workout. But I still go out, but usually only about once a week. And I don't really care to drink anymore- I'm actually kind of turned off from it now, and enjoy going out sober and meeting people!!!!
But this is definitely not typical of the average UCSB student. I think most students go out 2-4 times a week. And just about always involves drinking.
Melinda
I feel that people involved in the Greek system and/or sports teams have the most active social lives and seem to be the most well known. Most people constantly drink and go to parties, which is a little hard to adjust to if you're not used to it. Because I personally don't drink, the party scene can get overwhelming very quickly and I often feel there are few people that can relate to me in my situation. Those others who I have met that to do not choose to drink are very rare and scarce. Most people I meet are completely shocked by the idea and constantly question my motives.
bianca
i'm involved with the rowing team which eats up a lot of my time but i am a big big partyer (except during dry season when we can't party or drink alcohol)/our political groups are popular but everything is pretty much you pick to do it and you're i guess/i left my door open int he dorms last year definitely/everything is popular to certain ppl so when you go to things they are always packed but it's with people that choose to take part in those things/there is no dating scene- it is get as drunk as you can and girls pick which guys they want to hook up with/i met my closest friends through crew and the dorms and partying and my boyfriend at a party/you'd be in the library studying or out partying/floatopia, halloween is HUGE, and i don't know what else but we have a lot of random stuff every year- we love dressing up for things and we get vey very into things/people will be partying every day of the week mostly thurs-sat nights tho, thurs a lot of ppl go downtown to bars though/frats and sor's have a bad name here because it is such a small percentage of our community they are known for drinking and partying and being slutty/last weekend i was out of town for a crew regatta/you can go to the library the movies downtown to eat go out to eat in general or hang out with other ppl not partying/live, eat, sleep