University of California, Santa Barbara
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biopsychology
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Male
Summary
I was in a pre-medical fraternity until I decided to stop being pre-med.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: All-boys college preparatory school in San Jose, CA with about 400 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Biopsychology
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I was in a pre-medical fraternity until I decided to stop being pre-med. It was a professional organization, but also a regular fraternity in a lot of ways. I volunteer at a hospital with an organization called Partners in Wellness.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
[My fraternity] had a big impact because it introduced me to my core group of friends. I was pre-med for a long time and being around those like-minded people is nice. Even after I decided to no longer be pre-med, we’re still close. Partners in Wellness also had a big impact because it’s a simple form of service you can perform and that always made me feel good and that medicine was something I want to do.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For the Biopsychology major, it’s essentially the Biology major for the first two years. In your first year, you take the general chemistry, and in your second year, you get into biology. Once you get to biology and psychology upper-division classes, it’s a bit more reading, lecture learning, and a good amount of memorization. But, what I like is they hammer in critical thinking.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I really like this major. There are a few skills you’ll learn that might feel unnecessary unless you’re maybe researching or teaching. The way the field stands, there are a few rites of passage that you have to get through to get your degree.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s definitely more collaborative than competitive. People are generally cooperative if you ask them for help. Everyone is trying to do well.
How accessible are your professors?
I’d say they’re highly accessible. I’d say that with an asterisk because you’re not going to have as much interaction with them unless you go get it yourself, which is hard for some people to do. I’m not the type of person to go into office hours, but that is something that can help you if you do. Depending on the class, it can feel like you’re just one of many in a massive crowd.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I was a regular Biology major at first, but I switched to Biopsychology because it was a logical choice given what I had already taken and it fitted my interest a bit more. I’m glad I chose this major because I think it encompasses what I’m most curious about, the human cognitive experience, but also how we operate on a mechanical level and expanding to how our bodies and cells interact. It’s adequate for pre-med students, as well.
Reasons to Attend
1) It attracts a very niche group of people. It attracts people who want to experience the most that life has to offer. It’s people who like to push things to the limit, whether that’s studying or fun. It’s an ambitious student population.
2) It’s a beautiful place.
3) If you want to make an impact and have your name on something, then it’s totally possible and encouraged to do so. UCSB is one of the best undergraduate research campuses. [UCSB is a tier-one research university.]
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s very big and can be overwhelming in a couple of ways. You have to be entirely self-motivated and proactive about your own things. No one is going to urge you along. The big size can make you feel small and unimportant.
2) I think there are definitely reserved people here, but it’s designed more for extroverted and involved people.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Santa Cruz Hall in a double
Sophomore: Apartment duplex in Sabado
Junior: Fraternity house
Senior: House in Sabado with four housemates
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Going downtown is really fun, for juniors and older. In Isla Vista (I.V.), the weekend nightlife could be going to a party, and even if you’re not in a fraternity or sorority there should be plenty of them if you want to party. There’s a pretty hefty portion of the student population that isn’t really into that as well, and, to be honest, I haven’t explored a lot of the non-partying options.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things? Are there regular places you go or things you do on certain nights?
Thursdays are a big night for going downtown. I’ll usually go out one night of the weekend and then hang out and watch movies with my housemates the other nights. The majority of the time I’d go to a party of a small get together.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife at UCSB?
It’s pretty big but not all-encompassing. If you’re a girl, then you can go to a fraternity party regardless of if you’re in a sorority or not. There can be a disconnect if you’re a freshman guy not in Greek life. They’ll just let in all girls and ask you for an invite if you’re a guy. The fraternity houses are the center of the biggest parties but by no means the only parties. [About 9% of males join fraternities and 14% of women join sororities.]
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I do wish there were a few more options for the non-partying nights. I think there are plenty of day options.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
The dorms, my fraternity, and just friends of friends. Right now, I have four housemates and have met one from each sphere of life. You meet friends everywhere and I collected my favorites. I have some pretty good friends outside the fraternity through the volunteer organization.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UCSB?
It’s flourishing and allows you to be as active as you want to be. Everyone is so close to each other because the neighborhoods are just blocks and blocks of houses where only people 18-22 live, which is a microcosm of people like you you’ll never see again. It’s one of the best parts of UCSB, in my opinion. People can walk to their friends’ house or short distances to parties.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
A lot. For me, my perspectives have been broadened a ton. Right now, it’s a White majority school. I have a more diverse group of friends than I’ve ever had, which may not be saying much because of my background, but they mix quite a bit. [The undergraduate population is 32% White, 27% Hispanic, 20% Asian, and 3% Black.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
It depends. They’re less inclined to mix socially. Not because of anything conscious or deliberate, just because that’s who they spend their time with a lot. Most people in Greek life have friends who aren’t. It’s not really a distinction people pay attention to unless they’re at a party or with their fraternity or sorority.
How do you like the size of UCSB? How has that impacted your experience? [UCSB has about 23,000 undergraduates.]
I like how big it is because you can always see someone who you’ve never seen before in your class. Getting into classes at first is a challenge. During orientation, they have you all on the school laptops counting down until the last minute so you can grab your class time as quickly as you can. In terms of spacing, it’s not crowded but there are moments you can really tell they’re trying to increase the number of students here. [See The Independent article, “UCSB Enrollment Up.”]
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of UCSB by senior year? Do people leave loving UCSB?
Absolutely. A bunch of my friends graduated and they’re all sending texts saying how they miss it. Everyone seems to be happy with their choice. Everyone takes a lot of pride in the fact that they go here.
Careers
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I did limited stuff with Excel in my lab courses.