University of California, Santa Barbara
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Computer Science
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Male
Summary
I’m in a fraternity and I used to be a student-athlete.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public high school in Santa Barbara, CA with about 500 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Computer Science
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m in a fraternity and I used to be a student-athlete.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
All of my current friends are in the same fraternity as me. That was the best way for me to integrate myself, find social groups, and meet the people I hang out with.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have labs and programming assignments weekly. For my other classes, I’ll have weekly math problems. The programming assignments, tests, and finals make up the bulk of my grade.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
They have a really good staff. The professors are all really nice, they have office hours, and they know the material they teach.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s pretty collaborative. Everyone is willing to help each other out.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re very accessible and willing to meet. They have weekly or bi-weekly office hours, and there are TAs that help out a lot. The TA and professor are both helpful, so [who I meet with] depends on who works better with my schedule.
What has been your favorite part of UCSB so far academically?
I really enjoy my major. I enjoy the programming assignments and the problem solving that’s involved in doing them.
How do you like the quarter system? How has that impacted your experience?
It was a tough initial shift, but once you get in the flow of things it’s easy and now I prefer it. I also like the variety of classes I can take. I don’t like being in the same class for 15 weeks.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
My dad was a software engineer, so I grew up thinking that was the best job. Also, when I took a computer science class in high school, I found that I really enjoyed it.
Reasons to Attend
1) You’re right on the beach.
2) It’s a very accepting and diverse community. Everyone is really nice to each other.
3) The quality of education you get here is very high and people [aren’t too competitive].
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It might not have your major. I know we don’t have a business or an engineering major,
2) If you really want to have a good sports team to follow and support. We don’t really have a sports culture here.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Tropicana Del Norte with one roommate and three suitemates
Sophomore: In my fraternity house with one roommate
Junior: On Del Playa Drive in a house with three other people
How was transitioning from your hometown to Santa Barbara, CA in terms of location?
I grew up in Santa Barbara, so the transition was a little bizarre at first. I know the area very well, but in terms of the community, it’s completely different people so it makes for a completely different experience even though I’m still close to home.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never felt unsafe at UCSB.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
On the weekends, we like going to the beach to surf and play volleyball. We like doing something called floating, which is where on a nice day we’ll all get in a raft and relax in the ocean. There are a good amount of parties on the weekend, so we usually go out. Since I’m in a fraternity, I go to Greek life events. Greek life here is very close so it’s not an issue if I go to another fraternity’s party. We’re very accepting of each other.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife at UCSB?
For me, it’s the only reason there is a nightlife in Isla Vista (I.V.). The other parties that tend to happen are primarily thrown by the local community college students. The people that go to Santa Barbara City College sometimes also live in I.V. Besides Greek life, they’re the only ones I can think of that throw parties on Del Playa Drive. But, that might be biased because I only surround myself with people in Greek life so I’m not aware of what other people do.
How often do you mix with the Santa Barbara City College students?
Honestly, pretty often. We have a lot of friends there that we still hang out with. It’s just harder to meet them.
Is there any exclusivity in the UCSB parties?
Within Greek life, it’s pretty mellow. Whoever you are friends with, you can go to their party. They aren’t going to not let you in just because you are part of a different fraternity. The main reason they wouldn’t let you in is if you don’t know anybody there. It’s a liability on the house to have someone they don’t know wandering around.
How did the nightlife differ before and after you joined Greek life?
Before I was part of [my sports team], so I didn’t really have time to go out on the weekends because I had to go to practice all the time. After I decided to quit at the end of my freshman year and rush, I started going out most of the weekends. It gave me the ability to have the college experience I wanted.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty satisfied with everything. There are parties Friday and Saturday. That gives me time to relax and do some homework on Sunday and get ready for the week again.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Some of my friends I met through my sports team and the rest I met through the fraternity.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UCSB?
My social life revolves around the fraternity. All the friends I’ve made are in it. I’m happy with where I’m at. I don’t have many friends outside of Greek life, so I’m not sure how they make friends. I think where you live freshman year helps to establish who your friends are going to be.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
It’s not really about race or sexual orientation, it’s more just who you’re around. We have members in the fraternity who are of different races and sexual orientations and we’re still really close friends with them. We’re really accepting of everyone. [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 comes down to where you lived your freshman year. I still have non-Greek life friends, it just matters who you found in the dorms. We have five people not affiliated living with us in the house that we hang out with on a daily basis.
How would you describe the student body?
I’d say we’re an extremely socially liberal school that’s accepting of all races and personalities. No one really discriminates anybody. We’re environmentally conscious and we try keeping everyone’s best interests in mind. There are a lot of clubs trying to get funding to clean the ocean. We’re a very politically correct school, I’d say.
How do you like the size of UCSB? How has that impacted your experience? [UCSB has about 23,000 undergraduates.]
We have a pretty good number of students. I haven’t found any issues with it, except for in my major it gets a little difficult in the upper-division courses to find classes. It’s frustrating sometimes when you don’t get the earliest sign-up time for classes. That’s more by department basis, so for other majors, you may not have a problem getting into your classes. Besides that, I don’t think we have too many or too few people.
Careers
Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned C++, Python, and Java. I know a little R too.