University of California, Santa Barbara

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Economics
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Female

Summary

I have an off-campus job.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public high school in Long Beach, CA with about 1,000 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Economics
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I have an off-campus job.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have a lot of problems to do on my own. We have weekly homework for some classes, but most of the work is doing work on your own to prepare for exams. Exams make up the bulk of our grade.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
What they do poorly is the curve system. Most of the Economics classes I’ve taken have a pretty strong curve which makes it difficult to get a good grade. The major is known for weeding people out.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I’d say the students are pretty collaborative. Most of the people I’ve been in classes with have all wanted to work together so we can all do well in class, which has been helpful. I don’t think it’s necessarily encouraged through the classes. I don’t have many friends in the Economics department, so I work with who I’m in class with and we’ll bond over how hard it is.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. I don’t take advantage of office hours as much as I should, but they have them set up. If I have a problem in a class, I usually go to the TA first. But for my Economics classes, I’ve also gotten outside help from the CLAS where I sign up for a [Tutorial Group] for a specific class and go twice a week. It’s a group tutoring session that helps me the most.
How was adjusting to the big lecture-style classes as a freshman?
It wasn’t too big of a deal for me. It’s just a different way of learning. It’s pretty different than high school, but I didn’t have a hard time adjusting.
What has been your favorite part of UCSB so far academically?
It seems like whatever we’re learning in college, regardless of the class, has a more real-world application to the outside world than what was learned in high school. Even if I’m learning something I’m not interested in, I can somehow find a connection to the real-world through it.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I chose Economics because I took a macroeconomics class in high school and liked it. UCSB doesn’t have a good major selection. I would’ve majored in general business, but that’s not offered at UCSB.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a beautiful campus and a beautiful place to live.
2) There’s always something going on socially, whether that be partying or the school putting on activities.
3) It’s a well-ranked school as far as academics

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you have a specific interest or major in mind, they might not offer it.
2) It’s not incredibly diverse. [The undergraduate population is 32% White, 27% Hispanic, 20% Asian, and 3% Black.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Santa Catalina Residence Hall in two roommates
Sophomore: Off-campus in Isla Vista with three roommates
How was transitioning from Long Beach, CA to Santa Barbara, CA in terms of location?
Relocating wasn’t too big of a deal. It’s only a 2.5-hour drive and I knew some people from home going in that I’m living with now. Coming into college with somebody definitely helps, but besides that, Santa Barbara and Long Beach aren’t that different. I knew if I needed to go home for any reason it was a train or a drive away.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve never had any personal instances where I’ve been unsafe, but there have been a few incidents that have made me hesitant to be here. I don’t think it’s too different than anywhere else. A few days ago, there was an armed robbery in the neighborhood, which makes me more aware of my surroundings.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There are lots of parties that go on. Usually, on Friday and Saturday night I’ll go out and hang out with my friends. Some weekend nights I work, but when I’m not and don’t have too many assignments going on, I’ll go out. It’s not too hard to find something to do and most likely a fraternity or a group of friends are hosting one of these parties.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things? Are there regular places you go or things you do on certain nights?
Friday, Saturday, and some fraternities hold things on Tuesdays of Thursdays. I went to those last year, but haven’t been to anything on a weeknight this year.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
You could hang out with your friends, go to the beach at night, out to eat, walk around Isla Vista (I.V.) and observe.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife at UCSB?
I’d say it’s pretty big. Usually, that’s what is mostly going on and a lot of people are. However, not everybody can always get in. You usually have to know somebody that’s there and guys usually can’t get in if they’re not in that fraternity. It has somewhat of a negative impact because it’s kind of exclusive and makes it harder for other people to have parties because Greek life attracts everyone away from it.
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 happy about them and can’t think of anything I’d change.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
One of my closest friends is one of my friends from home. Last year in Santa Catalina we lived next to two girls we didn’t know before. Since it’s a suite-style residence hall, we shared a bathroom with them. They’re both from New York and we became close friends and live together this year. We got lucky living next to each other.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UCSB?
It’s pretty prominent and alive. Most people take part in going out on the weekends. Besides going out, I feel like people here are social people. The school attracts social people regardless if you want to go out and party or not.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I’d say not as much as they should. The school is predominantly White, so it’s hard to tell because there’s not a lot of diversity as far as race. [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?
Probably not a lot. I think people in sororities and fraternities usually keep to themselves and within their group of other sororities and fraternities. People outside probably don’t mix in either, but that has a lot to do with the partying aspect. If you don’t know somebody in the party you usually can’t get in. I feel like they’re so big so people don’t look outside their fraternity or sorority for friends. [About 9% of males join fraternities and 14% of women join sororities.]
How do you like the size of UCSB? How has that impacted your experience? [UCSB has about 23,000 undergraduates.]
I don’t know if the size has made a difference in my experience at all. I like that I go to a big school because coming from a big high school I wanted the same experience in college because I feel like it gives you more options to meet people. The bigger your school, the more opportunities there are for different activities and clubs.

Careers

Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned Excel in my Statistics class.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
I’d say they’re pretty easy to work with. I’ve only been in a few times to make sure my bills are being paid, but I haven’t had to do much after committing to go here.