University of California, Santa Barbara

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Zoology
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Heterosexual Female

Summary

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Long Beach, CA with about 800 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Zoology
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: None

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your Zoology prerequisites?
Per class, on average, we have one lab per week, two midterms for the quarter, and then a final. There is also online homework that takes an hour or two a day.
Is there anything you feel the science courses do especially well or poorly?
It’s pretty heavy material, you just have to stay on top of it every day. If you fall behind it’ll really affect your grade.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s not competitive in the sense of competing against each other, you just have to make the grades for the major. But, some classes are graded on a curve.
How accessible are your professors?
They offer office hours but there is also [Learning Assistance Services] where you can get tutoring from the TAs. If I have an issue in class, I’ll first go to a classmate, and if we can’t solve it we’ll go to a TA, then lastly the professor. We go to the TAs first because they have more available office hours.
How do you like the quarter system? How has that impacted your experience?
I really like it. It does go by fast but not too fast to where you can’t keep up. I like the setup of it and how the breaks work.
How was transitioning academically as a first-generation college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
I think we have a lot of resources. There are events to meet other people and it’s such a welcoming environment. Overall there’s an environment where people are nice and want to be your friend.

Reasons to Attend

1) The beach environment.
2) The social environment. It’s pretty easy to make friends and there are lots of events to go to.
3) The academics are demanding and challenging in a good way.

Reasons Not to Attend

None

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Santa Catalina Hall with two roommates
Sophomore: Off-campus house with five other people. I share a bedroom.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve personally felt safe. However, it seems like every month there’s a report of sexual assault, robbery, and home invasion. [Incidents] can feel like a possibility and I’m not ignorant of the fact that [they] can happen.
How was transitioning from Long Beach, CA to Santa Barbara, CA in terms of location?
It was super easy. It’s pretty close so I get to go home a lot. It’s not that different from Long Beach since I grew up near the beach.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
There are always parties around, but I’ve been mostly staying in and just hanging out with my friends watching movies and talking.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
They put on concerts for Halloween and during the spring. There are also guest performances, comedy shows, or cheap movie nights.
What have been some of your favorite times at UCSB?
The shows they put on are really fun. They do a good job bringing in artists the students will actually enjoy. Also, some of my best times are going out to the beach every weekend with friends when it’s warm enough.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m very happy with it.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
In the dorms.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UCSB?
It’s very social and everyone is welcoming. There are parties everywhere in this area and people are pretty outgoing.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
They do mix from my own experience. Everyone is welcoming and it’s common to have diverse groups of friends. [The undergraduate population is 32% White, 27% Hispanic, 20% Asian, and 3% Black.]
How would you describe the Hispanic community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s pretty strong and there’s a Chicana and Chicano Studies major with a powerful voice. There’s also a multicultural sorority. I don’t participate in it, I’m just aware of them.
If at all, how did being a first-generation college student affect your social transition?
The friends I made in the dorms and the first-generation students I met who are going through the same thing are good to have. It’s a common thing between me and my close friends.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
They tend to stay in their own realm, but in classes they collaborate and talk with people not in Greek life. When it’s not partying, they hang out with each other.
How do you like the size of UCSB? How has that impacted your experience? [UCSB has about 23,000 undergraduates.]
I like the number of students. This school never feels too big or too small. I’m always seeing new people around. Sometimes I see people I know, but it’s the perfect amount for me.

Careers

Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I took a Statistics class that really improved my Excel work.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, accommodating was the office to your needs?
They’re pretty responsive, you just have to make an appointment or be willing to wait in a long line. They have a system of texting to see how long the wait is.