University of California, Davis
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Community and Regional Development
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: White Heterosexual Female
Summary
I joined a hip hop and jazz dancing club called Unbound Progression Dance Company
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public high school in Half Moon Bay, CA with a graduating class of under 300 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Community and Regional Development
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I joined a hip hop and jazz dancing club called Unbound Progression Dance Company
What impact has the dance club had on your experience?
It’s an activity I enjoy doing and I’ve been able to meet a lot of friends with similar interests.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I don’t have any exams for the course I’m taking for my major, but that’s not true for every class. We have essays and I have to attend government or local council meetings and take notes on it. We have readings for every class, but the coursework isn’t overbearing. The major graded assignments are essays and reports.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
My major’s department is rather small and not super well-known. For that reason, it’s nice because it’s very hands-on and you can talk with people and have access to help.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think the learning environment is really good. You have to think about the work that you’re a part of because there are always people to help and it’s never too stressful. Depending on the class, I do work with friends or the advisors you can go to. I usually work on my own but never feel competitive with other people.
How accessible are your professors?
My professors are very accessible. I haven’t felt the need to go and talk to them, but they email me back right away and make their office hours known.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I considered going into communications, but then I found this major and it’s a combination of a lot of things I like. You can design it to be what you want. I like public speaking, and you can go into planning or more political things if you want. It’s given me a lot of options so far, and I’m happy with it.
How was transitioning academically as a freshman? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
There are resources available and I didn’t find the transition too hard because I’ve always been a pretty hard worker. You can get help from professors, advisors, and even peer advisor students.
How was transitioning into large lecture hall classes your freshman year?
I like the large lecture halls. They are big and feel less personal, so sometimes you really have to work outside of class on your own to learn. It also doesn’t feel too big or hard to navigate because you have smaller discussions with TAs, and professors have office hours. If I have a problem, I’ll go to the TA before the professor because you have a more personal relationship with them. The discussions have at most 30 people in them, so a lot of the TAs try and learn your name.
How do you like the quarter system? How has that impacted your experience?
I like the quarter system, but there are pros and cons. It’s nice that you don’t have to be in one class for too long, so if you don’t like a class it’s over in 10-weeks. The cons are that the professors tend to rush through everything so you have to get assignments done really quickly. Right now, we’re only a couple of weeks in and we’re already in midterm season.
Reasons to Attend
1) The campus environment. Everyone is really friendly. Everyone is in search of an education and takes their studies seriously, but there’s also a good social aspect.
2) The campus is pretty and modern.
3) It’s easy to navigate.
4) There are lots of resources, such as clubs or tutoring services.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The small town. If you’re looking for a busier environment, it’s probably not the place for you.
2) It’s not the most social place in terms of partying. It’s out there, you just have to search for it a little. In my suite-style dorm, there isn’t a community feeling where people walk in and out of each other’s dorms all the time. It’s more separated so there are some days when there won’t be many people around. You have to search for the people you want to be with.
3) It’s big and it may feel overwhelming for some people at first.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Yosemite Hall with two other roommates
How was transitioning from your hometown to Davis, CA in terms of location?
I like the location a lot. It’s only two hours from my hometown, so it’s only far enough to where it doesn’t feel too close, but it’s still easy to get to. I like Davis a lot and it was easy to transition into. Everyone is welcoming and happy here.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I always feel very safe around campus. It’s really easy to navigate, and I haven’t personally experienced any situation where I’ve felt like I was in danger. At night, it’s recommended you be with a group of people but I’ve never felt that my life was in danger.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Sometimes I stay in with friends and hang out in the dorm, but other times I like going out. There are fraternity parties so we go to those, which are easy to get to because they’re down the street. You can also go to the movies or out to dinner with people. I like partying, but I have an even balance where I don’t party every weekend. If we did go to one, it’s hosted by the fraternities and they are either down the street from me, or in the circle at off-campus houses.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
Greek life is the only option in a lot of cases. Some of the parties are open to everyone, but usually you need a connection to get in. That’s really the only type of partying easily accessible to freshmen. [About 10% of students are involved in Greek life.]
How happy are you with the weekend options at UC-Davis? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m really happy with the options. You always have the option to do both. It’s good to have connections and reach out to different people from classes or activities that you do so you have more options.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I got lucky because my roommates are my two closest friends and I hang out with them the most. I also have friends who’re across the hall that we met during move-in. A lot of it is saying hi to people during the first week. I also have some friends from dance, and from class.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UC-Davis?
It is social, but it’s what you make of it. If you go out and search for social things you’ll find them, but I wouldn’t say it’s a party school that’s always bustling with things to do. A lot of it is just connections with friends.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
There’s a lot of mixture in that realm. Davis is very diverse, and the people I’ve seen are very welcoming to everywhere. There are mixed-race friend groups with people of different sexualities. Everyone is open to everything from what I’ve seen. [The undergraduate population is 4% Black, 33% Asian, 22% Hispanic, and 25% White.]
How would you describe the student body?
I think everybody is very friendly and willing to talk to you. No one is negative or mean, so I’ve liked it a lot.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
There’s a lot of mixture there. My friends in Greek life have met a lot of their friends through Greek life. It doesn’t stop you from being friends with them [if you’re not in Greek life]. [About 10% of students are involved in Greek life.]
How do you like the size of UC-Davis? How has that impacted your experience? [UC-Davis has about 31,000 undergraduates.]
I like the size. It’s known for being a big school and there are a lot of people, but there are also lots of small communities within the large groups of people. It’s easy to find smaller groups and it doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large. Once you know your way around, it’s not too big.