University of California, Davis

Responses from the Student Interview

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

Summary

I’m on a [varsity sports team] and I do research on the side.

Background

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

High School Experience: Public high school in Santa Barbara, CA with a graduating class of about 500 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Global Disease Biology
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m on a [varsity sports team] and I do research on the side.
What impact has being an athlete had on your experience?
It’s made school a lot tougher. Time management is a lot harder. Socially, it was easier because coming in I had a family already.
How easy was it to get into your undergraduate research position?
My major requires a practicum project, so it requires you to do some type of undergraduate research to find a project. I emailed a lot of professors trying to find a spot and eventually got in.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It’s pretty well-rounded between problem sets and essays. It’s a science major so there are lab classes that take up a lot of time. There are essays and written tests. On a week to week basis, I have one or two problem sets and then maybe some type of written assignment.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
My major, in particular, is still fairly small so the advising staff is friendly. With the required practicum, it’s tough finding someone to work with. I think the advising staff for my major is helpful throughout that whole process. I like how my major has electives that let you pick your own path and decide what you want to emphasize and do. It gives you some freedom there. It is a science major and it’s tough, but it gives you a little freedom in the electives you take.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
UC-Davis, in general, has a pretty strenuous academic environment. That was a shock to me, and coming in everyone is really smart and focused on academics. You’re held to a very high academic standard, but it’s not competitive when trying to get a grade. At times, it can be competitive and also collaborative.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible with office hours. I have the chance to take advantage of too many office hours because as an athlete it was really hectic. Most professors offer individual meetings if I can’t make the times.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
Originally, I was looking for something with public health, but not many schools in California offer public health programs. This was something I stumbled upon and it seemed unique. It lets you take your own path. Diseases and how they affect communities has always been something I’ve always been interested in. As someone who didn’t take many AP science courses in high school, it has been difficult, but I think it’s worth it. It also has a lot of interesting classes. It provides a holistic approach to things where you can see it from all different sides.
How do you like the quarter system? How has that impacted your experience?
It’s pretty tough, especially being an athlete. It goes by really fast and took a lot of adjusting. In science classes, it’s tough learning so much material in such little time. I don’t love the quarter system but I’ve gotten used to it.
How was managing both your sport and coursework?
It’s challenging at times, but it’s doable. A lot of my teammates are on the same schedule. On my team, there are a lot of science majors, so it helps to have that community of people on the same rigorous schedule. It’s tough, but once you adjust to the workload it’s doable. Student-athletes get a free tutor in whatever subject they want, which is also helpful.

Reasons to Attend

1) You’re going to get a really good education.
2) If you’re looking to experience Northern California.
3) It’s a really diverse community with a lot of different opportunities. There’s an opportunity for everyone no matter what you’re looking for.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you get seasonal depression and hate the rain and cold weather.
2) If you don’t like biking.
3) If you’re a big city kind of person, it has a small community feel.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Campbell Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: Apartment complex across the street from campus with one roommate
Junior – Senior: Apartment complex across the street from campus in a single
How was transitioning from your hometown in Santa Barbara to Davis, CA in terms of location?
Davis is very different from Santa Barbara. I expected colder weather, but there’s a lot more weather in general. It’s more rainy and colder and the summers are really hot. Weather-wise it was a transition.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve always felt really safe. The community itself is a mix between a college town and a family-friendly town with a small community.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Junior year I went out a lot. There are a good number of parties, but I wouldn’t call Davis a party school. If you want to do it, it’s there, but if you don’t want to go out and party a lot it’s very avoidable. I partied a lot, but it’s not the overwhelming culture of Davis.
Who hosts the parties? Where are they located?
It’s 50/50 between fraternities and sports teams. I personally went to a lot of sports events. These are mostly on Fridays and Saturdays, and sometimes Thursdays at the fraternity houses, or at the athletic houses around town.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
It adds to it. There are lots of options other than Greek life. I’m an athlete, and some other athletes are in Greek life which helps me find out about the parties, but it’s not too challenging to find a place to go.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
You could always take a weekend trip to Tahoe or San Francisco.
How happy are you with the weekend options at UC-Davis? Is there anything you would change if you could?
It’s pretty average. It’s there but it’s not in your face. I’m pretty happy with it and the bars are pretty fun too. They are all on one street downtown and you can walk there. There are themed nights people like going to.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them through athletics.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UC-Davis?
Probably a 6 out of 10. It’s hard because we don’t have a big football team. They try to make that a thing, but it’s not quite there yet.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
A lot. Davis is a very diverse campus in terms of gender, race, and orientation. It’s common for people to have diverse groups of friends. [The undergraduate population is 4% Black, 33% Asian, 22% Hispanic, and 25% White.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
They actually mix quite a bit. I’m not in Greek life but I know a lot of people in it. They mix and everyone hangs out with anyone. [About 10% of students are involved in Greek life.]
To what extent do athletes mix with non-athletes?
To an extent, but not a whole lot. I have other friends outside athletics, but the majority of them are athletes.
How do you like the size of UC-Davis? How has that impacted your experience? [UC-Davis has about 31,000 undergraduates.]
It was a pretty good number when I came in. Each year it’s gotten larger so I know people are getting put into triple rooms. The campus is a little busier and there’s less seating but there’s a lot of construction going on to accommodate for that. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it feels crowded, but it’s full.
Do people generally seem happy with UC-Davis by senior year? Do people leave loving UC-Davis?
Academically, Davis offers a lot of opportunities. In the end, a lot of people leave feeling academically enriched. I think people are really happy with their experience. You may not have the craziest and most fun social experience or in the most beautiful area all the time, but you’re going to get a great education and meet a lot of really good people.

Careers

What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I’ve used the online career services such as Handshake. The online services themselves are really helpful and I’ve found several internships and jobs that way.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve done a lot of things for chemistry using Excel. For calculus, we tried learning R a little bit but I didn’t take much in.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I’ve only interacted with them a few times, but when I have they’ve been responsive and helpful.