University of California, Davis
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Biotechnology
Minor: Business
Student Self Identifies as: Filipino & Caucasian Heterosexual Female
Summary
I’m on a few recreational sports teams and I’m part of the Davis Hiking Club.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Filipino & Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public high school in Half Moon Bay, CA with a graduating class of under 240 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Biotechnology
Minor: Business
Extracurricular Activities: I’m on a few recreational sports teams and I’m part of the Davis Hiking Club.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
Being on recreational sports teams have helped me meet a lot of people.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For Biotechnology, in general, there are a lot of prerequisites. Chemistry and calculus are a lot to study for if you don’t have a decent background on it. I’m taking 19 units this quarter, so I study about 4 to 5 hours a day. The majority of the work is studying for midterms and writing papers.
Is there anything you feel the STEM classes do especially well or poorly?
For the STEM classes, I feel like the TAs are helpful and want you to succeed, but I’ve had some pretty bad professors. Some are there for research and their teaching skills are lacking.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It feels collaborative and not competitive.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible. You can see them in office hours and they’ll make time for you. I prefer going to my TA if I have a problem instead of the professors because they’re more approachable.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I didn’t know about biotechnology at the time, I just liked the name of the major. When I got to researching it more, I realized it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to go into a more research-based major, and the Biotechnology major is that.
What has been your favorite part of UC-Davis academically?
There are a bunch of cool classes you can take here. Like, I took a coffee lab where we learn the science and taste coffee, and I’m taking a fairy tale class now.
How was transitioning to the large lecture hall classes as a freshman?
At first, it’s intimidating, but overall I didn’t mind it.
How was transitioning academically as a freshmen college student? Are there systems in place that help you transition?
There were things I didn’t expect like picking classes and going out of your way to getting a better grade. I wasn’t aware of that until a few weeks when I got shell shocked and hit by tests. It was rough, but after the first half of the first quarter, I got pretty acclimated. The school has a lot of opportunities. They have tutoring services everywhere around campus.
How do you like the quarter system? How has it impacted your experience?
It’s really fast, but if you don’t like the class it goes by quickly.
Reasons to Attend
1) The people here are really nice and the culture feels very inclusive.
2) There’s a lot of support and places to go if you’re struggling with academics or mental health.
3) The cows are really cool here. They’re on the side of campus so you can go pet them.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) Our sports teams aren’t the best, but we try.
2) Academically, it can be hard at times.
3) If people don’t like the small college-town vibe, this isn’t the best school.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Segundo Hall with one roommate
How was transitioning from your hometown to Davis, CA in terms of location?
It wasn’t that bad. I live two hours away so it’s far enough that my parents aren’t close, so if anything happens they’re two hours away. It’s a decent distance.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I’ve had no issues with any safety hazards. It’s very safe.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Going to parties is a big thing you can do, or you can go to town or to sports games. The majority of the time the parties are located super close to campus within walking distance. Some of the parties are farther away, but you can take a five or ten minute Uber to it. At the beginning of the quarter, anyone can go in, but towards the end, you need to know people.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
It has a big impact because it’s the thing to do at night. [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 like it. A lot of the times it’s not in your face and you don’t feel like you need to go out, but there are also places to go at night which is cool.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I lived in an international dorm so it was hard to make friends there, but I met friends at dining halls and became friends with people from my hometown. I think people make their friends through clubs and organizations.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UC-Davis?
Everyone is super friendly here. A lot of people are very approachable.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
A fair amount. Davis is very diverse and cultures mix. I’m friends with a bunch of races. It’s a huge mix and is culturally diverse. It’s common to see diverse groups of friends around campus. [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?
It’s a pretty good amount. I feel like they do keep to themselves a lot. People have friends they met in the freshmen dorms, but they also have their friends in Greek life. [About 10% of students are involved in Greek life.]
How would you describe the Asian community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s good. There are lots of Asians here [laughs]. [33% of the student population is Asian.]
How do you like the size of UC-Davis? How has that impacted your experience? [UC-Davis has about 31,000 undergraduates.]
The size is pretty big. It’s been great and there are so many people here, whereas before it was so small that you knew everyone. Here, you can walk around and see a new face.
Careers
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve gotten more familiar with Excel. For some of my classes, I had to learn to do specific things with graphs.