University of California, San Diego

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Structural Engineering
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: South Asian Heterosexual Female

Summary

I’m mainly in the Society of Civil and Structural Engineers and I’m also in the Muslim Student Association.

Background

Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: South Asian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public high school in San Jose, CA with a graduating class of about 450 students. There was a culture of going to college
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Structural Engineering
Minor: None

Extracurricular Activities: I’m mainly in the Society of Civil and Structural Engineers and I’m also in the Muslim Student Association.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
Not really just because I have joined both this year so I haven’t gotten started with them.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
For this quarter, I’m taking a physics, statics, linear algebra, and a music class. Usually, we’ll have homework due every Friday and we have discussion with TAs where you can ask questions about the homework in case you have any questions.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
One thing that is good is they have drop-in advising where you can go in and just ask questions about your major or your career plan. One thing that maybe they could do better with is some of the general requirements we have to take don’t necessarily correspond with our major. It just adds more coursework on top of the courses we have to take for our major. I think that could be an improvement.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
Our lecture halls are pretty big, but I think when we’re in discussion it’s more collaborative because you can work with other students. Since it is a UC school it is somewhat competitive, but if you find the right group you can make friends and ask people if you need assistance.
How accessible are your professors?
They have office hours. If not, you can always email them and they usually respond. Also, if you go in, they’re pretty useful.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
What made me choose my major is a long time ago I took an introduction to engineering class in which we did a lot of things related to my major and use software that we use in my major. Also, my sister’s friend is a civil engineer and she was able to tell me about what she does for her job and explain what I’ll have to do in the real world. That’s what motivated me to do structural engineering.
How do you like the quarter system? How has it impacted your experience?
The quarter system goes by pretty fast. I’m in my second week of classes but have midterms starting next week, so it can be stressful at times.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a very diverse community.
2) We have really good STEM and medical programs.
3) The professors and TAs are very friendly and they’re very accessible.
4) It’s right by the beach and is really pretty.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) You have to be ready for the responsibility and commitment and put in the effort. If you’re intimidated by being around a lot of people or going through stress, then I would say not to go.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Thurgood Marshall College upper apartments with seven people. I was in a triple bedroom.
Sophomore: Thurgood Marshall apartments with six other people. I am in a double bedroom.
How happy are you with the living situations?
It’s okay. There are six colleges and they all very. Because I’m in a double, the room’s pretty big. The good thing is we have a cleaning person come to clean the bathrooms and the kitchen, so that makes it so we keep everything clean. Overall, it’s nice. We don’t have air conditioning but we have heat and we were given furniture for the living room.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel pretty safe. Nothing has happened to me personally. Since UCSD is an open campus and anybody can walk on campus anytime, that makes me feel less safe. But, we have the blue light system and campus police and other ways to get help if you need it.
How was transitioning from your hometown in San Jose to La Jolla, CA?
Initially, it was hard because it was my first time living away from home and it’s pretty far from where I’m from. But, I got used to it as time went on. Especially now that I’m in my second year, I know my roommates better and have made more friends so I feel more at home now.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
For the weekends, I’ll go walk on the beach, watch a movie, go get Boba tea, or go to UTC Mall. The buses here are free and you can get a lot of places by taking the bus. I’m not much of a party person, I just like to hang out with my friends.
What are some of your favorite off-campus events?
We have an event in the spring called Sun God that’s a concert and it’s the biggest event of the year. Also, at the beginning of the fall quarter, we have Fall Y’all which is also a concert.
How happy are you with the weekend options at UCSD? Is there anything you would change about them if you could?
There are parties around and that is an option and if people want to go off-campus or into San Diego and do other things, there is also that option. Personally, I just like to hang out with my friends and do things close to campus.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
My closest friends are my roommates and people who I met through my major. Some of my close high school friends came here, so we’ve stayed in touch. I’ve also had friends who I’ve met through student organizations that I’ve been in. There are also school-sponsored events I’ve gone to those and met people.
How would you describe the overall social scene at UCSD?
To be honest, on campus, you have to find your way into social events. They might not always be out there, but if you ask around or have other friends with connections, you can find your way into things that happen on campus and off-campus. They might not be visibly apparent, so you have to go out of your way to look for events. We have the library blog that posts about events happening on campus, but most events you hear about through your friends.
I’ve heard UCSD is called “UC – Socially Dead,” do you think that’s true?
I’ve heard that before too. A lot of people commute from off-campus, so on the weekends it can seem like there aren’t that many people here. But, you can find your way to the things going on. It’s not like there are no events going on, you just have to put in the effort into finding where those events. [61% of undergraduates live off-campus or commute.]
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
UCSD is pretty diverse and open to everyone. There aren’t any problems or backlash to who you try to hang out with or who you date. In terms of mixing, I see people who hang out with just their race and I also see people who hang out with a lot of different people. Personally, my friend group consists of all different races. But, some people are just more comfortable with people of the same race.
How would you describe the student body?
At least for my college, I’ve met people and they seem very friendly and genuine.
How do you like the size of UCSD in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [There are about 30,000 undergraduates.]
There are a good number of people. It’s fairly large, but I don’t personally have a problem with it.
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
I’m not in Greek life so I’m not that sure. I’d think that people in Greek life go out more and have more of a social life. I have friends in Greek life and I think people do mix. They hang out with people both inside and outside of their sorority.

Careers

Have you learned any computer languages or software that will be helpful to you professionally?
I’ve learned Excel and we use MATLAB in Linear Algebra.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
Yes, I use financial aid. It depends on the timing. At the beginning of the year, it’s hard to reach them because a lot of people are trying to get in contact with them. But, in general, they’re pretty accessible because you can either call them or just go in person.