University of California--Davis

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Students Say - Academics
UC-Davis is a huge research university with the atmosphere of an intimate community. The campus is known for its cows, and the agricultural and food sciences programs are indeed excellent. There are more than 100 majors. Research opportunities for undergraduates are abundant. Study-abroad and internship programs are "fantastic." "Registration is very nerve-racking," but on the whole, management is "invisible." "Things seem to work magically around here." "The administration is like Atlantis," offers a linguistics major; "it's rumored to exist, but you've never actually seen it." "As for your academic experience, 90 percent of it is dependent upon who your professor is, and 100 percent is dependent upon your personal interest," explains an international relations major. "I know that adds up to 190 percent. You can blame my statistics professor." UCD's quarter system affords "no time to fool around." "It is not really a school for a slacker." "Although the pace is fast, it's very doable," asserts a communications major. Classes can be quite large here, and the class- rooms themselves "could do with some better desks." Some members of the "world-class faculty" are "very enthusiastic" and "really profound." "I have consistently found my professors to be wonderful teachers who care deeply about their students," boasts a biology major. "Professors vary a lot depending on subject." As a rule, "upper-division professors are generally far better than lower-division ones."

Students Say - Campus Life
UC-Davis is located in a "cozy," "rural," and "relaxed" college town in northern California not too far from Sacramento. Most students report a pretty high level of satisfaction with the atmosphere, though a few tell us that Davis "is boring, and ugly." "Downtown Davis is a great place that is located within walking distance of the dorms and most off-campus housing," says a sophomore. It's "filled with interesting non-chain stores" and "great places to eat all types of food." "There are bicycles everywhere." And "if Davis isn't your thing, you can always go to Sacramento or San Francisco." "Tahoe is about two hours away, so it's pretty easy to go snowboarding or skiing," too. On the "sprawling" campus "the food is repetitive," but Davis has "excellent" recreational facilities and "a wide variety of activities, clubs, and groups to get involved in." "The sense of community is pretty good." "Greek life is big;" and "keggers at frats" are definitely available. "There is a demographic that enjoys going to parties at the fraternities, but other people who do not enjoy that can easily stay out of it." "Davis is not mainly about parties," though. Mostly, "Davis is a place where you can really sit down and study," and "the best part is just finding a good group of people." "There is a niche for everyone."

Students Say - Student Body
Students here are the hardworking, studious, responsible kids, says a sophomore. "The student body is mostly made up of white and Asian students," but "Davis is a melting pot." "Many different cultures, ethnicities, and religions are present," and "everybody is really accepting." Students here describe themselves as "goal-oriented," "down-to-earth, well-rounded, balanced, amiable, and intelligent." "Some seem shy and timid." "There are some atypical students who care more about their looks and having fun than just studying, but I feel like they are a minority," says a sophomore. There are "the uber-serious premed students who spend all of their waking time in class or in the library having an aneurism." There's "the sorority girl; the band geek, the jock; the crazy, outspoken chick;" and "a lot of hippies," too. A pretty high percentage of these students is "really concerned about environmental issues," and many UCD students "take an active stand" on politics.

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