Student Profile
Admiral
- Class: Senior
- Major: Economics
- Gender: M
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
I think the best thing about UCSC is that many professors care a great deal about their undergraduate students. I have had talks with several of mine outside of the classroom and they generally the professors have had some really interesting experiences. It is funny when I tell people about UCSC they tend to laugh and ask me if we have had any good protests lately. If I could change one thing it would be how protesters mobilize. They shouldn't march on a daily basis and they should only march on the people who can actually change what they are trying to protest. The protesters also believe that their cause is just, so they violate the law and then get up in arms over police "brutality" when the police start to arrest them. The general atmosphere around protests is the one thing that I really hate about this campus. However, the environment is wonderful and I believe the campus currently holds the right number of students. There is a Long Range Development Plan which wants to increase the size of the school a great deal, but it is still many years away from being implemented. Hopefully it won't destroy the natural beauty of this campus. It has many fantastic mountain bike and hiking trails. Every fall the local AIDS group puts together a great road biking event which winds through Santa Cruz county. This campus puts you in the center of great things and I would strongly recommend coming here.
Academic Life
Professors tend to learn your names if you approach them first, although there are times when I have been surprised and they have called me by name when I am still remembering theirs. What I also like is that most professors are comfortable with students calling them by their first names, so it creates an informal and more comfortable learning environment. My favorite class so far has been game theory, which has nothing to do with video games, so go Wikipedia it. That course is taught by Dan Friedman who is out of the economics department. Bruce Thompson, from the history department, is probably the most skilled and interesting professor that I have had. He is one of the primary reasons why I am double majoring in Economics and European History. Professors like these bring the topics to life, so outside of class I have had many great conversations with friends about those topics.
Student Body
UCSC has been the primary area where I have been exposed to a great deal of people who are very different from myself. Learning and working with a diverse group of students has helped me to develop as a person, so I am very proud of what this university has given me. The student body is generally made up of students who are liberal (some extreme) and moderates. There are some conservatives, but these students tend to take a social beating. My favorite quote that have heard on this issue is that "this school turns moderates conservative", which is somewhat true because there are great (and some not so great) liberal ideas implemented (via protest usually) in idiotic ways.
The Best Things
Amazing professors!
The Worst Things
Protesters!
