As an alumnus of UCSD, I lived in San Diego for seven years. During that time I received three different degrees and spent some post-grad time living and working in several areas throughout San Diego County. Here is everything you need to know about UCSD.
Apply
UCSD is not easy to get into. In high school, I had above a 4.0 and was involved in many clubs and athletics. If you are planning on applying, consider taking honor and Advanced Placement classes and boosting your extracurricular resume. Also, try to get good scores on the SAT reasoning, SAT subject tests and ACT test. Find more about the requirements here. Transfer students have different requirements and should look here for more information.
Six Colleges
One unique thing about UCSD is its six colleges. Each has unique dorms, requirements and concentrations. Since UCSD is a big school, it’s nice to have that small college feeling. I went to Marshall College. The dorms were arranged in suites. Each suite had several single and double rooms. I had a single room. I enjoyed having my privacy but also enjoyed the camaraderie of my suitemates. We shared a bathroom and common area. Marshall College is a liberal arts college and all students take a Dimensions of Culture curriculum sequence.
John Muir College is a popular college and has very flexible general education requirements. One of my good friends went to this college. I was always jealous because he had a slight view of the ocean from his dorm. Revelle, Earl Warren, Roosevelt and Sixth are the other colleges. Read more about the six colleges here. When applying to UCSD, you will need to pick a college to apply to.
Things to Do on Campus
If you like sports, there are many intramural sports. Many of these intramurals are low-key and a great way to meet people. There’s also several gyms and places to work out. Check out the recreation page for more information. In addition, UCSD has many concerts in the RIMAC arena. When I was attending I saw Dance Hall Crashers and The Violent Femmes.
The Price Center has a big outdoor place to sit in the sun. The bookstore, lounge and game room are located here. In addition, it contains many places to eat and simply hang out. The International Center is a place where students from around the world can interact. At certain times, there is awesome food at the international café and sometimes live entertainment. Other places to check out are The Che Cafe, Crafts Center and, of course, Geisel Library, the huge library named after Dr. Seuss.
Cool Places to Go Off Campus
The extracurricular activities in San Diego are limitless. The Gaslamp district has tons of restaurants, clubs and Horton Plaza. Relatively close to the Gaslamp is Seaport Village. At Seaport, walk along the boardwalk, browse the shops, play in the arcade or take a carriage ride.
Coronado is another favorite place of mine. Rent bikes or a surrey and ride along the waterfront or all over town. You can take a ferry from downtown. Go to Coronado’s dog friendly beach and watch the dogs romp around.
If you like watching sunsets, walk from campus to the La Jolla cliffs. This is a great place to have a picnic and watch the sun go down. La Jolla Shores and Black’s Beach are both in close proximity to the college. Pacific Beach is another great beach town and very close to La Jolla. There are many vintage and thrift stores for those interested in that type of shopping.
The World Famous San Diego Zoo is world famous for a reason. Get a pass and enjoy it all year long. The Zoo is close to many museums, including the Science Center and Imax movie theater. If you are not studying or writing a paper, you can spend all day there.
Learn to Take the Bus
For the first two years, at UCSD, I was without a car. Thus, I learned to use the public transportation. UCSD has shuttles that go all around the campus. Thus, if you can get to one end of the campus, you can easily get to the other side. There are many ways to get around without a car.
UCSD is a phenomenal college to attend!
Sources:
ucsd.edu
crafts.ucsd.edu
blink.ucsd.edu
recreation.ucsd.edu
checafe.ucsd.edu/about.html
sandiegozoo.org
sdhe.com/san-diego-bay-ferry.html
