what it's like being a uc davis student

I know a lot of prospective students have a hard time choosing a university to attend, mainly because its difficult to predict student life! This is my perspective of UC Davis and common questions freshman have.

CAMPUS

The UCD campus is one of the largest UCs so some of your classes can be 15 minutes apart if you walk. A lot of students bike because its not difficult since the ground is flat and just more efficient overall. We have a bus system called Unitrans and it runs from campus to Downtown Davis to the Sacramento airport! I believe you are not allowed to have a car in your freshman year but you can get a permit after. The campus itself is very green so if you have bad allergies good luck in the spring haha. Davis gets really hot during Summer/Fall and very cold during Winter/early Spring.

SCHEDULE

The minimum amount of units you can take as a student is 12 per quarter but its recommended to take 15 units per quarter. A typical course is around 3-5 units. A unit represents how many hours of work is needed for the student per week. For example, a 3 unit course generally meets for 3 hrs/week.

This is what my schedule looked like during fall quarter 2019 when I was taking 13 units:

CHE 118A (Organic Chemistry), BIS 2C (General Biology), SAS 13 (Disease & Society), and 1 unit for student-run clinic activities.

Registering for classes is brutal especially as a freshman because pass times (or registration times) are more favorable to upperclassmen. Pass times are generated based on the number of UC Davis units and non-exam based transfer units completed.

DORMS

Tercero:

I lived here! Central to campus, tons of dorms and lots of people to meet, dining commons/food is okay

Segundo:

Very popular option/lots of people to meet, good reputation on food/dining commons, located on the north side of campus so its kind of a long walk to classes, right next to the gym and Trader Joes!

Cuarto:

Apartment-style housing, access to a pool, not as social as Tercero/Segundo because it's not really like a dorm, good food, pretty far from campus (more north than Segundo)

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

Generally, people find housing during winter quarter of freshman year. You live with around 4-8 people depending on how large your apartment is and the price for rent ranges from $400-600, not including utilities. Students use Unitrans to get to school from their apartments.

FUN THINGS

Davis:

• Farmer's Market

• Movie Theater

• Bowling/Games room

• Greek life

• Picnic Day

Sacramento:

• Karaoke

• Food

• Concerts

• Downtown!

FOOD

In Davis, there are tons of popular places to go to:

• Burger's and Brew

• Thai Canteen

• I love Sushi

• Nami

• T-Kumi

• Good Friends Poke

• Fire Wings

• Yakitori Yuchan

• Open Rice Kitchen

• Uniboil

and lots of Boba places:

• I-Tea

• Mandro's

• T4

• ShareTea

• Teabo

• OnTap

• TeaSpoon

• GongCha

• Old Teahouse

• Lazi Cow

I wanted to go to a college where I could still eat lots of Asian food and that is definitely possible in Davis!

ACADEMIC DIFFICULTY

Overall, everyone is very collaborative and happy to help each other at UCD. Classes are challenging but doable, especially with effort and time. For science classes with a lower average, you tend to have a curve.

COSTS

Aside from tuition/dorms, you have a lot of other expenses to think about.

Ex: Meal plans, eating out, books, expenses for classes, lab equipment, Iclickers, fees for clubs/organizations

CHANGING MAJORS

If you come into UCD with a major you aren't sure about, it's pretty easy to switch. It's a lot easier to switch within a college but not too difficult to switch across colleges. When you switch majors, you generally have to take the courses of your intended major and meet a minimum GPA.

Hope this information helps you determine if UCD is a good fit for you. Go Aggies!