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Hey guys, so it's looking like i might be one of the select few to get to go to California as a foreign exchange student fro France. Now this is really an amazing opportunity, however the selection process is very strange, and basicly i get to pick 3 schools and prey that i get into one of them. The choice are listed in the poll.
Now one of my main priorities is being able to shred as much as i do now, and the only worthy place i know of in Cali is Mammoth (and i'm hoping Tahoe but i dont know what the park is like there). I'm in economics so getting into Berkely would be amazing, but also very very difficult. Davis has a pretty good department and is only a 2 hour drive from Tahoe. UCLA would also be crazy, but i have no clue if skiing out of LA is even possible.
So guys, which school should i bepicking here? Any NSers out there in Cali right now? My forte is math so anything micro eco or econometry (or anything mathy really) would be great and i really know very little about these schools and they're departments. Also would love to know which schools here are closest to which ski resorts (I mostly ski park if that's any indication). Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated!
The school you do your undegrad at is not super important, how you perform in undergrad is. Since most of the UC schools are fairly similar (leaving out Berkeley and maybe Irvine) any of them would be a great choice. Ideally you could visit two or three of them and pick the school that you feel most comfortable/home. School culture is very underrated your going to be donating at least 4 years of your life to this place pick the one you wont might being at all the time.
Obi-Wan-JenobiThe school you do your undegrad at is not super important, how you perform in undergrad is. Since most of the UC schools are fairly similar (leaving out Berkeley and maybe Irvine) any of them would be a great choice. Ideally you could visit two or three of them and pick the school that you feel most comfortable/home. School culture is very underrated your going to be donating at least 4 years of your life to this place pick the one you wont might being at all the time.
Wow maybe i wasnt very clear.. my bad.
I'm a currently a junior and am going to be going away senior year. on top of that, i'm going to be taking classes from 100 to 199 which means it will be stupid easy for me if i pick stuff i've already done in France. It would only be for 8 months. I cannot visit anything because i live in France and have absolutely no way of getting out there before i actually go. Classes aren't really a that important, like you said, i think any school will give me about the same education. I just want to know which school is easiest to ski out of and where i can ski in Cali. Davis is looking like the best choice right now since its a shorter drive to Tahoe.
PS: i saw the polls are leaning towards Berkeley an awful lot. it is OBVIOUSLY the best of all the schools on the list, however i am just as worried about the quality of the school as i am how far from skiing it is. So if you guys could take both into account (unless you already did). thanks!
If you go southern california (ucla, riverside, irvine, san diego) you have bear mountain a few-hour drive away. Bear isnt super great, but its got a fun park. If davis is seriously only 2 hours from tahoe, i would say do that, but that doesnt seem right to me, i think its farther.
PopularWhaleIf you go southern california (ucla, riverside, irvine, san diego) you have bear mountain a few-hour drive away. Bear isnt super great, but its got a fun park. If davis is seriously only 2 hours from tahoe, i would say do that, but that doesnt seem right to me, i think its farther.
Irvine's really close to a small mountain actually, (i forgot what it was called though) they don't get a lot of snow but it's fun when they do. Out of the other southern california UC's LA and SD are good choices academically, but idk.
Davis is only 2 hours away from tahoe yeah, it's just in the middle of nowhere/cows everywhere. Ya either love it or hate it I think is the general consensus haha.
Go to USCB. It is for the kids who could have gotten into Berkeley, but also like to party. Its like beach fucking heaven. Literally every day is 80 degrees, the girls are all smoking hot, and the party never stops in Isla Vista...which is a 2 mile x 2 mile block of beachfront housing that is exclusivly occupied by UCSB students.
The ski club at UCSB will also probly do a ski lease at Mammoth Mtn, and will go up there every weekend, and likely once or twice on weekdays. You throw in like $500-$1000 and you get full access to a sweet, giant ski lodge right by mammoth. Basically, you can decide how often you want to stay AT mammoth.
Dont go to UC Davis. Its in a real shitty area, and while it is closer to skiing, its still too far to do day trips consistently so you will end up getting just as many days in as you would at UCSB. Davis's Ski club will probly be doing the same ski club type deal as UCSB.
Seriously, dont come all the way out to California and not enjoy what SoCal has to offer. California is one of the few places in the world where you can Surf world class breaks on warm beaches and live the beach life, and shred world class skiing, all in the same day. The SoCal schools will allow you to do this, and UCSB will you allow you to do it the best.
A: 2 hrs from skiing. In Tahoe. Whole hour closer than LA to Mammoth.
B: Right next to a city in Sacramento and within 45 mins of Bay Area
C: Cheaper cost of living. Seriously this is a big deal.
D: Awesome town. Chill vibe. Everyone's on a bike.
E: I live in Sac and Work in Davis, so you have a friend.
F: Lots of hot babes.
Tahoe is unreal, and if you like park, Northstar or even Boreal easily rivals Mammoth. Squaw and Alpine both have very good parks as well, but here's the thing... you don't go to Tahoe to ski park. That's lame. Go to Tahoe to ski the terrain. Even the so-so resorts have awesome terrain, it's awesome up there.
Berkeley would also be a very cool choice, absolutely. It's a great school, (#4 ranked school in the world... over Cambridge or Oxford... As well as most Ivy Leagues, highest ranked public university in the world... every program they have is top-notch shit) the city is amazing, you're right in the heart of the bay area, always something to do, it's beautiful, etc.. but it's also crazy pricy to live in and extremely demanding.
UCSB is obnoxious as fuck because it's partypartypartyparty and that's the whole scene. There's not a whole lot else going on other than that kinda stuff, really. Yeah, some kids ski and go the 7 hours to Mammoth, but fuck that, dude... Ew. If you really like the beach, and really like to party it up, go for it for sure... but if you're not trying to be constantly distracted, SB is a nightmare.
UCLA? It's basically a wannabe Berkeley in a worse place with warmer weather and more smog. I'll say no to that one. Sure, the LA schools like LA and Irvine and Riverside are REAL close to Mt. High and Bear, but those mountains only rarely get significant natural snowfall, so it's a crapshoot. It's maybe 1 in 5 or 6 years that the LA mountains will have a particularly good season.. and when they do get dumped on, everyone and their mom is up there so unless you beat 10 million people, good luck getting freshies. The park scene down there is legit, though I'll say that. (Also, Irvine and Riverside are boooring as hell and just full of people who wish they got into LA and SB, or are living at home in the burbs, commuting in, and saving money that way)
San Diego? I always really only thought UCSD was like UCSF in that it's a huge medical school with not much else. I could be wrong though, for sure. San Diego's rad though... just not for skiing.
A: 2 hrs from skiing. In Tahoe. Whole hour closer than LA to Mammoth.
B: Right next to a city in Sacramento and within 45 mins of Bay Area
C: Cheaper cost of living. Seriously this is a big deal.
D: Awesome town. Chill vibe. Everyone's on a bike.
E: I live in Sac and Work in Davis, so you have a friend.
F: Lots of hot babes.
Tahoe is unreal, and if you like park, Northstar or even Boreal easily rivals Mammoth. Squaw and Alpine both have very good parks as well, but here's the thing... you don't go to Tahoe to ski park. That's lame. Go to Tahoe to ski the terrain. Even the so-so resorts have awesome terrain, it's awesome up there.
Berkeley would also be a very cool choice, absolutely. It's a great school, (#4 ranked school in the world... over Cambridge or Oxford... As well as most Ivy Leagues, highest ranked public university in the world... every program they have is top-notch shit) the city is amazing, you're right in the heart of the bay area, always something to do, it's beautiful, etc.. but it's also crazy pricy to live in and extremely demanding.
UCSB is obnoxious as fuck because it's partypartypartyparty and that's the whole scene. There's not a whole lot else going on other than that kinda stuff, really. Yeah, some kids ski and go the 7 hours to Mammoth, but fuck that, dude... Ew. If you really like the beach, and really like to party it up, go for it for sure... but if you're not trying to be constantly distracted, SB is a nightmare.
UCLA? It's basically a wannabe Berkeley in a worse place with warmer weather and more smog. I'll say no to that one. Sure, the LA schools like LA and Irvine and Riverside are REAL close to Mt. High and Bear, but those mountains only rarely get significant natural snowfall, so it's a crapshoot. It's maybe 1 in 5 or 6 years that the LA mountains will have a particularly good season.. and when they do get dumped on, everyone and their mom is up there so unless you beat 10 million people, good luck getting freshies. The park scene down there is legit, though I'll say that. (Also, Irvine and Riverside are boooring as hell and just full of people who wish they got into LA and SB, or are living at home in the burbs, commuting in, and saving money that way)
San Diego? I always really only thought UCSD was like UCSF in that it's a huge medical school with not much else. I could be wrong though, for sure. San Diego's rad though... just not for skiing.
A) yes
B) Sacramento is an armpit, and the shitty part of the bay area is 45 mins. Otherwise its 1.5-2hrs away with normal traffic to get to San Francisco, Oakland, etc.
C)ya might want to ask yourself why its so cheap to live there lol
D)The town of Davis is pretty meh. Its an average college town. Nothing special. It has a very "any town USA" vibe. Its in a farming region that is flat, hot, and causes the worst allergies in the world.
E) haha can't argue that...but there's that whole Sacramento thing again haha
F) any college you go to is going to have girls. Frankly, Davis is unimpressive in that regard...certainly better than Cal though. UCLA and UCSB blow Davis out of the water in that regard.
Look, Davis is great if going for 4 years, but if dude is only visiting for 8 months I think Davis is a bit too bland.
Funny, no one has mentioned UCSC haha...does the op like dirt jumps, the ocean? Best weed in the world?
californiagrownA) yes
B) Sacramento is an armpit, and the shitty part of the bay area is 45 mins. Otherwise its 1.5-2hrs away with normal traffic to get to San Francisco, Oakland, etc.
C)ya might want to ask yourself why its so cheap to live there lol
D)The town of Davis is pretty meh. Its an average college town. Nothing special. It has a very "any town USA" vibe. Its in a farming region that is flat, hot, and causes the worst allergies in the world.
E) haha can't argue that...but there's that whole Sacramento thing again haha
F) any college you go to is going to have girls. Frankly, Davis is unimpressive in that regard...certainly better than Cal though. UCLA and UCSB blow Davis out of the water in that regard.
Look, Davis is great if going for 4 years, but if dude is only visiting for 8 months I think Davis is a bit too bland.
Funny, no one has mentioned UCSC haha...does the op like dirt jumps, the ocean? Best weed in the world?
Sacramento is not an armpit, I'll promise you this. If all you've ever done is driven by Sacramento on i5 of i80 or seen it's surrounding suburbs, then yeah, but then it might as well be just like driving the freeway in LA and thinking that's all LA is. Having lived in Sacramento, Oakland, worked in San Francisco, etc... it holds its own quite well even if it doesn't have the same hustle-bustle of downtown San Francisco.. It has a bad reputation because it was boring 20 years ago, but as living costs in the bay area has skyrocketed thanks to the tech boom and other high-paying industries, many people have moved to Sacramento and vastly improved it. It's not San Francisco, but it's definitely comparable to the East Bay as far as nightlife is concerned. The culture is super fun. It's not as overstimulating as San Francisco, but It's definitely not just a northern Fresno like so many people seem to think.
Davis is like any college town, yes, but I wouldn't say Westwood (UCLA) or IV (UCSB) are some particularly fantastic place to be, otherwise - sure the proximity to LA nightlife is cool, but outside of that it's not like the culture there is all that impressive. I mean, what do you do in either that you can't do in other college towns? Same can be said for SLO, Eugene, Corvallis, Chico, San Diego State, etc. Sure, SB, Santa Cruz, SLO and San Diego add in the beach stuff, but still...
UCSB and UCSC are out on the coast. If you're looking to ski, they're kinda shit for that, even if living on the ocean is cool. If you want to switch it up and explore beach life, then sure, they're fucking awesome and you should jump on that, but neither are good if you're trying to ski a bunch. Besides, in the winter? It's just going to be cloudy and foggy as hell all the time
As for the 'best weed in the world', Santa Cruz won't beat any other place out in the far west. Everywhere has the best weed in the world here, so that's a moot point as any.
Davis is in a great central location for checking out everything and exploring. It has transportation to and from the bay area and Tahoe right there, and being that Sacramento is not an armpit in any way, it's super close to some cool stuff in that regard.
DingoSeanSacramento is not an armpit, I'll promise you this. If all you've ever done is driven by Sacramento on i5 of i80 or seen it's surrounding suburbs, then yeah, but then it might as well be just like driving the freeway in LA and thinking that's all LA is. Having lived in Sacramento, Oakland, worked in San Francisco, etc... it holds its own quite well even if it doesn't have the same hustle-bustle of downtown San Francisco.. It has a bad reputation because it was boring 20 years ago, but as living costs in the bay area has skyrocketed thanks to the tech boom and other high-paying industries, many people have moved to Sacramento and vastly improved it. It's not San Francisco, but it's definitely comparable to the East Bay as far as nightlife is concerned. The culture is super fun. It's not as overstimulating as San Francisco, but It's definitely not just a northern Fresno like so many people seem to think.
Davis is like any college town, yes, but I wouldn't say Westwood (UCLA) or IV (UCSB) are some particularly fantastic place to be, otherwise - sure the proximity to LA nightlife is cool, but outside of that it's not like the culture there is all that impressive. I mean, what do you do in either that you can't do in other college towns? Same can be said for SLO, Eugene, Corvallis, Chico, San Diego State, etc. Sure, SB, Santa Cruz, SLO and San Diego add in the beach stuff, but still...
UCSB and UCSC are out on the coast. If you're looking to ski, they're kinda shit for that, even if living on the ocean is cool. If you want to switch it up and explore beach life, then sure, they're fucking awesome and you should jump on that, but neither are good if you're trying to ski a bunch. Besides, in the winter? It's just going to be cloudy and foggy as hell all the time
As for the 'best weed in the world', Santa Cruz won't beat any other place out in the far west. Everywhere has the best weed in the world here, so that's a moot point as any.
Davis is in a great central location for checking out everything and exploring. It has transportation to and from the bay area and Tahoe right there, and being that Sacramento is not an armpit in any way, it's super close to some cool stuff in that regard.
Haha i was being facetious with my UCSC comments. that school really is not great. haha
I worked in Sacramento and it sucks... a lot. The eastbay and sacramento are not somewhere people choose to visit for fun, they are forced to live there because its cheap. I wonder why its cheap?...similarly, i wonder why Sacramento is so cheap to live?...hmmm
If you honestly can't see how UCSB is far better than Davis in every possible way with the exception of access to skiing, I don't know what to tell ya haha. Its pretty obvious. And if classes are going to be as easy as OP says, then spending 4 days out of the week at the ski condo in Mammoth is very possible, which would then render Davis' ease of access not a whole lot more beneficial because it is still too far away to consistently and easily do day trips.
Also, you must have never lived near the beach in California...ever. the winter is when its always sunny at the beach lol. And SB down to SD is pretty much always sunny and warm- probly 5-6 months out of the 8 he will be here will be beach weather.
Personally i think it would be a total waste to do a study abroad for the sole reason of skiing just to live in a place like Davis and still be 2-3 hours away from skiing(you know 80 and 50 can be fucking nightmares on weekends and stormdays even if you know the go-arounds)
Whether you're a San Francisco person or Los Angeles person is what is really the question.
UCLA is a fantastic school. It's not Berkeley, but it is a fantastic school. It is also likely easier to get into.
But as it has been said, you're here for 8 months and taking relatively easy classes.
I won't hate on San Francisco, but I'm honestly an LA person. Sean is an SF person... then you have people who are biased towards San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz... every city has a personality.
What I can say is that every one of those schools has a ski team. Tahoe does have some great skiing and a great park. The last 3 seasons have been bad for all of California, so hopefully this will be better.
LA/Santa Barbara/SD and you get a Mammoth Pass and get Mammoth, June, Bear and Snow Summit and then you can also opt for Mt. High and/or Baldy. Mt. High is about an hour and 30 minutes (no traffic) from the UCLA area and they have night skiing. I used to go skiing in the morning before class and leave at noon to make it to my 2pm class. Or on some nights we would leave at 2, get to Wrightwood, eat and then ski in the evenings.
There was always someone going, so it was really easy to only go for a few hours. Bear is a bit more of a treck, but great any time you can't make it to Mammoth.
Most of the S. California schools on that list have houses in Mammoth and different fees depending.
As far as the N. California schools go, you have Tahoe and the drive really isn't that bad. I don't know if it's an evening type thing but with some ambition, you could make it.
I would look into the cities and see which seems to fit your personality the best. Either way, you're going to end up at a great school. The only one I wouldn't go to is Riverside.
californiagrownGo to USCB. It is for the kids who could have gotten into Berkeley, but also like to party. Its like beach fucking heaven. Literally every day is 80 degrees, the girls are all smoking hot, and the party never stops in Isla Vista...which is a 2 mile x 2 mile block of beachfront housing that is exclusivly occupied by UCSB students.
The ski club at UCSB will also probly do a ski lease at Mammoth Mtn, and will go up there every weekend, and likely once or twice on weekdays. You throw in like $500-$1000 and you get full access to a sweet, giant ski lodge right by mammoth. Basically, you can decide how often you want to stay AT mammoth.
Dont go to UC Davis. Its in a real shitty area, and while it is closer to skiing, its still too far to do day trips consistently so you will end up getting just as many days in as you would at UCSB. Davis's Ski club will probly be doing the same ski club type deal as UCSB.
Seriously, dont come all the way out to California and not enjoy what SoCal has to offer. California is one of the few places in the world where you can Surf world class breaks on warm beaches and live the beach life, and shred world class skiing, all in the same day. The SoCal schools will allow you to do this, and UCSB will you allow you to do it the best.
Might transfer as a junior. Sounds tiiiiiiiiiiight
californiagrownI worked in Sacramento and it sucks... a lot. The eastbay and sacramento are not somewhere people choose to visit for fun, they are forced to live there because its cheap. I wonder why its cheap?...similarly, i wonder why Sacramento is so cheap to live?...hmmm
I haven't been here long so I can't say much, but it is anything but cheap to live in Berkeley. That being said, the town rocks. Tons of food, pretty decent nightlife (for college kids), wide variety of outdoors stuff to do, and awesome proximity to SF and Oakland.
I don't feel like it's my place to stick up for the Bay Area when Sean's lived here for a while and is holding his own (and I just got here), but I can tell you that a) I'm enjoying it a lot, and b) I'm definitely not a SoCal person (visited schools there, wasn't as stoked). Again, OP, PM me if you have any questions about Berkeley.
That's the thing though... from what I understand, at UCSB it's kinda like, your'e stuck unless you know someone with a car or you like taking the bus places. Sure, it's a huge party and all this cool local stuff, and if you're really into that, and the beach, totally go for it... but speaking from my experiences in IV, you can get that same party experience at a bazillion other places. I'd argue that Chico and San Diego party just as hard... and it's usually a bit less fratty of a feeling at those places - which is my underlying real turnoff from UCSB.
That asks another question, and this is one that I honestly don't know the answer to, so help me out folks - how the hell are you going to get all the way up to Mammoth all the time if you're on exchange? Are there really people making this trip all the time - I know from you Rach, that you can't always find someone going back and forth and you live in Mammoth... Skiers are spontaneous as we all know, and so I'd imagine you have to really be on your game if you don't have access to consistent transportation opportunities if you're in SB or even LA. If you're brand new, and foreign, are you really going to be able to access these kinds of trips on a regular clip? Least in Northern California, you could jump on one of the cheap snow buses or even take a trip on Amtrak if all else fails. Snowclubs are great, I'm sure, but are they really this dedicated down there?
On top of that, It's like what, 7 hours from SB to mammoth and back? That's a day up and a day back, more or less. You're on the road two days a week. I'll take a little bit of i80 traffic over that any day. Are there honestly people that are making this turnaround just for 3-4 days of school and a whole 2-3 days of skiing? How do you even party it up in IV if you're not even there? Davis might not be this beautiful amazing place, but it's a solid spot to be in between your snow trips and you spend half as much on travel time and cost, all while being close to the Bay Area and always underrated Sacramento.
I'll admit, the closest I've lived to the beach in CA was Oakland... but I grew up going to the coast all the time in the winter or hiking and MTB purposes, and it's gloomy a good percentage of the time. Maybe Socal is different, but up this way, it's not always sun and games in January.
As for UCLA, it is a fantastic school, and it's right up there with Berkeley as far as difficulty to get into. Many of it's programs are so impacted that they're harder to enter than those at Berkeley or any other UC. I'd argue Berkeley and Westwood are 1a and 1b as far as the UC's go in overall acceptance difficulty.
I will say though, if you do go to a Socal school and luck out on a big Socal snow year, where Bear and Baldy are going off, holy shit you'll be stoked at the proximity to absolutely killer and highly underrated skiing, but unfortunately, those hills are consistently artificial and become slush buckets on warmer years... Otherwise LA would be a totally ballin ski town.
I mean, this is pretty fucking badass - too bad it's exceptionally rare
As for the 'cheapness' of Sacramento, I'm more just saying it's cheaper than the always skyrocketing bay area prices on everything from a night out with booze to food to housing, and the equally skyrocketing price for the exclusivity of living near the ocean in Southern California... It's not all that cheap in comparison to many other places - People in actual mediocre places find Sacramento to be quite expensive (My friends from up north gasp at the price of my rent haha).
I guess my real thought here is... if i'm from France and going to go on exchange to California, I'd rather live centrally so I can see more things, rather than be stuck in IV... (or HIV as it's lovingly known). If I'm in Socal, I'd far rather be in Westwood, and in northern california, with the proximity to skiing, and the less gnarly 100-level class size of Davis in comparison to Berkeley, It's a pretty solid spot as well.
**This post was edited on Oct 19th 2014 at 10:49:57pm
In response to the Mammoth to LA thing... It's actually pretty damn easy. In the summer it is of course more difficult but in the winter, I've had rides virtually any day I have needed and it's usually $20.
If you're in a University, the SCCSC is so huge that there are rides every single weekend leaving thursday and friday and returning sunday and monday. Everyone is really cool about it. I still get rides from the Uni kids. USC seems to have the most traveling back and forth but I'm pretty sure the ski team is one of the biggest clubs on their campus. So getting a ride with a USC kid and getting to the UCLA area is easy. Even getting to Irvine is easy.
UCSB didn't have as big of a club when I was around, but there were still students every weekend. You just don't have quite the same flexibility.
As far as not having a car goes... I've lived between LA and Mammoth the last 10 years and sold my car 3 years ago. I haven't had an issue. Even getting around LA with public transit is easier than anyone makes it out to be. They have built out Public transit so much in the last 5 years but everyone thinks it doesn't exist. It's also the cheapest major public transit in the nation. It's now $1.75 to get from Long Beach to Pasadena...(30 to 35 miles).
You can also get from Mammoth to LA and LA to Mammoth via public transit and that's $55 each way and runs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.... I do it when I need to or have a LOT of stuff cause you can bring a ski bag, large suitcase, and a backpack and not pay anything extra.
Many Universities in the US that are anywhere near skiing have ski/snowboard teams that compete against each other. Most universities it's just slalom/Giant Slalom and maybe a slopestyle competition thrown in.
In S. California (I don't know about Northern) there are a few slopestyle competitions, halfpipe and then skier cross as well...
There is a fee to be part of the team, but it's generally pretty affordable and there are a TON of perks.
I'd say this is a pretty fare representation of UCLA's ski/snowboard team...
californiagrownGo to USCB. It is for the kids who could have gotten into Berkeley, but also like to party. Its like beach fucking heaven. Literally every day is 80 degrees, the girls are all smoking hot, and the party never stops in Isla Vista...which is a 2 mile x 2 mile block of beachfront housing that is exclusivly occupied by UCSB students.
The ski club at UCSB will also probly do a ski lease at Mammoth Mtn, and will go up there every weekend, and likely once or twice on weekdays. You throw in like $500-$1000 and you get full access to a sweet, giant ski lodge right by mammoth. Basically, you can decide how often you want to stay AT mammoth.
Dont go to UC Davis. Its in a real shitty area, and while it is closer to skiing, its still too far to do day trips consistently so you will end up getting just as many days in as you would at UCSB. Davis's Ski club will probly be doing the same ski club type deal as UCSB.
Seriously, dont come all the way out to California and not enjoy what SoCal has to offer. California is one of the few places in the world where you can Surf world class breaks on warm beaches and live the beach life, and shred world class skiing, all in the same day. The SoCal schools will allow you to do this, and UCSB will you allow you to do it the best.
DingoSeanSacramento is not an armpit, I'll promise you this. If all you've ever done is driven by Sacramento on i5 of i80 or seen it's surrounding suburbs, then yeah, but then it might as well be just like driving the freeway in LA and thinking that's all LA is. Having lived in Sacramento, Oakland, worked in San Francisco, etc... it holds its own quite well even if it doesn't have the same hustle-bustle of downtown San Francisco.. It has a bad reputation because it was boring 20 years ago, but as living costs in the bay area has skyrocketed thanks to the tech boom and other high-paying industries, many people have moved to Sacramento and vastly improved it. It's not San Francisco, but it's definitely comparable to the East Bay as far as nightlife is concerned. The culture is super fun. It's not as overstimulating as San Francisco, but It's definitely not just a northern Fresno like so many people seem to think.
Davis is like any college town, yes, but I wouldn't say Westwood (UCLA) or IV (UCSB) are some particularly fantastic place to be, otherwise - sure the proximity to LA nightlife is cool, but outside of that it's not like the culture there is all that impressive. I mean, what do you do in either that you can't do in other college towns? Same can be said for SLO, Eugene, Corvallis, Chico, San Diego State, etc. Sure, SB, Santa Cruz, SLO and San Diego add in the beach stuff, but still...
UCSB and UCSC are out on the coast. If you're looking to ski, they're kinda shit for that, even if living on the ocean is cool. If you want to switch it up and explore beach life, then sure, they're fucking awesome and you should jump on that, but neither are good if you're trying to ski a bunch. Besides, in the winter? It's just going to be cloudy and foggy as hell all the time
As for the 'best weed in the world', Santa Cruz won't beat any other place out in the far west. Everywhere has the best weed in the world here, so that's a moot point as any.
Davis is in a great central location for checking out everything and exploring. It has transportation to and from the bay area and Tahoe right there, and being that Sacramento is not an armpit in any way, it's super close to some cool stuff in that regard.
Half of Davis's campus smells like cow shit yo.... You're talking about Davis as if it's the holy land of UC's and that it definitely is not. In terms of skiing though, it's probably the best bet, although berkeley's only 3 hours away so that's not even that bad either
nutz.Half of Davis's campus smells like cow shit yo.... You're talking about Davis as if it's the holy land of UC's and that it definitely is not. In terms of skiing though, it's probably the best bet, although berkeley's only 3 hours away so that's not even that bad either
Deeefinitely not what I'm saying haha. It's a cool town close to skiing and other stuff.
I live in longbeach and always see cars with mammoth stickers and im like 2 hours or so from bear and mammoth just bought them this year so the park will be way better
That's bullshit... Every school I've been to has been very receptive to exchange students as long as they're not just cliquing up with the other exchange students... I made plenty of friends from Japan, South Korea, South Africa, and the UK when they were on exchange while I was in school. Assuming Americans are xenophobic or something as to not socialize with internationals is poop talk...
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He said in the OP, and I quote... "one of my main priorities is being able to shred as much as i do now"
californiagrownHaha i was being facetious with my UCSC comments. that school really is not great. haha
I worked in Sacramento and it sucks... a lot. The eastbay and sacramento are not somewhere people choose to visit for fun, they are forced to live there because its cheap. I wonder why its cheap?...similarly, i wonder why Sacramento is so cheap to live?...hmmm
If you honestly can't see how UCSB is far better than Davis in every possible way with the exception of access to skiing, I don't know what to tell ya haha. Its pretty obvious. And if classes are going to be as easy as OP says, then spending 4 days out of the week at the ski condo in Mammoth is very possible, which would then render Davis' ease of access not a whole lot more beneficial because it is still too far away to consistently and easily do day trips.
Also, you must have never lived near the beach in California...ever. the winter is when its always sunny at the beach lol. And SB down to SD is pretty much always sunny and warm- probly 5-6 months out of the 8 he will be here will be beach weather.
Personally i think it would be a total waste to do a study abroad for the sole reason of skiing just to live in a place like Davis and still be 2-3 hours away from skiing(you know 80 and 50 can be fucking nightmares on weekends and stormdays even if you know the go-arounds)
Part of me didn't care to respond to this thread because I love keeping Davis the secret gem that it is, but there's so much untrue crap coming from you and Nutz. I graduated from UC Davis and am so glad I chose it rather than going to UCSB or UCLA. UCSB is not all its cracked up to be. I say that with no ill intent, but these schools are all so different from each other. If this guy just wants to bang women and hangout with dumb frat bros, than by all means he should go there. But if he wants a unique experience, I'd tell him to go to Davis. He can visit SB and get all it has to offer in a weekend and not have to deal with the rest of the bullshit. But if you'd like to pay out your ass to live in scummy IV, then go ahead.
And UCSB is not the school where potential Berkeley students go if they want to party instead. Its where the average student goes when they have to decide between UC Riverside and UCSB.
To Nutz, there is like a section that takes up less than 1% of Davis' acreage that smells like cows. And even then, it doesn't really smell that often.
The downtown scene in Davis is awesome as you can walk or bike to every single bar and they are all back to back in downtown. The weather is great, the town and campus is beautiful. And the people are wonderful. Girls are great. The faculty are some of the best I've met. Granted UCSB has esteemed faculty due to the location, but I can't comment on the curriculum. It is a 2 hour drive to Tahoe. And traffic on a mountain highway on a pow day is not unique to 50/80. So I don't know why that is part of the criteria.
SF is indeed an hour away.
It's like californiagrown would like you to take home the stereotypical California perception that all of Europe, etc. holds of us instead of experiencing a more balanced offering. But he is an overgrown snob, so take what he says with a grain of salt. Also, I met plenty of exchange students who loved Davis. For me SB is great to visit once a year, but I wouldn't want to call it home.
You will love any school you pick as it will be new and exciting. They just offer different things. LA, SB, Berkeley, and Davis all offer vastly different experiences, so YOU need to decide what you want to immerse yourself in. I would put skiing on the back of the priority list as our drought continues. Good luck to you man.
