num_pages: 180
description: Introduction from the AuthorSun, waves, bikinis and board shorts, and incredible weather year-round make it hard not to mistake this school for some sort of twenty-something resort. But, then you realize that this resort offers great classes and boasts expert professors, and that the resort dwellers are actually serious students. UCSB is a place that offers both a strong academic and strong social side of the college experience. Students who are “go-getters” and good time-managers will thrive in this big-campus, opportunity-filled environment.UCSB has begun to shy away from the “party-school” image that it has upheld for so many years. Both students and teachers are serious in their academic endeavors, and the media and applicants have started to notice. Three Nobel prizes have been awarded to UCSB professors in the last several years, the number of applicants has climbed and exceeded practically all of the other UC schools. Still, nobody, not even Chancellor Yang, can deny that UCSB maintains a thriving party scene. You will undoubtedly have many opportunities to be part of crazy Del Playa house parties and some downtown bar hopping.When you fill out the University of California admission application, you choose which UC campus to apply to with a simple check in a box. I knew nothing about UCSB, but, since checking a box was probably the easiest part of college applications, I decided to apply to it along with the other UC schools I knew. A seemingly unimportant, even random, check has made the last four years the best years of my life. I know I had no idea if UCSB was the perfect school for me when I decided to come here; in fact, I don’t think I knew it was the perfect school for me even after my first year. Eventually, I made friends, found inspiring professors, and took classes that I was really interested in. I explored Santa Barbara and beyond—I learned to surf (sort of), I interned, I volunteered, I worked, I played, and I soaked in plenty of Santa Barbara sun. UCSB has truly fulfilled all of my college expectations, and I’m already enjoying the benefits of my UCSB degree. Obviously I can’t capture the exact life of every UCSB student, but hopefully this guidebook will present prospective students with some useful information about the school—both what it has to offer and, most importantly, what the environment is really like here. Have fun reading!Kate Sandoval, AuthorUC Santa Barbara
language: English
title: UC Santa Barbara (UCSB): Off the Record - College Prowler
titlecomplete: UC Santa Barbara (UCSB): Off the Record - College Prowler
publisher: College Prowler