Humboldt County? (Arcata: transfer, school, university)

[rainytuesday]

Hey everyone. I noticed there aren't many threads concerning Humboldt County/Northern California, and I have a question:

Right now I'm at a coin toss between attending Humboldt State and attending University of Alaska in Anchorage. I've been doing my homework on both but I can't really come to a conclusion, especially regarding Humboldt.

I visited the Humboldt campus last June and it was absolutely beautiful; the people were all friendly (and the student guide was pretty badass), and the juxtaposition of the redwoods and the ocean was almost enough to get me to move there right away. But I've also heard downsides, like smoking pot being one of the main activities of students (I mean, I'm not against it, nor do I think it's 'wrong', I just don't personally enjoy it, you know?), and that there are 'a lot of morons' attending the school.

So far, I love the vibe of the town, but I still have a lot of unanswered questions, especially since I've only spent about 4 hours total there.

So tell me: What's it like? And, is the University stimulating and a good place to attend?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by rainytuesday

Hey everyone. I noticed there aren't many threads concerning Humboldt County/Northern California, and I have a question:

Right now I'm at a coin toss between attending Humboldt State and attending University of Alaska in Anchorage. I've been doing my homework on both but I can't really come to a conclusion, especially regarding Humboldt.

I visited the Humboldt campus last June and it was absolutely beautiful; the people were all friendly (and the student guide was pretty badass), and the juxtaposition of the redwoods and the ocean was almost enough to get me to move there right away. But I've also heard downsides, like smoking pot being one of the main activities of students (I mean, I'm not against it, nor do I think it's 'wrong', I just don't personally enjoy it, you know?), and that there are 'a lot of morons' attending the school.

So far, I love the vibe of the town, but I still have a lot of unanswered questions, especially since I've only spent about 4 hours total there.

So tell me: What's it like? And, is the University stimulating and a good place to attend?

All I would say about Humdoldt right now, it is an liberal as any area in the country and the college fits right in. Judge this for yourself...


The University of Alaska will not be nearly as liberal..This isn't saying it will be a consevative experience, but it won't be like Humboldt. I would not encourage my kids to attend Humboldt..I know of a few kids who did and they quickly transferred after their freshman year..

Niita

[Morwyn_7]

Humboldt is a beautiful area to live in as you already noticed. With the redwoods, rivers and ocean all so near by. For those of us who love being out in nature it is a virtual paradise.

Alaska, and more specifically Anchorage, your other choice, is also beautiful and some will say spectacular.

You might give pause to consider which climate you could best live in year round.

I would rather put up with some rain and gray skies in Humboldt during the winter months, than the freezing temps and fog and snow of Anchorage.

Also, Anchorage is considerably more expensive to live in than Humboldt if cost is a big deciding factor.

As for the pot if you do not want to smoke it .... don't. Plus it is not exclusively on the Humboldt campus you know.

You can always transfer at the end of the quarter if you are not happy whichever university campus you decide upon.

Good luck with this next stage of your life.

[rainytuesday]

Originally Posted by Morwyn_7

Humboldt is a beautiful area to live in as you already noticed. With the redwoods, rivers and ocean all so near by. For those of us who love being out in nature it is a virtual paradise.

Alaska, and more specifically Anchorage, your other choice, is also beautiful and some will say spectacular.

You might give pause to consider which climate you could best live in year round.

I would rather put up with some rain and gray skies in Humboldt during the winter months, than the freezing temps and fog and snow of Anchorage.

Also, Anchorage is considerably more expensive to live in than Humboldt if cost is a big deciding factor.

As for the pot if you do not want to smoke it .... don't. Plus it is not exclusively on the Humboldt campus you know.

You can always transfer at the end of the quarter if you are not happy whichever university campus you decide upon.

Good luck with this next stage of your life.

Thanks

[wburg]

Your first impression sounds like a good one. I went to HSU, and my first impression the first time I went there was "I think I'll like it here." I never wavered from that position, and still miss it even though I had to move away in 1991. Every time I visit I want to move back. Generally, I found that people either fell in love immediately and never wanted to leave, or they hated it from the minute they arrived and left shortly thereafter. If your first impression was good, odds are you will keep that opinion.

If you're a smart person and want to be around other smart people, you can find them, as you can on any college campus. If you'd rather not smoke pot, it's not that hard to avoid, and plenty of people up there don't smoke pot either. There are things to do, but you may have to make the effort to find them; if you are the sort of person who can entertain yourself, and knows how to appreciate the natural world, you'll love it up there.

As nmnita says, it is about as liberal as it gets up there, although the locals tend to be very conservative. So you can take your pick about your politics, too. There are conservatives on campus, they just tend to be in the minority.

[MtnSurfer]

It is truly beautiful in Humbolt County. One of my best friends from HS was stationed up there while in the Coast Guard. He took me surfing up there and it was really rugged.

wburg gave you some pretty good advice. Part of going to college is not only learning the subjects of your major put learning to be your own man/woman. If you appreciate nature and enjoy the outdoors it is great up there. You have to determine beforehand your goals both eduactionally and socially. Try to seek out ppl/friends who are like minded and are there for more reasons than just to screw around. Make the best of a great opportunity.

My 2c,

Derek

[bmd]

I went to HSU for two years and like you, I was not really in to the pot smoking thing. I actually chose it for the degree offerings and naively didn't even know about its reputation. When I got there, I found a really great college with a lot of serious students as well as some very unserious ones as well. They didn't do anything either way, just interesting characters at the school. So, my advice is that you should not worry about all the stuff you hear bec. it is not like people are smoking out in class. It is a great place to learn. You do though have to be kind of okay with seeing the hippie-stoner element esp. in Arcata, but they are pretty fun to see nothing scary. Hope this helps.