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Old 06-08-2013, 01:00 AM
 
Location: Tijuana Exurbs
4,530 posts, read 12,363,014 times
Reputation: 6273

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Because I live in San Diego, I will evaluate SDSU v UCSD

UCSD - Nerdier campus.

SDSU & UCSD - both are mostly unimpressive 1950s to 1990s modern architecture.

UCSD - very difficult to get elsewhere in the city via public transit. There are express buses to downtown and to Hillcrest, but I just think you will find the transit to take a long time to get you to someplace else you will want to go.

SDSU - Trolley stop in the middle of campus. Trolley can be taken to malls and to Downtown. Buses can be taken to North Park, Normal Heights, and Hillcrest hipster hangouts.

UCSD - Walkably close to ocean (though you have to hike down a cliff to get there). The beach is clothing optional, so you will have plenty of opportunity to see naked old guys. No one actually worth looking at ever takes his/her clothes off.

SDSU - No easy public transit to beach areas. You could take the trolley to Downtown and the ferry to Coronado. However, as a College student you might find Pacific Beach more your style, and that will be a more difficult bus ride. You will need to make friends with people who have a car.

UCSD - right outside of the wealthiest part of the city (La Jolla). But not really walkably close to it. Now, if you could ride a bike...

SDSU - Near a poorer part of the city (City Heights), but NOT in it. City Heights is a densely populated, heavily immigrant part of the city: Hispanics, Somalis, Ethiopians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, etc. It is safe during the day, and the early evening hours. You can go to City Heights, or you could spend your entire year in San Diego and never have cause to go there. But you might miss out on some authentic, cheap foreign food.

UCSD - More fog.

SDSU - Sunnier and warmer, which can be a bad thing sometimes.

UCSD - Academically rated fairly high worldwide, but that is for Science, Medical, Engineering, not the Liberal Arts.

SDSU - More typically American atmosphere.
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Old 06-08-2013, 06:48 AM
 
49 posts, read 61,154 times
Reputation: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by mysticaltyger View Post
Many of us find the use of the term "Cali" annoying. It rubs us the wrong way...in the same way that we assume using the word "Briti" would rub Brits the wrong way.
Understandable, however, "Cali" makes more sense than "Briti".
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Old 06-08-2013, 06:57 AM
 
49 posts, read 61,154 times
Reputation: 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by kettlepot View Post
Because I live in San Diego, I will evaluate SDSU v UCSD

UCSD - Nerdier campus.

SDSU & UCSD - both are mostly unimpressive 1950s to 1990s modern architecture.

UCSD - very difficult to get elsewhere in the city via public transit. There are express buses to downtown and to Hillcrest, but I just think you will find the transit to take a long time to get you to someplace else you will want to go.

SDSU - Trolley stop in the middle of campus. Trolley can be taken to malls and to Downtown. Buses can be taken to North Park, Normal Heights, and Hillcrest hipster hangouts.

UCSD - Walkably close to ocean (though you have to hike down a cliff to get there). The beach is clothing optional, so you will have plenty of opportunity to see naked old guys. No one actually worth looking at ever takes his/her clothes off.

SDSU - No easy public transit to beach areas. You could take the trolley to Downtown and the ferry to Coronado. However, as a College student you might find Pacific Beach more your style, and that will be a more difficult bus ride. You will need to make friends with people who have a car.

UCSD - right outside of the wealthiest part of the city (La Jolla). But not really walkably close to it. Now, if you could ride a bike...

SDSU - Near a poorer part of the city (City Heights), but NOT in it. City Heights is a densely populated, heavily immigrant part of the city: Hispanics, Somalis, Ethiopians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, etc. It is safe during the day, and the early evening hours. You can go to City Heights, or you could spend your entire year in San Diego and never have cause to go there. But you might miss out on some authentic, cheap foreign food.

UCSD - More fog.

SDSU - Sunnier and warmer, which can be a bad thing sometimes.

UCSD - Academically rated fairly high worldwide, but that is for Science, Medical, Engineering, not the Liberal Arts.

SDSU - More typically American atmosphere.
How friendly are those in San Diego generally. I have heard Midwesterners are the friendliest. As an American Studies/History student I'd love to experience a typical American Thanksgiving meal and would it be likely for me to be invited to one by someone in California or are they more cold? Please give me the most unbiased view possible I am also unlikely to be travelling home at Christmas as it is too expensive for me. Can I stay in halls at the uni or will I need to book a hotel?
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Old 06-08-2013, 08:19 AM
 
49 posts, read 61,154 times
Reputation: 29
My friend has just informed me that many unis mentioned have had all their places taken. The deadline is 3pm Monday you see. I only have the following available: UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz and Cal State Long Beach.

Which one should I pick?

I've left it too late as I was preoccupied with some family affairs
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Old 06-08-2013, 11:12 AM
 
3,229 posts, read 6,271,210 times
Reputation: 4883
Quote:
Originally Posted by hrvyspctr View Post
My friend has just informed me that many unis mentioned have had all their places taken. The deadline is 3pm Monday you see. I only have the following available: UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz and Cal State Long Beach.

Which one should I pick?

I've left it too late as I was preoccupied with some family affairs
UC Merced - the central valley is not your dream location AVOID

UC Irvine - 56% Asian which can be good or bad depending on your perspective

Cal State Long Beach - I know several people who went there and liked it. It is a commuter campus and most students will have a car.

UC Santa Cruz - maybe the best choice without a car except that it is a small town with a 1 hour bus ride to San Jose

For a typical American University experience I would avoid all those choices in California and look for a big state university in the midwest or selected areas in the south (like Athens,GA). For example compare these Google images of a midwestern university party vs a Santa Cruz party.

"uc santa cruz" party - Google Search

camp randall party - Google Search
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Old 06-08-2013, 11:12 AM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,105 posts, read 107,284,053 times
Reputation: 115908
Have you researched their History departments yet? Without knowing how they compare, I'd still vote for Santa Cruz. Nix to Merced. Irvine's a good school, but I don't know how it measures up on your other criteria.

Hope you make good friends so you'll have someplace to go over Thanksgiving weekend and more importantly, Christmas/winter break.

The UC Santa Cruz party looks like a lot more fun to me. More spontaneous.
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Old 06-08-2013, 01:38 PM
 
49 posts, read 61,154 times
Reputation: 29
Thanks all. I can't choose other Cal State campuses. I only have those options left I mentioned in post #34

I have these non-Calif. universities to choose from and have been advised to pick Kansas:

Kansas
UMass Amherst
Marquette
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Old 06-08-2013, 01:48 PM
 
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
744 posts, read 1,088,946 times
Reputation: 871
A word of warning to the OP: most of California is bland and suburban in nature compared to what you are used to in the UK/Western Europe (this is especially true of San Diego), unless you live smack-dab in the middle of a downtown area, or live on the beach.

This is what 90% of Southern California looks like:



And if you remove the palm trees, this is what the rest of West/Midwestern America looks like. And as you can see, you will need a car to get around. This is one of the reasons many people are trying to convince you to stick to the big cities on the East Coast in your other thread.

Last edited by evan83; 06-08-2013 at 02:05 PM..
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Old 06-08-2013, 01:52 PM
 
3,229 posts, read 6,271,210 times
Reputation: 4883
Quote:
Originally Posted by hrvyspctr View Post
Thanks all. I can't choose other Cal State campuses. I only have those options left I mentioned in post #34

I have these non-Calif. universities to choose from and have been advised to pick Kansas:

Kansas
UMass Amherst
Marquette
Which Kansas? University of Kansas in Lawrence,Kansas or Kansas State in Manhattan,Kansas?

Lawrence was rated as one of the ten best college towns. I have also heard that the campus is very hilly which may be a factor considering you said balance problems were an issue. I would ask for more detailed info on the Kansas forum.

http://www.collegenquirer.com/top-te...college-towns/

Last edited by capoeira; 06-08-2013 at 02:02 PM..
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