One of my best friends and an ex graduated from UCLA so I’ll give you any information I have, being a southern californian born and raised.

Your Questions:

1) Dorm life is crazy. Parties, all the time, especially if your pledging a sorority or fraternity. My friend moved into a neighboring apartment with her sorority sisters their sophmore year, and although they all had boyfriends already so they weren’t as crazy, the parties and functions still happened. There was studying but mostly during the cruinch of finals week.

2) There are lots of things to do like pledging for sorority, fraternities, joining clubs like the drama, writing and there are also plenty of cultural clubs ect. You can also join the sports clubs. UCLA has one of the best women’s and Men’s teams nationally.

3) There are lots of things do around Westwood. There’s a place called Westwood Village, and there are movie theatres that always have premiers and late night showings. Also plently of shops and dining.

4) Because of the University there is a large varity of people living over in that area. However Westwood has a lot of Armenian and Middle Eastern people in that area.

5) Most LA trends include wholistic healing, alternative medication, yoga, excersize, organic everything etc. Outward beauty etc. There is also a great multicultural trend push out here especially bringing awareness to Latino art and artists. Very cool.

6) I love to go to the theatre (not movies) the beach, shopping, and because LA is so central I love to take road teips to San Diego, Vegas, San Francisco and Rosarito (Mexico) but my favorite is Disneyland!!! Yes, I’m a big kid at heart.

7) The environment varies quite a bit depending on the neighborhood. You have areas that are posh like Beverly Hills and Brent wood, you have the suburbs, the Valley the San Gabriel Vally etc. You have areas like chinatown that are predominantly asian, litttle armenia, east LA which is mostly latino, etc. Hollywood is crazy and nastolgic but I wouldn’t be there late at night, by myself anyway. You also have areas that have become srtists hubs, not because they are wealthy neighborhoods but because of the beautiful architexture and the craftsman homes.

8) The weather is muld most of the time, hotter in the valleys and cooler by the beaches. It stays mostly between 75-89. It’s been increasingly muggly lately, and boy do we need the rain!!!

9) Everyday life can vary depending on your occupation. Angelinos do not depend much on Public transportatrion as NYers do. You know that son “nobody wals in LA” well it’s true. That’s why the freeways are so crowded. And because the homes are so expensive over here a great number of people have purchased their homes far way from the city and commute in. I have a friend who works at a television studio and commutes 2 1/2 hours everyday to work, both ways so a total of 5 hours on the road a day. I live in a small cottage which I rent and I also commutte to work. I am an actress but I also have a 7-5pm job in Downtown LA. My commute is not as harowing as my friends. It’s only about 30 min. I work, rehearse my lines at lunch and break times (when I’m not on yahoo answers) and go to rehearsal afterward. Were doing a show right now so my time is pretty tied up but on my free days I do slow down and take the time to spend some quality time with family and friends, and of course boyfriend (they are soo needy (hee) anyhow life can get crazy down here but LA still sleeps at night unlike Vegas and NY. I hope this helps you. Good luck on your writing endeavours.

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Ucla Student Life

Ucla Campus Life

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How is college life at UCLA or in California period?
I like to write fictional stories and the one that I am working on now takes place at a California College (UCLA). I don't know anything about California anyway so any information, even if it seems insignificant to you, will help me. Thanks.

QUESTIONS 2 GET U STARTED

1.)Dorm Life

2.)Things…

1.) Varies greatly. The dorm I was at was pretty quiet. Others like Hedrick, the suites, and others are pretty noisy and active. It’s really just like most dorms in the US.

2.)There are a lot of things to do at college. So much that I can’t even list em all. Anything you can think of, it’s happening.

3.)See above. Plus, there are a lot of celebs on campus so you might even meet one.

4.)Varies greatly. Some are antisocial and some aren’t. Generally though, most people are pretty friendly and open.

5.)Trends probably lean towards sports-ish. But again, there’s great variety.

6.)I like attending the red carpet premieres at the local theaters, going to football/b-ball games, volunteering, and any special events like the Dance Marathon (a must go for most).

7.)Kinda over-crowded but overall it’s ok

8.)It’s as perfect as you can imagine.

9.) It’s real hectic, mixed in with happy moments and then unhappy moments. It’s a real rat race sometimes yet other times it’s bliss.

I am at UCLA..not a student so i dont know the answer to ur first question… but theres so many things to do around UCLA. u will be exploring socal for next few years. College life is good here, liberal and lots of intellectuals. Lots of good food on campus, lots of hangout places, coffee shops, restuarants in campus. I have seen a lot of campuses in US and UCLA is my favorite…its just so pleasant to walk around anytime day or night, very safe very friendly atmoshere. u may also spot celebrities at premeire shows at the campus theatres. There r about 8-10 campus independent theatres with old-time charm of 1 movie at atime (unlike AMC). The campus is located in Westwood, bel air and beverly hills area…and is one of the nicest and biggest.

The city is diverse and friendly. people r active, helpful and the motto is work hard, play hard! life is laid back and the beaches are just fab! (about 2 miles from campus, good bus system). my fav hangout places are santa monica beach, third street promenade, hollywood, rodeo dr., malibu, universal studios…………………….etc. etc.

be sure to use ur college ID everyhere in westwood (grocery stores, buses, restaurants, theatres, u get good discounts). the weather is perfect all throughout the year, no snow, no rains, no cold, no humidity. The average temp. is in mid 70’s all year long. u could go to the beach even in jan wearing shorts!

unlike the general impression that LA life is superficial and all abt fashion, i think LA life is really good esp arouund westside and u can dress/be however u want (when i was on east coast, i felt constant pressure to be in suits and matching shoes…but here, u wear shorts, sneakers, take a bike and u r ready to go…whichever profession u belong).

some things that r negative about LA: do not go to downtown LA in after hours.

traffic: it can be rough…so try to live close to work/school.

Housing: is EXPENSIVE!

I go to SDSU, but have gone to UCSD and have heard lots about UCLA. First and foremost it depends on the person and with who they get along with.

1) dorm life? party party party..good luck studying with everyone drinking and having sex. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of quiet places but most of them have this kind of behavior (especially freshmen ..the little teenagers). There are other dorms where only seniors and juniors live, but that doesn’t change anything you might have noisy neighbors. Anyway, depends what the person is like. I lived in the dorms and getting along with roommates who are not like you is tough. If you are serious about studying I don’t recommend dorms. Unless of course, you get lucky and get roommates of your type.

2) Lots to do at college!! They sponsor several events, there is the entertaining center (bowling, pool tables, arcade, etc) and then the gym. Lots of places to eat whether you are in campus or out.

3)around the city? Going to the beach is a plus! At night people have bonfires and the like. Travel to Anaheim and go to Disneyland (not far at all). The rest of the places are usually like every other city in U.S…same old stuff..malls, places to eat, movies, etc.

4)all kinds of people of different colors and attitudes

5)trends? Usually shorts with Hawaiian type shirts and flipflops. Very casual, students are not very dressy unless going to some interview or something like that.

6) All the stuff i said on 1 and 2

7) Very friendly environment. Some teachers are great others are not. People get along very well

8) weather is very stable, it is always sunny. Hardly have to wear long sleeves or sweaters unless it is winter, which even then does not get too cold. Summers are not really hot either. The only time when it gets really hot is during the Santa Ana winds season. (lasts a week or so).

9)everyday life involve all things mentioned on 1,2, and 3

–good luck on your story

The dorm could be both positive and negative, depending on which hall you are in. But most are similar in many ways. First, the atmosphere of exclusivity and elitism is huge. In sophomore-dominated halls, the floors are pretty quiet and people keep to themselves. They don’t give a schit about other people, although sometimes you will find 2-3 people you can relate to on your floor.

In a freshman hall people are very excited to meet new acquaintances and friend for about the first half of the first quarter of their freshman year. After that, they start to form their own cliques and some become douchebags to everyone else who isn’t in their main go-to group. I have spent time with a few people. A few more have been friendly but I have not hung out with them yet. Like I just mentioned, some people who have their own group start to feel like they are on top of the world and do not bother with anyone outside of that group. I have had a guy who openly made rude comments towards me for studying a lot. Then he would start to interact with me less and less, until he basically had zero interaction with me unless he has to say hi as he passes by or say good night if he said good night to other people. I have unfriended him from facebook as the first person I have ever unfriended in my current academic year. There is one girl who keeps acting like she’s better than me, that I am a pervert who wants to date/phuck her (I don’t. I think she’s average physically and subpar academically and in terms of personality). I could end up ignoring her as well as a couple more of the douchebags on the floor.

Sorry, I can’t help it. When the world is full of shallow people, I have to focus on connecting with the few people I can trust and feel comfortable with, and the rest of my energy will be spend on studying and getting other adult responsibilities done. When I come from a rough background, I cannot afford to try to connect with shallow people who are going to distance themselves away or betray me anyway. That time is better spent studying and getting into a good grad school.

So to summarize, you will find a few to several people you can connect and spend time with. A lot more will be friendly and respectful, although you don’t hang out with them. However, once the cliques begin to form, a few people will shut themselves off to the population and start acting like they are more elite and superior to you – to the point that you label them as douchebags.

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I was a high school senior last year, I applied to one state college near home, and 3 UC’s. I was accepted to all of the UC’s and decided to go to UC Berkeley. I believe I feel similar to the way you do now. I thought Berkeley would be full of opportunities for all of the money I am spending on it (25,000 a year), and I thought I would receive an excellent education at such a prestigious school. I was wrong. Berkeley is not full of enlightened, open-minded people. Many of the students here are cutthroat — they will do anything to get into graduate school, at any costs, without regard to their fellow students. The people at this college have never gotten anything less than an A in any class — they’ve never gotten a B on an exam, they’ve never gotten a B on a paper, they’re intelligence is just as inhuman as their personalities are. They’ve already gone to community college for 2 or 3 years while they were in high school, so all of the freshmen have pretty much learned everything they are studying in their classes already. The competition is unbearable. Unless you think you are like these people, the chances of getting more than a 2.5 GPA are very slim. Some say that the opportunities at Berkeley are here for those who want to find them. There are student clubs to join, and activities to do. However, most of the clubs meet at night, and it is dangerous to walk around at night. When I first moved in, 10 people were robbed, shot, or experienced armed robbery in a 10 day period. One must be willing to risk their life to make friends at Berkeley. The education is sub-par. I don’t believe I will be prepared for my job at all if I stay here. Many of the professors hate teaching. They are only here to do research, and they therefore don’t spend time teaching the material. Instead, during their lectures, they talk about the research they are doing with vocabulary that is incredibly precise and oriented only with their research — they are impossible to understand. Some other professors like to rant on about their personal life, or how much they hate the authors of the textbooks that the students are using. Professors, teaching assistants, tutors, and graduate student instructors don’t care about the students learning. The system of the campus is just an assembly line — the students go in without an education, and they come out with an education. There is no time to stop and ask the student what he or she wants, or if he or she needs help. Everyone just moves along, learning the standardized book material that everyone else is also learning. There is very little freedom to make one’s own decisions. Most people leave the campus being prepared to do well on exams, but not being prepared for real life. I think you’ll find some similarities between UC Berkeley and the other UC’s, and this is why I give the example of my college experience. I think I made a mistake coming to this school — but I wouldn’t have believed anyone else if they told me this — I had to experience this myself. Next year I am transferring to a State university near by my home. The reasons why a State University is better than a UC: 1.) There is less competition — this means it will be easier for you to get good grades, which are important if you want to go to grad school. 2.) You’ll be more prepared to do well in your career. State universities emphasize hands-on learning, internships, and preparedness, while UC’s care about tests and papers. 3.) You’ll be surrounded by people who have personalities, rather than robots just trying to get good grades. 4.) You’ll avoid being caught up in the system of UC’s — survive or be left behind. 5.) You’ll have more time to enjoy college — make friends, join student clubs or student government, play a sport. 6.) You’ll save money, and you’ll get something better then you would have gotten if you spent 5 times as much money. I think you made the right choice. But I completely understand how you feel. When my parents told me I should go to a State college, I didn’t want to go. I told them I had to go to a UC — it was my dream! But it hasn’t lived up to my expectations at all. I see that they were right in the first place. Many people have to learn the hard way and experience different colleges for themselves. And don’t worry so much about the prestigiousness of the college you go to, This is all a joke to get more money out of students. As long as you go to an accredited college, you’re going to get a good job in whatever field you choose. Perhaps an even better job, since you will be more prepared for real life, and you’ll have better grades that are more reflective of your capabilities. So just relax and have fun at the college you chose. I think you made the best choice.