University of California - Davis
Reviews

Great Education

The school provides an amazing education for those who take advantage. The professors are smart, although every now and then you get a horrible professor with either an accent or that just can't teach. Overall academics are great.

Green, Cute, College Town

Davis is a small college town. Students make up half of it's population. It has a very outdoorsy, liberal, and agriculturally oriented atmosphere. Most students and some of the community members use bicycles as a prime mode of transportation. The University is located right in the middle of town, which is great for students. Davis also has a great network of greenways and parks, so there is always a nice quiet place to relax. It has a large downtown in proportion to it's size. On weekends, clubs and restaurants downtown are filled with students.

Popo Everywhere

Popo are pretty present on and off campus. Just be careful and they're pretty nice about it the first couple times around. As loud as you're not too loud/obnoxious you won't get caught doing anything in the dorms....unless the smell is pretty apparent.

Internships

There are so many opportunities for students to get involved and learn about what they might or might not want to pursue in life. There are endless internships to apply for and partake in, basically at the students' fingertips. Students are able to get real, hands on experience, allowing us a chance to figure out what we are passionate about and what we can live without.

Something for Everyone

The athletics at UC Davis are open to everyone who is looking to get involved. While our football team may not take the cake compared to other schools, we definitely have other sports that shine (i.e. Tennis, Soccer, Swimming). The school spirit is great, students come decked out in jerseys, body paint, reppin' the school colors---everyone has a good time. Those that are looking for ways to get out of the house and get their blood flowing need only to visit our gym, the ARC, to find a club to get involved in. We have a wide range of activities offered, from rugby to volleyball, and even inner tube water polo. The large number of teams allows for people of all skill levels to join.

Bike Central

Davis, California is known to be one of the few true college towns, but in addition to that, it is also bike central. In a town that is not very big, but has a large campus, riding a bike is ideal and the easiest. Davis has many bike paths in and outside of campus that makes it easy to avoid car traffic and can also serve as a walkway for runners or people wanting to walk their dogs. Every weekend, rain or shine, there is the Davis Farmers Market, selling fresh and local produce to locals and students. There is also the annual Picnic Day, hosted by the associated student body, which attracts 40,000 people each year. It is essentially a giant fair, with many events and attractions, hosted by clubs and departments on campus. Davis is generally very safe. Usually the "big" crimes are just bike thefts, so there is rarely much to worry about.

One of a Kind

UC Davis has one of the best growing Genetics programs in the nation, but it is also one of the few schools that actually offers the major to undergraduates. As a Genetics major, I am automatically on the pre-med curriculum, which is ideal to anyone interested in going to medical school. At UC Davis, although there are not as many Genetics majors as other biological science majors, they take many lower division courses that coincide with other biological science majors, offering the option to switch majors easily, if desired. The workload is comparable to any other science major with the usual biology, chemistry, calculus, and physics backgrounds. If interested, there are many opportunities to work with professors in their labs, but you just have to take the effort to look for them. I have met several professors that have made me consider changing my major just because they were so passionate about what they were teaching. I went into the class expecting to not like it, but my view changed and made me question whether I wanted to be a Genetics major or a Chemistry or Math major, two majors that I never considered because I never excelled in those subjects. There is a whole building dedicated to lower division lab work that includes a greenhouse at the very top, open to anyone who is interested.

Very Convenient

Your tuition pays for all Davis buses, including the bus that goes to Sacramento. Bus stops are conveniently placed, and buses stop frequently (some of the more busy lines are at each stop every 10 minutes.) Buses can get crowded, but it's to be expected; you can stand on the bus ride home. Make sure you learn how to read a bus schedule before coming here! Also, we have the tipsy taxi, which will pick you up anywhere in Davis for $2 (Th-Sat 10pm-2am) and take you home, no questions asked.

Internship and Career Center (ICC)

The Internship and Career Center at UC Davis is a great resource for students who have little to no work/job experience. Though the ICC is quite strict, it is definitely worth the time to get an internship through the ICC. A bonus is transcript notation. Your time commitment and professional behavior as an intern will appear in your transcript.

Phone Usage in the Library

Overall, the library at UC Davis is a great place to study, except it is quite frequent that at least one student will have his or her phone vibrating against the desk. It would be extremely helpful if everyone is more respectful of other students who share the facility.

Expensive!

Apartments in Davis compared to a normal city that isn't a college town are ridiculously expensive. I would not be able to afford tuition and living expenses if it wasn't for financial aide.

A Couple of Things Need to Be Improved

the wait for financial aid on the phone is long, and it is sometimes hard to reach a rep since they are not always available during office hours.

the amount of financial aid is pretty deficient for a 25 year old college student.

The Inside Scoop

There are a lot of opportunities for students across the spectrum. The Domes and the student co-op, an endless list of clubs, IM sports, athletic teams, awesome FREE gym, fun parties, great study lounges, honors programs, on-campus fairs/events with free stuff, weekly farmer's market, many on-campus jobs available. Everything is great!

Dinning Out

As a regular college student, having time to cook does not come very often. I tend to pick studying over eating sometimes & this is when eating in a restaurant comes in handy. Davis is great for its diversity and low costs. Usually if something is too expensive you can grab a study buddy and split the cost because portions of most places are really big. There's definitely something there for everyone :)

Policy Enforcement

UC Davis is not a dry campus which means any one who is 21 years or older can have alcohol. However, the alcohol policy in the dorm rooms and at parties are strictly enforced for anyone who is not 21 years of age. The University Police Department is also looking into setting a "law" here in Davis to be able to drug/alcohol test anyone after certain hours if they look suspicious.

Computer Labs

Here at UC Davis we have four major computer labs all centralized around the dorm rooms. The computer labs are open 24 hours a day and each student receives 250 prints per quarter! Students also can print in Shields Library for 10 cents a print and can receive 10 prints daily when they use the computer lab at the SRRC (Student Retention and Resource Center) or at the Community which is a new building that contains all the Student Resource clubs in one location.

UC Davis Academics and Experience

The reason why I chose to come to UC Davis was because of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Their program is one of the best here in California yet challenging. I thought that since the university had so many students, I would not really have the chance to have a one on one meeting with my professors but that was not the case at all. Most professors are available during extensive office hours and even if the office hours don't work for you, they can schedule you in at a time that suits you. Perhaps my favorite thing here at Davis is having that family and home away from home experience with our Collegiate FFA team. The advisor is the extremely nice and truly has the best for the students in mind. UC Davis is really worth the long distance from home and rigorous academics

I GOT MY AGGIE PRIDE

I love love love UC Davis. It's just the right fit and really, when they say that the options here are endless, they really are. Most are skeptics until they experience first hand how much UC Davis has to offer. It's not really a gimmick they say to reel you in, it's true. Wonderful spots on campus to just sit around and chat, or even have a class if your professor was nice enough.

GO UC DAVIS. Also, go visit the CoHo if you can. It's cool. ;)

So So

You got your good days. You got your bad days. Good days outweigh the bad days much more.

Very big campus, so get a bike so you don't have to walk in the weather if it's raining. Also, winter season (Jan-Mar) = rainy. :(

Take Advantage of the Student Centers.

The resources offered at the library and the student community center are AMAZING. Ideal places to study and recently remodeled. I love studying int he SCC and they have wonderful bathrooms too. :)

The School Itself

There is so much just to do in UC Davis, that you really don't have to go out in the city itself.

Off-Campus Housing at Davis

Housing varies dramatically. You can find cheaper housing in less secure areas (near the railroad tracks, far from campus, etc.) or more expensive housing in more secure areas (residential areas, marketplace, near campus, etc.).

Generally the most occupied housing are near "marketplace" type areas, where students are close to grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. as well as bus lines to get around.

Daviswiki.org does a phenomenal job of outing bad landlords, promoting convenient/cheap/safe housing, and providing a place for subleasers.

In general, a B+

Not One Alike

The range of people at this campus in terms of diversity is great. The woman and cool and cute, and there are always guys to throw a ball or frizbee to toss around. The are a decent amount of beautiful woman. You won't be disappointed.

Student Health Center

The student health center is awesome!!! The massage chair soothes your aches and pains right away. We can get 10 free condoms a day and that comes in handy for those who need it;)

Green and Modern

The campus itself is lovely. It is well manicured, clean, colorful and earthy. There are trees everywhere and is definitely not a pavement wasteland like some other schools. Some may argue that the buildings, although quite impressive, are so modern that they lack character. Its a modern campus (in a tasteful way) - but because of this we do not lack on amenities and functionality. Also, much of our buildings are super eco friendly.