University of California - Merced
Reviews

Toulumne

The dorms at UC Merced are very nice and are a pleasant place to live, I have nothing bad to say about it. Everything you need is provided, and the internet is very good.

Greek Life Is Awesome

Greek life is awesome, the top dogs are Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, but the other fraternities and sororities are growing as well. Many Interest Groups are poised to kick them off their pedestal. Greek Life is strongly improving at UCM.

Very Safe

UC Merced is very safe, there are almost zero homeless people near the school, unlike UC Berkeley, UC Merced is on its own safety island. Away from the problems. The health services on campus are also perfect, which is logical becuase they are going to be building a medical school in the coming years.

Love It.

The only reason I am at UC Merced was because Berkeley rejected me and i got a free application letter to UC Merced, and then they accepted me. I love it here, because it has grown on me. My assumptions about this college was that it would be boring, have a lot of stupid people, and that I would come here and then transfer to a more prestigious college. However, my assumptions were wrong, i am now on Christmas break and absolutely love it here. I want to go back as soon as possible.

Labs Are High-Tech

Try finding a school with more high tech computers and technology than UC Merced, because chances are you most likely won't be able to. UC Merced has the newest and best tools for education including computers, projectors, smart pads, ipads, and even high tech laundry mats which come in handy during finals when youre in need of washing underwear because you ran out. You can log onto a computer in the summits, or even your own personal computer and find out if a washer or dryer is in use so that you don't have to take a trip down the elevator for no reason with all your clothes. You really can't find a more high tech school.

A Sociable Studying Environment

Living on campus is very calm with an atmosphere in which you can study yet socialize. The dorm buildings are within walking distance but are conveniently spaced to not feel claustrophobic. Because of the open space between the dorms and buildings, one can enjoy a pleasant and calm view. The dorms are hardly ever loud and are visually calming. Social interactions are available, depending on the area the dorm is located.

Windy

It gets really windy, since its in the middle of the land

Extremes

Super hot in the summer and super cold in the winter. Summer weather can go above 100 degrees, while the winter weather can go as low as 30 degrees.

Reasonable Transportation Options but Buses Need to Run More Ofter After Dark

There are plenty of buses going to and from the campus to the city (4 miles away). However, after 6:00 p.m. the buses normally only run about once an hour. The buses are generally clean and air-conditioned. It would be nice if there were taxis available on the campus grounds.

The buses are free if you have a Cat-Card; however the Route 22 buses normally cost $l/ride (still reasonable).

For some reason almost ALL of the bus drivers are extremely unfriendly and not courteous. I have seen people with disabilities being treated very rudely on at least five occasions. Unfortunately there really is no option but to take buses to the inner city unless you want to walk four miles along a country road which is almost completely unlit after dark.

Very Diverse

Growing up in a small town there was no diversity at all. On campus there is a large number of every race and religions. People are always polite and understanding about different religions and beliefs.

Bipolar Weather

Merced has crazy weather. When it is hot it is really hot and when it is cold it is really cold. During the rainy season it is very windy. It has some nice days but the weather has a mind of its own.

Smaller School Bigger Opportunities

Merced is a smaller school that is still fairly new but it does give the opportunities to be able to gain closer relationships with ones professors. It is still growing but there are so many options for students such as study abroad programs,various scholarships, starting a new club on campus, community outreach and much more.

Somewhat Extreme Weather

Merced is near Yosemite so during the winters it becomes extremely cold but never snows and during the summer it gets up to 100 but never past 104.

Its New!

Since the school is relatively new - students have many opportunities such as starting new clubs or getting involved more with the community. Along with that there is not a lot of competition if students want to participate in research or do some research of their own. But, nonetheless, since it is new there are many things that it doesn't possess such as lack of night life.

Lots of RAIN, WIND, and FOG...Then It Gets Hot an Humid

I come from San Diego and down there it is a desert, I thought all of California was but apparently not becasue my first semester here I saw more rain than I had over the rest of my life.

If you don't have a set, just do yourself a favor and get some rain boots at the beginning of the season

As for the wind....it got so bad one day that you felt like you were going to fall over just walking to class and that day I saw a girl that actually was pushed over (turns out it was 70+ that day)

The fog is something that comes and goes and has been particularly bad this semester to the point that the police put out a hazard warning...just don't drive faster than you can see ahead of you and you should be fine

And after all of that is over all the farms around here put a lot of moisture in the air and late spring to early fall when it gets to be around 100F it is humid and all you really want to do is stay inside

Drugs Versus Drinking

The policy enforcement within the freshman dorms are strict, though students occasionally get away with having ten forty-packs in their rooms. Alcohol is certainly more popular. The peer pressure is minimal in regards to drugs and alcohol. It's not too popular, at least to what I have been exposed to.

Not Too Party-Rific

Honestly, there are often parties--off-campus, of course. The fraternities are infamous for holding ridiculous parties, though I wouldn't know personally. I have heard some absurd stories, however!

Other than that, there are very few clubs for those younger than twenty-one.

Observations of Dorm-Living

Although I personally still live at home (only twenty minutes away from campus), the newest freshman dorms were recently completed before the Fall 2010 semester. Two of my closest friends live in these dorms and I spend much time in their room. These dorms are high-security, for it is required to scan your student card before entering. Each building has four stories (each story has a large study room), a laundry room, a kitchen, and a computer lab. Additionally, there are about three bathrooms on each floor--specific for guys and girls. In my opinion, it's quite similar to an apartment complex.

Unique

I really came to UCM to get away from Orange County, focus on my studies, meet new people, and live on my own. On all of these notes I have succeeded.

The professors are great, the class sizes are intimate, the facilities are new, the students are friendly, and the opportunities are endless. Like any experience in life, it is what you make of it. I could sit around being bored all day, or I can join a club, create a club, meet new people, relax by the lake, go to Yosemite, work on a research project, go out to eat, meet new people etc etc etc. Get my drift?

In closing, if prospective students are reading this I implore you to come check it out because it definitely isn't for everyone. But for those of you who want to get a high level of education, enjoy intimacy both in the classroom and socially (small campus community) you will find an abundance of opportunities.

Pretty good

Tons of off campus housing available, and it's extremely affordable. Due to the housing crash, and the relatively normalized housing market in Merced it is extremely cheap to live here - which is a great plus as opposed to other UC's. There are tons of rooms, apartments, and even houses for cheap. For ex you can easily find a room for 300-350 right next to campus in a brand new home (which is what I have done and recommend). Apartments in a great area for around 500-600 bucks (depending on # of rooms/size/bathrooms), and large new houses for various cheap prices (1000-1500/month). It was definitely something that made me gravitate toward UCM over UCSC, I wanted to save my Mom money.

Polarized Weather

The summer's up here are ridiculous, even to a guy from So Cal. REALLY freaking hot, all day long in the summer, starting around May it will be 90+ everyday. This breaks into Fall which is decent. Some hot days (80-100), a few rainy ones (50-65), and also cool breezy days (which are perfect(65-75). Unfortunately winter comes and reality hits you....it's cold, really damn cold. Rain, wind, hail, and freezing temperatures make it interesting but uncomfortable (30s-50s). This lasts almost the entire length of spring until it hits summer.

Great

Definitely get your UC education here. Almost every professor graduated from a top tier school either in CA, or nationwide. The student to teacher ratio is superb, so you get the "hands on feel". Unfortunately I am a transfer student, so I can't really speak for the quality of lower division classes. All I can say is that I have been challenged frequently, and have also learned a lot.

Extremely Diverse Campus

Clubs for every race and ethnicity, very diverse student body so you get a lot of different perspectives. According to Wikipedia as of 07-08

* 33% Asian American

* 30% Hispanic American

* 24% White

* 6% African American

* 1% Native American

But this has likely changed a ton in recent years (because the school is so small, any slight change in population will alter the demographics significantly)

Wonderful!

Because the school has such low enrollment because they are new, there is alot of financial aid. All of my costs were covered and I had money left over to put into savings.

Safety at UCM

It's pretty safe here. There are cops everywhere. But the cons are the bobcats, raccoons, and skunks out at night. Merced is a pretty dangerous city but the UCM campus is pretty safe