Worst of University of California - Riverside

Infamous for Boredom

There's not much to do in Riverside. Riverside is kind of known to be a dead place to go. The closest attractions are at least an hour away such as disneyland, the beach, etc. The only things here would be a drive-in movie theater that's about 25 minutes away, an all you can eat sushi buffet (Asahi) that's 20 minutes away, and Tyler mall which is 15 minutes away. Outside of school feels pretty unsafe, so it's rare to venture around town. Most people go home on weekends because there's not much to do. Another frequent activity for UCR students is to hike to the "C" which is a large concrete "C" on a giant hill.

Safe but Not Secure

At certain times, even on weeknights, the campus itself can be somewhat insecure. Occasionally a police officer can be seen patrolling the campus either by foot or bicycle, I have often felt insecure at certain times. Certain classes, typically lab sessions, tend to end late at night, anywhere between 6PM to 10PM, leaving the campus relatively empty. Along with the lack of sufficient lighting, there is a high potential for criminals to be lurking about campus. Security and law enforcement within the student dormitories is almost a typical subject of jokes. Underage drinking and illegal drug use have almost become the norm due to lack of proper oversight of student activity. Residential assistants typically flaunt their duties in exchange for having fewer problems to deal with. Not only do they neglect their duties, but they may pass a task they have to deal with to another colleague. During my freshman year living in the dormitories, I heard that a female living in another building was the victim of a sexual assault.

Not the Worst, but Definitely Nowhere Near the Best

Permits are extremely easy to get and fairly priced, especially for commuters and especially compared to other schools: about $90 a quarter. Tickets can be a pain, especially around the campus apartments, but as long as you read all the signs and pay attention you won't get a ticket; plus the tickets are not the most expensive, average is $33. A car on campus is not an absolute necessity, but if you want to do anything fun or go to the Tyler mall, you will need a car, since bus rides can take about 2 hours, round trip. The worst thing is availability of parking spaces, especially Fall quarter; you should probably give yourself an extra 30 minutes to find a spot and walk to class. Compared to what I've heard about other schools, it's not that bad, but it's still very stressful.