University of San Diego - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

It is difficult for anyone to criticize the atmosphere in San Diego. It seems like half the United States shows up here every summer to have fun, and they keep coming back. There is so much to do and so many entertainment options that there is hardly time to complain. Some students love Tijuana and some hate it. A few students dislike the weather because there are some people who don’t like sunny and mild every day of the year. Making friends with the natives is always a good idea; it often changes a student’s entire perspective. The one consistent element in all students’ opinions on the atmosphere is the beach. If you don’t like the beach, San Diego may not be the best place to go to school.

San Diego is the finest place to live in the United States. A young city filled with students from all over and a friendly, laid-back native population, San Diego is a student paradise characterized by near limitless variety. There are hundreds of miles of bike-able and hike-able trails. Sublime campgrounds are nearby in Julian. You can attend a rodeo in Lakeside, a Padres game downtown, and catch a late theatre show at the Old Globe on one good Saturday. There are six outdoor malls, and twice as many movie theatres. Wild San Diego State parties rage throughout the nights, and enormous beach barbecues and friendly athletic events populate the days. Going south, Mexico is 20 minutes away. Going north, the Del Mar racetrack is only 20 minutes in that direction. Finally, there is the beach. Seventy miles of gorgeous California coast highlighted by the glorious breakers and rollers of the Pacific are made all the better by the “perennial springtime” of San Diego. With the millions of things you can do everyday, somehow the beach seems to always be near the top. Be it bonfires, sunbathing, surfing, or people watching, the beach is reason enough to go to school in San Diego.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

San Diego has lots of... San Diego has lots of universities: San Diego State, UC, and USD. Pacific Beach is where a lot of college kids live. There are plenty of places to visit besides the beach. Gaslamp is downtown, and Seaport Village is really nice. There is also TJ across the border for those who are not yet 21. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The ‘scene’ of San Diego is... The ‘scene’ of San Diego is somewhat wealthy with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars, but overall it is casual. The other universities are SDSU, UCSD, Cal State San Marcos, Point Loma, and other community colleges. Stay away from the tourist traps and Tecolote Canyon by yourself. Visit Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Gaslamp, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Definitely be careful if you’re... Definitely be careful if you’re going to Tijuana, Mexico, and never go there without a guy, even if it’s during the day. You’ll be too easy of a target. The museums at Balboa Park are good. The San Diego Zoo and Sea World are other popular places. People go to the mall a lot because many of them are wealthy and can afford to go shopping for fun. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Kids party down at the houses that... Kids party down at the houses that line the beach on weekends—it’s a blast. Tijuana is also very close, so a lot of kids party down there on weekends. I made the trip a few times, and while it’s a fun time, it’s also a little sketchy. A lot of kids end up getting themselves into trouble, especially going back across the border. It’s fun to check it out at least once, but it gets old. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

It seems like you can always find... It seems like you can always find something to do or something to visit in San Diego. If you haven’t done all the touristy things, you have to in order to experience the full culture of San Diego. It’s good to make friends with some natives because they can let you know about all the cool things to do that might not be widely advertised but are definitely worth your while. Because there are so many colleges in San Diego, it’s easy to meet people our age who don’t go to USD and to experience different aspects of college life. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about San Diego:
• Founded in the 16th century, San Diego is California’s oldest city.
• Balboa Park, just south of USD, is the nations’ largest “urban cultural” park. It is home to over a dozen museums, the famous Old Globe Theatre, and is a renowned hot spot for up and coming culinary artists.
• Hollywood loves to work in San Diego, a small sampling of the films recorded here include Traffic, Space Balls, Almost Famous, Some Like it Hot, Bruce Almighty, The Scorpion King, Bring it On, and Top Gun. KC’s Barbecue downtown proudly proclaims “Top Gun sleazy bar scene filmed here” on its marquee.
• The U.S.S. Midway, a now retired aircraft carrier, is a floating naval museum in the downtown San Diego Big Bay.
• Old Town San Diego recreates California life from 1821–1872 spanning both Mexican and American periods of control.

Famous People from San Diego:
Marcus Allen, Adam Brody, Dennis Connor, Ted Danson, Terrell Davis, Cameron Diaz, Robert Duvall, Tony Gwynn, Tony Hawk, Don Larsen, Jeremy and Jason London, Billy Mills, Stephanie Seymour, Ted Williams, and the San Diego Chicken

Local Slang:
Agro – Crazy, abnormal, something to the extreme. “He needs to calm down; he’s too agro.”
Buenos Dias – Spanish for “good morning.” One of the thousand or so Spanish phrases you may use.
Carne Asada – Burrito made of spiced beef and guacamole.
College Area – San Diego State area.
Dropped in on – Surf lingo for getting your wave stolen. Also: Snaked.
Grommet – Young surfer or skater. Also Surf Rat, Skate Rat.
Guac – Short for guacamole, as in “Would you like sour cream or guac?”
Landlord – Shark.
The Merge – Chilling term describing the disastrous intersection of Highways 5 and 805.
The Murph, Jack Murphy – Original name for Qualcomm Stadium.
Richter Scale – Measuring scale for severity of earthquakes.
Rips, Ripping – A positive adjective or adverb. “Professor Grant rips.” “My grades are ripping.”
Rolling Blackout – Term describing intentional temporary power outage.
SIG Alert – Very bad traffic.
State – San Diego State University.
TJ – Tijuana.
Torta – Mexican dish resembling a sandwich.

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