berks

Campus Is Safe - Isla Vista, Sometimes.

I have found that campus is almost always well-illuminated and reasonably patrolled by police. It's very rare to hear of violence on campus. On the other hand, bike theft and vandalism are somewhat common; the best precaution is to lock your bike with a U-lock.

On the other hand, Isla Vista is more sketchy. Generally, violent crime is still low, but property crime is more common. Most crimes seem to involve at least one drunk person. If you keep an eye out for your surroundings, you should be okay. I've definitely seen girls walk around alone without being harassed. But the park is always sketchy, and you'll want someone with you then ;).

Choose Your Vice

Strictness all depends on the activity.

Don't want to attend class? Nobody will notice, unless they have iClicker questions (hint: don't take these classes).

Want to drink underage? Go into Isla Vista, and drink indoors, and you're fine. The dorms are iffy - sometimes the RAs and CSOs might care enough to "document" you, but it's not a big deal. Open containers in public are a sure way to get a ticket from IVFP though, so don't go that route.

Want to cheat on tests? Well, if you get caught you're in big big trouble, so I wouldn't try it.