Academics
Students looking for “a high caliber education on a safe and beautiful campus” may want to consider the University of California Irvine located in southern Orange County. UCI is a good fit for studious undergrads looking to benefit from one of University of California’s top-ranked facilities that is described as “laid-back but also very competitive academically,” allowing students to be “challenged but comfortable.” With more than 27,000 students, the school is "big enough to have a great diversity of majors and excellent professors, but small enough so you won’t feel overwhelmed.” Although some students may find some of the large lecture classes “overwhelming,” others point out that the “professors are very intelligent and welcoming people.” In addition to its “prestigious reputation,” “UCI is at the forefront of scientific research” that is backed by the high-quality professors who “are all experts in their subjects.” The benefits of “[having] faculty [that] is constantly doing research” means that “they are always on top of their fields that they are teaching.” This is a huge plus for some students. “I consider it my dream school…I like the amount of research opportunities that undergrads have here.” Students describe professors as “professional,” and “diverse.” A downside to this diversity is that some foreign professors have “thick accents” that “are hard to understand.” The upside is that, “All of the full-time professors do research on campus and it shows by the ways they teach students. It comes from a real point of view because they are passionate about it.”
Student Body
The warm, sunny southern California weather and the “safe,” suburban town of Irvine, are a huge draw for many UCI students. One student describes the campus as “gorgeous and very eco-friendly.” Another calls UCI “The school that is very green, very peaceful, very safe, and absolutely awesome.” Many students like the fact that there is a huge park in the middle of campus and “Everything is within walking distance.” The safe, peaceful surroundings create a “good environment for studying,” which is important at a school where students take academics seriously.
“Life is pretty calm and fun. If you want to party you can, but it isn’t the main thing going on during nights and weekends. Hanging out in dorms or going out to eat, going to the beach, and exploring the area are popular. Also, working out and playing sports is very popular.” Dance is also big. “[The] school has a lot of competitive dance teams…five really successful teams to be a part of if students are into hip hop dance.” Whatever your interests, one student points out, “The opportunities on campus are endless.”
On weekends, when students look forward to a break from their weekly studies, they can travel to nearby Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Anaheim. But with over 550 clubs and organizations on campus, students do not have to look off-campus for things to do. UCI is “the place to be if you’re looking to get things done; we chose to have a second library over having a football teamthat’s how serious we are.”
Campus Life
Many students mention diversity as one of their school’s strengths, but others would like to see even more diversity. UCI is known for its high Asian student population, and, as one student points out, “there should be [more] Latino and black students on campus because Asian and Caucasian are the majority.” One student describes those who attend IC Irvine as “social academics,” whatever their ethnic backgrounds. “Typical students are always involved in quite a bit, whether its fraternities and sororities, student body government, or community service organizations, an Anteater is always involved and well rounded.” That’s one thing most students agree upon: the love for their mascot, the anteater!
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