Nestled among Redwoods - UC Santa Cruz (Travelogue)

By Sapna

The University of California, Santa Cruz, is unique due to its location in a Redwood forest and its proximity to the ocean. It is no wonder, then, that the university appeals to students who are outdoorsy and love nature. It also has a residential college system similar to Oxbridge. Its ten residential colleges are communities of learning with their own unique themes. However, the colleges are not limited to any major and are not affiliated with any particular academic division. A student will continue to be assigned to a residential college, regardless of whether they live on or off campus. Every student will have two advisers – a college adviser and a residence adviser. UCSC is also one of the more flexible UCs, with students able to transfer into most majors until the end of their second year, with the exception of Computer Science, which is an impacted major.

DID YOU KNOW...

The UCSC mascot is a Banana Slug? They have their own ‘7-Eleven ‘ like shop on campus called the ‘Slug Stop’

UCSC has seven bridges on campus? Learning spaces next to the ocean and a lagoon? And a place where you can pet real live sharks!

75% of the undergraduate students at UCSC participate in some research project during their program.

UCSC was the first in the country to create a centre for entrepreneurship for undergrads? Any student at UCSC can engage with the entrepreneurship centre regardless of their major.

I enjoyed experiencing the beautiful campus and exploring the Monterey Bay area.