<p>To Everyone:</p>
<p>UC Irvine is one of the best schools on earth. I f**king love it here and will miss it dearly when I graduate this coming June.
Having students that push answers out of teachers is a NORMAL thing. This happens all the time in schools like UC Berkeley and UCLA . The student population is not as stupid as KermitDaFrog declares them to be. I have met worse students at higher ranked schools. The sample of students KermitDaFrog is using is totally not justified as PoorCookie mentioned. UCI is a public university with a large body of students. Sure, maybe those students may have been subpar, but that’s only one small portion of the campus. Admissions commissioners strive to admit the best/brightest students they can from the applicant pool given the amount of space they have. However, success is not contingent on how smart you seem from test scores and GPAs so all UCs look for well rounded students that have a potential to make an impact on society. There are many many bright students at UC Irvine, and creating an assumption so quickly is absurd. One most take into account all perspectives in order to make such a sweeping generalization.</p>
<p>As for the social scene, I’m having the time of my life. Once again, I’ll be missing my undergraduate experience as I go onto my graduate studies in electrical engineering at UCLA. It’s true that UCI still is a commuter school, but there are plenty of students who stay on campus whether quarter-round they are local or not. I’m from northern California so I stay on campus every day of the quarter. I rarely ever come home because I enjoy it so much, unless my parents beg me to come home for an event. If you find yourself surrounded by commuters/spoiled brats, then you are obviously not making an effort to network around the campus. I’m a part of multiple organizations as well as the president of one. Through these orgs, I’ve created an enormous network of people to hang out with at all times. Your social life wherever you go is contingent on how much effort you put into it.
Locally, Irvine is definitely lacking in go-to places due to the nature of the city. However, one needs to venture a little further to find the fun. Keep in mind that Irvine is a suburban city, and you do need to drive to get to places. During my four years of college, I’ve ventured all around from Los Angeles to San Diego. That’s the biggest plus about being in orange county. You’re in the middle of everything. In fact, UCI is the best place for everyone to convene if you have scattered friends in LA, Riverside, and SD. On a side note, the Antill Pub is pretty awesome. There’s a great selection of beer, and I’m heading there later today after a long week. If you’re looking for more booze, go to Newport Beach or downtown Fullerton. Enough said.</p>
<p>UCI is a great school, and I’m glad I chose it over going to other schools. I’m a person who likes to experience different things, so I left my hometown to attend UCI. Although I would love to stay at UCI for my MS/PhD, I’ve decided to move onto UCLA to experience a new atmosphere…within a budget of course. Otherwise, I would’ve considered my east coast options.</p>
<p>This is my take as a graduating undergrad from UCI. I strongly encourage everyone to consider UCI. Tours and first impressions really mean nothing when it comes to knowing the real experience of attending one. Do your research and get a lot of exposure to the universities you are deciding from. I only knew 1/100 of UCI after taking tours and such, and my experience has only been positive for me since I stepped on campus.</p>