Be aware: A potential disadvantage of UCSB

mikemac
Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:08:18 +0000

look, people, lets not get too personal here. Recognize that what’s true for one person may not be true for another. People differ in scholastic aptitude, no one seems to doubt that, but what about all the other dimensions that go into a person including sociability, assertiveness, ambition, willingness to go against the crowd, how they like to spend free time, etc? People differ on many dimensions and so the right choice for college comes down to a search for a good fit, not an absolute answer guaranteed to be right for everyone.

I’m a ucsb grad, BTW. Proud of it. But is it right for everyone? I doubt it. In fact, after I graduated and made friends who went to other colleges I began to wonder about my choice. Not that I didn’t love ucsb, I have fond memories of not just parties but actually living in a wonderful area and taking stimulating classes. Even today a wiff of eucalyptus or the scent of tar in the air and I’m back walking between classes or strolling down DP, and anyone who’s been a ucsb student knows what I’m talking about. It was the best choice of what I knew at the time, but I wasn’t very well informed about the differences of what was out there. Would I trade my experiences for smaller classes, my own advisor, a tight alum network, and so on? Maybe not, but I don’t dwell on it. I DO wish I had known enough about differences between colleges to at least consider it before deciding. So I’m on this board, hoping that I can help someone else out there make a better decision or consider options that may not have occured to them, regardless of whether they end up choosing ucsb or not.

Each person who spends time on this board has an opportunity to offer their experience and suggestions to others. Lets work to keep it a positive environment and try to make each post help someone.