Indecisivenessss-UCSC, UCSB, UCB---------

littlestars
Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:29:36 +0000

Congratulations on your acceptances.

Now for my long post.

You sound like you’re basing your decision greatly on the reputation of the social aspects of each college. While I understand why you are, since it is going to be the next four years of your life, and you worked throughout high school, while most teens found it the time to party, I think you’re putting too much of a basis on it.

“I am just worried I would be surrounded by a lot of kids that are not so bright.”

Does it matter whether the kids around you are all bright? Just because
they’re stoners doesn’t mean they aren’t bright (in fact a lot of stoners are really brilliant they just aren’t into the academic social structure of school). Imagine how you would feel if someone went “he’s such a loser” when they read your statement of “Throughout high school I studied very hard and never had the greatest social life”.

Advice #1: Don’t fall for stereotypes.

Anyway, you also state:

"I have heard stories from people I know of the debauchery that goes down in UCSB. " You state this, then simply say “my brother…” in both examples. So is it actually “people” or just your brother?

Advice #2: Don’t base what your choice is on what a FEW people, out of the thousands at the school, say.

“I don?t know if I want to go through that high steroid stress action again in Berkeley where I will have no time for fun.”

The few times I’ve visited Berkeley the campus, though active, seemed laid back and peaceful. There were students at the shops, sitting on the grass and just chilling, jogging, biking, everything that normal people do. They weren’t all, say, in the library, studying.

Advice#3: Don’t let your past experiences influence your opinion of future prospects.

My “advice”:
You seem to have a black or white, either, or, type of belief such as these statements do:

At UCSC and UCSB you’ll have a great social life, while not at Berkeley.

At Berkeley you’ll always be around smart people, but you won’t be at UCSB or UCSC.

Out of the 4,000 or so freshmen attending each of the UC’s you mentioned, not everyone is going to fit into the stereotype of that campus.

The big question:
Are you are going to make an effort to find those people that you can possibly “click” with no matter where you go?
You’re the one whose going to have to make the effort of going up to people and saying “hi my name is…” or calling up people to hang out, no matter what campus you’re at. Try seeing if you can do this at your school.

College isn’t going to be some big miraculous social change from high school if you’re not willing to make the effort. You blame the fact that you studied so much on your lack of a social life, but I’m willing to bet my paycheck that there are tons of kids are you school that are doing great academically, while they also have an active social life at school, outside of school, or both.


It’s all how you will approach it.

From your post (no offense meant by my next comment) it sounds like you are naturally socially awkward, and that no matter which UC you go to, you’re going to have a bit of a challenge being social.

Make it a goal that for the remaining part of the school year to meet and get to know at least five new people. And before you say “that is so stupid” think about it, if you can’t even try for that, what’s the likelihood of you being able to get to know a couple hundred in the UCs versus that small measly five at your school?

And you should pick the school that not only feels right for you socially, but also academically. You’re not (or actually your parents I assume) are not paying around 25,000 a year just so you can try to have a better social life.