UC Davis vs UC Irvine Living Costs

Gumbymom
Sat, 14 Apr 2018 15:12:48 +0000

I am not a student but a parent, so my perspective may be very different. I personally like both campuses but they are very different.

When my sons and I toured UCI, I did not see as many smiling faces and very few people would stop and talk or say hi. We liked the beautiful, safe campus and how the buildings surround the Central Park area. Although there is a shopping/entertainment area across the street, it would require a car to get around to other places and parking was a huge issue in costs and availability.

When we went on the UC Davis tour, we saw many happy students that were willing to be helpful, answer our questions and would say hi in passing by. Although parking is an issue at any campus, the bus system and the use of bikes, makes getting around easier. The university is integrated into the town and it is very self contained so you can get pretty much everything you need without having a car.

My older knew right away that UCD would be a good fit for him since is slightly introverted and does have a hard time making friends. We did visit UCI a second time after he was accepted and although he did really like the campus, he felt it was not his best option in terms of major.

Since he went to UCD for Undergrad, we visited him many times and the vibe there was laid back, relaxed but competitive and cooperative. He did have a difficult Freshman year being away from home 6 hours (we are in Southern California) but he found his tribe and has loved the school ever since. He is currently looking at going back for Grad school since he decided to work a year to two and would love to remain in the area after Grad school.

As a parent, the Aggie Parent association has been great. Always keeping us informed about campus events, parent meet ups etc… My husband and I loved the Sacramento area so much, that we bought property close by and are planning to retire in the area. The biggest issue for us is the bad traffic all the time and the amount of open space in Southern California.

Since you are from Northern California and maybe the Bay Area, this might not be any different, but UCD was a breath of fresh air with open spaces, less traffic (although in town there is traffic) and a more relaxed attitude.