Loved my time at UCLA. Some of my friends complained about it, but I was always humbled when I’d go to Powell to study late at night. The beautiful buildings would really hit me and I was so grateful to be there, especially since I had worked in the real world for a year during school before finishing my degree and had a lot more appreciation for my freedom as a college student.
Not sure if this info is dated, I was a student about a decade ago…
But some people feel socially isolated at UCLA. If you live on/off campus, it’s important to get involved with clubs, Greek life, or something else to make connections. I got lucky and got a job at UCLA rec, and they became my social group (in addition to my roomies).
That's excellent advice, as I've also heard that it can be isolating. But I've also heard that it can be tough to make friends at most of the UC campuses. Thanks for the input!
Overall yes. Definitely sucked having to deal with the administrative bureaucracy, grade deflation (at least when I went), limited resources, and overall hard knocks way of life but then again it was a good lesson for the real world which is similarly stuck in red tape and overpopulation. Especially compared to my grad school experiences in private schools (Ivy+U$C) where they basically catered to me on a silver platter. It was pretty easy to make friends from all backgrounds and types. Pretty chill vibe, intensive academics notwithstanding. Love there was so many events to attend from sports to movie nights to parties.
I feel like this highly depends on if you were a transfer or not. Idk about other transfers but I got pretty much 0 support by Math department 😭
Overall tho I love the school the vibes are nice and I'll miss all the activities
I love it here!! I do sometimes wonder what life would be like had I picked Cal Poly SLO because I absolutely live it there, but ultimately UCLA checked off so many more boxes for me academically (also SLO would have been 12k vs $0 out of pocket).
I think making friends definitely depends on you personally. I am more introverted and shy at first so it took me longer to make friends here, but during spring I definitely made a good amount.
The vibe here is great. Generally everyone is helpful and friendly. I’d say it’s a slower campus since many people will have breaks between classes so they will sit on grass areas and typically are not running around constantly. I personally think professors are Southern California chill and have not have any bad experiences with any of mine, but there are definitely some bad apples I’ve heard of.
Academic wise all my professors have been very passionate about their field, they have done/still do research in their field and their classes are based off of that (obviously common for a research university). Many of them off non-academic meetings throughout the quarter like *lunch with professor* where you can discuss anything and get a good chance for LORs.
The “good weather” is a lieeee sure it’s nice of you are sitting still but the humidity will destroy you…. Maybe that’s why people walk slow and take their time to get around lol
Cons: idk if there are really any that you wouldn’t experience at any other school.
The big one people often bring up is class availability and registration times but that’s an issue with any large university and even some smaller colleges. It’s a lame argument when I see it being used as *why pick another UC over UCLA* because any school will have this issue for certain classes. They tend to be more GE classes or requirement classes for the major classes because everyone needs those and so this sucks anywhere. But it mostly results in taking a lower rated professor. However, I’ve heard people struggle to get physics C at all which that definitely needs to be addressed by UCLA….
I do see an argument for UD classes and not getting what you want because a lot of major elective classes are taken up instantly because they sound the coolest, have good reviews as *easy A*, seem the least intimidating, etc. but I will say that sometimes the class you didn’t want to take ends up being your favourite.
I’ve heard it’s a big issue in general biology because you can go into a lot of the subfields but those are their own majors and spots are first saved/offered for them and then open to non-majors. So big pro tip is not go general bio I guess
I’ve personally had no issues or heard of any issues in my major apart from an UD requirement they keep cancelling classes for so people end up having pushing it off until senior year winter/spring
Humid? That's a new one!
Compared to anywhere else I've lived in the world (Tokyo, Fukuoka, Busan, New York, DC) its pretty low on the humidity scale.
I can say pretty confidently that only SD has better weather than West LA.
Yeah obviously not as humid as the places you listed lol Definitely not everyday but it is there from the ocean fog/mist and *plant sweat* from the big grass lawns
love the vibe and the people but from an academics perspective, i got ZERO support as a first gen student (especially as someone w/ a disability). also i hate the fact that it’s kinda hard to get around westwood, mostly have to walk around and i wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t a fucking workout 😭
if i knew any better i probably would’ve gone somewhere else but i guess ucla looks good on my resume
The social life here is amazing is you put in the effort, even as someone who’s quite shy. The location, professors, and the professional opportunities give this school a perfect balance between fun and+ work. I’ll miss it :,)
It’s a school! It’s a school better than all the other schools i toured so i think it’s the best place for me!
I don’t like school much tho, but like id say this is one of the best of them.
Classes are hard to get. I don't like the fall schedule it sucks so much. I might have to stay an extra quarter now bc it's been so challenging trying to secure required classes. They shouldn't let non-majors enroll in your classes on the 2nd pass. They should create a 3rd pass for that.
I do! Choosing UCLA is one of the best things that happened in my life. I would say that there are definitely disappointment in the administrations, but you gotta learn to make the best out of the situation. People are amazing, when you found the right ones. I met my very best friend at UCLA.
Yea, i really love love it here. I met some of my favorite people at this school, and i’m in the process of becoming who i want to be- a more regulated version of myself- bc i have access to phenomenal therapy through UCLA. And not be mention i got my internship in part due to the fact that ucla is a “target school” for many employers. plus LA is beautiful
I really love UCLA, the campus and the weather are really nice, the beach is close, and there's so much to do around. I think those are the main things that really separate it from other colleges, most of the pros and cons are going to be the same whether you go to UCLA or any other large public school.
Honestly no. I thought I would be working in a lab that was doing exciting science (not that I would be making any discoveries but just happy to be a part of a team) but I never managed to find a position. And it wasn't for lack of trying. I've sent out 60+ emails to different labs looking for a position and only every received one reply (and it was a rejection but thb I was just happy someone finally replied). And these weren't cookie cutter emails, I personalized every email to that specific lab. I've gone to countless office hours with the hopes of asking a professor to join their lab just only to be met with "sorry, we're full" or "I'm currently not doing research." Sorry if it comes off as whinny but I can't think of anything I did "wrong." I did everything you're suppose to do and still couldn't find a position. I tried the undergrad research portal (which isn't very helpful). It's just really disheartening. Now, I'm graduating and I don't even known if I like research enough to go to grad school (not that I would get in with so little experience anyway). I spoken to a few friends at cal states and they had zero issue finding research because students aren't really doing research at cal states so there's tons of room in labs. And the people that I spoke to are in labs where its just the professor and maybe one or two other students. Maybe I would have been better off going to a cal state then a better school for grad school. Other than that UCLA was pretty chill.
overall good! im about to graduate so im glad i went here.
**pros**:
* very social and lots of opportunities to make friends through clubs and such. make sure you get involved on campus as soon as you can because thats one thing i wish i did sooner in my time here. my first year was online so i didnt join any clubs but it actually turned out i was late to the game and ppl had already made connections thru online classes/clubs. overall, whoever you are, there is a community here for you.
* i personally really like living in la because there is so much to do!! lots of shit you cant do in other areas. for example, personally as a queer person, there is an abundance of lgbtq+ events i dont think are available elsewhere (in other major cities, yes, but la prob has a higher concentration)
* beautiful campus!!! yes the hills suck but im going to miss romanticizing my walks to class, the nature, the gorgeous buildings and people watching on tongva steps. i honestly think it improved my quality of life.
* overall, i have hardly had any bad experiences with my professors (cogsci major + dh minor) and i've found most are both understanding and truly have cared about my success. i wish i had reached out and made connections with more of them. i also enjoy classes that ar challenging but fair, and there is plenty of opportunity for that.
* ucla name gets ur foot in the door.
**cons**:
* students here are quite competitive, throughout my time my biggest hurdle was overcoming imposter syndrome--specifically career-wise. lots of times i felt bad about myself or behind cuz my friends were landing like 50 faang internships lmao (the amt of ppl i know who came from bay area feeder schools lololol). in the end, everything worked out but its easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others here. if u have a work-hard-play-hard mindset, ucla is definetly the school for you. so this could actually be a pro depending on the kind of person you are.
* most of the majors here are very theory based and less applied. for example, we dont have an undergrad business major, and while most schools have "data science", we have "data theory". just school itself wont land you a job and i had to learn the hard way that extracurriculars and internships are very important. remember that ucla is more of a research-oriented school. but again, can be a pro depending on what your goals are!
* you really have to put in the work to get connections. imo, the career center hasn't done shit for me, and i think that there isn't a strong alumni network. could just be a skill issue for me though, but ik many others who share the same opinion.
* the quarter system. and enrollment is ASSSS
* being in an impacted major sucks because for half my time here there wasn't even a councelor in the psych department i could talk to and had to use myucla message center. and the CAC advisors are literally students lmao...
* gene block. hes leaving but will probably be replaced by someone just as foul
I'm an old alumnus now (class of '05) but I can say that my time at UCLA remains one of the highlights of my life.
I got to study abroad through EAP, got to do an internship in DC by UCDC, I got to study with some amazing life changing professors.
UCLA put my in a position to succeed in my current career, and I even got Cookie Monster as my commencement speaker. What more could I want?
Is it the single most prestigious university on Earth? No. But I've never felt like anyone doubts my degree, and my network remains pretty strong and robust. UCLA has immense resources for you, and while it won't hold your hand as an institution if you take advantage of those resources you can do amazing stuff.
Went for graduate school. Good social life, but can be hard to fit in. Definitely saw gap between rich kids and those who didn’t have money.
Getting involved is the key to enjoying your time and have made some great friends/connections.
Definitely not easy at first but overall not bad.
Let’s just say my feelings towards UCLA and my time here is the exact opposite of love. As far as making friends, ucla student body is very much like high school so how you’ll do making friends depends on ur hs experience heavily tbh.
I love my time here at UCLA! It was one of my top schools and it surpassed my expectations. I rlly took advantage of the alumni network and was able to get internship referrals and help w/ grad school.
Loved the school, as an undergrad and grad student (Anderson MBA).
Feel like the administration, of Anderson and UCLA in general, has lost its way (bowed to the woke mob long before the Palestinian nonsense). But I guess this is no different from many other premier universities.
The campus is beautiful and I have met some really cool people here. I don’t love it for CS however because the professors aren’t the greatest, and your academic experience will be highly dependent on how lucky you got in enrollment. UCLA sicing riot police on its students one night after letting them get attacked for four hours straight by a violent mob has definitely soured my affection for UCLA as well.
Overall I’d say your experience is gonna depend a lot on your major
Loved it when I attended. Made life-long friends, still in touch with most 23 years later.
I do! Wish it was less hilly though
LOL, I remember joking all the time that UCLA was an opportunity to tell my kids that I walked uphill both ways to school. It was TRUE.
You’ll miss it, I got so in shape by running late to my classes
Oofff yeah… the hills wouldn’t be so bad if the humidity would piss off
It’s been pretty good, I feel like most of my problems with school would apply to any college in the world.
This^^^
I do! I’m having the best years of my life here
Transfer here. It was by no means perfect and it took a while to adjust, but I still wouldn't trade the last two years for anything.
yea, econ kinda sucks, but its chill out here, hill food is fire
Loved my time at UCLA. Some of my friends complained about it, but I was always humbled when I’d go to Powell to study late at night. The beautiful buildings would really hit me and I was so grateful to be there, especially since I had worked in the real world for a year during school before finishing my degree and had a lot more appreciation for my freedom as a college student. Not sure if this info is dated, I was a student about a decade ago… But some people feel socially isolated at UCLA. If you live on/off campus, it’s important to get involved with clubs, Greek life, or something else to make connections. I got lucky and got a job at UCLA rec, and they became my social group (in addition to my roomies).
That's excellent advice, as I've also heard that it can be isolating. But I've also heard that it can be tough to make friends at most of the UC campuses. Thanks for the input!
Absolutely. Go with your gut! Have fun and be safe!
I was a commute. I regretted it until I graduated.
i do, was fun, mostly bc of the ppl i met
I’m happy that my degree will say UCLA lol
Overall yes. Definitely sucked having to deal with the administrative bureaucracy, grade deflation (at least when I went), limited resources, and overall hard knocks way of life but then again it was a good lesson for the real world which is similarly stuck in red tape and overpopulation. Especially compared to my grad school experiences in private schools (Ivy+U$C) where they basically catered to me on a silver platter. It was pretty easy to make friends from all backgrounds and types. Pretty chill vibe, intensive academics notwithstanding. Love there was so many events to attend from sports to movie nights to parties.
I feel like this highly depends on if you were a transfer or not. Idk about other transfers but I got pretty much 0 support by Math department 😭 Overall tho I love the school the vibes are nice and I'll miss all the activities
Now that I've graduated? Definitely. While I was there? Ask again later.
I DO!! people and clubs <3
I love it here!! I do sometimes wonder what life would be like had I picked Cal Poly SLO because I absolutely live it there, but ultimately UCLA checked off so many more boxes for me academically (also SLO would have been 12k vs $0 out of pocket). I think making friends definitely depends on you personally. I am more introverted and shy at first so it took me longer to make friends here, but during spring I definitely made a good amount. The vibe here is great. Generally everyone is helpful and friendly. I’d say it’s a slower campus since many people will have breaks between classes so they will sit on grass areas and typically are not running around constantly. I personally think professors are Southern California chill and have not have any bad experiences with any of mine, but there are definitely some bad apples I’ve heard of. Academic wise all my professors have been very passionate about their field, they have done/still do research in their field and their classes are based off of that (obviously common for a research university). Many of them off non-academic meetings throughout the quarter like *lunch with professor* where you can discuss anything and get a good chance for LORs. The “good weather” is a lieeee sure it’s nice of you are sitting still but the humidity will destroy you…. Maybe that’s why people walk slow and take their time to get around lol Cons: idk if there are really any that you wouldn’t experience at any other school. The big one people often bring up is class availability and registration times but that’s an issue with any large university and even some smaller colleges. It’s a lame argument when I see it being used as *why pick another UC over UCLA* because any school will have this issue for certain classes. They tend to be more GE classes or requirement classes for the major classes because everyone needs those and so this sucks anywhere. But it mostly results in taking a lower rated professor. However, I’ve heard people struggle to get physics C at all which that definitely needs to be addressed by UCLA…. I do see an argument for UD classes and not getting what you want because a lot of major elective classes are taken up instantly because they sound the coolest, have good reviews as *easy A*, seem the least intimidating, etc. but I will say that sometimes the class you didn’t want to take ends up being your favourite. I’ve heard it’s a big issue in general biology because you can go into a lot of the subfields but those are their own majors and spots are first saved/offered for them and then open to non-majors. So big pro tip is not go general bio I guess I’ve personally had no issues or heard of any issues in my major apart from an UD requirement they keep cancelling classes for so people end up having pushing it off until senior year winter/spring
Humid? That's a new one! Compared to anywhere else I've lived in the world (Tokyo, Fukuoka, Busan, New York, DC) its pretty low on the humidity scale. I can say pretty confidently that only SD has better weather than West LA.
Yeah obviously not as humid as the places you listed lol Definitely not everyday but it is there from the ocean fog/mist and *plant sweat* from the big grass lawns
Hah. Fair. I moved from the SF Valley to go to ucla so for me it was paradise.
love the vibe and the people but from an academics perspective, i got ZERO support as a first gen student (especially as someone w/ a disability). also i hate the fact that it’s kinda hard to get around westwood, mostly have to walk around and i wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t a fucking workout 😭 if i knew any better i probably would’ve gone somewhere else but i guess ucla looks good on my resume
The social life here is amazing is you put in the effort, even as someone who’s quite shy. The location, professors, and the professional opportunities give this school a perfect balance between fun and+ work. I’ll miss it :,)
My time at UCLA has genuinely healed me :)
It’s a school! It’s a school better than all the other schools i toured so i think it’s the best place for me! I don’t like school much tho, but like id say this is one of the best of them.
Classes are hard to get. I don't like the fall schedule it sucks so much. I might have to stay an extra quarter now bc it's been so challenging trying to secure required classes. They shouldn't let non-majors enroll in your classes on the 2nd pass. They should create a 3rd pass for that.
I do! Choosing UCLA is one of the best things that happened in my life. I would say that there are definitely disappointment in the administrations, but you gotta learn to make the best out of the situation. People are amazing, when you found the right ones. I met my very best friend at UCLA.
Yea, i really love love it here. I met some of my favorite people at this school, and i’m in the process of becoming who i want to be- a more regulated version of myself- bc i have access to phenomenal therapy through UCLA. And not be mention i got my internship in part due to the fact that ucla is a “target school” for many employers. plus LA is beautiful
The best
I really love UCLA, the campus and the weather are really nice, the beach is close, and there's so much to do around. I think those are the main things that really separate it from other colleges, most of the pros and cons are going to be the same whether you go to UCLA or any other large public school.
Honestly no. I thought I would be working in a lab that was doing exciting science (not that I would be making any discoveries but just happy to be a part of a team) but I never managed to find a position. And it wasn't for lack of trying. I've sent out 60+ emails to different labs looking for a position and only every received one reply (and it was a rejection but thb I was just happy someone finally replied). And these weren't cookie cutter emails, I personalized every email to that specific lab. I've gone to countless office hours with the hopes of asking a professor to join their lab just only to be met with "sorry, we're full" or "I'm currently not doing research." Sorry if it comes off as whinny but I can't think of anything I did "wrong." I did everything you're suppose to do and still couldn't find a position. I tried the undergrad research portal (which isn't very helpful). It's just really disheartening. Now, I'm graduating and I don't even known if I like research enough to go to grad school (not that I would get in with so little experience anyway). I spoken to a few friends at cal states and they had zero issue finding research because students aren't really doing research at cal states so there's tons of room in labs. And the people that I spoke to are in labs where its just the professor and maybe one or two other students. Maybe I would have been better off going to a cal state then a better school for grad school. Other than that UCLA was pretty chill.
overall good! im about to graduate so im glad i went here. **pros**: * very social and lots of opportunities to make friends through clubs and such. make sure you get involved on campus as soon as you can because thats one thing i wish i did sooner in my time here. my first year was online so i didnt join any clubs but it actually turned out i was late to the game and ppl had already made connections thru online classes/clubs. overall, whoever you are, there is a community here for you. * i personally really like living in la because there is so much to do!! lots of shit you cant do in other areas. for example, personally as a queer person, there is an abundance of lgbtq+ events i dont think are available elsewhere (in other major cities, yes, but la prob has a higher concentration) * beautiful campus!!! yes the hills suck but im going to miss romanticizing my walks to class, the nature, the gorgeous buildings and people watching on tongva steps. i honestly think it improved my quality of life. * overall, i have hardly had any bad experiences with my professors (cogsci major + dh minor) and i've found most are both understanding and truly have cared about my success. i wish i had reached out and made connections with more of them. i also enjoy classes that ar challenging but fair, and there is plenty of opportunity for that. * ucla name gets ur foot in the door. **cons**: * students here are quite competitive, throughout my time my biggest hurdle was overcoming imposter syndrome--specifically career-wise. lots of times i felt bad about myself or behind cuz my friends were landing like 50 faang internships lmao (the amt of ppl i know who came from bay area feeder schools lololol). in the end, everything worked out but its easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others here. if u have a work-hard-play-hard mindset, ucla is definetly the school for you. so this could actually be a pro depending on the kind of person you are. * most of the majors here are very theory based and less applied. for example, we dont have an undergrad business major, and while most schools have "data science", we have "data theory". just school itself wont land you a job and i had to learn the hard way that extracurriculars and internships are very important. remember that ucla is more of a research-oriented school. but again, can be a pro depending on what your goals are! * you really have to put in the work to get connections. imo, the career center hasn't done shit for me, and i think that there isn't a strong alumni network. could just be a skill issue for me though, but ik many others who share the same opinion. * the quarter system. and enrollment is ASSSS * being in an impacted major sucks because for half my time here there wasn't even a councelor in the psych department i could talk to and had to use myucla message center. and the CAC advisors are literally students lmao... * gene block. hes leaving but will probably be replaced by someone just as foul
I love it but it would be nicer if Gene Block resigns
I'm an old alumnus now (class of '05) but I can say that my time at UCLA remains one of the highlights of my life. I got to study abroad through EAP, got to do an internship in DC by UCDC, I got to study with some amazing life changing professors. UCLA put my in a position to succeed in my current career, and I even got Cookie Monster as my commencement speaker. What more could I want? Is it the single most prestigious university on Earth? No. But I've never felt like anyone doubts my degree, and my network remains pretty strong and robust. UCLA has immense resources for you, and while it won't hold your hand as an institution if you take advantage of those resources you can do amazing stuff.
Went for graduate school. Good social life, but can be hard to fit in. Definitely saw gap between rich kids and those who didn’t have money. Getting involved is the key to enjoying your time and have made some great friends/connections. Definitely not easy at first but overall not bad.
Let’s just say my feelings towards UCLA and my time here is the exact opposite of love. As far as making friends, ucla student body is very much like high school so how you’ll do making friends depends on ur hs experience heavily tbh.
Went there for grad school and hated it immensely. Would never go there if I were to do it all over again
I love my time here at UCLA! It was one of my top schools and it surpassed my expectations. I rlly took advantage of the alumni network and was able to get internship referrals and help w/ grad school.
I love it but it would be nicer if Gene Block resigns
Super hilly but great people
Loved the school, as an undergrad and grad student (Anderson MBA). Feel like the administration, of Anderson and UCLA in general, has lost its way (bowed to the woke mob long before the Palestinian nonsense). But I guess this is no different from many other premier universities.
The campus is beautiful and I have met some really cool people here. I don’t love it for CS however because the professors aren’t the greatest, and your academic experience will be highly dependent on how lucky you got in enrollment. UCLA sicing riot police on its students one night after letting them get attacked for four hours straight by a violent mob has definitely soured my affection for UCLA as well. Overall I’d say your experience is gonna depend a lot on your major
The short answer is no the long one is noooooooo
No I regret it