University of California, Davis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ntO7QaW7sk

PROGRAMS and MAJORS
As part of California's excellent public university system, UC Davis is well-known for its veterinary program, as well as its medical center and research. Both the veterinary and medical programs are highly competitive and held in national esteem. The Health System, which I just learned, "covers 33 countries, 65,000 square miles and 6 million people" (1). That's pretty intense.

• http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/
• http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/
• http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool/

...What? Oh no, of course I'm not in one of those programs. Heavens, I'm studying Sociology. I could never have qualified for medical school. Gosh.

But luckily, the Sociology program is also fantastic and held to the same high standards as its other disciplines.

• http://sociology.ucdavis.edu/

My emphasis is in Social Services, which focuses on social welfare, the family, psychology and social stratification. The range of courses that fulfill this major truly allow you to customize and adapt your studies to your interests and intended career. And, just as with the heavily hands-on medical programs, UCD provides Sociology students with practical application opportunities through courses and internships.

• Internships and Career Center: http://iccweb.ucdavis.edu/
  
• Department List: http://www.ucdavis.edu/academics/academic_depts.html

SOCIAL LIFE, FOOD and ACTIVITIES

http://www.collegiatewaterpolo.com/images/School_Logos_for_Polls/UC_Davis_logo.jpg
Aggie Pride, baby!

The campus has a fair balance of the sexes, though you often find more women than men in the "soft sciences", such as Sociology. However, Vet Med and Medicine have a good measure of both men and women.

My own social life and eating rituals takes place off-campus, but there is a fair offering of clubs, activities and events, a booming Greek life, and many eateries. The Co-Op residences are filled with dedicated, socially-conscious individuals who have created beautiful gardens and living spaces over the years.

• Greek System: http://spac.ucdavis.edu/programs/greek/
• Clubs: http://spac.ucdavis.edu/studentorgs/AJAXsearch.cfm
  
• Food: http://dining.ucdavis.edu/ , http://gunrockpub.ucdavis.edu/ , http://coffeehouse.ucdavis.edu/
• Co-Ops: http://housing.ucdavis.edu/housing/cooperatives.htm

http://housing.ucdavis.edu/__images/buildings/domes_IMG_6785_lg.jpg

UC Davis has horseback riding. It has kayaking. It has sports, a craft center, art galleries, museums, and visiting speakers.

• http://www.ucdavis.edu/sports_rec/
• http://www.ucdavis.edu/arts_culture/

If I didn't have an established life off-campus, I could easily bunker down at UCD and never leave. It's a bonafide college town.

THE BAD and THE UGLY
Because I'm reading a bit like self-propagating college advertising, here are some tidbits that show UCD in its flawed glory:

• Some students come thinking it will be like UCLA or similar universities in extremely dense urban areas, which is not the case. Many many of the students at UCD come from small towns, such as the one I am from. The veterinary program is a big draw for this, as small towns often have an agricultural community. Personally, I love small town roots, but unfortunately the disappointed students have a way of spreading negativity until they eventually bug off.
  
• Club activity isn't, well, incredibly active. I said there are is a "fair offering", which really means a bunch of cultural clubs and mostly failing hobby clubs.
• California public higher education, though better than most, is slave to public funding. Sometimes, the administration seems "anti-student", but its largely due to lack of funds and poor organization.You will find staff that don't want to help you or imply that they have more important things to do.
• A lot of classes are overcrowded and there isn't much (if any) face time with the professors of those classes.
  

For more student opinions, see http://www.studentsreview.com/CA/UCD.html.

EXTRA STUFF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1x8D06-Zg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vC1iXf7geo

Student Profile: http://admissions.ucdavis.edu/profile/studentProfile.pdf
Virtual Tour: http://vtour.ucdavis.edu/virtualTourMain.html
Expansion Projects: http://housing.ucdavis.edu/expansion/
UCD YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/UCDavis

There are also four addictive libraries that would thrill any researcher, let alone a general book buff. http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/
Source(s):
1. http://facts.ucdavis.edu/numbers.lasso (Rankings)


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