Reviews

Being that I have only been at UCI for one year so far, I feel that I am really learning a lot from my professors and from the students that I have surrounded myself with. No matter where you are at, it is the people you are around that you can learn from. UCI has a lot to offer when it comes to academia. There are numerous Nobel Prize winners, each having a building on campus named after them. Upon arriving at UCI, I took a campus tour and during this tour I knew that I was going to be learning something new every day from the students and from the faculty. For example, did you know that there are 1100+ trees planted in the center of our school (Aldrich Park)? I had no idea! Taking the time out of the day to notice things of beauty like the structure of our campus has made me realize how thankful I am to be learning something new every day. I never walk out of a class empty-handed and wishing I had actually learned something. Instead, I always look forward to the next day of classes, even if it becomes a struggle to wake up in the morning. UCI has so much to offer in the broad scope of learning that I cannot name everything, but everyone should get the opportunity to see for themselves. Check out a classroom and talk to a professor during office hours. Those are the times that you learn the most anyways! One-on-one conversations have opened my eyes to a real college experience of never-ending lessons and learning.

I enjoy going to school here even though I have to admit my first year was a difficult one. I felt I didn't know how to get myself into that large crown of over 20,000 students! I was worried at first that no matter what I did, there was no way to be noticed and no way of finding my own place. After some searching, I found my niche in two places: the Cross Cultural Center and the Public Health Association. I am determined now more than ever that I will be able to find more places that will make UCI my home. I enjoy it more now than I did before because I know now that I am not alone in trying to find my footing. The park, which I mentioned before, called Aldrich Park is located in the heart of UCI and without it, I would not have had some of the best conversations with other students and friends! It is so beautiful and relaxing. I also enjoy the fact that there are so many different places to eat and the Student Center is always bustling with people! You don't have to be bored because you can even meet up with friends and form study groups at one of our three amazing libraries. Even on the weekends there are things to do like drive 8 minutes to the beach and hang out, or go to Newport and have a nice dinner. There is even clubbing in Costa Mesa! Everything is fairly convenient. Also, there is a University Town Center that has a Trader Joe's, Yogurtland, Cha, and Golden Spoon! There are a ton of places to eat and hang out.

I think school in general is expensive, but living in an area that is serene, safe, and close to the beach, I definitely think it has its bang for its buck. After visiting other campuses, I realize how much UCI has to offer its students! I love how convenient everything is and that there is not too much traffic. Sure, it may be a little pricey at times but in this economy, what isn't?! It's college in general that is difficult to pay for, so out of all of the the UCs I definitely like UCI!

My number one tip is to work hard in high school and to keep that up all the way through until high school is over. There is never a time for slacking off or letting yourself get behind. Working hard will prepare you for college. I had a difficult time with this for a while in my first year of college, but I had to remind myself to stay on task and really stay focused. In a college like UCI, there are so many students that it's a good idea to always try to be ahead because once you fall behind you stay behind. There are so many students working hard that you cannot let yourself down. I also suggest looking into colleges by doing a college search and seeing what your top choices are. Are you looking for a place that is bursting at the seems with stuff to do and is not focused on academics? Or are you looking for a place that is safe and maybe close to the beach? Those things are important to take into account because you not only want to take into account the academia of your school but also the extracurricular stuff and the location of the college! For me, UCI is located in a great area and I love that about it. The beach is so close, and that helps me when I need to clear my mind and get through a rough day.

This school is great for a student looking for a top-notch education. Yes, you can still have fun but it's also good to be studious. There are a lot of Bio Sci Majors at UCI and there are a lot of Engineering Majors, but that doesn't mean the English or Drama Major cannot get his/her moneys worth at this school. It is a very well-rounded school that not many people know about so take the time to research it. Our sports teams are excellent with some of the top in the nation, yet no one seems to know these things.

I was expecting to be challenged academically, but instead I found that classes here were not as hard as expected. The classes are easy to get through, but are very interesting.

The students here can be hard to get along with at times, but if you are independent and can make friends with just about anyone from any walk of life, then you should be fine. One of the sad things about Irvine is the lack of school spirit. It is essentially non-existent, and that is not an exaggeration.

The strong points of this school are the weather, location, and layout of the campus. However, the people here can be quite snobby (it is in the middle of the O.C) and the classes aren't as challenging as I expected. The campus itself is great, and the faculty and staff are INCREDIBLY knowledgeable! My advice is to come to the campus and take a tour, and really evaluate whether you would fit in with a crowd of rich kids who are not always out to get an education.

Students who don't do much on the weekends or who aren't looking to party, students who want to challenge themselves academically (but not TOO much), students who like working out (we have an amazing gym), students who are independent, students who love the beach (we are minutes from it), students who love shopping (lots of high-end malls near buy), and students with a car (you will need one if you plan to have any fun on campus), Asian (they make up a majority)

There are some inspirational professors and TAs here who go above and beyond the class material to help students learn about life. College prepares us for the real world and not only am I learning material relevant to that, but I am also learning how to apply it later on.

I love the campus. There is a huge park right in the middle which is great for breaks between classes. There are a lot of study places on campus and so it never gets too loud. People are friendly and there is a lot to be involved with including Greek Life, volunteer opportunities, clubs, etc.

I would say yes, you will definitely get your money's worth. There's a lot to do and a lot of things are included with fees. The ARC (our campus gym) is great and included. Study rooms, rooms for meetings on campus, concerts like Shocktoberfest and Reggaefest are also free!

Look into the department and get acquainted with professors right away. Start freshman year when you are in the larger classes so they remember you in the upper divisions - it's all about those letters of rec!

UCI is great for outgoing students or students who are looking to get involved in things like Greek Life, ASUCI, our volunteering. Because of Irvine's proximity to the corporate headquarters of many companies, students looking to network and find good job opportunities are close to the source.

I have just finished my first quarter as a freshman, out of the four professors that I had during fall quarter, one strongly conveyed the love he had for the subject he was teaching. The other three professors lacked passion and enthusiasm, which was quite disappointing. I'm hoping that I will have more professors like my Calculus professor, whose love for math practically oozed out of the words that would come out of his mouth during his lectures.

I love UC Irvine because it is located in a great city. Irvine itself is a quite place, but it's near other cities that hold lots of fun and exciting things to do. For example, Irvine is approximately 20 minutes away from Disneyland, so if you're ever looking for something to do during the weekends, you and your friends can drive to the happiest place on earth. You can have the best of both worlds when you're living in Irvine: the crazy chaotic city life and the quite suburban life.

The cost of the tuition is definitely worth it. The campus is safe and it's a nice place to live in, they have an amazing education system so I definitely feel it's worth the expense.

Study hard in high school and try to get at least a 3.7 GPA.
Participate in as many extracurricular activities as you can.
Try and score at least an 1850 in your SATs.

Students who wish to major in Biological Sciences

UCI is a relaxing, yet academically rigorous university. Almost everyone you meet seems happy to be here. There are thousands of opportunities for students.

Live on campus your first year, and form good relationships with your hallmates and RA. Go to class.

Workload isn't too bad, but professors emphasize strong academic skills.

Dorm life is what you make of it, but if you come in with an open mind, you're sure to have tons of fun. The RA's are all very fun and spirited and they're there whenever you need them. Since you only live with about 65-80 people, compared to hundreds at other schools, you get to know everyone. You have another family.

The dorm food isn't the best, but compared to other school food, it's pretty good. A lot of options, and the occasional theme night is sure to please.

Newport beach is just a short drive away. Great food at Diamond Jamboree. A lot of malls. Ride the giant orange balloon for free!

Laid-back, but still motivated

There's blue emergency buttons everywhere, and Irvine is one of the safest cities ever

I am glad that I actually joined CSSA CAMP Summer Science Academy, which I highly recommend for those who are of a Chicano/Latino, African-American, Native American, or Pacific Islander and must be majoring in Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Information and Computer Sciences, or Applied Ecology under Social Ecology. If this isn’t possible, then at least attend SPOP, which is for everyone. Both of these are in the summer and they will definitely increase your chances of making new friends and getting into the environment of UCI. In the beginning of my year, I saw many lonely people, so it is best to meet friends and feel comfortable before you officially come to UCI.
You will also be surprised at how many people there are in classrooms. For my Biology Lecture class, I practically had more than 400 students, so don’t really expect to get personal attention from your professor, unless you meet with them during office hours. So if you’re having trouble with your classes, you can stop by and ask for assistance. They are always willing to help out a student since mostly no one goes to there office hours. This gives the students that do go, a better opportunity to learn.
It is also best to take LARC, which is a tutoring program, and only free if you are eligible for the waiver. I took Chemistry tutoring and it really affected my performance in the class. You should consider tutoring, even if you took AP or Honor classes in high school, you’re going to see that you are going to need it. The Midterms and Finals are hard, but if you study and work harder than you had in high school, I assure you that you will do great at UCI.

I really am enjoying UCI because it is a very beautiful campus. You either get to live in Middle Earth which is more of a community while Mesa Court is more of an outdoors type of living situation. In my opinion, you should choose to dorm, you will meet a lot of new people with great and interesting personalities. If you’re still not sure where you want to live, get a campus tour or even just go on the Irvine website.
Practically you can find anything you want on campus. You can workout at the ARC or Helm’s Deep, go eat with your meal plan (you’ll have a meal plan consisting of 100, 125, and 165 meals about) at Pippins, Mesa Court, or Brandywine, or go to eat at Starbucks, Wendy’s, Panda Express, or even visit the libraries. You won’t really need a car, unless you’re ready to pay for the permit to be parking.
What I also enjoy, is that there are several clubs you can be a part of. I have become a part of two medicine clubs, I have done volunteer service, and I have already gotten a leadership position in one of the clubs. You will enjoy many of these things, but don’t worry if you’re not sure which club you want to join, Welcome Week will help you with which club you want to join. You don’t have to rush things, its best to get adjusted to the life of a university, but when you get the chance, you should think of joining a club. I really recommend not to join fraternities or sororities but its up to you on how you want to experience your college life.

In my opinion, there are schools that are much more expensive than this school. I think it’s almost about $29,000. Since you’re searching for scholarships, you probably don’t have the money that is needed to get into college. Well I never worked when I was in high school, and I still am not working. My parents did not have the money to pay for my college tuition and they didn’t really have a good income.
So practically once I was accepted to Irvine. They ended up paying most of my tuition. They paid like about $24,000. I did apply though, for FASFA and Cal Grants, so it’s a good thing not to forget to do that. The rest of the money is being paid by the scholarships I got. So keep trying because I didn’t get my scholarships until almost the end of my Senior year. So I really do think you will get a bang for your buck if you come to Irvine because it worked out good for me.
If you still have trouble, you can always do work study. You’ll practically be working while you’re in school to pay off for your college, and I’m sure by then you’ll have scholarships or even hopefully some of your tuition paid off by the college. If you really want to apply here, it’s worth it. Don’t think it’s going to be cheap at another college. The cheapest it can get is at a community college, but if you worked hard and you are willing to challenge yourself and not let any obstacles get in your way, then you will find the money you need to pay off for UCI.

Mainly my tips are: get a tour of UCI and visit their website to see if you like the school, live on campus because you will meet a lot of people and it will be more convenient when you are studying, send paperwork on time for when you are applying for Irvine and financial aid, do a summer programs for Irvine (don’t take classes during the
summer, because you won’t really meet people, my best suggestion is to do CAMP, if not, do SPOP), go to Welcome Week, but join a club if you have the time for it (maybe 1 or 2), go to office hours for professors, try to apply for LARC, if you are taking a biology class, you should look for free tutoring in this subject, because there is, check your EEE (for class quizzes, scores, evaluations, surveys and emails from professors), check your Webmail (email from the school or professors), and check your ZotAccount (to know if you owe any money to the school) .
Also, I highly recommend you not to miss class, and be early to class, because seats will be taken quickly or you will come into class with classes already started and you sitting on the stairs. Keep a schedule of your day that you can see everyday to know when you have classes, and a planner will help a lot (to remember midterms and finals).
Lastly tips for which teachers to take. I have only taken one quarter here at UCI, but these teachers are really good. For Biology 93, you should take O’Dowd and Warrior. For Chemistry 1A you should take Borovik and for Precalculus (Math 1B) you should take Mrs. Famiglietti. If you are still curious on which classes you need to take, you can always check ratemyprofessor.com.

This school is more studious than party. So you have to be serious here, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on your own. This school is not mostly for Asians, yes there are plenty of them, but anyone has the same opportunity to apply here. UCI is well known for its biology classes. It is a very competitive school in the Biology major, so best if you are trying to apply for medical school, and I guess you can say in the Engineering also, but anybody is welcomed to apply if there major is found in the school. The weather is more of a beach type weather, since it is near the beach, usually windy, but its still beautiful. I personally did it for the distance, and so if you want to live close to home and you live near Irvine, this can also be an option. Basically, the people are friendly, peaceful (not all), and overall it becomes a pleasure to be living and being a part of the campus of UC Irvine.

The University of California, Irvine is a beautiful campus with a degree program for any field of study. A safe, inspired, and progressive institution, UC Irvine is consistently moving up in the ranks to become one of the UC system's most selective universities. Come visit
UCI and see why it's students are proud to be Anteaters! Zot zot!

Get he smallest meal plan! Dorm food is made to be produced cheaply and in mass amounts, so it's usually unhealthy. Have a meal plan but also make sure to supplement with vitamins, fruits, veggies, and lean proteins! Also, never buy books at the bookstore. Wait until your professor tells you which books you need, then buy from Amazon. Big money saver!!

UC Irvine is a competitive campus, so depending on your major and level of interest in the course subject, classes may be very challenging. Find study partners in your classes and compare notes so you aren't left to study alone all quarter!

Dorm life is tricky, because it really depends on your Resident Advisor, hall mates, and room mate(s). Try to pick a dorm that is close to where your classes will be held, and just hope for the best when it comes to your roommate. Choose Middle Earth housing if you will be in the sciences, and Mesa housing if you will be in the arts or humanities.

UC Irvine has a lot of food options! It is also a great campus for healthy eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. Aside from the UCI dining choices, there are also many chain restaurants on campus, including but not limited to: Starbucks, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Quiznos, Subway, Einstein's Bagels, Panda Express, Organic Greens To Go, and Jamba Juice. There are also many restaurants and eateries across the street in the University Town Center.

UC Irvine always has something to do! From attending sports games, to theatrical productions, joining Greek life to joining a dance crew, dance performances to comedic improvisation shows, and free movie screenings on campus to concerts at the Bren, UCI has a thriving social life. With Newport Beach and the Disneyland Resort just short drives away, students at UC Irvine are always having fun.

Unfortunately the UC system and the state of California are very in debt. While I feel like I have earned a great education at UCI, I absolutely do not feel as though my education will be worth the almost $30,000 of debt I have incurred over my last three years.

The only traditions I can think of at the moment are Wazygoose and Reggaefest. Both are free festivals on campus for UCI students held in Aldrich Park. Wayzgoose, also known as Celebrate UCI, is a festival for all things UC Irvine, and Reggaefest is a Reggae music festival for the UCI community. For more information visit these pages! http://www.wayzgoose.uci.edu/wayzgoose/index.php , and http://www.asuci.uci.edu/reggaefest/ .

UCI is great for students who are very focused on their degrees, serious about succeeding in their fields, and who want to reap the benefits of attending a public university with a private university feel in Southern California.

There are hundreds of clubs, organizations, and involvement opportunities on campus in areas such as, volunteering, sciences, writing, Greek life, dance crews, dance ensembles, singing groups, theater groups, sports teams, film clubs and many more. There is a student group for every field of interest, and if there isn't one for you, you can start one!

Greek life is very popular on UCI's campus, with roughly 11% of the student population involved in a sorority or fraternity. For more information please visit http://www.greeklife.uci.edu/ .

UC Irvine is a very safe campus. The UCI Police Department is on duty 24/7, with both emergency and non-emergency branches available at all hours. There are also emergency blue light booths installed frequently around the campus, so that if a student ever feels unsafe, he or she can push the blue light button and a UCIPD officer will escort him or her home. Irvine is also one of the safest cities in the country, and I have never felt unsafe on UCI's campus.

I have learned so much since I've been here; the classes are quite challenging but the things you learn can also be very interesting and fun! A majority of the professors here are friendly and they care about you; they are always willing to help and they are also good lecturers, which is super important for a class since the majority of things you learn come from lectures. Some professors may not be as good at teaching the material, but they are few and the minority. Plus if you need extra help, theres always two huge libraries, free tutors, as well as a great tutoring program called LARC; students can do really well with all these resources.

UCI is filled with diverse groups of people, anyone can get along with anyone here, and the numerous clubs and organizations are open and friendly. The clubs and communities in UCI make the time here a much more enjoyable and enriching experience. The dorms are fun, and the food is great! Plus theres plenty of popular places to eat and shop and enjoy inside and outside of the campus.

Attending college is expensive, especially with increasing tuition, but the quality of education to recieve at UCI is quite good. The amount of opportunities to join clubs or organizations is plentiful, and there are always fun events going on. There is a vast amount of resources available to all students, that will help in researching, tutoring, building resumes, searching for internships, ect. The community at UCI is also quite open, and you're bound to get to know quite a lot of people. The campus is beautiful, and compact so that its easy to walk to all of your classes; plus you can't beat the mild socal weather!

Its a great school, but parking is expensive! If you don't need a car, I recommend you leave it at home. There are plenty of shuttles and alternative modes of transportation you can take that will save you a ton of money; parking permits are hundreds of dollars every quarter and UCI parking lots are always congested, making that permit worth even less since you might not even be able to find a spot!

Any student who loves the mild weather, wants classes to be close together, loves a beautiful campus, wants a quality education and good professors, loves to go to events and enjoys the socal area. Really good for pre med students too, since UCI has a competitive medical school and great guidance from counselors

UCI is a very quiet school in terms of partying, but there are always activities going on throughout the day that any student can participate in. The school is fantastic in Academics and has many research opportunities.

Utilize the resources available on campus such as Department Peer Tutors, LARC, and the libraries!

As a Biology major, Irvine requires that you take more Biology and Chemistry classes than all of the other UCs!

Most of my friends were dorm-mates and our hall continues to keep in contact. If you are interested in something, such as research, join the hall that is research-oriented. It is very easy to make friends who are in the same major and have the same interests.

The Dining Commons (Pippin & Mesa Commons) are constantly busy with mostly Freshman and some upperclassman. It is good the first year, but then you realize you got The Freshman 15. Once you get into apartments, you rely on the fast food places nearby and ramen. BC Cavern and Phoenix Grill have amazing burritos!

Most people go to the beach or head over to Newport for fun on the weekends since most places on campus are closed. As a Freshman in a dorm, your RA will always have activities set up. Some people like to try and catch the bunnies that are on campus or just lie in the park.

Boba is always sold on Ring Road for $2.

Students who like to study on the weekends or are not into partying.

There are so many clubs and organizations that it is hard to choose from! There is definitely a place for everyone.

It's Irvine! The campus has its own Police and they mainly shut down parties after 10 minutes and give tickets to people riding their bikes where they are prohibited. Irvine is very safe!

The campus treats you like a family and everyone is extremely friendly and engaging. It is a very safe university and has one of the most beautiful parks in California. Your education here will be progressive and a learning experience, even if classes are hard there are numerous amounts of resources you can use if you need help.

I would highly reccomend for all prospective students to get involved as soon as you can when on campus. Whether you join a club, join student government, or just introduce yourself to the hallmates, get involved! I encourage you to reach out because these are relationships you will most likely keep for the rest of your life. Also if you get involved with student council like I have, you can get a significant letter of recomendation which will secure you that job or internship! Another tip is manage your time well. We all procrastinate and I am no exception. But manage your time to the best of your ability. Do your absolute best to prioritize!

The classes can be challenging, but that is to be expected at a UC. Although some classes are hard, there are countless resources you can use to be successful in all your classes. There are tutoring sessions, professor office hours, and many study rooms on campus that are available. It all comes down to time managment, if you make time to study for classes you will be successful.

I currently live in the Mesa Court Tower complex on campus. All I can say is itâ??s the best housing I saw when considering colleges and it proved to be amazing! The cafeteria is just downstairs so its not a far walk if you want some great food! The gym, mailroom, and community study room are also just downstairs so nothing is really far away. The hall is designed like a fancy hotel and everyone spends time hanging out in the living room, the hall study room, or in our dorms having fun! I have heard many similar experiences in the other housing communities on campus as well. Wherever you go on campus, the communities are friendly and dorm life will depend on how much you engage with your hall.

Ok Iâ??ll be honest with the food. In Mesa Court, we have the â??anteateryâ??. The food is alright but some days it is awesome. The cafeteria will always have pizza and hamburgers which are always great no matter what for lunch and dinner. Other than that, we have different stations that serve different food depending on the day. The â??homeâ?? station has some traditional homecooked meals such as fried chicken, beef, etc. The â??Fire and Iceâ?? station changes depending on the week, so they have â??taco tuesdaysâ?? and â??sushi bowl saturdaysâ?? etc. If you are vegan, vegetarian, or you just like vegetables there is a dedicated vegan station and salad bar station. Everything is all you can eat. There is something pretty awesome that happens every so often. please see the unusual traditions portion of this review!

Every saturday, there is a free shuttle which will take students from UCI to the â??spectrumâ?? center close to the city. It is a beautiful place to go at night and is perfect for dates too! They have stores, restaurants, a movie theatre, an arcade, and so much more! Irvine is a place to eat amazing food, and if you can afford it I would highly recommend bringing a car for you and your friends. Boba culture is strong here and so is Korean BBQ. Other than that, the community will sometimes setup a park movie night where they show the movie on a massive projector. Irvine has tons of things to do for fun when you need a break from school.

UCI may be expensive, however I can say that it is a worthwhile investment. You will always feel welcome and wanted on this campus. There is so much to do, and so much more to accomplish. Opprotunity is bustling for students across campus who want that internship, and want that position to study abroad. I donâ??t exaggerate when I say you will get what you but into this school. Thatâ??s why I encourage students to get involved on campus because a good connection can get you far.

THERE IS SOMETHING AWESOME THAT HAPPENS EVERY SO OFTEN! The chancellor will email us randomly announcing a â??specially themed feast two days in advance. During October we had a massive and absolutely astonishing Harry Potter themed dinner where the entire cafeteria was decorated with Harry Potter decorations and it was just awesome. The food also changes on these days so a fancy plate of brisket isnt unreasonable. The desserts too! There was butterbeer, and â??witches brewâ??. If you dont already appreciate the cafeteria theme, you will most definitely appreciate the food. Just yesterday we were informed there is going to be a Game of Thrones themed dinner! Awesome chancellor, what can I say?

UCI is particularly great for people who want to meet new friends and make stronger connections. The academics are rigorous and valueable, The clubs will get you very involved, but the housing communities will ensure you have to chance to make many new friends in your hall family. Specifically I live in the Mesa Court Tower complex on campus, and Iâ??ve made close friends with a majority of the people in my hall because we spend so much time together. Overall, I would encourage people to not be shy if considering UCI!

Compared to high school, there are an extraordinarily high amount of clubs you can participate in. Club rush is held in the park and itâ??s always filled acre to acre with booths and tents representing all unique and interesting organizations. Occasionally the housing communities will get together and plan a huge movie night at the park after finals. The communites really get you involved and its easy to meet new people over doing fun things!

There are many greek life organizations to get involved in at UCI. Although I am not personally part of a greek life club, I know many friends who have connected so well with other members in these organizations. Greek Life is not necessary to get the full college experience, but it is there for people who are interested in it.

This campus hands down is one of the safest in California. Almost no crime happens here and the police force is quick to respond to anything that happens. Security is very friendly and cooperative so students should feel very safe on campus.