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The University of California - Los Angeles

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityF Faculty AccessibilityF
Useful SchoolworkF Excess CompetitionF
Academic SuccessF Creativity/ InnovationF
Individual ValueF University Resource UseC
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyB- FriendlinessD+
Campus MaintenanceB Social LifeD-
Surrounding CityF Extra CurricularsF
SafetyC-
Describes the student body as:
Closeminded

Describes the faculty as:
Arrogant, Condescending, Self Absorbed

Female
Super Brilliant
Lowest Rating
Educational Quality
F
Highest Rating
Campus Maintenance
B
She cares more about Surrounding City than the average student.
Date: Apr 18 2005
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
First I should mention to you that I am an "out-of-stater" who was given the prestigious Regents and Chancellors Scholarship at UCB and opted to come to UCLA. I graduated from a nationally and internationally competitive high school from the mid-atlantic region of the east coast with a 4.11 weighted, 3.9 unweighted GPA. I won several national and a few international awards in such well known competitions as Science Olympiad and for those of you who are well versed in music, both All-State and All-Eastern music ensembles. I did so many activities I could beat every one of my "friends" here if compared to the sum of theirs. At UCLA I was invited into the College Honors Program with a very small scholarship and have held many leadership positions in extracurriculars here. I have been doing directed research since my freshman year. In case it really matters to you, I am South Asian.

Since you know a little about my stats I should tell you my opinion of UCLA. So to move on, in general my experience at UCLA has been entirely disappointing. My initial view of this place was that it was a campus where students were self-motivated degree-seeking individuals who were intellectuals and came to UCLA to take advantage of the vast resources available to them. The professors I felt were pioneering in their research and would thus be interesting to speak with if not the best educators. The administration seemed friendly. These chracteristics seemed a bit lacking at Berkeley, and so I came to UCLA. I also thought that the school's quarter system would be more beneficial as far as learning material thoroughly was concerned. I never thought that population would be intimidating.

Unfortunately after the first quarter of classes, all of these disillusions were revealed to me. I realized quickly that the people I had met were all very fake and were friendly until class was out. Then they were off to hang out with their SoCal or NorCal posse. This left me pretty much alone in my dorm nearly every night of the week. I couldn't even find the other out-of-staters on campus because I felt as though they didn't exist. Basically the people I met are no longer my friends just after one year. As for the professors, they are so entirely absorbed into their research and trying to produce results, they find their students uninteresting and barely teach worth the money it cost me to attend here. Not only are they horrible educators, but also they lack in personality. Very very few of my professors have been approachable, which reflects the teaching style of the chemistry and biochemistry department. They are very rude and find it threatening when students ask intelligent questions. The administration doesn't do its work, and I have found myself lobbying my advisors many-a-time to fix a misnoted transcript, which doesn't change for at least a year after filing my complaint. Finally,the quarter system is an excuse for professors to teach as much as they can in 10 weeks so that it makes it easier for the "curve to happen." Every class I have taken was graded on a curve, from biology to chemistry to physics to math. Only my humanities and general education units were not so. What makes it worse is with no-so-amiable professors, ineffective grading methods, and vengeful if not lazy TAs grades are not at all reflective of one's knowledge. That said, my current GPA is a 3.7 sadly enough. Did I mention I was Pre-Med?

I hope that this dissuades you readers from attending this university. It is not a good environment to be in if one is serious about their education, especially if you come from a background like mine and know what it takes to succeed. I agree with these other foolish people. The population gives you a "number" and that is intimidating for antisocial nerds who tend to gather in the engineering buildings. but that is not me. so if you are smart and you are motivated and you know where i am coming from, take my advice and don't come here. it is a waste of your money and your intellect. that said good luck where ever you go.

       
Responses
responseAll very well said, this is exactly why students from csulb and csuf are seen as the underdogs and always end up embarrassing grads from ucla. there's a reason why it's considered ritzy, cause it's all FAKE, yes!
commentAbsolutely not. shortcomings aside, csulb and csuf are still a joke to any decently educated person. perhaps you went to one of these schools but please do not fool yourself; most of the world does not share your academic delusions.
responseMost of the world are sheeple in case you haven't noticed!
responseYou came to a tough school as a pre-med and disappointed with a 3.7 gpa? UCLA and most UC's are the all the same and they will not babysit you and hold you by the hand so you just have to suck it up. Sounds like you were a big fish in a small pond… now welcome to a very big pond! Good luck… undergrad-UCLA Biochem & grad USC Dental
responseYou came to a tough school as a pre-med and disappointed with a 3.7 gpa? UCLA and most UC's are about the same and they will not babysit you and hold you by the hand so you just have to deal with it. Sounds like you were a big fish in a small pond… now welcome to our very big pond! Good luck, don't be so bitter you should ok… Undergrad-UCLA Biochem & Grad USC Dental
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