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University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Office of International Students and Scholars, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-7150, U.S.A., United States
4.26 / 5 based on 54 reviews.
Description:
The University of California, Santa Barbara, a major research institution which is, at its core, an outstanding undergraduate university.


Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
84% of students recommend
54 reviews
Housing
4.0/5
 All experiences (54)
Student life
4.9/5
 5 stars (30)
Academic
4.3/5
 4 stars (24)
Languages
4.4/5
 3 stars (0)
Expenses
3.8/5
 2 stars (0)
Overall
4.4/5
 1 star (0)
“California is one of the most beautiful places on earth, Santa Barbara is right in the middle of the California Coast line, so the nature is the prettiest. Got mountains in the back, ocean in front. The University itself has three oceansides next to the campus.” Read Review
andriw, Switzerland

University of California, Santa Barbara review by Andri

Review by Andri, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Business Studies, University Agreement
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: Roomsharing
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why? I did both, family and independent housing. With both I had great luck, the best however was to live with US roomates near campus, in Isla Vista, perfect environment.
Personal comments:
Housing is extremly expensive in Santa Barbara, 3 bedroom apartment ran up to $3400 per month
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community
Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal comments:
Q's bar downtown, Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista - there is so much do get the party on.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC       4.5 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:
University Extension courses are great too.



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
No, I couldn't have asked for more, really.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
How much did you improve your English?
My level before: At ease in most situations
My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang)
Personal comments:
Boosts anyone's abilities in slang, Santa Barbara has it's own slang words that one need to know: narly, shady etc.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
None
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits:
It's a very expensive beach town.
Food, Travel, Nightlife, Overall, Telephone, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
Housing, as mentioned very very expensive.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
No.
In my opinion:
Most people loved it.



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
Do it!



FINAL COMMENTS

California is one of the most beautiful places on earth, Santa Barbara is right in the middle of the California Coast line, so the nature is the prettiest. Got mountains in the back, ocean in front. The University itself has three oceansides next to the campus.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
Was this review useful?   Yes · No


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