I currently attent UCSD and i am thinking about transfering to san jose state university?

Question

I currently attend UCSD and i am thinking about transfering to san jose state university which is closer to my home. I've been there for two quarters so far and I really don't like it there. I am majoring in Biochemistry and UCSD has a reputation for being good in the sciences so i really don't know if i should or not. any suggestions?

Answer 1

As an UCSD alumnus, I have to admit that people who go there either love it or hate it.

I think people don't enjoy attending UCSD or any other college mainly for two reasons. Either they are unhappy about their social life or their academic life or both. I can probably lecture on about how college is about finding the middle ground between studying and having fun but your friends have probably told you this already.

I do not think transferring to a CSU is a good idea not only because of academic qualify but for things that you take it for granted now such as having multiple libraries, places that stay open late and on weekends like the computer labs, cafeteria, and RIMAC. You think UCSD is boring on weekends? CSUs are commuter schools so people just go to classes and then go home. Except for the library, nothing is open on weekends, which means an empty campus.

If your cause for unhappiness is academic, I suggest you to go to class about 10 minutes early, sit in the front, and talk to some people nearby. Your life will become a lot easier once you start helping each other out. I know that pre-med majors are competitive and notorious for being nasty to each other. However, to succeed and enjoy college at the same time, you have to make two types of friends, academically and socially.

But just to plead my case, UCSD has a very good pre-med program and I have seen some of my friends get good grades and make it into some of the top medical schools in the nation. This will be far more difficult to do if you transfer to SJSU because their "A" is not the same as one at UCSD.

By the way, if you are looking to meet some new people, go volunteer at Res Life for your college. They are very friendly and tend to get the top students. Plus you get to just drop by and hang out there if you get bored.

Answer 2

I dunno where you're getting your info from, but UCSD is actually known for being one of the better UCs for sciences. Sure, not every one of the 7 schools is known for science and I dunno which one you're in, but UCSD has a pretty good science rep.

San Jose State is nowhere near UCSD in terms of rep, particularly if you're trying to go on to med school or something like that.

Ok, I admit to thinking UCSD as being horrendously boring, even more than schools like Davis, Irvine, and Riverside, but that doesn't mean you're likely to have more fun at SJ State. The drop in prestige and the accompanying difficulty when applying somewhere just isn't worth it. It's only 4 years. I'd definitely stick it out.

Answer 3

Moving from a UC school to a CSU school is a big drop down in quality -- really big. My advice is to stick with it. College gets better as you get further into it.

It also gets better when you have the right attitude -- so try to enjoy it more.

I absolutely hated living in California (I got my PhD at UC-Berkeley) -- but despite that can't imagine a nicer place to spend four years than San Diego.