University of California--Riverside
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Natural sciences and engineering. According to The Leiden Ranking (2013), we rank tenth in the nation.
- My students love to get inside your brain. Psych. We may be super friendly, but we aren't invasive. Psychology is just a popular major on campus.
- Small classes. For a UC, my classes are pretty tiny. Most of my upper-division classes are only about twenty to thirty students.
- Diversity. I'm proud of all the different heritages that make up my cornucopia of a student body.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Sunblock. I'm really into outdoor activities like Block Party, Spring Splash, HEAT, and noon concerts at the Bell Tower.
- A passport. I love to study abroad. Need proof? I've got three hundred different study abroad programs.
- Hiking boots. My students like to challenge themselves by climbing up to the "C" on Box Springs Mountain behind me. Talk about an uphill battle—it's 1,500 feet to the top.
- Boards of the surf- or snow- variety. I'm close to both the ocean and some snowy mountains, and my more outdoorsy students love taking weekend adventure trips.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- Oranges. Those tasty Cali navels have their roots in my backyard. I've got nine hundred different varieties of citrus fruits growin' at any given time.
- Google Books. My researchers got a grant to help describe some of the books on here.
- I've got the world's largest collection of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror books, magazines, and DVDs. I plan to live long and prosper, man.
- Our famous grilled PB&Js (with or without the honey) are served up at Scotty's Market and Grill, your number one stop for those midnight munchies.
- I was the first university to offer a Ph.D. in dance history and theory. Nobody puts me in a corner.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
I'm probably on campus going to an R'side event. Cool music, street food trucks, and the local farmers market are all awesome (and typical) weekend activities. Or, I might be attending one of the amazing dance and performing arts gigs taking place on campus. Whatever I'm doing, I always invite all my friends. We're like one big, loud family over here.
Favorite Hangouts:
- University Village. It's across the street from me and has all kinds of yummy food.
- The Barn. Just like it sounds, it's a hub for cool lunches. But be warned…you might run into one of your professors there.
- Getaway Cafe. Calling all sports fans: This spot serves up the best pizza, pasta, and sandwiches around, in addition to some big ol' screens to watch your favorite sporting events.
Quirks:
- I've got three hundred and fifty student organizations and counting. They're usually trekking all over campus to recruit new students every day. They're pretty awesome, but don't exhaust yourself by joining all of them. Maybe just pick your top...eighteen or twenty.
- Driving to class from home? No problem. I have a commuter's carpool network.
- Get out your lab coat and safety goggles because I was a citrus experiment station before I was even a school. I'm still growing those delicious, pulpy fruits, and now I've got greenhouses as well.
- My students are all-stars—more of them finish in four years flat than at any other UC. Beat those odds, y'all.
Famous Alumni:
- Jesse James, reality TV show star (not the outlaw)
- Jamie Chung, from Real World: San Diego
- Stefanie Schaeffer, winner of The Apprentice, Season six
- Lauren Tewes, actress best known for The Love Boat
- Jack Sarfatti, theoretical physicist. And no, he is not on a reality TV show, as far I we know.