What's it actually like to study here? Real students weigh in on teaching, campus life, support, the city and whether it's worth the money.
I currently live in a Storke I two-bedroom townhouse at UCSB. The bedrooms are roughly 10x11 and 14x9. We fit a queen bed, dressers, and nightstands in one, and desks, bookshelves, a couch, and TV in the other. The living room is large, used as a dining/reading area. It's carpeted. We love our apartment – it's perfect for us. One thing to consider: wait times for family housing are long; we applied about 1.5 years before moving in.
The Storke 2-bedroom apartments are the best units in Family Student Housing. They're rare, so you probably won't get one right away. I'd suggest taking a Storke 1 2-bedroom first, then applying to transfer. West campus is okay, but Storke is definitely better.
I transferred and chose to live in IV instead of campus housing. I met some great roommates, and I still keep in touch with one of them. Can't really speak to the school's matching system, but based on my experience, it should be fine.
The social scene at UCSB really depends on how much effort you put in. People say San Joaquin is the most social, but I think the 'big 3'—Santa Ynez, San Joaquin, and Sierra Madre—are equally lively. They all have RA events and apartment parties. Honestly, I found myself going to more events off campus or around campus than in my own apartment, but it varies.
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