The University of California - Davis

Physics is a great preparation for many technical fields. The experience in management I got through student activies at UC Davis helped me in my work. Good interpersonal skills developed at college helped as well.Something I didn't get was an understanding of finances and financial markets. Since we live in a capatalistic society, it should be a priority that all students get some training in how capitalism works. I'd recommend some business and investment courses, no matter the field.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

UCDavis was my #1 choice for college as it was ranked #1 for the undergrad Genetics program recently. My freshman year I ran into some pretty crap teachers and it was hell getting into classes earlier than 8am or sometimes getting into them at all. I ended up taking mostly GE classes. Second year is drastically different. I had a nice pick of classes and didn't wake up before 11am this quarter.

Davis as a city (ahem, town): Davis is quiet, small, and boring at times. If you don't have a car make sure to make friends with someone who does. Sacramento is 15 minutes East and San Francisco is an hour and a half West. With the small town atmosphere you are encouraged to study more. Living in Davis really does depend on your personality. I enjoy reading and I don't get cabin fever easily. Davis has been good to me. If you're looking for friends, join a club. If you have an interest, there's probably a club on campus for it. Animal rights, tai chi, Jesus, anime, gay rights, gaming, politics, nephrology, Rosh Chodesh, biotechnology, fashion, or mixing electronic music.Davis as a school: The most aggravating thing I've run into here is the staggering number of incompetent UCD employees you talk to over the phone. On any issue, you will get redirected several times to people in different departments leading you on a goose chase. I've found that the General Catalogue is the only salvation. Read it incoming freshmen, read it! As I said there are some crap teachers, mostly reserved for freshman classes, but there are some really good ones too. Peter Rodman (Anthropology) and Krishnan Nambiar (Organic Chemistry) are the best!! There isn't much school spirit here, but I don't miss high school pep rallies and football games either. I feel like a factory number here too I guess, doesn't bother me though. Along with most 300-400 person lecture classes are 20-30 person discussion classes where you can have a more personalized experience with a grad-student teacher's aid.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2007

Education Quality: A, Individual Value: C