This past weekend, I went on my first road trip sans parents. My friend Emily and I headed down to the Bay Area to see Panic! at the Disco play in Oakland. We decided to get a head start, hitting the road about 8 am and arriving in Berkeley around 1:30. After a little food and shopping, we decided to visit the botanical gardens at UC Berkeley.
Then, we continued to head up the mountain and got completely lost in the search for steam trains in Tilden Park. We eventually arrived at the closed building but we were rewarded with an amazing view of the Bay Area. It was absolutely spectacular. We could see everything from downtown Berkeley to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Once the sun set, we headed over to Oakland for the concert. The Fox Theater was packed. Panic! at the Disco definitely pulled out all the stops. Brendon Urie's high notes were amazing and the atmosphere was just fantastic. I absolutely love seeing a band perform. Unlike listening to a CD or watching a movie, at a concert or show, you are sharing an experience with the artist rather than just enjoying what they made. When Panic! played 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies', the joy on the band's face as we sang louder than them was fantastic. Brendon actually stopped singing and just listened to us. It was so wonderful to see us, the viewer, make the band as happy as they make us.
I am incredibly happy that I was able to take this trip. It was really exciting to be both without my parents and outside of my normal environment. This was my first trip entirely independent and without much of a plan. The fact that it went so well makes me more confident about the rest of the new experiences coming up this year. Also, I'm already planning to go back in late July to see the Neighborhood!
I am quickly approaching my senior year of high school. I can already see the college applications on the horizon. Being lazy, I had not thought about college until my mom took me to visit her alma mater University Of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB).
This was my first college tour, so I had no idea what to expect. I was worried that I would be the only kid so all the energy would be focused. Thank God that wasn't the case. There were at least 50 kids with their families so it was easy to blend in. Unfortunately I didn't take very many pictures so most of these are from the University's website but I can validate that it does look like this in real life!
"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back" (10pts if you know that quote) oh dear look at that tan line...
The tour started at 11am with an hour long presentation about what UCSB has to offer. Somehow, I was not bored once. The admissions worker giving the presentation was perfect for the job. He recited all the important information but kept it fun with stories and an energetic personality. He definitely loved UCSB and wanted students to apply if they felt a connection with the campus. If not he wanted the student to find the best college for them, which I think is a great attitude to have toward prospective students.
During this presentation I learned what I would have from the website. However, having never looked at the website it was extremely informative. The main points that the presenter stressed was to put yourself into your application as much as possible and that UCSB is a fabulous university for students who want to participate in research as an undergraduate. Apparently there are few graduate students at UCSB so the programs typically reserved for them at other universities are open to the undergraduates. Which is awesome in every way possible!
After the presentation we went on a tour of campus guided by a student currently attending the school. I LOVED my tour guide. I may just feel connected because we were both from North California, but he was also just fun. He was easy to connect with and it never felt like he felt like he was just reciting pre-arranged words. If you decide to visit UCSB and he is one of the tour guides, pick him, you won't regret it!
His name is Brennan by the way! You can thank my mm's ninja skills for this slightly creepy photo...
Something I really liked about UCSB was their lack of greek life and sports. Don't get me wrong, these are both fine institutions, they're just not for me and knowing my college doesn't spend too much time or money on them sounds like a bonus to me. In fact UCSB doesn't even have a football team! Their most popular sport is soccer where they have a tradition of throwing tortillas onto the field!!! Now this looks like fun to me.
Last, but definitely not least is the food. Now, I didn't try any, but it sounds soosososososososo good. Our guide claimed that sushi and mexican food are a daily occurrence. You can't get better than that! It was also nice that everything at UCSB is in a centralized location. It seems as if everyone on campus has a bike and uses it daily and with that instrument getting to all your classes doesn't seem too difficult. UCSB also has an amazing campus. A lot of the campus has direct access to the beach and there are beautiful hills in the other direction. I feel that at UCSB I would never have an excuse for holing up in my room. There is just so much to see and do. Ugh can I just go already!
Important Facts:
Average GPA: 4.07
Average SAT: 1922
Average ACT: 28
Population: 18,620
Undergrads to Faculty: 18:1
Application Available: Oct 1
Application Due: Nov 1-30
My Major of Choice: Anthropology BA (Cultural and Biological), Classics BA (Archaeology)
Application Fee: $70
Total Tuition: $32,233 (in-state)
