aggie42 Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Howdy from Texas, I have been accepted to UC Irvine under the auspicious Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology program. I am strongly thinking of accepting this offer. The school was very nice when I visited, and there appears to be an unlimited amount of awesome physical activities close to campus. Anyone else thinking of going here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbear206 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Hi from Pennsylvania, Irvine is currently my first choice school...I was accepted into the visual studies program but haven't heard any funding specifics. Unfortunately, I'm ashamed to admit that my life is currently in the hands of the U.S. Navy....I am awaiting to see where my partner gets stationed next before I officially accept the offer. Keeping my fingers, toes, eyes, legs, arms and everything else crossed that we end up on the West Coast. What are the highlights of the campus/surrounding area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmed Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I am currently an undergrad at UC Irvine, and I must say, I will miss it! If you like physical activities definitely get aquainted with the ARC (the recreation center). They offer a variety of classes from surfing, to sailing, to rock wall climbing. Irvine itself is a quiet community, so if you want to do ANYTHING past 9pm you actually have to leave it to find fun. I recommend Newport Beach, Downtown Fullerton, San Diego, or LA for the nightlife. Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar are great places to spend a sunny afternoon. Whatever you are into, you'll probably find it nearby. You need a car though, because public transportation is almost non- existant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mochi Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 also, be aware that you'll definitely need a car to get almost anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivalesque Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I was also accepted into UCI for the Visual Studies PhD (and I'm also from Pennsylvania - small world jbear!) I'm extremely excited - it was my first choice school as well. I also have not heard anything about the financial package, but I did receive an e-mail today about their online SIR System (to accept/decline?) I really would like to know where the money will situate me before I sign my name on the dotted virtual line! The professors have been great at answering my questions and been very kind over the telephone - I'm absolutely thrilled! Jbear - what is your general focus for the program? I'm always curious how others ended up on a similar path! Thanks charmed and mochi for the info - I've lived in the city all my life so I've never had much of a need for a license or a car... It looks like I have my work cut out for me in that department :oops: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbear206 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi Carnivalesque! Where in PA are you from? I'm from Bethlehem (near Allentown). I'm finishing up my master's degree in American Studies at Lehigh University. I am definitely going to Irvine, but I have yet to officially accept the offer (I didn't even receive that email about how to accept/decline) because they have not said anything about financial aid. My general focus will be film studies and issues of gender/sexuality. What about you?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnivalesque Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi Carnivalesque! Where in PA are you from? I'm from Bethlehem (near Allentown). I'm finishing up my master's degree in American Studies at Lehigh University. I am definitely going to Irvine, but I have yet to officially accept the offer (I didn't even receive that email about how to accept/decline) because they have not said anything about financial aid. My general focus will be film studies and issues of gender/sexuality. What about you?! You aren't too far at all! I currently live in Southampton (Bucks County) and I received my BA in East Asian Studies from Ursinus College in Collegeville (both are about an hour or so from Bethlehem) My focus is in Japanese contemporary art with a large emphasis in cultural studies/theory. I'm about 90% sure that I'm going but I have to hold out for the financial aid before I can give them a definite yes. I will also be checking out University of MD at the end of this month just to make sure that I'm making the right decision at the end. It is so exciting to meet someone else who was not only admitted but also from my area! It has all been really overwhelming (in the most positive way!) My partner will be tagging along with me so it has been a real blend of excitement and nervousness about the big move across country. I really hope that we find out funding information sooner rather than later. Since April is quickly approaching, I have my fingers crossed that we will know by the end of the month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbear206 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Hi Carnivalesque! I did my undergrad in video communications at Arcadia University in Glenside, PA (right outside of Philadelphia). Did you receive any word on funding yet? I'm getting so impatient and nervous! I'm sooo excited about moving to California though...I just spent the last few days in sunny San Francisco for a conference and couldn't believe that I was actually moving to the state this summer. This is going to be the first time in my nearly 3 and a 1/2 year relationship with my partner that we'll be in the same state! Are you and your partner going to make a huge road-trip out of it? We bought a book about cross-country adventures and plan on stopping at ridiculous tourist destinations along the way (i.e. the world's largest ketchup bottle). Let me know if you hear anything about funding and when you make your final decision! My email is jennarae212@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GringaTica Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'll be heading to UCI for Anthro. Am American, but moving from Costa Rica with my partner and cat... How are people gearing up for the move? I understand a car is a 'necessity' but i don't know that we're going to have it in our budget, at least the first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madeinbritain Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Hi Tica, I think whether you can get by without a car or not is dependent on your lifestyle and how hard you're willing to try. When I was out there for the open house I rented a bike from Bike Religion - a little shop on campus. (BTW, if anyone is visiting UCI or looking to buy a new bike, get in touch with them and they'll hook you up.) I rode all around the area (Irvine, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Newport, Aliso Viejo) and it was relatively easy if you're used to riding in traffic - nearly all of the roads have bike lanes. There are also a number of off-road shared-use paths if you're not comfortable riding with cars. You can find the OC bike map on OCTA's website. I didn't think traffic was at all bad there, but I'm used to riding downtown to work every day where I live now. It did seem to take longer than I thought it would to get from place to place - mainly due to the infinite number of traffic signals! If you just need a car occasionally, there's a solution - especially if you'll be living on-campus. FlexCar offers cars for $7+/hr. Just google UCI car-sharing to get the details. And then there's always the bus - which I believe you can ride for free as a UCI student - and the various shuttles that the university offers. All of this is a bit more work and time of course, but it's a lot less expensive than owning a car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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