Many people may have some ideas about the school system in the United States, but common stereotypes and misconceptions can get in the way of what the average American college experience entails. My name is Natalie Scheetz and I am here to shed some light on the subject. I am twenty years old and originally from Laguna Hills, California. Yes this is located within Orange County but it’s not like the television show, which I can’t stand. Currently, I am getting ready for my final year as a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). I’ve been studying Communications with a minor in Professional Writing. This summer I was given the opportunity to work for two different work placements in the wonderful city of London: Hotcourses and the music video production company Cops and Robbers. I love London and since immersing myself into the workplace atmosphere I feel right at home.


After graduating from High School or Secondary School, students have the option of attending a four-year university or college, or a two-year junior college. When opting for the junior college students plan to transfer to a university to finish out the remaining two years of school. In applying for college students follow a rigorous process of testing (the dreaded SATs), filling out piles of applications, and completing application essays. No matter what schools you are considering the process follows the same pattern. I chose to go straight to the four-year university and get started on my life in academia.

Sunny Santa Barbara is located on the coast of California, just below the centre of the state. The small square mile town which houses the majority of the school’s 19,000 students is known as Isla Vista and has become infamous for parties, wild behaviour, and political demonstrations with student rebellion. Although the reputation seems to supersede the actual academic value of the school, it is restored by the fact the it has been a home to three Nobel Prize winners within the last five years, among many other prestigious awards and honours the university has received. Obviously UCSB affiliates know how to play hard and work hard.

The school term is broken down into a quarter system following the seasons to break up the academic year. Students have the option to attend school in the summer, but most don’t need to if they haven’t fallen behind or don’t want to take extra courses. Although a few other schools in the U.S. follow this same plan, many run on a semester system where the school year is merely divided in half excluding the summer months of May to August. Within the four years of schooling the university will require a certain number of received units or credits in order to become eligible for commencement. UCSB requires 181 units with a typical class worth about 4 units, but it varies with other universities.

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Students typically live their first (freshman) year in the dorms (dormitory) with other students attending the university. This is the same among schools all across the country. These are located both on and off campus, but are within walking distance to class. The dorm is laid out like a minimal hotel with single, double, sometimes triple bedrooms, or adjoining double room suits. Many times you will hear the horror stories of unforgettable roommates that make the dorm experience miserable. Playing loud, obnoxious music constantly, or shedding a trail of hair around the room are just a few examples of what you can put up with after being forced to room with a complete stranger. You can choose your roommates if you have a friend attending the same school, but this is rarely the case and students usually opt to broaden their horizons by meeting someone new to share their humble abode. Bathrooms are either within the room itself or on the floor for the entire group of rooms to share. For meal time students report to the cafeteria located on the bottom level and usually have designated hours that the dining hall is open. Resident assistants are there to make sure that all the fresh students follow the rules, especially concerning alcohol since the legal drinking age in the states is 21 (I know, just horrible)! All in all, the dorm experience is what you make of it. Everyone has an equal opportunity to make friends and have a good time breaking those loosely designated rules, while venting about how your roommate flung their dirty underpants onto your freshly washed pillowcase.

Junior year, or third year, students have the same options as their second year and either remain with their arrangements, or change to something that may better suit their desired lifestyle. A crowning moment in the life of a UCSB student is living in an apartment on the well-known Del Playa Street (DP) that lines the oceanfront. Besides the incredible view, all the houses along this street are rented by students who fill the college nightlife with house party after house party. Renting anywhere along the street is sought after by students since their freshman year, and their wish usually comes true by the time they are juniors. These students then take the honour and fulfil their duty of visiting the beach on every sunny day and throwing crazy parties at any opportunity.

By the last and final year as a senior, students are at their peak of independence without actually having to go out into the real world. Most find living in apartments with fewer roommates works best, yet at this age have grown tired of the DP scene and move downtown. After finally turning 21, downtown Santa Barbara is where all of the action is. Filled with numerous bars and dance clubs, senior students flock to the hip and trendy location. However, there are always senior students who have yet to live out their Del Playa glory and remain in Isla Vista. I myself have spent my sophomore and junior years living in a sorority house and will be living with six roommates in a huge and spacious (yet slightly rundown), two story apartment on DP mere steps away from the beach.

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You may be wondering what the typical Santa Barbara student, or even American student, is like. In most universities across the country you will find students of all ages. In at least one class every quarter I will see that one of my peers is an adult either finishing or further their education. The general philosophy in the States is that it is never too late to go back to school.

With a long history of student involvement, UCSB is well known for their activist efforts during the 60s and 70s. Some of the students of the era took it upon themselves to open a Black Studies Department by having the only eight students of the university lock themselves in the main administration building, with loads of Caucasian students providing a human chain link around its perimeter. The students remained until the demands were met and the Department was created. This is an example of just one of the many moving tales of student activism proving powerfully effective within the education system.

There are also many job opportunities available for students at UC Santa Barbara and in schools across the country. You have the choice of working in one of the many departments within the University Center (Ucen). This includes the bookstore, numerous dining restaurants, or academic positions within the multiple scholastic departments in the university. For example, I applied for a position as an academic peer advisor that would help students with general questions about classes, units, and graduating on time. All of the jobs are great for the average student because managers understand the demanding class timetable and will be flexible with scheduling hours.

One last outlet for students is through playing sports. Even if you don’t play for a UCSB team, students have the chance to join intramural teams with friends or classmates. The intramural system was set up specifically for people who are still passionate about anything from basketball to bowling. Joining a team is a great way to meet peers and stay in shape. After four years of playing volleyball in high school, I desperately missed playing and joined an intramural team my freshman year. I loved it and found that it was the most satisfying form of exercise. If you don’t play sports but still like to stay fit, UCSB actually provides a school gym with exercise equipment, weight rooms, courts of all kinds, and pools. Many times the gym doubles as a meeting place for students as well, but can feel like a meat market with hungry eyes observing every new succulent choice that passes by.

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The social life of the average UC Santa Barbara student is a busy one. The options for schooling and campus involvement are endless, but the social activities are even more expansive. As previously mentioned, the downtown scene of bars and clubs, sports, school clubs, jobs, and other on campus activities can all be seen as social engagements as well, especially when your constantly surrounded by peers that are potential friends. Sporting events alone are a huge social event for all schools in America. Football games have become a way of life on many campuses where thousands of students, professors, alumni, and even parents flock to the stadium for the big event. Usually there is a tailgate party before the game in the parking lot with barbequing and lots of drinking to get everyone in the right spirit before the game. Unfortunately UCSB does not have a school football team because of financial cut backs decades ago, so instead many people go to the basketball games. Even being our biggest sporting event, the basketball games aren’t as exciting or overpopulated as the universities with big, successful football teams. In fact, I myself have only been to one game, with numerous attempts failing from too much fun at the tailgate parties.

A major downside to the social life of college student is the legal drinking age being 21, as mentioned earlier. Many people attempt to get around this by purchasing fake identification cards or drivers licenses. I myself have had two confiscated by police forces but, unlike many other unlucky individuals, faced no repercussions. The situation varies from state to state, even from city to city. Many places aren’t very strict at all, and then you find some to be impossible. Downtown Santa Barbara for example, has become near impossible to use a fake ID to get into clubs and bars. The good thing about going to UCSB is that you do not have to travel downtown for a good time or a good drink. Many of the house parties will have kegs of beer that you can drink from, and some will even have handles of alcohol. The last resort is asking an older friend who actually is 21 to buy alcohol for you. So no matter what the scenario, there are always ways for kids to get around the law.

Hundreds of students every year seek an exciting social life through joining the Greek System. The Greek System is the combination of the numerous Sorority (female) and Fraternity (male) organizations affiliated with the school. In some schools, especially in the Southern and Midwestern states in America, students live and breathe for their organization. The specific definition of both is: a college student organization that is formed chiefly for social and philanthropic purposes, and has a name consisting of Greek Letters. Each organization has a specific charity that they work towards contributing to, but don’t be fooled because most of the involvement is purely social.

In order to join a sorority or fraternity an individual must go through the process of “rush,” or recruitment, where they visit all of the houses and choose which they like. At the same time these houses are deciding whether or not they want to accept this individual into their organization. The process itself is very superficial but at the same time has to be. How are you suppose to get to know an individual within a matter of fours days, twenty minutes to an hour each day? After getting what is known as a “bid” a student is invited to pledge a house, but is still not yet a member. The remaining time before initiation is known as the “pledging period” where houses test the pledges before deciding once and for all whether or not they should be admitted. For Fraternities this period is much more difficult because the men usually have to perform unusual and heinous acts that are, for the most part, kept confidential. Examples of past rumoured tasks have been drinking obscene amounts of alcohol, running nude through the girls dormitory, grunt work of all kinds, basically anything weird or demanding to see if the men are “tough enough” to make it into their testosterone driven house. These are all examples of “hazing,” or forcing a person to perform an act that is dangerous or something that they don’t want to perform. “Hazing” is strictly illegal among all Greek organizations and can result in the termination of the organization, yet most houses find ways around this legality. Sororities take a different road and although there is some “hazing,” most of the pledging period is full of presents and being pampered, not bad!

As for the social activities in the Greek system, these are endless as well. Most of the events are scheduled with a certain fraternity, alternating between each throughout the quarter. Some however, are called sisterhood events and are only with the girls from your sorority. These range from ice cream socials, to day picnics, and even weekend excursions. The first of the mixed gendered events is the happy hours. These are just regular parties usually held at the fraternity house and provide an opportunity for the two houses to mingle. The next type of event is called a themed gathering or TG. These, like the name describes, have a theme that everyone dresses up as like rock star or cowboys and Indians. The concept is the same as the happy hour only the general idea seems to be that dressing up is more fun. The most exciting events are the date parties held only for your sorority or fraternity, where everyone brings their own date. These range from formals to date time picnics, but are always extremely fun. There is much more preparation for these events like catering, souvenirs, and securing the ultimate location. Last but most important for Greek social events are the sponsored philanthropy events. Each house puts on an event that all the other houses pay to participate in, usually revolving around a type of sport. All the money goes toward the charity and everyone has a great time playing touch football, soccer, inner tube water polo, or whatever the event entails.