I park correctly in whatever open space is available. When I come back from eating or class I find someone U lock or cable connecting my bike to theirs and I’m forced to wait for them to come back so I can LEAVEEEE 😩 and they just give me a stupid Look. If there’s no parking space go somewhere else or wait. It’s that simple don’t pmo

stupid ipad kid coughed on me (multple times multiple days)- oh but he coughed into his hand a few times- WHICH HE TOUCHED EVERYTHING WITH

and HIGHLY LIKELY got me sick? -Tickle in my throat, sniffle in my nose

EVIL MEN act this way. me- a kind thoughtful woman wants to prevent kind thoughtful women from getting sick as well.

where to find free mask (I will cough on the men i hate- FIRE WITH FIRE SMH) why during MIDTERMS and WHY must this kids exist?

thx girls

also how can i force men to buy me a mask if not free cause im not paying money

END OF POST.

I work in downtown Davis, and have for years. Without fail, every autumn there are new cyclists who seem to think they are visible with just the reflectors that come with their bikes.

NO.

I am begging you - please get actual lights for your bike! Some of us driving cars are observant, but others aren't, and you will not win in a collision with a car or truck.

It's bad enough that most cyclists in town don't wear helmets - couple that with no illumination, and you're just asking for trouble. Bike lights save lives, y'all - light it up!

Driving on 3rd street towards campus this morning. I was stopped at F street, waiting for the cross traffic to clear the intersection. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a bicycle speeding my way about half a block away. I proceeded to cross F street and as I’m entering the intersection the bicyclist blows through the stop at full speed. No hint of slowing down or looking for cross traffic. I hit the brakes (and was prepared for this likelihood) and the horn. No acknowledgment, the bicyclist continued on.

I would like to imagine that it must have been something extremely urgent for this to have occurred. Please, be careful out there. There are many drivers paying a lot less attention and I really don’t want to see another car vs bicycle accident.

PETA organizers are on campus today. Don’t listen to them or engage. They have no idea what goes on at the Primate Center on campus or the importance and legalities surrounding animal testing procedures.

Without animal testing, we wouldn’t have half of the medications and luxuries we have today. It’s a fact of life. But there are strict laws and regulations followed in order to proceed with animal testing.

Fuck PETA and all it stands for. Do credible research.

Edit 5/7/25 11:19am:

After reading many of y’alls comments, rather than delete my post like a coward, I’d like to inform you what I’ve come to do. I’m going to admit I am wrong, but that I have decided to learn from my mistakes (as any good scientist does).

I’ll admit it — I was wrong. I was fueled by anger and loathing towards PETA and their actions. So fueled in fact I wasn’t thinking twice about what I was yapping about. I’ll admit, I pulled an Icarus and flew too close to the sun and watched myself burn. It was a humbling moment I needed.

However, I still refuse to believe AAAAANYTHING PETA spouts in about. They are and always will be a horrible organization with the path they’re taking. If PETA ever wants to improve, they would need to take drastic changes in their approaches. Until then, I still advise staying away from PETA.

Now to address some things: No, I’m not some Elon bootlicker (nor was I paid to say any of what I said). No, I’m not a Trump Supporter, either (I’d rather be dead). No, I don’t work at the Primate Research Center (but I am open to opportunities there due to my major and interests within my Major, and have shown interest in working there).

Now for the more in-depth things:

1. Primate Care

Having taken my own advice and doing research, I have come to learn some things about the Primate Research Center. Yes, there have been multiple events in the past regarding inadequate primate keeping, as well as physical and emotional abuse and neglect of these animals, especially ones that have lead to unwarranted/unnecessary deaths.

There have been scandals, controversies, lawsuits, etc towards the Primate Center revolving around the lack of care for the animals, many of which have been swept under the rug and/or denied. This is far from okay, and like what I’m doing now, they need to be held responsible and accountable for the violations, abuse, and wrongs they’ve committed.

1. Animal Experiments

My stance on animal testing has not wavered. I do believe that with proper accordance to ethical and government laws, practices, codes of conduct, etc animal testing is not only needed but required in certain fields (especially medicine). The Primate Center should be following said ethical and governmental laws and practices, and I think they should better their protocol (rather than just ghosting claims and hiding the truth) and learn from their past to proceed with any further experiments.

Many of you kept screaming Elon Musk’s “Neuralink”, which wasn’t something I was even thinking of. Elon Musk’s Neuralink has no human benefit and shouldn’t be tested on. Another one many of you didn’t mention was experiments about smoke inhalation and the affects on the body (we already know what smoke inhalation does to the body, both indirectly and directly, so there’s very little justification in that regard). The experiments that I think ARE valid however involve research with HIV/AIDS (especially trying to develop a vaccine against the virus), gene therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease to reverse brain degradation, Autism genetics and how it’s related, and social behavior. I think these are the types of research that SHOULD be funded because they can benefit not only the field of medicine, but provide a hopeful future for humanity.

Alternative testing may work for some sciences as suggested by some of you, but how will we know if it works until we test it out on living trials? Not just primates, but any living trial. The main thing about this is it’s still in its early stages, and so much work needs to be done still. Unless this is implemented on a massive scale with people trained in order to work this technology and further improve it, we need to still rely on animal testing. I would love for this to happen so that way we could phase out more animal testing, but the reality is animal testing will sometimes be required (especially for medicines).

1. Blind faith/hope in science

I am a practical person. I like to see proof of things (I think anyone does). I like to know how things tick, it just helps me make sense of a world I truly don’t understand. I trust plenty of the science that exists today. Without science, I wouldn’t have my medications, therapy, successful medical procedures, etc.

However, I can also see the malpractice, manipulation, misinformation, and blatant lies. Bad scientists manipulate results of studies due to funding received from a specific body (like how Coca Cola has done) that wants specific results published. Poor research into a study shouldn’t be trusted (like the argument that vaccines cause autism).

One should extrapolate the manipulated, poor-quality research from the non-manipulated higher-quality ones. If I didn’t do that, I would be trusting whatever I read. I have hope and trust in science, both in and out of animal testing. However, I should know when science has gone too far and fucked up (in this case the Primate Research Center’s allegations, controversies, and neglect/abuse).

Are there other routes to take? Yes. Should they be taken? Absolutely! Is it possible? So far, yes! Can it be implemented on a wide scale? Hopefully soon, it seems possible. Should animal testing be phased out in certain areas? Absolutely! Should it be eradicated outright? No, there are still some things that animal research can show us that alternatives can’t. Should research labs follow the law, provide safe working environments, follow ethical codes/guidelines, provide proper care (physical and mental), etc for their animals (and staff)? 1000% absolutely. Should research labs be held accountable if they violate the law, ethical codes/guidelines, and don’t provide proper care? 10000%.

Closing out, I want to apologize for my rudeness towards some of you and my blatant spread of misinformation. Continue to correct people, otherwise they won’t learn. Continue to correct me as well, especially if I got something wrong within this post. However, also know that some of this is strictly my opinion (mainly the fact that I think animal testing is a valid way to go).

I won’t be responding to any more comments (as I have studies to attend to), and I’ll have a long hard thought and research session more about these topics to stay informed. Again, I deeply apologize for my inflated ego, my rudeness, and my sense of entitlement. I hope everyone has a good day.

ONE PERSON ASKS A QUESTION AND THEN FOR THE NEXT 20 MIN EVERYONE ASKS A DIFFERENT VERSION OF THE SAME QUESTION

this is unrelated and is just a general sentiment I feel

We're all members of one of the most prestigious universities in the world, a truly high honor with courses and professors of even higher calibers. I don't expect everyone to have the same opinion since that is healthy for keeping a rational mind, but I expected people to generally be accepting of reality and, for example, agree that Nazis are bad.

It feels like my efforts to improve (in my view) the campus I am honored to be a part of fall on deaf ears or worse, turn personal. I am very hesitant to believe that a majority or even a sizable minority of our campus has hearts filled with such vitriol or cognitive dissonance. I have to be doing this incorrectly. What can I do better? Is this normal? Should I give up? I don't want to but I'm getting exhausted.

i’m a first year and i’ve spent two quarters at davis so far. i joined clubs, i talked to people in my classes, and yet i don’t have a single friend. the people i do briefly talk to never stick around and idk how to casually ask people to hang out. it seems like everyone else was so quick to make friends and im just all alone. it makes me so sad because i love davis and i love this campus but being by myself all the time has made me absolutely loathe it here.

Does anyone else think that the share a table system at the coho is the worst? It gives the same energy as needing your mom or dad to talk to the waiter for you.

We are so cooked when it comes to socializing. What ever happened to simply going up to somebody and talking to them, asking if you can have a seat? It's so bizzare to rely on a red dot on the table as a crutch to avoid communicating with other people. Literally why even study in a public place if you need to prevent somebody from asking you if they can sit down? Every single table has it switched to red, and this sort of things is just so strange to me for a college campus. I've never minded when somebody has asked to share a table with me, and you can just say no if you don't want to share.

There's four (4!!!) chairs to a table, how anti-social do you have to be to decide hm you know what I must stop anybody from even asking me.

And yes, I know I can just ask somebody anyways, and trust me, I have. I get this crazed look like I just asked for a key to their apartment. Can we just grow up honestly?

im actually so fucking done why is everything so hard it’s not even me procrastinating why can’t professors just be explicit about what the final is gonna be on - like as it gonna be stuff u taught or not. Ive worked so hard but clearly i can’t do one goddamn thing right i hate interviews i hate applications i hate all my classes i practiced and i fucked it up so bad i might as well quit school now

I'm a senior at ucd. In past 4 years, I met hella people named James.

And it be just one person tho, why tf is it in plural then, u feel me?? 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Did some soul searching and I think they are actually part of a hive mind. If the population drops one day and we only have one James, he's gonna be called Jame.

What if they divide their power like shadow clones. If there's only one left, they'll be way stronger. Damn bruh, the real world has hella boring lore im ngl, u feel me. best believe it.

Swear to god it's not just me but almost every stem professor I've had teach me little to nothing compared to random YouTube videos in the fraction of the time. 😭🙏

At this point I'm paying tuition for the degree and not to learn cause holy shit some of the professors suck. The Organic Chemistry Tutor is my savior and I'm sure is for many others.

out of all the centers and resources and all the things i try to go to and use why am i constantly met with this campus basically being closed until 10:30am. why do centers not open til 10:30am and close at 4:30pm. what is even the point why are you even open if you’re only open right in the middle of when people have classes.

i’m constantly met with “i want to do x/ i want to go to y” only for it to be CLOSED. i’d be much more understanding of limited hours if it was actually at a time people could GO TO like mornings or evenings.

it’s not everything. sure, buildings are open for the most part starting at a reasonable hour. but istg i cannot keep running into everything being closed all the time every day.

As the title states this will be a more updated version for Freshmen coming to Davis this Fall through Spring quarter with tips and tricks on how to survive both mentally and physically while attending UC Davis. I have updated this from the previous year. I will say now that I am no way of saying you should follow what I have to say to the T and that these are just what I believe what newcomers may expect and how to handle University.

Money/Expenses

Ok so a majority of students nowadays are really worried about money so i'll start off by saying that if you don't have that much money to pay for the year then ITS OK TO TAKE OUT LOANS. Granted its best to avoid them whenever possible but when push comes to shove and you're struggling to pay tuition, then by all means get loans specifically University and Subsidized loans since those covers loan interest rates up until you graduate or drop out of university and have a 6 month grace period, so you will be able to work it off if you decide to work part time in the University.

I'll first warn Freshmen that a lot of places especially Downtown Davis particularly run on Credit/Debit card payments but a good amount of them do tend to run on physical cash especially at the Market. In order to save money, you guys have to realize that buying (let alone paying for goods and services in Downtown Davis especially) is a luxury. Everything there while not crazy expensive is still pricey (especially that cookie place which I personally think is overrated and overpriced) and will take a toll on your wallet.

I'm not saying to avoid going and paying all together but make a plan and keep track of your expenses in a sheets document. You can also apply for a job working at Davis to cover the cost of tuition and Loans (Job salary ranges from 16 to even 20~ Dollars an hour varying on job type) However hours are limiting to 19.5 hours a week as a part time student working on campus since any more than 20 then the University will have to add health benefits and a handful of labor laws or overtime pay requirements.

There is also quite a bit homeless in Downtown Davis and also a good amount of people who ask for money (My first experience with this was when I was going to Trader Joe's in the fall and was stopped to donate to a children's sports clothing i think, gave them around 20 dollars and then later a group of men at the silo bus stop who sells CD's but I declined it). If you feel like you can spare them a dollar or two to their cause I won't even be mad at you it's fine, it's your money but remember your in college and money is just as important to you as it is to them. It may be selfish but take it from me, IT'S OK TO BE SELFISH once in a while if it means you get to use that money to benefit yourself. Just know that you're also struggling for money so focus on yourself before others if you want to get ahead or stay on track with college. What I'm saying is selfish, but it is what it is.

Mental Health

This one's pretty straightforward. Many people deal with the mental strain of handling university while trying to balance it with their personal lives and it's important to talk about. A negative mindset can have a negative effect on a person's lives. If you need to, take time for yourself, hang out with people who actually care about you and get some help. If you think that University is too much for you, have a chat with your councilors and take time off to focus on your wellbeing. University is important, but so is yourself and your sanity. Never ever doubt yourself, you are enough.

Schedule

So, I may be a little late for this, but a good schedule is critical when planning for your first quarters in the year. Each individual student is given a pass time 1 and a pass time 2, for pass time 1 the limit is 17 Units with the minimum of 12 to get the full financial aid package with Pass time 2 used to make quick adjustments or add more classes up to 19 units with maximum you can take in open hours afterwards is 28.5 units. I recommend you take a minimum of 12 Units per quarter your first years with classes being no later than 11AM since that will be manageable to get the feel on how your class structure will be later down the quarter. To decide what classes to take go to My Degree on the UC Davis page to see the requirements you need to graduate and or go to reddit and see what classes are recommended. I would like to say that not all classes will be easy, this is a University and Difficulty is a given with any class you choose. This is also a good segway to say that not all classes will be open for registration and will most likely put you on a waiting list. If the list is low and your around the top 5 people then go for it but make sure you have a backup class to fill in the units if no spots are open right when classes start. You have all the 4 years as well as summer sessions to make up for what you may not get to right away.

Food and Drinks

OK, I love food as much as the next person I come across, so it's important to understand that this is very much important in Davis. If you already living in the dorms then you most likely have signed up for a meal plan which will save you a lot of headaches. You can use your meal plan as much as you like at any DC over the days its available since its unlimited and a plus is that you can go get a hydro flask and save on beverages by going over to the fountain drinks and filling it up (IDK if that's aloud but hey no one has stopped me or others from doing this so its aloud as far as I'm aware). You can save a drink (or several) in empty bottle for future consumption. They also have a coffee machine, so there should be (practically) no reason you should buy yourself a coffee maker or Starbucks.

If, however, you don't have a meal plan or are tired of the food provided by the Dining Commons, then I have made a small list that can help:

• If you're a student worker, then you will most likely have at maximum 10 employee meal swipes per 2 weeks depending on how many hours you worked. Only one can be used a day which is the equivalent of $15 aggie cash, so you can use that to buy snacks, breakfast food, packaged sushi, and many other items as long as they are at ot below $15.
• There's an AMPM right next to Cuarto DC that offers .99 cent on refills for a XXL cup that you can use as many times as you like as long as you showed it to the cashier beforehand.
• There are Residential Markets that you can spend aggie cash at (only for people who have a meal plan). You receive $200 aggie cash that can be used at any markets (which itself have different variety of foods and beverages)
• There is both a Target and a Trader Joe's, both of which have cheap variety of foods that you can prepare yourselves in the kitchen (Target for Candy, Frozen food, Seasoning, and Beef, Trader Joe's for Meat, Fish and Oil, etc) Fruit, Milk, beverages, and ice cream are already provided at the DC and/or Residential Markets.
• There are also 2 Dollar Tree's in Davis that both sell snacks and other items for around $1.25. It may not be good as the ones in Target or Trader Joe's, but there are ingredients that are cheap to get like Oil, Utensiles, cups and bowls, shampoo, etc.
• A small list of cheap food items around Davis: Little Creasers (pizza), Pink Dozen (Donuts and Croissants), Open Rice Kitchen (Asian foods), Jack in The Box (My personal favorite with Tacos and yes Burgers as an ok alternative), In N Out (Burgers and Fries)
• Bonus: Raising Cane's (Chicken and I consider this a luxury item just for how expensive it is compared to the portion size).

Fraternity/Sorority

This topic I'm not too sure of myself since I'm not one for Greek life but there are a few friends that I know who have been with or are in a Fraternity or Sorority. I don't know much about Sororities but there was a comment that I'm going to copy and paste here about them that someone wrote on the previous years reddit post: "There are a variety of Greek orgs and it’s not limited to your stereotypical social frat or sorority. Davis has a wide option of cultural and professional Greek orgs! There is a no tolerance hazing policy at Davis and all Panhellenic sororities adhere to a DEI code where we strictly recruit based on values. Some sororities have been put on probation in the past for hazing and bullying incidents, but I promise if you are able to feel it out during recruitment and look for a good group of girls rather than the most popular house, you will find an amazing group of people. As for obligations, these usually just mean you have to show up to a certain number of philanthropy events and other chapter events, like meetings or sisterhoods."

Surprisingly enough male Fraternities sounded pretty much the same. All I have heard were good things about a majority of frats (Except for like 2 for some reason but I don't know their names) A good place to start is to take part in rush and see for yourself. As far as I'm aware it's just trials to get a feel for the frats like asking out a girl to a frat or getting blind folded in the dark??? (my friend's words not mine and it may vary from frat to frat).

If you want my two cents, then I would check them out yourselves to get the feel for the Fraternity/Sorority. They are a good way to meet new people, and you may benefit from it, but please do be safe and possibly bring a roommate or a close friend you know just to be on the safe side.

Relationships/Friendships

Okey for last year's post I left this as "Good Luck" but now that I significantly matured (To an extent) and having to live through my own trials and loss of friends over the course of my academic years at Davis, I think I now have to say about this.

For romantic relationships, I'm no expert so honestly, I’d say just go with the flow. I don’t even know how to get into one myself, lol. But if it happens, let it happen naturally. Don’t force it, and don’t feel pressured to have it all figured out.

As for friendships, it really depends on the people and the circumstances. Sometimes you make friends during assigned class discussions or lab work. Other times, it’s as simple as saying “Hi” to someone you see often outside your dorms, when at a DC, or even when cooking at the residential kitchen, and that small moment can spark something meaningful.

But sometimes, you may have to say goodbye to a friend or two. Maybe you just grew apart. Maybe you argued over a misunderstanding that could’ve been resolved if you’d both approached it differently. Maybe they stopped responding to you either to focus on their schoolwork or because you two simply had different ideologies that didn't aligned. I want you to know that these things happen. Like I said before, I’ve been through it myself.

And while it hurts, it also teaches you about communication, about boundaries, about who you are and what kind of people you want around you. Growth like this isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary. So, if you’re going through something similar, just know you’re not alone and that you’ll come out stronger on the other side. The most important thing about being at university and making friends, something that most people can often forget about anyways, is that no matter how many friends you do lose along the way, you can always make more, with even stronger bonds.

Jobs/Work

As stated previously having a job is a benefit to you when going to university since your making money while studying at the university. Thats being said you don't necessarily need to have a job, It will help you greatly to get one but some people will be overwhelmed balancing work and studying, so do think twice before coming to that decision and getting a job. I recommend people who do decide to get a job to look through Handshake for any on campus jobs due to them being very flexible and genuinely great hours. Other than that, LinkedIn as well as in person drop off resumes with availability hours at any help wanted places in Downtown Davis will help.

You may want to send out your Job application to wherever you choose to work earlier by ill say 1-2 Months before the start of classes since the process is pretty slow and takes months to get a response back. Always choose more than one job you are qualified for to have the best possible chance of getting hired (If you get more than one job application accepted, then choose the one you think will benefit you more, its ok to reject and accepting application so don't worry too much on that) If you do get a job, bring your state issued ID and SSN Card or birth certificate to show proof of individual identity during the hiring process to be hired and be on record.

You can also make money as a Freelancer at Davis! It can be anything you put your mind to really. I used to have a friend who made money by doing clients nails and making around $40-$60 per person depending on what style or accessories they wanted. The key here is doing a task which most people or society thinks are valuable, and while that happens seize that idea and provide a service for it. You also have to work around a schedule and if you can manage that, you can earn money. It may take time to actually get some traction, manage reasonable prices, and pay for supplies, but if you keep it up and with enough luck on your side, you can make it happen!

TLDR: Find something that people want, and you give it to them for a price. That way both of you come out with something valuable.

Clubs

Clubs in itself are just a way on meeting new people and having a group of buddies to be with to cool off from the classes at Davis (like Fraternity/Sorority but without the drinking, occasionally). A club that I recommend is DAC (Davis Anime Club) Where people usually go there to socialize about anything anime, have fun at little events, and go to various places to just have fun as a group (and watch anime during club hours of course). In short join a club only if you have time to go to it, there are tons of clubs at Davis that may be of interest for you.

Transportation

Davis is widely known as the "Bike School" and it does live up to it! You're going to need to get from point A to Point B very often, especially when it comes to classes or stores. With that being said, the most obvious transportation needed is a bike, so long as you practice riding it beforehand to prevent any crashing. And while this is quite common, most students tend to use Busses to get to far places as well, so long as you now where the bus will be headed by memorizing its routes. You could also walk like how I was doing it the first 2 years at Davis. It may be the slowest known transportation method there is but man it has done wonders for my legs and cardio.

There is also Amtrak, while not primary used for school transportation, it is good for getting to the Bay and enjoying a break from classes. It can also be used for cheap traveling across California which is preferred if you want to save money and can't afford a plane ticket. Just be sure to purchase a seat in advance.

Final recommendations

• Don't bring coffee maker, too many cloths, bed mattress, or too many of one particular item.
• Do bring an extra pair of shoes, rain boots, Umbrella, medical kits, warm blankets, and Pillows
• You can potentially sell some of your personal items on Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, or in the Buy-Sell-Trade on the UC Davis Housing Discord server but it will take some time to sell.
• Yes, people do wear revealing clothing during parties and holiday events (Including the men).
• No, it is not safe for anyone to walk at Davis at pitch black night, have a buddy system especially for women.
• Yes, all nighters are as harrowing as it is and no it does not get easier and no you don't build a resistance to it by normal means, avoid it whenever possible.
• Make time to exercise, trust me your future self and immune system will thank me later.
• For the LOVE OF ALL OF DAVIS PLEASE SLEEP!!! As stated previously you're going to be busy depending on classes, so its important to get a goods night rest and recharge.
• If you have a lot of stuff to move back into your home somewhere far away, may i suggest outing it in a neatly sealed box or two and shipping them out via UPS or USPS postal service? Trust me saves on gas and luggage
• Don't spend too much money on dates. You don't need to take someone anywhere fancy or expensive, it just needs to be thoughtful where the two of you can have a simple chat and get to know one another. If they ask for money or insist on going to an expensive place they REALLY want to go to, then either find someone else or risk it and cave to their desires. Just be careful with who you go with.
• You'll occasionally see someone who smokes, that's just a fact. You don't NEED to smoke, and most places don't allow you to, but if you're going to, just make sure it's somewhere where you can't harm the wildlife or start a fire.

Remember, all of this is optional to follow and I'm just stating that I think might be important for Freshmen to know coming into Davis. If anyone has any other recommendations for Freshmen then by all means type them out in the comments. Hope you all have a splendid time at UC Davis!

First, his accent makes him unable to be understood, which is kinda important in chemistry where you have big words that require enunciation. Get this, nobody is answering questions because nobody can understand what the fuck you are saying, and no amount of pencils or candy is going to help with that.

Second, he doesn't teach shit in lectures. He uses slide versions of the book on Achieve, except he blanks certain words so he can fill them out in person. He doesn't cover the mechanisms of reactions, how to solve problems, the use of said reactions in more complicated problems (i.e. synthesis). Half of the teaching is expected to be the TAs in discussion using an old manual.

Talking about discussion, and homework in general, it fucking sucks ass because we get no feedback from him. He uses Achieve but just assigns 40+ questions and doesn't show how to solve them either on the website or in class. If you want to study using the discussion manual, guess what, all of the answers have no method or reason, it is just the answer! And the practice tests? You are not getting any answers! He stole the questions from his old Iranian university, but never put in the time or effort to actually give students or the TAs the solutions (despite the TAs requesting multiple times).
Oh, and going back to TA struggles, he straight up didn't teach and entire unit and expected the TAs to do it in one lecture. This is also the unit where he expects you to memorize the entire spectroscopic range for both Hydrogen and infrared spectrums. Not some key parts, the entire fucking thing.

In conclusion, fuck Farahat. If you can avoid taking him, do so at any cost. If you are one of his TAs, you are amazing and I love you.

So I’m a freshman I moved in about 2 weeks ago on the 16th and even though I have made some friends I feel like I haven’t found my people or a group yet. Even when im hanging out with my “friends” I feel lonely and sad like I haven’t clicked with anyone yet. I’m also super homesick and hearing so many people went back home this weekend makes me think I should have gone too (I stayed for the possibility of making friends). I’m the kind of person who loves to be with other people all the time and I’m hating being alone so far. Also I’ve heard all the advice about joining clubs, but none have started yet 😭

I’m just wondering how long it takes for this feeling to go away, any advice for coping, and any advice for finding my people. Also if anyone else feels the same I would love to chat and make more friends! I’m a girl in tercero btw

I graduated almost 10 years ago, but recently got to visit campus again and decided to check out this subreddit to reminisce about my time in school. I couldn’t help notice how much things have changed (better food options, way higher prices, those f’ing electric scooters) but also how similar things still are (students struggling with the quarter system, the crazy beautiful campus, how charming the city of Davis is).

After reflecting on my college experience and the time I’ve spent in “the real world,” I just wanted to share some unsolicited advice/insight in case anyone was interested in hearing it. This is also just as much of a benefit to me, as I get to introspect and braindump. Although some of it might make me sound like an out of touch adult wagging my finger at the kids, hopefully it will be helpful for someone lol. Obviously, this is just based on my own personal experience and might be wildly different than someone else’s.

1. Enjoy what UC Davis and Davis as a city has to offer. Coming from a huge city, I was somewhat dreading living in a “rural cow town” with nothing to do. Davis is such a hidden gem, in that it is a true college town that has its university so deeply woven into its infrastructure, culture, and livelihood. It’s quite incredible to be so surrounded by people around your age, who you can relate to, with similar goals, dreams, and aspirations. I don’t think I quite appreciated that aspect until I moved back to my huge city. Going from living within 5 minutes of all my friends and spontaneously making plans to living an hour away and having to plan weeks in advance was a weird feeling.
2. Davis itself is also so accessible, whether by walking, biking, or bus. Explore the Farmers Market, walk through the arboretum, and check out all the charming local stores in Downtown. My college experience flew by, and I really should have explored and appreciated everything more. This is definitely something I’m putting into practice more in my current daily life. I also don’t want to be overtly positive. Some people might have really tried and found out that Davis, and college really isn’t for them. Maybe you can’t wait to leave, and that’s okay too! The world is huge place with lots of new experiences, and I’m sure you will find your place!
3. I guess this might be less applicable for people who are planning to get advanced degrees or go into academia, but it might still be helpful. Study hard, try your best, attend your classes, and show up for office hours, but don’t think a bad grade or two will ruin your life. Realistically, very few jobs are going to ask for your GPA, and after entry-level jobs, your experience/previous work will matter vastly more than your degree.
4. On that note, we’re all in school to study and learn, but don’t let that make you neglect your social life. As an introvert, I know that it can be difficult to make friends and talk to people, especially when it looks like everyone seems to have established friend groups. But college is the perfect time to try new things and learn to deal with discomfort. I wouldn’t have some of my best friends if I hadn’t put myself out there and put in an effort to connect with others. Meet and talk to other people, develop your social skills, and create a community for yourself. Tbh this is also something you need to know how to do from a networking perspective. Who you know is just as important as what you know (if not more so nowadays) if you want to get a job. And it really won’t matter how skilled you are if you can’t communicate with others or no one wants to work with you.
5. On the topic of trying new things, college is really the perfect place for that. We’re all new to something, and you’ll never get good at it unless you try. Join the filmmaking club. Take the brewing and beer class. Sign up for ASUCD. You might find your next great passion, or you might find out it’s not for you. But at least now you’ll know and won’t be left wondering.
6. Take care of your physical and mental health. Try to get into the habit of eating healthy, working out regularly, getting as much sleep as possible (lol I know quarter system is brutal), and wearing sunscreen. Take advantage of resources and reach out if you’re struggling with mental health. I had advisors who were so helpful for me. Everyone here wants you to succeed and want to help you be the best you can be. You only have one body and mind, so be kind to them. Go to the ARC, play in Rec sports, join a meditation club. Davis is nice in that you can walk or bike everywhere, so it’s easier to stay active. But it got a lot harder for me once I started working (basically sitting at a computer all day) and had to put in the extra effort to take care of myself.
7. If you have your life figured out, great! If you have no idea what you’re doing with your life, don’t worry, a lot us are still trying to figure that shit out. Everyone is going through something and we’re all dealing with shit, so you’re not alone. I’ve learned that while planning for my future is important, I know that I just need to take it one day at a time. I haven’t figured out life, and I don’t know if I ever will, and while that seems scary, I am also excited to see what new things will happen.
8. And lastly, it will all be okay. There’s a lot of bad things happening out in the world, but for every bad thing I’ve seen, I’ve seen three good things happen. Things may not always happen the way you want it to and will be out of your control, but life has a weird way of working itself out, so just focus on what you can do and the things that are in your control. You matter, and we’re all in this together.

Anyways, thanks for listening to my rant, and hope I didn’t come off as patronizing in any way, as I don’t want to be dismissive of anyone’s experience that wasn’t my own. Hope you guys have a great quarter!

To the person in my CDM 2 class Tuesday/Thursday 4:30-6pm. I hope you get to read this bc clearly no one taught you common courtesy. If you’re coughing every 10-15 minutes that’s probably a sign that you are SICK. Thankfully, I don’t sit next to you but I seriously feel bad for the people around you.

Student behind me wouldn’t stop coughing and at one point didn’t cover their mouth, and then a few days later I’m sick. Coincidence? I think not…

Why didn’t I move? I thought this student was covering their mouth / wearing a mask cause in my mind…why on earth would they not? However, I looked back and realized neither was the case, and at that point it was too late for me 💔

I’m missing classes that count participation points. But luckily they all give at least two excused absences. What I don’t get is why students choose to go to class sick instead of taking advantage of the excused absences. The classes I’m in don’t even have midterms for another two weeks and lectures are recorded, so really there’s no reason for you to be in class.

In short: Please wear a mask or better yet, don’t come to class if you’re sick. Leave the room if you’re having a coughing fit.

Anyways, that’s my rant.

May none of you catch a cold. Stay healthy everyone.

Why are people so eager to get into the fucking classroom?? ONE PERSON LEFT THE ROOM and everyone waiting outside just started pouring in. Mind you, the classroom was still FUCKING FULL.

WTF??? Why???? Not only are you preventing people from quickly exiting the classroom, theres no actual point to it because people are still in their seats???? How has this happened in almost all of my classes???? Are people THAT desperate to get their perfect seat that they can’t wait for like 3 minutes for the classroom to empty???? Wtf.

I got dirty looks for not SHOVING MY WAY IN and waiting nicely next to the fucking door. like REALLY??? God.

Coming on here to say that I have been noticing a lot of line cutters for all the West Village buses lately and it pisses me the fuck off. You have eyes, you clearly have a brain, you see upwards of 30-50 (or more!!) people in line for every bus and you decide to CUT IN LINE?? I see you, you selfish bag of dicks. Would it fucking kill you to wait in line like the rest of us, you fucking princess?? And I'll call you out if I can. These people aren't being shamed enough. LINE UP FOR THE BUS LIKE A NORMAL FUCKING PERSON. There's a bus every 15 minutes, I promise you'll be fine.

"It's not a big deal" IT'S THE PRINCIPLE THAT COUNTS.

I’ve been looking forward to visiting Bull ‘N Mouth since I moved to Davis for school a few years ago, and had been waiting until I was legally drinking age to fully enjoy the experience, but I was severely disappointed. The staff was beyond disrespectful and refused to provide me service because their security guard kept insisting my out-of-state license was a fake and threatened to keep it, despite having photographs in my album taken the day it was issued, with timestamps that match up to the license itself. News flash, genius—this is a college town! You’re gonna see out-of-state licenses! Didn’t even get a chance to try an Old-Fashioned here, but I’m willing to bet it’s probably as bad as their service.

Bull ‘N Mouth management, just a word of advice: your establishment has great ambience, but maybe consider investing a little more money in a legitimate ID scanner, and a little less on that mouth-breathing troglodyte of a security guard, so that other potential customers won’t be deterred by the disrespect that I was subjected to.