By BBA at 10:19 am, Sep 03, 2011
University of California, Santa Barbara
September 6, 2010 – June 17, 2011
Jirawut Hengtragul
Chanchanok Kantathavorn
Namthip Laohemwong
Pinsuda Wongnijasila
University of California, Santa Barbara
Why Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara is a cute small county situated on the West Coast and is widely known as the
“American Riviera” of the United States. The weather is very nice all year long so you will never
have to dress yourself like an Eskimo or feel like you are in the middle of Sahara Desert!!!
However, there might be just a week (or a little bit longer) when the weather gets you frozen and
you may want to put on all clothes you have brought along especially when you have to bike to
classes. Another good point of living in Santa Barbara is that it is close to many big cities for
example it is 1-hour-and-a half drive to Los Angeles, 5 hours away from San Francisco, 3 hours
away from San Diego and 4-hour drive away from Las Vegas.
Things to Know about UCSB
University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) is located in a town called “Goleta” which is a
part of Santa Barbara County. Don’t be surprised when you could not find the word “Santa
Barbara” in your address. The campus is 30 minutes away from Santa Barbara downtown. The
area is safe and full of UCSB students. On weekends, especially Halloween, it would be filled up
with parties all around, which is very famous for this school. It was once on the 5th rank of party
schools in the US. UCSB students always call themselves “Gaucho”, a blue cowboy hat which
has been a logo of the school since August 2009. Because of the exchange program (EAP),
students there are various from Americans, Asians, Black Americans, Africans, or Europeans.
Thus, there is no need to worry about racism. The most famous sport for this school is not
football (American football), a basic sport for Americans. But for here UCSB, it is soccer since
the team won National Championship in 2006.
Gaucho, UCSB Logo
In the middle of the campus stands Storke Tower. It is a tall-box-shaped bell tower of the school,
and also its landmark. You had better check your watch time with the bell when Daylight Saving
starts or ends. Behind Storke Tower, there is one of the most important buildings, called UCen or
University Center. You could feed yourself there for lunch and early dinner. A post office is in
here, also FedEx. Most importantly, UCSB Bookstore is just on the first floor. Walking through
to the other side of the building, you would see a big lagoon. It is nice to walk around both
during the day or at night.
If you are looking for a place to do exercise or play sports, Recreation Center (or in short,
Reccen) could give you everything. It is for many kinds of exercises including basketball, soccer,
swimming, badminton, racquetball, table tennis, volleyball, hockey, yoga, gym, or even rock
climbing. Make use of it because everyone must pay to get in there except for UCSB students.
Reccen
UCen
Storke Tower
Where and how to live in Santa Barbara?
Apartment
If you applied for university-owned apartments such as Santa Ynez and get accepted you have
nothing much to worry about since the room is already fully furnished. However, if you happen
to get your application rejected (which is potentially possible!!) you have to immediately start
searching for available rooms where you can stay during your study, usually through
http://santabarbara.craiglist.org . This website certainly helps you find furniture, appliance, and
bicycle and even help you sell some stuff instead of throwing them in the trash. For those who
prefer living alone (like I do), I have one perfect apartment for you here. The apartment name is
Studio Plaza Apartment. The room here is just as basic as a studio room you can find anywhere.
The manger is so helpful and very nice and it is just 3 blocks away from campus, or Isla Vista
area where you could find tons of apartments for students.
Santa Ynez Apartments
Bicycle
The most popular transportation around the campus is bicycle. You can buy one at the bike shop
in Isla Vista, K-Mart or by searching in Craiglist website. The price of the new ones ranges from
$100 up to $500 depending on its style, quality or type. However, if you find one in Craiglist
website and are lucky enough you may get it at the price as low as $25 for a good quality bike.
Bike path was constructed around the campus and also the way to apartments. Be Careful!!
Riding a bike in campus can be very dangerous. Imagine you are watching “Tour de France”. It
is what you will be definitely finding yourself facing during the rush hours such as time when
people are switching their classes.
Bike Path in Rush Hours
Bikes not parked in the bike racks
are to be impounded!
Any other means of transportation?
Yes there are. Skateboarding is another popular way people use to travel around campus and the
price is not so different from the bike ones as mentioned above.
Taking bus is another choice to get around the campus and also to get to Downtown Santa
Barbara. Make sure that you get the bus sticker every quarter from the student office because you
can use it to take a bus for free. Bus schedule is provided on the bus or check it online
1
www.sbmtd.gov. Carefully look for weekday or weekend, UCSB in or out dates!
Bus Loop, a main bus stop on campus
1
Bus Stop Sign
Buses operate very variously from day to day. Carefully read the notes of the bus schedule.
How to get to Santa Barbara after landing?
From LAX, the international airport in Los Angeles, there is only one best option to get directly
to Santa Barbara. It is to take a bus from the airport which is the most convenient way compared
to other options to get to Santa Barbara. It is called “Santa Barbara Airbus” and you can check
the schedule or even make a reservation on www.sbairbus.com. Make sure to get off at Goleta
which is the nearest station to the campus. Then you have to take a cab to your apartment if you
do not have any friends to pick you up.
In case that you are not going to Santa Barbara directly from LAX, there are two more options
for you to get there from Los Angeles. The first one is Greyhound, another bus company which
operates more widely but with lower quality than SBAirbus. The only Greyhound station in
Santa Barbara is at downtown, right next to SBMTD Transit Center. You could take a bus
number 24x from Transit Center to the campus area. However, this is not recommended as 2
huge baggages and another carry-on would be with you all the time!
Secondly, railway system is also available in this town. It is called Amtrak. Like the Airbus, buy
a ticket to Goleta station, not Santa Barbara, so that you would be closer to the campus. Taking a
2
cab there to Isla Vista would cost around $15, tip included.
How to survive in Santa Barbara?
From my point of view, the hardest time of your
exchange life is during the very first weeks of
your exchange year. All the desperate feeling
such as homesickness will be bombarding to
you. What you have to do is try to get yourself
settled with the new environment and
surroundings as fast as possible so that you can
enjoy your stay for the rest of your exchange
year. Since Santa Barbara is a very small county,
a couple of days would be enough for someone
to explore it. However, there are many attractions
and activities that you can visit and do more than ones would imagine.
Surfing is one of the most popular alternatives to spend your free time on. Goleta Beach is just
right in front of the campus. Picnicking here is a nice idea on a sunny day. If you are westernized
enough, it is also a perfect place for sunbathing.
2
Don’t forget “TIP”! You are not legally forced to do so. However, every service provider would expect that. A rate
of 15% is approximate and most applied, meaning that a little lower or higher could be used.
Looking toward the west, there is a mountain lies along the skyline. Trekking and hiking is also
on the list of Things to Do in Santa Barbara. You would be able to enjoy nature along the way,
and see beautiful scenery of the town when you reach the top.
Santa Barbara Harbor is another spot for activities. Fresh fish and seafood are sold right there.
You can go kayaking and whale watching at this harbor. On the weekends, there are also some
events around the year for you to join.
Picnicking & Sunbathing
at Goleta Beach
Trekking Trail
Santa Barbara Harbor
If natural activity is not your type, then head yourself to downtown. There are plenty of shops
along State Street waiting for you to visit guys!!! All kinds of restaurants could be found there,
including Thai, American, Indian, Irish, Italian, seafood, bakery, and much more. Look at the
menus first because the price could be from $ to $$$. Craving for brand new movies? Cinemas
are also available around downtown area. When the sun has set, downtown would totally change.
Lots of clubs and bars would be open, where you could enjoy your nightlife until 2 am. Be sure
that you are 21 and bring along your passport as it would be the only acceptable ID.
Downtown Santa Barbara
Walking on State Street from downtown toward the beach, a three-dolphin circle would be
situated right in front of you. That is a sign of Stearns Wharf. There is a good souvenir shop
where you could buy some key chains, pens, or t-shirts. It is another good place to wander
around in the evening.
Stearns Wharf
Camino Real Marketplace
For the grocery shopping, there is a market place called “Camino Real Marketplace” where you
can reach either by riding your bike or taking the bus. You will find Costco (which is pretty
much like Macro in Thailand where you have to apply for the member in order to get in),
Albertsons, Best Buy, K-Mart, Staples, Ross and many more around this market place. Last but
not least, there is a small grocery store called IndoChina, where you could find many Thai food
ingredients, like fish sauce, Lobo, Mae-Ploy, Chow-Koh coconut milk, or even Maggi.
Much more places around Santa Barbara are to be explored. Up to north, there is a place for
gambling lovers called “Chumash.” Even though you are not 21 yet, you are allowed to get in
here, just be over 18. Somehow, Chumash may quench your gambling thirst instead of Las
Vegas. Driving a little further to the north, a cute Danish town is there for you to visit. It is even
recognized as “Danish Capital of America”. Heading south from Santa Barbara, the way to Los
Angeles, you will pass one of the best outlets, “Camarillo Premium Outlet.” Definitely, cash in
your wallet will not be enough. Don’t forget bring your debit or credit cards.
3
3
A debit card is the most common way of payment for Americans. They could survive with only $10 cash in their
wallets, the rest on the cards. Getting a debit card is simple. Just open a checking account at a bank and the banker
would you one. Bank of America (BOA) is recommended as there is an ATM on the campus.
Differences in Enrollment and Academic System
As you might already know, all the UC campuses work on quarterly terms: fall (Sep-Dec),
winter (Jan-Mar), and spring (end of Mar- mid Jun). Each quarter contains perfectly 10 weeks,
not including the Final week. Obviously, it is 5 to 6 weeks shorter than our semester system in
Thailand. You would feel like the time is flying through a quarter very fast. Be ready for that!
After being chilled out during the first two weeks, a quiz might be coming tomorrow. Or if you
go for a course that has two midterms and one final, be prepared for your first midterm the third
or the forth week, second midterm about three weeks after that, and then the final in only four
weeks. Do not be scared of that yet because you would be registering in fewer classes than when
you do at Thammasat, and you would have more time for each subject.
To enroll in any courses of UCSB, you must visit http://my.sa.ucsb.edu/gold or just easily google
“gold ucsb”. A list of courses in each quarter is provided there, as well as registration
information. EAP students are privileged to register earlier than regular students due to the fact
that we are required, by our visa type, to enroll at least 12 units per quarter. On the other hand,
the maximum amount for all students is 21 units per quarter. One class is usually credited for 4
units. Everyone would be able to do cross-departmental registration, like sports classes, under the
only restraint of pre-requisite courses. In this case, it is best to email to, or go to talk in person
with, the undergraduate consultant of each department in order to do “course clearing” (FYI: The
one for Economics Department is Dina Amodeo). Register fast because classes may be full and
you would have to “crash” classes. It means that you must go to your desired class for the first
two weeks of the quarter. The professor would let you write your name and he would rank
students base on individual priority. Therefore, crashing classes does not guarantee your seat in
the class. Make a good study plan and do not wait for the last registration date!
Normally, a course weekly contains 2 discussion classes with the professor and one section class
with the teacher assistant. Some classes, however, are different from this, which you could check
them from the website. In the discussion class, the professor always assigns reading ahead,
which would be discussed in the next class. This is quite important for your grade as you would
be asked to participate in class or even some quizzes may arise surprisingly. Conversely, the
discussion class is more about review and homework correction. Course handouts are sometimes
posted on Gauchospace website; otherwise, the course website would be informed in class.
Comparing with classes in Thailand, more assignments and quizzes would be provided, and
more class participation is expected.
Textbooks in the US are extremely expensive. Borrowing them from the library is a good choice
but sometimes they are all checked out. Alternatively, many students turn to used books from
Amazon or Craiglist. Another famous way is borrowing from outside, like www.chegg.com.
Used book is sometimes more beneficial in the sense that you can keep it for yourself or sell it
when you finish the quarter. The selling price may be even higher than your cost.
Travelling Tips
I am quite sure that one of our exchange objectives is to travel. USA is huge and there are as
many as 50 states for you to go without any visa difficulties. Cultures are pretty different from
one state to another, especially if they are on the opposite sides of the country. They are there for
you to explore and learn the differences. During an exchange year, you would have two school
breaks, winter (3 weeks) and spring (1 week). You could also travel before the fall quarter starts
and after the spring quarter ends. There are also a few holidays on the meantime. Check all the
breaks and holidays, match them with your chosen places, and start booking!
How to make it on budget?
Planning ahead is very necessary. It would let you get cheaper flights, tickets, and hotels. Get
familiar with www.expedia.com and www.tripadvisor.com, and you would find that planning a
4
trip is so simple. Lots of special deals are also often offered online. Another way to book a hotel
cheaply is to bid. It allows customers to define city, specific area in the city, date, and hotel stars.
And then, you would have to tell your desired price and your credit or debit card information.
Once you click OK, the result would be informed. If you win the bid, the hotel name would be
told and your card would be charged right away. No changes could be made. You could learn
more about this on www.hotwire.com or www.priceline.com.
On the set-off date
It is very convenient if you choose to fly since the Santa Barbara Airport is right next to the
campus. You could even take a bus there, about 5 minutes from UCSB. Calling to reserve a taxi
is a better idea in the case of an early flight. Normally, flight tickets do not include checked-in
bags and meals. Double-checking your doors and windows is strongly recommended.
5
Can I go out of the States?
Yes, you can. But you must have a visa of the country you plan to visit, if required (For those
who fly with Korean Air, Korea does not need any. You could stay there for a few days when
you make a transit). Crossing to Canada from the US does require a visa, even though you just
want to cross to the other side of Niagara Falls. However, there is no need to have all visas
before you leave Thailand. You could go to embassies in the US to ask for the application.
Important Note: DO NOT go out of the US once you get in the country unless you have reported
yourself at the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).
4
5
Online booking would require credit or debit card information. The provided websites are safe and reliable.
Actually, it is good to do so every time you go outside. Even though the area is filled up with students, stealing
does exist. ***Screens on windows could be easily taken out*** Make sure that you also lock the windows, not
only the screens. Or, you may lose a laptop as I did!
Time to Say Goodbye
10 Months would pass by faster than you imagine. You would have a mixed feeling, wanting to
come back and to stay there longer. Anyway, there would be many things to prepare during the
last couple of weeks.
Confirm your flight: Call to the airline office, either one in Thailand or one in the US, to make
sure that your seat has been really reserved.
Pack your stuff early: It is possible that you could not pack all your stuff in two baggages. Do it
early so that you have some time to ship the exceeding back to Thailand.
Clean your room: The agreement requires you to clean the room before checking-out. Violation
could make you charged up to hundreds of dollars. It would deduct you deposit balance and the
remaining would be sent to you in a form of check.
Close your bank account: There are two ways to do so, going to the bank branch or closing it
online. Just leave your balance perfectly zero without any pending.
Welcome
Next
Gauchos !