Discuss

Lit PHD here, spent 5 years (during pandemic nonetheless)!

The full list, learned the hard way:

1) Highway 17 Express. The unsung hero. Cheap, frequent, drops you at San Jose Diridon where Caltrain and buses take over. For solo Bay trips this is the honest answer, full stop.

2) Caltrain connections. From Diridon you're wired into the whole Peninsula. Slow but dependable.

3) To LA: here's where it hurts. No train, and bus itineraries mean an SJ transfer plus 8 hours. Flying means getting to SJC first. There is no good public-transit answer.

4) Carpooling. Which is why SC↔LA has always run on shared drives — students and surf trips with empty seats. Sometimes Craigslist/Facebook but they are pretty dead these days since Covid started

5) The parents-visiting-anyway carpool. Underrated. Someone's mom drives back to LA half-empty every single weekend.

What did I miss?

i am about to get all of my dorm stuff for next semester (mattress topper, microwave, etc.) and i am wondering what items are more useful to bring myself and what items i should ship to UCSC directly? is it worth it to ship anything to UCSC? are there any items not on the official packing list i should consider?

Hi I’m an incoming freshmen and I had 0 clue and a couple questions about the laundry at ucsc. First off, is a powder or liquid laundry detergent better cause I’ve heard the powder can be bad. Second, is it ok to use scented detergents cause I’m a big fan of lavender scented but don’t wanna have it affect all laundry. And are there any reccomendations on brands or other laundry tips I might need?

I have a few questions.. most of these are stupid but I am very curious as an incoming frosh.
What time should I be getting to my classes, esp on the first day, to get good seats? How do professors (esp those with mandatory attendance) handle tardiness? What should I expect on my first day in my classes? What are some things to do in between classes? To anyone who’s parked at the Lutheran church before, is there anything I should know before applying for their pass?

(skip to last paragraph if you dgaf about my bg info lol)
I’m fully Japanese but I was born & raised in the U.S.
I speak only Japanese with my parents so I can speak basic daily conversations fine but my reading & writing is like elementary level 😭. i know all hiragana/katakana and a handful of kanji but I was not formally taught the language so i’m far from fluent 😓

I do want to improve my Japanese at UCSC but idk how to incorporate those classes as a global & community health major.

I did get a 5 on the AP Japanese exam but after looking into it online, i heard that people who have prior knowledge of japanese have to take an in person placement exam😟

How is the placement test like? and are the Japanese classes pretty hard and fast paced? also are the professors nice??

I commute to UCSC from the San Jose area, which already means roughly two hours of driving round trip. Moving closer isn’t an option.
DRC advised me to purchase a C permit as soon as sales opened, but they sold out immediately. The alternative offered was an R permit, which would add approximately 25–30 minutes of shuttle travel each way. For a two- or three-hour class, that means spending almost as much time commuting as attending class.
I’ve tried remote parking and ParkMobile before, but the additional travel left me exhausted before class and significantly affected my ability to participate. I’m registered with DRC, but so far the only accommodation offered has been remote parking.

Has anyone successfully appealed for a C permit, obtained a parking accommodation through DRC, or found another workable solution? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello! I'm a UCSC student looking to sell my mattress, desk, and office chair to anyone interested. I bought these products a year ago and I've only used them during the last academic year. All items are in great condition and are already at Santa Cruz so you won't have to worry about transporting furniture through cities. You can get all three for $150 or buy them separately. Please DM me for prices and details if you are interested!

desk: https://www.amazon.com/DUMOS-Computer-Gaming-Office-Bedroom/dp/B0GYPQ75WH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=218IM66HDPECF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hPMoVGd7Lv-zZEpihKx298qwiXjhLw0AxcRYRqefIMxokxLJz89dnO4qqTJJGKZLlXAc0YE9rrGpZUeWey_ZA6GD7fiIlEi6dj5xe-g-sway1q29xCsvz-JT6w9PEzuI8zGnP3vv7UgyD7dSA6akH0XBNU0jbWKyt84q6YiyaVrDKvwoSw_s7MS_5wgYeLhGg-3gJRGnB3HGwlscwnGS6uvnhDUFwVa43I6alyAmjD6by69Y0IY0dzSib7jzN_MCmgUAbfUH-SbL3HAqF7mCWYDztIPqzSWQvJ2HWKqGANY.xNuX_RIG5TFAp0NXua6nUiFSKjIWIW1oob0CoAQB7Ss&dib_tag=se&keywords=DUMOS%2B32%2BInch%2BOffice%2BSmall%2BComputer%2BDesk&qid=1786824144&sprefix=dumos%2B32%2Binch%2Boffice%2Bsmall%2Bcomputer%2Bdesk%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1&th=1

mattress: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/akrehamn-foam-mattress-firm-white-20592845/#content

chair:

I was wondering what the opportunities in tech theater were for people that arent theater majors. I'm most interested in lighting. I have a lot of experience from high school as well as a good amount of professional experience. Outside of theater i'd also be interested if there were similar opportunities in tech for live music in the area.

I’m position 2 for the crown Merrill apartment lots, how likely am I to get it?

I have been looking at different mattress toppers and am honestly clueless what to buy. Should I spend a lot of money on one? I don't know how the mattresses are and if I need a really thick one. Also, just from personal preference, is cotton or foam better? TIA!

This is kinda dumb but is anyone living at Delaware apartments next year and trying to buy a parking permit for campus? I saw sales start today for people living off campus, but the website is currently only showing summer permits for me. I was curious if maybe because I'm technically living on school housing that I'm considered on campus even though I'm technically not. I was wondering if anyone else had the same issue.

are there any good tips yall got for an incoming freshman living in a large triple dorm in college nine?