Quick background on my boyfriend… he’s a Senior, Political Science major with a History minor. He’s a good student and takes really boring classes in my opinion. Classes like Political Theory on American Exceptionalism, The Atomic Age and California History. All classes I had the luck to sit in on while I was visiting. He also lives with three other guys in Isla Vista in a two-bedroom townhome. (Don’t be fooled, it’s nothing special) That’s a little background on him.
Background on “us”… We met actually when we were in Kindergarten (aww I know), we then went to different elementary schools and junior highs. We met back up sort of in junior high when he went to the rival junior high Mesa Middle School and I went to the better school (in my opinion), Judkins Middle School. He played basketball for MMS and I was a cheerleader for JMS. Thus, we saw each other often, but were not fans of each other by any means. We then went to the same high school, however we really didn’t know each other Freshman year. It wasn’t until Sophomore year that we actually met back up. He and I had Spanish Two together and he would constantly get me in trouble (he disagrees to this). Then we both went our separate ways until Senior year we had AP Government together and we also did Mock Trial together. So we saw each other a lot. However, I had been dating someone for a long time at this point and wasn’t interested much in Ryan that way and he started dating someone near the end of Senior year.
Fast forward… it’s now summer between our Junior and Senior years of college. We’re both home and bored but unaware of the other being home too. Ryan finds me on Facebook and we start talking. Go on a couple friend dates and then voila, we’re interested in each other and start hanging out a lot. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden we’re a couple and practically inseparable. Problem… I’m heading to San Diego for my final semester at Point Loma and he lives in Santa Barbara to go to UC Santa Barbara. Oh well… we were going to try this anyways.
Fast forward again… I’m now a graduate of Point Loma and he’s finishing up at UC Santa Barbara. I’m now unemployed and in need of something fun and so I went down to visit him. Rather than chilling in his apartment with his rather odd roommates, I decided to go to class with him. Little did I know, I was in for a HUGE surprise. HUGE!
My idea of college for the past few years has been 20 people (30 MAX) in a major level course and the professors knew your name by the second day of class at the latest, TAs are unheard of, your classmates are your friends and you can have a conversation with practically anyone in the room and people walk around campus with friends and smile and say ‘hi’ to you.
Not the case at UC Santa Barbara. The three classes I sat in on are in lecture halls with hundreds of students in them, no one smiles and says hi and there are these deadly bike lanes. Yeah, BIKE lanes. I had no idea the bikes had the right of way at UC Santa Barbara. However, the bikers are well aware of that and couldn’t give a crap if you decide to walk, they’ll hit you without any qualms about it. I think they actually target those who are walking around with wide eyes and obviously lost. Thus, I feel like a baby red blood cell.
A red blood cell is one in a million in your body, they don’t have a chance to make friends, I would imagine, and they are just constantly on the move. But what about the baby red blood cells? Those who are new and don’t know where they are going and just seem to follow the flow? How scary for them! Well that’s exactly how I feel walking around UC Santa Barbara. I went to Ryan’s big classes, but they have a thing called “section” and that’s when 20 people meet from his huge class and are taught by a TA and I didn’t want to go to those. So I walked around trying to find somewhere to sit and just exist, out of the flow of UC Santa Barbara students.
Walking around alone, I forgot about bike lanes once again and almost got hit, once again. I walk around with eyes wide, wondering where all my friends from high school who attend UC Santa Barbara are and also wonder why everyone looks so sad. They have their heads down and walk very fast. Oh! There are also smokers at UC Santa Barbara. Very weird to see! Also, I remember from my time at Point Loma was the fact that most students seemed to care if they were ready for class. I don't necessarily mean mentally or in terms of materials, but that they cared about what they looked like. This is going to come off as snobbish, but it didn't seem like Ryan's classmates owned mirrors or cared. Many looked like they had just rolled out of bed. This was probably the biggest difference I saw from my time in college.
Point Loma. vs UC Santa Barbara in a nutshell.
Smoking at PLNU? No
Smoking at UCSB? Yes
Bike lanes at PLNU? No
Bike lanes at UCSB? Yes
Lecture halls at PLNU? No (excluding Freshman psychology)
Lecture halls at UCSB? Yes
Walking with friends at PLNU? Yes
Walking with friends at UCSB? No
Wireless in the classrooms at PLNU? Yes
Wireless in the classrooms/lecture halls at UCSB? No
Professors knowing you personally at PLNU? Yes
Professors knowing you personally at UCSB? No
More than one place to eat at PLNU? No
More than one place to eat at UCSB? Yes (more like 20 it seems)
Very basic, but the main differences I’ve seen at UC Santa Barbara. The littlest differences seem exponentially bigger to me. My little bubble of Point Loma was promptly popped walking around UC Santa Barbara.
Ryan was getting a good laugh out of how I would walk around completely floored at the differences between what I had experienced in my college career. Very different.
So that’s the explanation of the title of this blog. Walking around UC Santa Barbara, I feel like a baby red blood cell, just following those around me and trying not to bump into the others around me and trying to learn by seeing and trying to copy it correctly.
Have I mastered it? Not hardly. However, I plan on visiting frequently and so I should get it down soon. Hopefully.
Until next time…
A red blood cell is one in a million in your body, they don’t have a chance to make friends, I would imagine, and they are just constantly on the move. But what about the baby red blood cells? Those who are new and don’t know where they are going and just seem to follow the flow? How scary for them! Well that’s exactly how I feel walking around UC Santa Barbara. I went to Ryan’s big classes, but they have a thing called “section” and that’s when 20 people meet from his huge class and are taught by a TA and I didn’t want to go to those. So I walked around trying to find somewhere to sit and just exist, out of the flow of UC Santa Barbara students.
Walking around alone, I forgot about bike lanes once again and almost got hit, once again. I walk around with eyes wide, wondering where all my friends from high school who attend UC Santa Barbara are and also wonder why everyone looks so sad. They have their heads down and walk very fast. Oh! There are also smokers at UC Santa Barbara. Very weird to see! Also, I remember from my time at Point Loma was the fact that most students seemed to care if they were ready for class. I don't necessarily mean mentally or in terms of materials, but that they cared about what they looked like. This is going to come off as snobbish, but it didn't seem like Ryan's classmates owned mirrors or cared. Many looked like they had just rolled out of bed. This was probably the biggest difference I saw from my time in college.
Point Loma. vs UC Santa Barbara in a nutshell.
Smoking at PLNU? No
Smoking at UCSB? Yes
Bike lanes at PLNU? No
Bike lanes at UCSB? Yes
Lecture halls at PLNU? No (excluding Freshman psychology)
Lecture halls at UCSB? Yes
Walking with friends at PLNU? Yes
Walking with friends at UCSB? No
Wireless in the classrooms at PLNU? Yes
Wireless in the classrooms/lecture halls at UCSB? No
Professors knowing you personally at PLNU? Yes
Professors knowing you personally at UCSB? No
More than one place to eat at PLNU? No
More than one place to eat at UCSB? Yes (more like 20 it seems)
Very basic, but the main differences I’ve seen at UC Santa Barbara. The littlest differences seem exponentially bigger to me. My little bubble of Point Loma was promptly popped walking around UC Santa Barbara.
Ryan was getting a good laugh out of how I would walk around completely floored at the differences between what I had experienced in my college career. Very different.
So that’s the explanation of the title of this blog. Walking around UC Santa Barbara, I feel like a baby red blood cell, just following those around me and trying not to bump into the others around me and trying to learn by seeing and trying to copy it correctly.
Have I mastered it? Not hardly. However, I plan on visiting frequently and so I should get it down soon. Hopefully.
Until next time…
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