UCSB is located on just over 1,000 acres and navigating its territory isn’t the most simple undertaking.Venturing from dining hall to dorm, class to grocery stores, and campus to downtown wasn’t a challenge in question when I chose a college, but should it be one of yours?
From the perspective of a Freshman, navigating through college can be an isolating experience. Take it from me, very few freshmen bring their car. As a result, UCSB recommends the use of bikes, buses, and walking; But is that practical?
Housing Options: How Does Location Affect Transportation
UCSB has eight Freshman dorm options— Santa Rosa Hall, Santa Cruz Hall, Manzanita Village, San Nicolas Hall, San Miguel Hall, Anacapa Hall, San Rafael Hall, and Santa Catalina Hall. All of these options are conveniently located on campus, except the dorm I got (of course), Santa Catalina Hall. Located about a 1.4 mile walk off of campus, Santa Catalina Hall poses great locational challenges.
Navigating The Bus
Ask any UCSB student, and they will tell you their trauma story of taking the 24x to downtown instead of back to their dorm. While the MTD transit system can be confusing, take it from me, you get the hang of it quickly. Living in Santa Catalina Hall, I take the bus to class, Target, and downtown often! Although the bus will sometimes be late, skip your stop, or be so full you have to stand, it is a valuable resource if you don’t have a car.
When learning the ins and outs of the bus, using the Transit app made life so much easier. The transit app tells you what stop to go to, what time to leave, and how many stops until you get off, which makes the public transit experience considerably less difficult.
A Biking Culture
UCSB is known for its bike culture, having more than “10,000” people commute via bike to and around campus daily. Due to its highly developed “bicycle infrastructure” and consistently pleasant weather, the bike culture at UCSB is undeniable.
So, the question is, should you embrace the biking culture? For me, I spent my first quarter bikeless. Lacking the option to bike, it was a little difficult to time the bus everyday and commute between some classes in less than ten minutes. Now that I have a bike, I can see its advantages–- getting to class quicker, being able to navigate places the bus doesn’t run, and having the freedom to leave at times when there isn’t a bus scheduled. On the flip side, bikes get stolen left and right, and I won’t lie, some hills will leave you fatigued!
ucsb on foot
Walking is great for you, but is it practical for everyday navigation? Walking at UCSB is nothing short of beautiful in many areas, with views of the beach that you might miss on the bus or riding a bike. However, walking from Santa Catalina Hall takes about 25-30 minutes, a time frame many find unsustainable.
Believe me, I know we all want to get our steps in, but walking everywhere gets exhausting. When I first came to school and refused to use the bus system in fear of getting taken to the wrong destination, I was walking 30-40 thousand steps a day. While this was probably amazing for my health, it left me feeling exhausted and eliminated any will to go to class. This led me to explore other options like biking and taking the bus for long distances.
So, What’s The Verdict?
UCSB and everything it has to offer greatly outweighs the uncomfortable feeling of needing to travel long distances without a car. Being someone who had never taken public transportation prior to College, you get the hang of it quickly. Seeing these long distances as a positive, like getting your exercise in, helps me stay motivated to make the trek to go to class. Overall, the dilemma of bus, bike, or hike, is entirely circumstantial, and a learning experience that characterized my first year of college.