Thursday, August 5, 2010

oh, to be young again

just kidding. 
35 is the new 25, right?
tomorrow i am taking my friend linda, along with my girls, to my alma mater, the super fantastic uc davis. (go aggies!) she is going to be a senior this year, and is looking into colleges. she just got back from a trip through southern california looking at schools, and now i get to take her to davis for the day. i loved college. i loved davis. i am hoping i don't just spew my love for davis all over her and scare poor linda off.

that said, if you went to davis (and i know a few of you did..), where would you take her to show off the campus and city (or town or village? what is davis anyway?)?

i had such a great college experience and i want her to have one too- even if she goes somewhere else. so for the rest of you, any words of sage wisdom...things you wish you had known when you were 17 about college? about picking a college? about life? what she should look for in a school?

6 comments:

  1. dawsons for breakfast even though it is in dixon

    wild bread and salad at woodstocks

    coffee at mishka's

    potato gratin at coffee house

    people watching on the quad

    try to find all the eggheads on campus

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  2. This was always fun having been a student and then working in Undergraduate Admissions.

    I always told students to trust their gut as well as their head. Most schools will be fine academically but if it does or doesn't feel like it could be home for several years, that's probably accurate.

    Arboretum
    Dos
    Coffee House
    Rec Hall/ARC (if they like the gym)
    One of the DCs

    Other things that might be good:
    Shields Library
    Bike Circles
    Bookstore
    Central Park
    The pool
    The Death Star
    The Mondavi/Theatre/Music/Art building
    Fountain Circle #3
    Bum Bum You've Been Here Before

    Also, ask about what they have heard about Davis, good and bad. If they say that the dorms smell like cows, go to Tercero and see. Then go to actually see the cows. etc.

    Bossy Cow Cow
    Honey Bee Bee
    Oleo Margarine
    Oleo Butterine
    Alfalfa HAY!

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  3. Um, take a ride on the fabulous double decker Unitrans of course (or at least check a couple out); I second the votes for egg heads, Mishka's and the Quad! Tercero B Building was always a hit!! :) Maybe Trudy's for their fine furniture. :) Do they still have the bowling alley in the MU?

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  4. Take her downtown and show her all the best restaurants & coffee shops. Be advised: the CoHo is under construction and the only open part is on the east side of the MU where the copy shop/post office/travel agency used to be. However, it's getting upgraded so you can totally talk it up. It has all the same stuff from when we were in college, but they've added a Pho bar with sushi and I believe this new remodel will add even more things.

    having grown up in davis, I think I can say that I understand why people think Davis isn't really all that much. I mean, it's awesome, but all of my favorite things are my favorite because they have stories and memories embedded in them. I think you can talk to her about how she can choose any college and find what she's looking for - if she's looking for good friends, meaningful personal growth, etc...

    I think you should tell your favorite stories about your roommates and best friends so that she knows that even though davis is a small town and sometimes smells like cows (I lived in Tercero) it can also be an incredibly important and fun place.

    Have fun!

    Some of my other favorite Davis places:

    Newsbeat
    Central Park/Farmer's Market
    the Co-op
    Peet's Downtown
    Zia's Deli
    Kathmandu
    Sophia's Thai
    Sam's (by campus - for Shwarma)
    Greenbelt/Bike Path (esp. South Davis)

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  5. Y'know, Santa Cruz is nice, too! Just sayin'. (Go slugs!)

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