kirrz 0 #1 December 14, 2005 I am going to do a sudy abroad in the US next year... have just compiled a list of universities that offer the courses I want. All I have to go by though are university websites & the tourism sites for the cities they are in. Can any of you guys in the US please give me some insider advice? I will probably be on a pass/fail so priorities will be awesome student social life, great campus, chilled but fun city with lots to do, a good DZ & proximity to ski slopes. I don't want to pick simply based on ranking but want the place where I will get the best all-round student experience. My options are: UCLA UC-San Diego UC-Santa Cruz University of Arizona U of Washington - Seattle U of Illinois - Urbana Champaign Please rank the top 3! Thanks in advance! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindercles 0 #2 December 14, 2005 Um, you forgot Texas. Ok, so the ski slopes are a bit far off, but it's got everything else you wanted in spades. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bodypilot1 0 #3 December 14, 2005 Quoteawesome student social life, great campus, chilled but fun city with lots to do, a good DZ & proximity to ski slopes. Try UC Davis Be safe Edwww.WestCoastWingsuits.com www.PrecisionSkydiving.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #4 December 14, 2005 University of Washington Seattle!!! That's where I go. You'll be close to beautiful mountains that will fucking amaze you!! Good for skiing.. got a number of DZ's to choose from (mostly smaller ones though) The city has it all and is nice and mellow. So much stuff to do, if you're willing to try new things (or the same old things) you will never run out of things to do. The school itself is really great, nice campus, pretty much right in the city. You can see a 14000 ' volcano from campus.. (Mt Rainier) As far as the student life.. my weekends are spent at the DZ.. so I don't know what the party scene is like there. However, with a school of about 40,000, how could you not find somewhere to fit in? What is your major? Umm... anyways.. I say come here. I volunteer to show you around. Plus, I lived on the DZ in Picton for a month and a half so we can gossip about people you know. -Karen PM me for any information and I will do my best to help answer any of your questions, or send you pictures of the area and the campus (virtual tour) "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kirrz 0 #5 December 14, 2005 That is awesome that you go there!! I'm so so so glad! What year are you? I probably will be in the US Jan - June 2007 - will you still be at school?? What are you sudying? The reason why I can't go to Texas or Davis or anywhere out of this list is because I'm doing 3 majors & it is such a bitch to find a place where I can get credit for all of them - Media & Communications, Computer Science & French. I want to take a course in Film/ TV production which is the thing that is severely narrowing my choices. I hear UW-Seattle has a really good digital & experimental media dept? I was very strongly thinking about one of the UCs but that's only because I don't know much about anywhere else.. now I'll definitely look into Seattle more closely! Yay! I will have a friend!! :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
karenmeal 0 #6 December 14, 2005 Yeup, I will still be here in 2007. Right now I am a junior, I just finished/am finishing up my first quarter here and I absolutely love it. The last couple of months have been so satisfying. My major is Speech and Hearing Sciences.. there is a very good chance that I will continue through and get my masters here too, if I get accepted for graduate school. (So I would be at the UW through 2009.. god that seems so far away!) I really don't know much about their digital & experimental media department.. but it sure sounds like something Seattle would have covered! I can try and look into it for you.. If you are wanting to come to the US to experience the skydiving scene over here, California or Arizona would be where its at. However, if you are into doing a number of outdoorsy things like hiking/back-packing, skiing, maybe some cold-surfing, kayaking, rock-climbing, or are into the arts, hating on George W. Bush, drinking lots of coffee.. then I think Seattle would satisfy you to the extreme. Not to mention that the landscape in Washington is just entirely different from Australia, I'm pretty sure that you will be amazed. I grew up on the east-coast where we mostly have small hills. I've lived in Seattle for two years and everyday I am still dazzled by the mountains! I also have to say, when I visited Australia I hung out mainly in Melbourne, Sydney and the area in between. Now I really wish that I had gone further North and really experienced an area that was unlike anything I was used to. Most of the parts of Oz that I visited reminded me of bits southern California. Anyways.. thats all I have to say about that for now. Its midnight here and I've got an early final tommorow! Good luck with the decision making and all that stuff. Merry Chrismahanukwanzika! -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kbordson 8 #7 December 14, 2005 Consider adding University of Wisconsin - Madison. Wonderful University environment, a lot of foreign students, cows, snow, beer, cheese, a couple small dropzones nearby, and Chicago not too far away. Karen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,647 #8 December 14, 2005 I've heard that Harvard is fairly good.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gemini 0 #9 December 14, 2005 NYU has a better film school though! Blue skies, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,647 #10 December 14, 2005 QuoteNYU has a better film school though! Cambridge is top in science, and the UK is trying hard to be the 51st state.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genoyamamoto 0 #11 December 14, 2005 UCLA or UCSD, forget the others. You can thank me later. Gotta go... plaything needs to spank me Feel the hate... Photos here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davedlg 0 #12 December 14, 2005 You might also consider adding University of Colorado at Boulder to the list. They have all three programs you are looking for and a very strong journaism school. It is about an hour to the best skiing in the country and 15 mins to the closest dropzone. Not to mention backpacking, rock climbing, the new wind tunnel and awesome weather. Boulder is a very chill town too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazydiver 0 #13 December 23, 2005 Hey now, lets not forget Colorado State University. Thirsty Thursdays and close to lots of ski areas and forty minutes to a dropzone. Plus...i'm there! Cheers, Travis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumper03 0 #14 December 23, 2005 Quote I've heard that Harvard is fairly good. second rate school at best.Scars remind us that the past is real Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #15 December 23, 2005 Why isn't UC Santa Barbara on that list? I lived with a bunch of international students there, and I'll say it was highly enlightening and a wonderful place to be. UCSB all the way! Nice place, awesome student life, the greatest campus ever (see attached pic - yes, that's the beach on two sides of if), the city is fun, nice and chilled with LOTS to do. Ski slopes? That's the only downside, thugh there is a ski slope. The closest DZ is in Lompoc, about an hour north of there (though it's called skydive Santa Barbara). I think it's run by a Brit, too. I know UCSB accepts Brits, since I lived with three of them that year. But, since it wasn't listed, I'd choose the following: 1) UC San Diego - a pretty good vibe in a pretty nice place. Next to the beach, though not with a beach occupying 180 degrees of the campus border like my beloved UCSB. Oh yeah, the education is solid, too. Ski slopes? 2 or 3 hours north in the San Gabriel Mountains. Local DZ, and Elsinore and Perris up the road 60-90 minutes. 2) UCLA - a good school in a fairly good location. The apartments and near community are less than impressive to me, but the school is good, and there is a helluva lot to do round there. It's the most versatile choice out of all of them, and probably has the best academic reputation. Ski slopes about 90 minutes away. You are about an hour and a half from Elsinore or Perris, though, which are the closest DZ's. 3) University of Arizona - though it's in the middle of the desert in Tucson, I still found myself enjoying the Tucson area whenever I spent time around there. Lots to do, but no beach or anything like that. It is fairly secluded, but only about 60-90 minutes from Eloy. I'm not sure of the skiing, though it looks like there are some high mountains. You may have to trek north 3 or 4 hours to Flagstaff (which is a GREAT town). The bottom of my list is UC Santa Cruz. Interesting place, but the place just had a weird vibe to it. Maybe it's changed in the last 10 or 15 years, but it was the one campus I ever visited and said, "No way" after the first day. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumper03 0 #16 December 23, 2005 QuoteI am going to do a sudy abroad in the US next year... have just compiled a list of universities that offer the courses I want. All I have to go by though are university websites & the tourism sites for the cities they are in. Can any of you guys in the US please give me some insider advice? I will probably be on a pass/fail so priorities will be awesome student social life, great campus, chilled but fun city with lots to do, a good DZ & proximity to ski slopes. I don't want to pick simply based on ranking but want the place where I will get the best all-round student experience. My options are: UCLA UC-San Diego UC-Santa Cruz University of Arizona U of Washington - Seattle U of Illinois - Urbana Champaign Please rank the top 3! Thanks in advance! I'm on staff at the UofArizona. Skiing - you can see Mt. Lemmon from campus - I don't ski so I can't tell you if its good or not. Eloy is just up the road - what more need be said about that? I've never seen such happy students before. I love it here - but then again, I'm done with school Scars remind us that the past is real Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #17 December 23, 2005 QuoteMedia & Communications, Computer Science & French. Seems to me UCSB offers all three. Just another aside.. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wingnut 0 #18 December 23, 2005 QuoteBoulder is a very chill town too you forgot to add in there "expensive"........ ______________________________________ "i have no reader's digest version" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #19 December 23, 2005 And they have really ciil riots too!jraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sd-slider 0 #20 December 23, 2005 QuoteMy options are: OHIO STATE OHIO STATE OHIO STATE OHIO STATE Anvil Brother #69 Sidelined with a 5mm C5-C6 herniated disk... Back2Back slammers and 40yr old fat guys don't mix! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #21 December 23, 2005 University of Washington Seattle is a fun city, and you can be in just about any environment you choose in 2 hours. Rain forest, ocean beach, desert, or mountains. The skiing is good, the skydiving is fine, and there's plenty of other fun to be had. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,400 #22 December 23, 2005 QuoteConsider adding University of Wisconsin - Madison. Wonderful University environment, a lot of foreign students, cows, snow, beer, cheese, a couple small dropzones nearby, and Chicago not too far away. As a former resident of Schaumburg, I must say that Chicago can never be "too far away"."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #23 December 23, 2005 Skydive Universityor what about New Zealand ?nzskydivingschool.comCollege is way over-rated.Invest in your wings, Angel.Life is too short to sit in a class room, paying money to someone who couldn't make it in the real world telling you how to get a job. Education is great. You learn more by doing something, rather than 5 years in never never land.Find a way to get them to pay you. I did 5 years of it, and i make more than them by cutting grass. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowwhite 0 #24 December 23, 2005 Talk to FrenchCloud, we call him French Patrick. He is from Paris, and has taught at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. Very cool guy, can give you the perspective you are looking for on the Uof I and also the dz there. The dz is the home of the Pathetic Losers. Patrick came to the US in August of 2004, and asked how he could come and experience the World Free Fall Convention (www.freefall.com) which is held in Rantoul Illinois, about 20 minutes from the school. He came over to help us for a couple of days and ended up staying with us for about 20 days before, during and after the Convention. He taught at the Uof I for that year, then went back to France, but he came back to help us again in 2005, and has already made arrangements to be part of staff for 2006. While he was teaching, he jumped with the Losers, and will be vacationing with them this winter. Good people in the midwest, lots of access to the rest of the country from here.skydiveTaylorville.org [email protected] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
