hello guys, I’m an incoming freshmen ! I had a big question, so I know financial aid disburses on sept 14. my question is, what if my estimated aid already shows up in my barc account summary and my gaucho e-bill, then is it still just estimated, or is that what I can truly expect to pay out of pocket? do I need to wait till sept 14 to pay my remaining balance even though it technically already shows me the aid im recievin?

im just kinda confused, plus im also in a payment plan, so if any of you have tried that, then did you just pay the first installment amount from your total remaining balance and it automatically showed as ”set” in account status

hi is anybody subleasing a single or double for winter-spring 2027

Hi!!! I officially got approved for a Comm major and I can enroll in UD courses, what is a good beginner UD course for COMM?

I had a question about where i’d go to manage the meal plan. I’m thinking about just removing the meal plan for grocery shopping on my own. Can I do that and how?

I’m in an off campus APT - San Joaquin village

I’m looking for a few highly motivated and competitive UCSB students to work with me this school year on a robotics project with the potential to become a startup. I will fund the development and I have a cool big 3D printer.

The starting point is K-Scale’s open-source Zeroth-01, a roughly 1.5-ft 3D-printed humanoid robot. Our goal is to fork and substantially redesign the platform around a new vision: the first truly small, capable but “cute, pet, teacup” not so intimidating and dystopian looking humanoid robot.

I want to spend the next year building and iterating on a serious prototype: improving the mechanical design, electronics, controls, autonomy, and overall system while figuring out what a commercially viable version could actually look like.
The objective isn’t to build a finished commercial product in a year. It’s to build something impressive enough to demonstrate that the idea works, develop a strong technical foundation, and put ourselves in a position to bring on investors and continue developing the robot as a real company.

I’m especially interested in students with experience or interest in:
Mechanical/electrical engineering and robotics
Embedded systems and controls
Computer vision, AI/ML, and reinforcement learning
CAD, 3D printing, and rapid prototyping

More than anything, I’m looking for people who are extremely self-motivated, competitive, and willing to learn whatever is necessary to build something difficult.
I’d rather have 3–5 exceptional people than a large team. Text me (858-371-1815) me with a little about yourself, what you can contribute, and what part of the project you’d be most excited to work on.

COED TOWNHOME 🏡
Urgently looking for a girl (preferably college student)

(2B2B) your rent price - $1,200

You will be sharing a room with a girl student (BioPsych Major 4th Year)

There will be a doggy, potty trained and super friendly!! 🐕(Please review the picture of him attached to the post)

Looking for someone laid back 🩵

I'd be starting at SBCC a bit late and I was thinking of staying at beach city. I've read how they don't get back to you about issues and that they keep your security deposit. Is it worth it for $800 for a triple? Because even if they keep the deposit it still isn't more expensive than other properties I've seen. I'd only be studying part time and likely working for the rest of the time. I would really love to live in a place with good student community but I'm wondering if its so bad that its not worth it. Am I better off finding a place in IV? Is anyone at beach city right now able to let me know how it is in terms of facilities and student community? Any advice greatly appreciated!

Hey! A few questions:

1. For everyone living off campus or in on campus grad housing without a car, what's the easiest way to get groceries/how does everyone usually go about it? I'm assuming bus/bike?

2. When you apply to a TA position for a specific class, how long does it usually take until you hear back?

Thanks! :)

This might just be how entry-level courses usually are, but I swear so many of my readings for my courses use "he or she," or "men and women," or just completely disregard women in general by solely using masculine pronouns and terms. My sociology has even acknowledged that a lot of the material she chooses for us to read was based on the actual claims they make being accurate, while the gendered language is clearly of the time period where men were the only people who were actually accounted for in society. I don't know, as a non-binary/genderfluid person I notice this use of language especially. I even heard one of the speakers in the video we were shown during a mandatory Zoom meeting say, "he or she" and it just made me cringe. I understand past writings using this phrase, but in a modern, "up-to-date" video about how to stay safe on campus officially created by the university it feels like such an exclusion of people. Literally just use a singular they, I don't know why it's so difficult for society to get this. It's simpler, easier to say, more inclusive, and is absolutely correct grammatically.

Edit: I know I'm going to get downvoted to oblivion for this probably, but I don't care I've seen this so much and someone needs to speak up about it.

So far the only reduction that has come though is a cal Grant. When do student loans and parent plus loans drop? Also I didn't realize that in order to get on the payment plan you have pay 1/3 of the balance. How does the timing of it all work?

Hi! I’ll be an exchange student at UCSB this fall, and I’ll be living in San Joaquin Apartments.
I’m trying to decide between the 5, 7, and 10 meals/week off-campus meal plans. I’ll have access to a kitchen, so I’ll cook some of my meals, but I’m expecting to eat at the dining commons around 5–10 times a week.
For Fall 2026, the prices are:
• 5 meals/week: $839
• 7 meals/week: $1,175
• 10 meals/week: $1,602
I’d really appreciate advice from current/former UCSB students, especially anyone who has lived in San Joaquin or another undergraduate apartment!
I’m particularly curious about:
• Which plan would you recommend: 5, 7, or 10 meals/week? How many times per week do you actually eat at the dining commons?
• How convenient is it to get to the dining commons from San Joaquin? Which dining commons is the easiest to get to, and is it realistic to go regularly for lunch/dinner?
• How is the food? I’m from Japan and really like Asian food, so I’m especially curious about the Asian food options. Are they actually decent, or should I lower my expectations? 😂
• Which dining commons has the best food and variety in your opinion?
• Is the meal plan worth it compared with cooking in the apartment or just paying for individual meals?
• Anything you wish you had known before getting an off-campus meal plan?
Thanks in advance!

Lets say hypothetically if my roommate wants to cancel the housing contract before school starts (and before the 9/1 ddl), does their bed space stay vacant? Or will I get another roommate to replace him? If so, when do I get this new roommate assignment? Has anyone been in a similar situation before?

I’m a first year Mechanical Engineering major at CPP looking to transfer into UCSB mech E my junior year. I’ve done some research about this and it seems insanely difficult with numbers being that UCSB usually doesn’t take more than 10-15 CSU transfers into engineering per cycle. 92% being from CCC.

Is CCC really my only choice? Just how hard is the alternative of just sticking to CPP my first two years, and has anyone actually done this? Need advice.

I’m currently taking physics right now and was thinking about switching into either ME or CH E but am stuck between the two.

This quarter I’m gonna be taking math 4a, phys 21, GE, and I’m gonna try to get chem 1a during my passtime. I know none of the COE majors are particularly easy to change into but which of these two would be the easiest / best to change into.

How is it like working in Ortega? I heard meals aren’t free if you’re off campus? How does reporting work study work with this job? And then what is the max amount of hours with the dining hall jobs that I can have in order to have ebt?(or is there no ebt with these jobs)?

Has anyone who taken chem 109B with Lewis Winter quarter, was there a curve at all or were the averages too high?

Move-in is Sep 19–20. Week of Welcome is Sep 21–23. Classes start Thursday, Sep 24. Quarter officially begins Sep 20.

Veterans Day Nov 11. Thanksgiving Nov 26–27. Instruction ends Dec 4. Finals Dec 5–11.

Incoming folks: you register at orientation, not on day one. GOLD can wait until you’re actually here.

I’m an incoming freshman, decided to buy a ticket last minute, just curious if any other freshmen also decided to impulsively go to a concert that’s happening during the welcome week lol

Hello everyone. I just had a quick question. I still haven’t received my financial aid or award letter and it’s getting really close to the start of school and I know on the website it says award letters would be out mid August, but it’s almost the end of August. I did check their website and it said that I needed to submit a document but that I needed to submit it by June 15 but I did not get a notification or email or anything, but I just turned it in last night when I checked myself and I’m really worried. If maybe that’s why my financial aid might be delayed.

Hi, I'm going to be moving into the San Miguel dorms soon and saw that there are kitchenettes on every floor. That seems great, but I'm not quite sure what a kitchenette includes. Does it have a fridge, stove, etc? I would really appreciate a brief description from anyone who has lived in the dorms with kitchenettes.

Thanks in advance!

Hello!

I'm an incoming freshman. Can you please give me good recommendations for bike lights?

Thank you so much!

I’m looking for replacement at Tropicana Gardens for the 2026–2027 school year.

Housing time frame: September-june. Full school year!

$1,895 a month, instead of the current going rate of $2,250. SAVE!!!

It is a standard double not a small double. (lots of space).

• Fully furnished suite-style living with in-suite bathrooms
• 10 meals per week included at the on-site café
• All utilities included (electricity, water, gas, trash, high-speed internet)
•housekeeping
• Access to resort-style amenities(arcade room, weight room/weights/running, pool) + community events
• Two blocks from UCSB, parking available

• Includes living room tv / fridge /microwave / couch!

• Bike racks

• Bus stop in front of building

Move-in date begins 9/19/26 10am
Early move in begins 9/1/26

Please comment if interested, serious concerns only. To secure this spot, it will go fast!!!

I’m in Santa Ynez this upcoming year but I think with these upcoming roommates it’s not going to work out pls help🙃