Living in Santa Cruz, CA (Part 1)

By Alicja Banasiak, University of California Santa Cruz, US

Studying in Santa Cruz is definitely different from Manchester! First of all, you are in a forest, surrounded by mountains with super fresh air. Despite the fact that the campus is open to the public, you see very few people from the public on campus. The campus isn’t located near Santa Cruz town (the town is about a 15-20 minute bus journey), which has its positives and negatives. The campus is quiet, full of wildlife, and has a unique student community. However, finding activities to do without a car and shopping for groceries is a little tricky. In this post I will cover grocery shopping, money spending and saving, comment on the local weather and free student facilities. In the second part to living in Santa cruz, I will discuss things to do on campus and downtown, local wildlife and the International Living Centre on campus.

Above image: of the campus forest by College Nine and Ten.

Food Shopping

Grocery shopping without a car will likely be a pain if you live on campus (unless of course you enrol on a meal plan- more on the dining halls later). I lived in an apartment where meal plans were optional so I opted out and chose cooking. I shopped at Safeway, which is about a 15-20 minute bus journey away. On campus, you can get some basic groceries from cafes that have cupboard-stored food available for students to take, completely free! But there isn’t a great deal of choice., The university also organizes fresh produce pop-ups once or twice a week, where you can get fresh fruit and vegetables at a reduced price. Finding people with cars to go shopping with can be relatively easy, and there are also Uber options, as well as grocery delivery services. So grocery shopping is definitely manageable.

Money, Money, Money

Santa Cruz (and California in general) is certainly expensive, which honestly surprised me. An average grocery shop costs me about $40-90, and that can last me about a week or two. So how did I survive? Dining hall extras. Eating at the dining hall can be a cost-saving option if done right. You can get unlimited dining for $8.25 (for one entry) so I chose to eat dinners at the dining hall. The food at my college (College Nine and Ten) was decent and worth the price however, the general student attitude towards dining hall food on campus is rather negative. Saving extras from the dining hall, like bread, fruit, granola, and salads helped me cut down on grocery expenses. Also, a fun fact: American groceries have a longer shelf life with an average bread loaf lasting two weeks, which allows you to stock up even on fresh produce and shop less frequently!

Daily Weather & Winter Storms

The weather is interesting; obviously sunnier than Manchester; however, it certainly rains a whole bunch too. Be prepared for cold nights, evenings, and early mornings, as the temperature drops dramatically during those times (about 10 degrees Celsius). The weather can get cold enough to snow in the winter, though snow only lasts on mountain peaks. Rain can persist for a couple of days straight, and storms can cause power outages, fallen trees, and floods (although no flooding on campus). The colder weather and storms are more prevalent at the end of the fall quarter and during the winter quarter. Also, a dense fog frequently sets onto campus during the night giving it a very eerie vibe!

Above: a rainy, windy and foggy morning outside John R Lewis college.

Free Buses & Gym?!

The buses work fine in general despite the poor reviews by students online. However, the timing of buses going to the coastal biology part of the campus (which is far from the main campus) can be a little awkward depending on your timetable. Walking around campus involves several hills, but they aren’t too difficult, and it’s a good way to get your exercise. The university provides a free student gym on campus, with several free classes for students. The view from the gym is amazing, and it has all the equipment you might ever need to keep fit.