University of California Los Angeles - UCLA (reviews)

UCLA is a truly great institution. As a graduate student, I feel motivated and encouraged to do great things. The bureaucracy is inevitable but I don’t think it’s something that should avert people from applying. The sheer amount of talks, opportunities and people here is impressive. I can’t speak about undergraduate however. The near area is not great (Westwood), it’s mostly for undergraduates. However, LA is an amazing city and there’s so much to do and see. I love living here.

The bad thing about being here is the mentality of some professors. They are very driven by their own research and their own accomplishments. For some, students and teaching are not only secondary, but of very little importance. I’m sure as a undergraduate, that can be very alienating. However, you learn to deal with the system and take advantage of what you can. You make it work for you.

Money is a big issue at UCLA. The facilities vary in terms of quality. It all depends on how much money the department or division has. Financing your education can also be a struggle. Especially for international students. Again, you do what you can to make it work.

UCLA Extension has excellent programs for people wishing to continue their education or receive professional training for their current careers or future ones. The certificate in Spanish translation and interpretation is a program that prepares you to be a legal court interpreter; providing the necessary tools to sit for the Legal Court Interpreter certification. It also prepares you for careers in medical interpretation and translation, as well as in other areas.

UCLA has a really nice campus and is in a great location. The surrounding area is safe and walkable, with lots of necessities like Trader Joes, Target, CVS, etc. Lots of clubs to get involved in and pretty easy to start your own club. Classes can be hard to get into, like most large universities. Professors tend to be good but there are exceptions, of course. Overall, I would recommend it.