10 Reasons To Love Fall At UCSD
Fall at UC San Diego is arguably the best time of the academic year. Where the sun is always shining and the ocean breeze keeping the air nice and cool, the line between eternal summer and crisp fall is beautifully vague. But aside from that fact, here’s ten reasons to love fall at UCSD!
1. The annual pumpkin drop!
Fall means pumpkins will start popping up all over the place. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin decorations and…falling pumpkins? That’s right! Muir College at UCSD has a fall tradition of stuffing a 500+ lb. pumpkin with candy then tossing it off an eleven story building. The 2015 pumpkin, dubbed “It Low,” set a new record when a piece of splattered pumpkin flew 138 feet away from point of impact!
2. Absolutely perfect weather!
UCSD has amazing weather year round but in fall, the air cools down just enough so you can excitedly dig out your fancy boots and stroll around campus in your fluffy fall sweater. But the beach’s proximity is excuse enough to keep those beach gear and flipflops handy for summer-worthy sunbathing.
3. Fall foliage, yes, even in California!
Although UCSD consists of mostly eucalyptus trees (the site was originally a eucalyptus farm after all), we still get to witness the changing seasonal colors. One of the best places to see fall foliage is at Warren Mall.
4. Energy packed beginning to the quarter.
Thanks to the quarter system, UCSD students start fall quarter in, you guessed it, fall! Subsequently, you are fully energized to partake in UCSD’s Welcome Week and enjoy all that fall at UCSD has to offer; whereas semester system kids are already heavily embroiled in their schoolwork and battling their midterms.
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5. Perfect surfing conditions!
Just because autumn is here doesn’t mean perfect surfing conditions fall (yes I totally just wrote a pun). A combination of perfect San Diego weather and easy access to Black’s beach makes UCSD the perfect school for surfing all through fall and pretty much the rest of the year.
6. Fall traditions like the Marshallpalooza Carnival.
Each of the six colleges on UCSD campus has its own set of unique fall traditions. From the Pumpkin Drop in Muir College to Marshallpalooza Carnival in Marshall College to Whackin’ Jack Halloween event in Sixth College, the fall season inspires numerous fun events across campus.
7. Free school events!
UCSD’s Triton Fests are campus-wide events that kick off during fall. Hosting events from Haunted Hoedowns for Halloween to Olympics to Poolside Cinemas, Triton Fests provide free food and large-scale activities and draw hundreds of students together to join in the fun.
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8. Discover a new side of you.
During fall at UCSD, all 50+ orgs take turns lining Library Walk, the main walkway at the center of campus, to do tabling about their orgs. Any passing victim, er, I mean student, gets bombarded with flyers in their eager attempts at recruiting new members. While org positions are still open in the fall, grab the chance to try something new and discover a talent or passion you didn’t know you had!
9. Thanksgiving weekend!
Alas, the quarter system grants you only two days off for Thanksgiving. But just because you only get a four day vacation doesn’t mean you need miss out on the fun! For those who can’t make the trip home for Thanksgiving, you’ll still get your Thanksgiving dinner when the cafeterias go into festival mode and add special Thanksgiving dinner worthy foods to their menu.
10. One step closer to winter!
After a beautiful fall comes an equally amazing winter, filled with blue skies and white, puffy clouds. Though we don’t get snow on campus, the mountains are only a few hours’ drive away. And you can always get an early taste of winter by hopping over to UTC for a free ice skating lesson!
What are you favorite things about fall at UCSD? Feel free to comment below and share the article!
Featured photo source: favim.com
