How to Meet People at UCI
It’s no secret that UC Irvine has more of a muted social scene than some of its UC counterparts. With the school’s culture concentrated more around individual involvement in organizations rather than the school as a whole, how exactly do you go about meeting people?
Campus-Wide Events
UCI doesn’t have a football team, and as a result we don’t have the tailgating culture that unites people at many other universities. Even though we’re lacking the tailgate spirit, UCI still holds some events every year that provide great opportunities to get to know new people, make friends, or even meet that special someone. A prime example of this — Aldrich Park After Dark.
Aldrich Park After Dark, or APAD, is UCI’s annual Fall welcome-back concert. On the night of APAD, Aldrich Park, known as a great place to relax, is turned into an amazing concert venue. This past year headlining artist Cheat Codes brought out thousands of UCI students ready to have a great time and meet new people. With everyone eager to start their school year with some fun, it’s no surprise that events like this one are a great place to make new connections.
Joining Organizations
Another great way to meet people is to join student organizations on campus. These include intramural teams, interest clubs, professional organizations, dance teams, and many more. UCI has a diverse collection of different organizations you can join, and each one has cultivated their own community. Joining organizations like these can be even more helpful in creating new relationships and introducing you to like-minded people. A common interest can easily become the start of a strong friendship or more.
So What Do You Do After Meeting Someone?
Finding people can often be the hard part, but there are plenty of things to do for fun in Irvine after you’ve found someone to do them with. If you don’t have access to a car, no worries; you can always take a short walk across the bridge from campus to UTC, eat at many restaurants, drink some boba, or just hangout in the plaza there. Visiting the aforementioned Aldrich Park is another popular option; you can have a picnic on the grass or hang up a hammock between trees and relax.
If you have access to a car, you could make the quick drive down to one of many beaches in the area. Newport Beach is an obvious choice, known for having amazing spots like the Seaside Donuts Bakery right on the beach (and a great place for a break from stressful university life). If you’re looking for something a little fancier, you could always make the hour drive up to Los Angeles and make an evening out of it!
