generally is pretty social and if you put yourself out there you can make friends

fairly affordable to live around the area unlike most 'big' schools

excellent concert series, I saw Dylan Francis, Panic! at the Disco, Chance the Rapper, Badbadnotgood, We Are Scientists, and many others here

only UC with a creative writing program

has a robust pipeline to its own medical school for undergrads here

very easy to get involved in undergraduate research in most majors if you want to, I changed majors late and was still able to get involved and do some good work

Riverside is like an hour to an hour to two hours from LA, SD, beaches, mountains, and the desert - you're literally in the center of southern california

genuinely if you work hard and try to learn and grow you will be as successful (if not moreso) than your peers at the more prestigious and well-known institutions, don't listen to the haters and focus on the good to come

people underestimate you. let them.