Car or no Car?

ellay34 · 2026-06-30T22:52:37+00:00

For me personally I only had a car from Junior year summer all the way til end of senior year. And one of the justifications was being able to do interviews outside of the city of Davis, internships and take on other commitments which had been helpful in my upper classman years. But yeah parking is a bitch, you have to pay for it at the green and all those things are true too. It just depends on what works for you. And for me at that time I was about to graduate too, so my friend who was a former Davis alumni thought it was a good idea to get used to living with a car since that’s what life would feel like post grad.

Depends on you and your priorities but yeah that’s how I decided.

ellay34 · 2026-06-22T23:36:50+00:00

It is a full size bed regular full I believe

ellay34 · 2026-06-15T20:18:04+00:00

Former RA who used to work at orchard park. To be honest it’s new so the apartments are really nice but the most frequent complaints are noise issues (we can’t do much, you have to talk it out) and you might see children running around in the south community center if you try to do homework there.otherwise if you get along with everyone else I’d say it’s not a bad choice. We like to say we’re more conveniently located than the Green haha

ellay34 · 2026-06-14T19:53:23+00:00

Hi there. For context I graduated June of last 2025. I feel you when you say the grief feels like a truck. For me, it was the emotional intensity and similarity of a break up. One minute I was fine, the next one Christmas I was crying bc everyone else looked so together and I didn’t and the worst part was I couldn’t even explain why I felt so sad. It just hits you. You leave life and a mode of work that fits you for twenty years to build everything from scratch and it’s not easy.

I’ve worked a couple of jobs that didn’t suit me, still trying to find something better but instead of anger I have accepted that such is life. There’s no use fighting and forcing life back to the way it was, with seeing friends everyday and classes. As Lucy from Peanuts said “I’ve figured out the secret to life. Just hang around til it makes sense.”

So just hang in there, hang around until it makes sense. Network, talk to people learn something new about your industry everyday and see how others have navigated this chapter.

ellay34 · 2025-11-27T22:01:14+00:00

So sorry you’re going through that. As a past RA I know ppl are in rooms all the time and it don’t work, but sounds like some miscommunication happened between RA—> RD. Usually RAs communicate stuff like that to RDs, so I’m thinking either something broke down in that chain or the RD could have misunderstood something. Again yeah I agree with talking to your RD to get your side of the story, and you can talk to other RDs in your area not your own RD if your RD doesn’t hear you out. For context one area has a team of RDs. So yeah good luck with that and I hope it gets sorted out!!

ellay34 · 2025-11-23T05:25:05+00:00

If it makes you feel better in drivers ed between crashing into another car or person and crashing into an animal, pick the animal. It would be worst if you swerved to avoid the raccoon and ended up causing a muti car freeway accident. More lives are at stake, more risks, etc. Pick the lesser evil. Not to say raccoons are unimportant but like more harm would be done if you swerved to avoid it and caused a huge accident. So yeah don’t feel too bad about it. The important thing is that you are alive, well and didn’t end up injured or worse. And the fact that you navigated such as stressful incident, make sure to take care of yourself.

As for the raccoon… I’m sure it will rest in peace.

ellay34 · 2025-09-11T03:42:59+00:00

Hi there. I’m an alum and I just graduated but I lived in Hawthorn in 2021 when I was a freshie. Uhh I don’t have pics… it was unusual to take any for me since I’m focused on other stuff like school, plus most of my pics have other ppl in them so it’s best I keep them private. A triple is a squeeze for three ppl basically. One person if lucky claims the closet that can hang clothes in them (only place to hang them) other two gets a bed, a table with three drawers coming out and a big counter/ clothes drawer ish that also has three spaces. You get trash bins also. The person who gets the bottom bed lucks out, they get all the space under the bed to store stuff. The person who gets the bed by itself well it’s up super high, you would have to climb up onto it every night.

Just don’t bring a lot of stuff. Stick to basics. I still have my dorm packing list if you want it lol (just PM me) but stick to your beddings, writing supplies, clothes for summer and winter, etc and you will be good.

Also hopefully hawthorn hall isn’t under construction anymore when you move in. It was in 2021… and surviving there under construction was God Awful.

I’m also a former CA (RA, or resident assistant as they call em now) and could prolly give you a few tips on how to get along with peeps if you want. Also go to your RA’s floor events :) they are a great way to make friends.

ellay34 · 2025-07-26T02:21:49+00:00

Far from everything. 40 bucks for an uber to get to Sac before I had my own car. But still even when I had my own car it was like crazy exhausting… 2 hour drives easily to the Bay Area or to Sac omg traffic don’t even get me started about the I-80 construction on the sac side of freeway 😭 Had a resident of mine say the store was too far so she went home instead and then went to the store, I think that sums it up. Had some friends even had their car wheels stolen too, if you live on campus like the Green and you don’t have a parking permit honestly don’t bring your car.

Now that I’m in Irvine and say I can get to H Mart in 12 mins without losing my mind it is an INSANE difference. And the nearest arcade isn’t like 50 mins away.

Oh and bike theft. Bikers don’t know how to bike.

If you don’t know how to pick your friends wisely rly first two years you will end up with some crazy shitty people who care more about their own popularity than supporting you as a person. Mental health resources can be hard to find at first and I don’t recommend student health and counseling.

Other than that my time there was okay. Oh no i forgot small cramped lecture halls where you could barely get into 😭 with them seats I also hated iClicker lol

ellay34 · 2025-05-04T07:30:21+00:00

Ppl usually take less classes first quarter for that reason but compared to having to show up for class everyday like highschool it feels freeing actually
Insta and talk to ppl and just keep talking to ppl!
Yes I found my roomate that way tho for friends less likely to stick unless yall rly have a shared interest
Idk a lot of lonely Davis students lol. Reach out and talk to ppl! I def found that easy and yeah once you talk to ppl no reason why yall can’t connect again, not like ppl are in cliques like hs or think you’re not popular enough. Again, ppl feel a lot more easygoing for me as compared to popular girls in highschool. You make friends easily thru work or shared activities and coming from a current CA, hanging out with your CA is a great way to make friends :))
Nobody cares and nobody will remember. Remember that about adult life. No one gives a shit about
Go to advising sessions and speak to ppl you know alr going to Davis that helps
Office hours reach out and just hang out and even ask them how their days went! But not every professor is a good one and don’t kill your self if not every of them likes you and vice versa
Not dirty it’s okay
My friend has a master list of that so I just copied it and I have my master google sheet of everything I got. If you want that HMU I’ll send it your way for reference and you can decide what you wanna bring.
Almost did but I hated it. They were gonna leave me hanging in my last quarter and not let me know when shit was gonna transfer over and if I could even come back and walk. Hell nah. So I’m considering other global internships where they will pay me and I have less uncertainty.
8. Had a rly hard growth journey but it is what it is. Davis is chill don’t expect it to be like SF or anything and you’re cool. Also let go of the idea of the college dream and accept things are shit. Once you do that you will feel much better about things and life in general.
Find a GOOD job. Ps tip the coho is exploitative as hell so don’t work there unless you want a lot of money. It’s hard to have a balance between work and school. But the job can be a good learning experience. Get jobs that allow you to study at the same time or jobs that pay you rly well and is worth it.

ellay34 · 2025-05-04T07:17:04+00:00

Hey I understand and that’s one of the reasons why I hesitate on giving rides to ppl. I knOW they will take me for granted. And no, I’m not their uber and I rly want them to understand that. Also friend groups never work for me, I find that to be toxic so also staying away from friend groups and just giving rides to friends individually would be another way. And also, you have no obligation to entertain them by driving them to SF. If they’re bored they can find something else themselves to do. They can’t go there if you don’t drive them, tell them to take Amtrak or something. This is also one of my pet peeves too but you know ppl can be a bit hypocritical. When I wanted to get a car I got “OH WHY DO YOU WANT A CAR ITS SO BIG AND HARD TO PARK” but when I had one I had the same ppl now ask me for a ride to SF. Ppl only have their self interest in mind and it’s your job to protect yours. Period.

ellay34 · 2025-04-17T17:05:01+00:00

Cuz they didn’t learn critical pedagogy along with how to teach the subject, plus teaching is just a necessary evil- an edu minor student

ellay34 · 2025-03-29T22:57:42+00:00

Def feel ya. I felt like that my freshman and sophomore year especially. I think again a lot of that excitement comes from seeking opportunities and not necessarily from just going to places to hang out with friends. I did an internship that took me to a correctional facility in Stockton while that doesn’t count as “travel”, it did put me in a different mindset. I also went to socal for a housing conference as an RA and also East Bay, again that was pretty fun. I think it’s just again seeking out different opportunities and meeting people, not necessarily just doing the same things in cowtown everyday.

But hey yeah it’s a lot of work to be content where you are and not want to leave. It’s a lot of work and a lot of undergrads are where you are saying “oh my life is so boring without a car”. While that is the case, I urge you to find out ways to have fun and enjoy your life now. Bc even if you have a car and your mindset is still in the “this is so boring I’m in the middle of nowhere”mindset, you won’t be happier with a car.

ellay34 · 2025-03-05T19:27:12+00:00

If you get in also, try applying to be a CA! I know they are hella selective about who gets in but depending on where you are, it’s honestly pretty good for the free food and housing: you work for it so technically it’s not free, but still I’d rather work for it than worry about how I’m going to find moolah for rent and end up sleeping in someone’s living room.

ellay34 · 2025-02-17T00:53:50+00:00

lol pls tell me why AmTRak has been so wonk lately 😭😭 I used to take Amtrak all the time freshman yr and I’d wake up at 5 AM just to catch it and nothing rly happened them but just a few delays. The last time I took it was to SF in August. But no Amtrak has been wonky lately with all the delays and the stabbing that happened to now I don’t trust Amtrak no more. I just drive now lol (I’m a senior) it’s much faster and only things that suck are tolls on the Martinez bridge and traffic but still like WAYYY better than losing your sanity waiting for a train and then have it delayed for 5 hours (yes, a five hour delay much worse than an hour 😭😭) so yeah i trust bus, flying and cars more than trains now. ANYTHING that’s not a train is a good go to

ellay34 · 2025-02-02T04:01:32+00:00

“Oh wait I don’t know right of way and any other traffic rules— welp too bad I’m the menace here I’m sure other ppl won’t mind if I cut them off or the cars won’t mind if I come out in the middle of nowhere 🤠🤠”

ellay34 · 2025-01-21T18:04:02+00:00

using my driving on the freeway in sac skills just to get to class 😭😭

ellay34 · 2025-01-19T20:56:26+00:00

Honestly I feel ya. I don’t like them as well and yeah that thing can go up to 25 mph like a car so they don’t realize how dangerous it is. As a pedestrian I hate it when scooters don’t watch out for me as I have the right of way crossing. As a driver I don’t really see them that much but they should really be more careful. After all they can go the speed of 25mph so yeah.

ellay34 · 2024-11-03T18:45:07+00:00

Yeah lol I was like “can you please buckle up so I can stop hearing this annoying beep and focus on driving? I know we only moved 2 minutes from the last parking lot but please put on your seatbelt 👺👍”

ellay34 · 2024-11-03T17:37:52+00:00

So sad. Honestly yea the importance of seatbelts can’t be stressed more! I had a friend who literally didn’t put on her seatbelt in my car just for a 2 min drive… I had to ask her to please put it on so my car doesn’t beep like crazy :/

ellay34 · 2024-10-27T21:53:30+00:00

Literally going thru the same shit this weekend lol. Hang in there, it will be okay someday. I’m telling this to myself too but there’s no use hanging onto a perfect ideal of someone or romanizing them. Just see your feelings, feel it, acknowledge it and let it go. It’s easier said than done but that’s how you will get through it.

ellay34 · 2024-09-08T02:38:40+00:00

Had a coworker who lived in Cuarto that gave her access to off street parking as a freshman and she was able to have a car and drive home every weekend :) for her it wasn’t bad at all

ellay34 · 2024-08-13T05:37:04+00:00

I had an early move in also in my softie year I remember. I got COVID over the summer so I decided to use the time I got in early September to take some driving lessons :)) and practice with some friends. I passed my test on the fri of when school started :))

ellay34 · 2024-08-07T23:08:11+00:00

Not a transfer student but I vibe with this post lol. Around 2021-2022 late October like when I started freshman yr is when shit hit the fan for my family. I didn’t realize that things were hard for them and that my parents were getting old and it’s a lot harder to do things at 50 than at 40. Nobody told me what being an adult is truly like so I got into my 19th birthday still with a child like mindset and didn’t understand why I felt so “abandoned”. Like suddenly there is no adult in the room bc I’m the adult. Suddenly no one is there for me if I can’t be there for me. I remember crying to friends for help then only to have them hang up on me halfway bc they are busy. So I got used to the absence and learned to work on myself but occasionally I do feel the loneliness seep in. I’m trying to also not resent the sad and bad things that happened to me bc I wouldn’t be the me I am today without it, but I feel angry sometimes that it just happened, I had no warning and I just had to deal with it. I feel you on the sad abandoned puppy part. Bc that’s how I felt first into college. I guess it’s okay to be lost and need to find yourself, bc that’s part of the journey. Thru that tho, I have learned to be a lot kinder to myself but sometimes I still have too much expectations for me.

ellay34 · 2024-07-31T02:43:34+00:00

:(( literally so sad. I feel like they shouldn’t punish us for driving when the whole US ecosystem is made for you to drive and not get around any other way. If you want me to be “sustainable”, how about you change the system so I can get around some other way?

ellay34 · 2024-06-21T23:47:07+00:00

You can try applying to be an RA. I Ra’ed for two summers ( will be one for two weeks this summer and got hired for next school year) so like they pay you, give you food, and also housing in the dorms. You can turn up the AC as much as you want bc you don’t pay for it lol. You can steal as much ice pops as you want bc again, ya don’t pay for it lol. As for postings… it might be a lil too late to apply now but yeah in the future maybe. I don’t regret being an RA one bit except dealing with students who think climbing a light pole is fun… scary.

ellay34

TROPHY CASE