UCSB Department of Earth Science

school is beautiful and the view of the beach is just to awesome!!!

Best department ever. We have the exclusive maclab and bagel sales on Tuesdays (sometimes). Everyone is friendly and interested in geology just as much as the next person in Webb Hall (unless you’re a undergrad just taking a geology class for a GE) but overall, this is my second home :)

I said it in a previous review, so here I am doing it. I make good on my words. At least, I try. It’s a code I live by, kinda like a pirate code. Anyhooz…
Without a doubt, a large part of my adult making was fashioned by my association with the fine professors and colleagues that made up my college career. I don’t know where I would be, or even who I would be, today without these peoples’ wonderful guidance over my life for 5 terribly short years.
There was a saying amongst us — Once you go geo, you can never go back. No truer words were ever spoken.
I personally can’t think of that many other majours where, once you take a Geology 101 course, you can’t view the world through the same eyes ever again. So much love I have for this majour; but mind you, I actually majoured in a very special field subcategorized from these supreme beings — a little known field called Paleobiology. «What’s that?» you say. Why, it’s the study of ancient animals; more specifically, prehistoric animals. As I once told my mum all those years ago when she wished for me to study veterinary medicine — «Mom, yes, I do love animals. But I love them even more when they’re dead.» Strike that. Make that millions of years dead.
So what makes geology, and more particularly this department, so worthy of praise? of 5 über stars and more? Can ya really ask me that?
It’s pure love, baby!
In no other majour can you find a WHOLE department chock full of HOT ladies and gents, all with the same desires and passions as you for all things hard and bony. (Oh, did I mention that geology’s perhaps the dirtiest majour ever, pun intended? I didn’t? My bad. Consider yourself warned) In case you’re confused, yes — geology is the study of rocks. But because paleontology is part of the geology department, I made the bony reference.
I think I’m digressing. I blame the extra beer I had tonight.
Webb Hall houses my beloved department, and, not only is it filled to the brim with über hot grads and undergrads, but some of this country’s finest professors. In fact, we had a lot of national heavyweights walking amongst us at any given time. My own dear professors (there were only 2 on faculty that had anything to do with paleo stuffs) were world reknowned for their findings and breakthroughs in the paleo realm. I miss them a lot. I wonder sometimes what they’d say should they ever find out what became of me.
Back to the subject. The entire building is stunning, and I recommend a field trip around and through it should you ever be in the area. Located in what I used to call the «hard core» section of campus, this area housed the Biology, Geology, Chemisty and Physics departments. And then there’s a little path that leads to the Engineering area, but that’s an entirely different kind of review. Let’s not go there, shall we?
Stretching from the Physics department, past our little brick building, and to the end of the Biology department spans a row of tall eucalytpus trees. I love eucalyptus trees. Not only do they drive all manner of bugs away from the area, but also there’s nothing quite like coming out of the building after getting your rocks on to the lovely and enchanting fragrance of the boughs, swaying gently in the warm breezes that would drift in from the adjacent beaches. You’ll find your peace there, amongst those buildings and trees.
In and around our wonderful 2-​level brick building are the massive rock gardens. One way to tell if you’re a geologist is if your rock garden is inside your house. Trust, we had it covered! One of my favourite tales is of how one of our profs, during an intro course, fooled one of his students into licking one of our rocks. Mayhaps I’ll tell you the tale and explain the joke sometime. I always find it hilarious.
Aside from the trees and the rocks, we also had the coolest computer lab. I spent many hours there, both day and night, engrossed in all things techie. This is where my love affair for computers truly started. I used to sleep with them. They knew me better than my boyfriend did.
One day I’ll go back there and visit. But until then, you should go visit, dear Unilocaler. Perhaps you, too, shall discover a love that you didn’t know existed. Perhaps you, too, shall be mesmerized by all the fine men and women roaming those very halls. Then, we’ll have yet another thing in common. We’ll talk.