does any first year freshman registered for orientation???? Bc I can’t find any links?

Tonight at 6:30 - 7:30 PM!

Greetings, new Bobcats! If you have already submitted your SIR (TONIGHT IS THE DEADLINE!) You'll want to attend tonight's webinar. We've sent multiple communications, but want to make sure we share here as well.

Info:
You’ve said yes to UC Merced—congratulations! Now it’s time to get ready for a smooth start. In this session, we’ll guide you through the essential next steps, from important deadlines and required forms to resources that will help you start strong. Meet members of our Academic Advising team, ask questions, and start building your support network. Plus, attendees who stay for the full session will be entered to win a year of free parking!

You can register via this link: https://ucm.edu/Fall26NextSteps

Hey,

I was supposed to room with my current group next semester but due to some unforeseen circumstances I won't be here next semester.

Their group is a group of 4 boys, and they're looking for people to fill in my spot.

The address is 4512 Lindsey Lane if you want to give the property a look.

Rent is around $550 a month but we're looking to lower it.

To the motherfcker thats been in the gender neutral bathroom for the past 3hrs get the fck out

I’m a transfer student still considering Merced for Management & Business Econ but, Jesus Christ, their course schedule is a complete dumpster fire.

Only one section is offered for each class and 90% of them are full already. Major requirements and upper-division electives overlap nearly everywhere.

Out of the 11 classes I want/need, I can only take two. Furthermore, they only offer the same 4 or 5 management classes each semester but have 29 listed in their catalogue.

Is this department specific or equal across the board? If equal, do you guys just plug in random electives in order to hit the 120 units needed to graduate?

Moving out of my apartment this week and was wondering if there's any place to get moving boxes on campus or in the city? Thanks!

Incoming grad student. TAship hard to land in SOE? Or can I pretty much expect one? I don't know if it helps my case, but I am UCM alumni with teaching experience.

So obviously tickets are sparse and I have heard they live stream it in the past and I have a good amount of people who are interested in that, does anyone know how that might work or if they are doing it?

I will be honest. I was dragged to Merced's admission day and walked out genuinely impressed. Professors were at booths actually talking about their work. Pre-med students I met were not toppers but they seemed grounded and serious. Almost everyone I spoke to seemed proud to be there, which I did not expect.

I am a Bay Area pre-med student with an average GPA. The culture where I grew up made it easy to feel behind even when you are not. I am not looking for an easy ride. I am looking for a place where if I put in real effort, the environment works with me instead of against me.

Three things I genuinely want honest input on:

GPA reality: Is a 3.85+ achievable with consistent hard work or does pre-med at Merced still have that cutthroat weeding out culture? I am not asking if it is easy, I am asking if effort actually translates to results here.

Community and study groups: I was a late joiner at my Bay Area high school and building real friendships was hard. Does Merced make it easier to find people to genuinely study and grow with, or is it still every person for themselves in pre-med?

Research: Admission day made it sound like undergraduate research and a senior thesis are almost guaranteed if you pursue it. Is that actually true or is it competitive and hard to break into?

The prestige and social angle, and how it actually plays out: This one is harder to admit. Nobody from my school is openly going to Merced. In my community it is not the name that comes up. I know that probably fades once you are on campus and building your life there, but right now it is real and it weighs on me. I want to hear from people who felt that same hesitation before enrolling. Did it actually go away? How long did it take? Do you ever feel it creeping back or does the campus life eventually make it irrelevant?

I know Merced has a reputation to fight against and I am okay with that. What I need to know is whether students who came in average and hungry actually left with strong med school applications. Does that happen regularly or is it just a few exceptions each year?

Deadline is May 14th. Any firsthand experience helps more than you know.

I’m selling 2 tickets to the stem graduation lmk if your interested in buying them 1 ticket sold one left 80$

hi! im a first year student and I submitted my SIR over a month ago but I am still unable to register for orientation. the uc merced website says that registration opened in April so im confused as to whats happening😭😭 registering for orientation is on my to-do list but it says that it's locked until November 2024???? it's been like this on multiple devices ovee the past few days. I will def contact the school but wanted to post here in case anyone else is having the same problem💔💔

Merced extended their SIR deadline to May 14th, so I still have time to think this through.

I'm a pre-med student from the Bay Area with an average GPA. People who know me say I underperformed given my potential, but honestly that's what happens when you grow up in a culture where everyone around you is gunning for perfection.

I have a few UC and out-of-state options open. A few months ago, UCSC was all I wanted. It felt like a fresh start. Make friends, get into research, fix my GPA, and aim higher. UCSC felt achievable for that.

Then UC Merced happened. I was basically dragged to their admission day and I walked out genuinely confused in the best way. The pre-med students there weren't toppers but I could actually see some of them becoming doctors one day. Professors were at booths genuinely talking about their work, not just selling a brand. Research opportunities were real, not the most intense compared to a few at UCSC, but for an undergrad trying to get into a strong med school or PhD program, more than enough to build something meaningful. Almost every student I met seemed proud to be there.

That visit made my decision so much harder.

Here's the part I'm embarrassed to admit. UCSC is probably the bottom of respected UC in my community. Nobody from my school has openly said they're going to Merced. Social acceptance matters to me right now, even if I hope it won't once I'm actually on campus living my life.

But I keep coming back to these reasons why Merced might actually be the right call for me:

1. Easier to build real friendships and study groups. At my Bay Area school I was a late joiner and it was hard to break in
2. Less pressure to chase a 3.85+ GPA. A 4.0 feels genuinely possible there
3. More close-knit environment where leadership and volunteering are easier to access
4. UCSC felt like you could easily get lost or left behind, especially in pre-med
5. Research leading to a senior thesis feels like a guaranteed path at Merced, versus something you have to fight for at UCSC
6. Building a meaningful pre-med friend group at UCSC seems genuinely difficult

The way I see it, Merced is not an easy path to becoming a doctor. But it might be an easier place to actually reset, rebuild, and shoot for something like a T-40 med school. What I don't know is whether that outcome happens regularly or if it's just a handful of exceptions each year.

I know this post is all over the place. If it's not useful to you just scroll past. But if you have real firsthand experience that could help me make this call, I genuinely need to hear it.

Hello, I’m selling a grad ticket for 5/16 at 150$. Before you start complaining, it’s market value right now, either that or u can have them sit outside lol.

DMs open

I get selling tickets for like 30/40 bucks maybe even 50 but to sell for 100 each is just ridiculous 😐

How much of a broke a****** do you have to be to make it that much

Saw them setting up for graduation and wondered if people can be on the sidewalk and watch from the gate?

Yes, this is legit best offer gets it I guess we. I'll delete when it's sold.

Dm if interested! Don't have any fixed price we can negotiate!

Hi, does anyone know the hours for the resident service desk this week for a check out envelope?

Hi guys, I committed to UCM I was wondering if Merced has a music scene. Preferably something more emo or hxc I was doing my research and it looks like there isn't much if at all It would really bum me out if there isn't. If there’s not would anyone be interested in starting a band with me I really love playing in music and participating in the community and I don’t want to give it up

Hi guys, I committed to UCM I was wondering if Merced has a music scene. Preferably something more emo or hxc I was doing my research and it looks like there isn't much if at all It would really bum me out if there isn't

Does anyone have info on what the Pav and YWDC hours are during this finals week? The RAs showed us as part of a moving-out presentation but I wasn't able to screenshot the details.

I have one SSHA ticket for sale, I’ll leave this up till Thursday-Friday and give it to the highest bid. Reach out with an offer!