We Gaucho Back Part 7: UCSB, is it a Party School? + Resources

If you mention you’re going to UCSB to someone, chances are they’re going to hit you with “isn’t that a party school?” And, outside of our #7 Ranking for National Public Schools, they are somewhat right.

To welcome in the new school year, the fraternities host what we call Sunday Funday which takes place on the first Sunday of fall quarter. Dayges, or day parties, are held at virtually every fraternity chapter house. The best part of these parties is the water activities at each house. Foam, pools, dunk tanks, waterslides - you name it, it's there.

The biggest weekend of the year occurs on the first weekend back from Spring Break. Deltopiais an experience you won't find anywhere other than Isla Vista. Formerly known as Floatopia, students used to take their floats out and have a party on the ocean.

For understandable safety reasons, the police have closed the beaches on this weekend and now parties take place on nearly every oceanside Del Playa house. While these two big events uphold UCSB's party school reputation on its own, you won't have trouble finding parties on a weekly basis in Isla Vista.

Another great way to spend your weekends in Isla Vista is concert parties. The music scene here is something so special to our little coastal town. With the amount of talented people here, you can find multiple concert parties a night.

While the majority of the music played consists of Indie Surf Rock, there is still a wide variety of music genres, from Folk/Bluegrass to Heavy Metal. For updates on concert parties, follow "@soundsofiv" on Instagram!

During Spring Quarter, IV Recreation & Park District holds Music in the Park which takes place every Saturday. Local and out-of-town bands come together at Anisq'Oyo Park to jam out.

However, the biggest music event of the year is held by the school. At the end of each school year, the Associated Students Program Board puts together Extravaganza, UCSB's music festival. Admission is free with your Student ID. Here, there's something for everyone - featuring big name artists of all genres. Some headliners in years past have been Odesza, Playboi Carti, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Sublime, Dayglow, and more!

UCSB does have a reputation of work hard, play hard, but due to some of the crazier incidents in our past, many members of our community have made significant efforts to curtail some of the dangers with this culture and the stereotypes associated with it. For instance, greek life members are required to go to a range of workshops which teach everything from healthy relationships & consent to safe party habits.

As we mentioned earlier, the Gaucho FYI is a great system for teaching new students, both freshmen and transfers, how to operate safely during their time in college. This set of workshops is mandatory and covers topics such as over-consumption of alcohol and drugs to general safety practices, such as not biking or skating while under the influence. Both of these workshop styles are very thorough and actually have well-vetted information that actually sticks with you throughout your time here.

Wherever you might find yourself, always remember to be safe and stay with a group, as this is often the best way to make sure you all have a good time and make it back home safely. 

From all of us on the Island View Crew, we want to sincerely welcome you to University of California, Santa Barbara.

If you have any questions regarding any of this, or if there is a topic we might have missed, please DM us on Instagram @islandviewoutfitters or email us at hello@islandviewoutfitters.com.

With love, deep in the heart of Isla Vista.