Physical Oceanography

San Diego is a lively, rapidly growing region with beautiful beaches, nearby mountains and deserts, and pleasant weather. Many opportunities exist to get a break from, or expand on, your graduate studies. Read on to learn some of the cultural, sports and recreation, housing, transportation and outdoors opportunities the area has to offer.

Arts and Culture

Balboa Park is the cultural heart of San Diego. Covering over 1,200 acres, the park holds a wide variety of museums with permanent and traveling exhibitions. The most famous attraction is the San Diego Zoo which has attractively priced student memberships. But, not to be missed are opportunities at the the San Diego Museum of Art, whose recent special exhibit featured paintings by Monet. The free Sunday Spreckels Organ Concerts are popular with tourists and locals alike and the OmniMax movies at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center offer a great interlude to studying.

On campus, the UCSD Crafts Center offers a broad assortment of classes, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, and neon. The Stuart Collection at UCSD integrates sculpture into campus and campus life. The La Jolla Playhouse, also right on campus, produces high caliber plays that theatergoers love.

Interested in more? Check out the long list of San Diego area arts and attractions for plays, wine tours, and museums that match your specific interests.

Sports and Recreation

San Diego has a physically active population. A number of nationally recognized athletes choose to live in San Diego County because the favorable climate and training facilities ease year-round training. SIO graduate students have the opportunity to participate in sports and recreational activities at all levels.

Graduate students can take full advantage of all of UCSD's sports facilities. UCSD sports programs include intramural sports, sports classes, and master's clubs. The pools, the Outback Climbing Center, and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center are used by many students. Other popular sports activities among students are swimming around Scripps Pier and, of course, surfing.

Housing

UCSD graduate student housing is preferred by some students because of its proximity to Scripps. The campus Coast Apartments are especially convenient for SIO students. Other students choose to live off-campus, perhaps in one of the beach communities. SIO students often share housing with other graduate students. The San Diego Reader is a common place to find off-campus housing listings, offering both rental listings and roommates wanted. The Reader housing classifieds are organized by location. Although some students venture farther afield, most students live between Solana Beach in the north and Ocean Beach in the south. In rough north to south order, students may find housing in Solana Beach, Del Mar, UTC, University City, UCSD, La Jolla Colony, La Jolla Shores, La Jolla, Clairemont, Windansea, Bird Rock, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, and Ocean Beach.

Getting Around

While many people feel that a car is necessary for southern California living, students living within a few miles of SIO may find that the UCSD transportation options serve their transportation needs. Using the UCSD/SDT bus sticker program, students ride for free on certain routes in the vicinity of campus. Check out the San Diego Public Transit pages to view bus, trolley, and train routes. The region's fair weather is conducive to bicycle commuting, and the UCSD Pedal Club can be used alone or in conjunction with the free bus pass program. Member cyclists receive a number of advantages, including local merchant discounts and a free occasional use campus parking permit. UCSD also encourages the use of carpools and vanpools.

Outdoors

San Diego's location and the southern California climate make outdoor exploration a very popular pastime. Quite close to SIO and suitable for day or afternoon walking, hiking or trail-running trips are the Torrey Pines State Reserve and State Beach, Carmel Mountain Preserve, and the Mission Trails Regional Park, which is also suitable for mountain biking.

Going farther afield, a wide variety of public lands lie close enough to explore within overnight trips, but are diverse and large enough that they are suitable for week-long camping. California is fortunate to have a large number of National Parks, which complement the California State Park system. Many are within a day's drive of San Diego. The Anza Borrego Desert State Park is a nearby state park that is particularly popular during the winter wildflower season. Joshua Tree National Park, the national park closest to San Diego, is well-liked by the region's climbers.

Physical Oceanography at Scripps