🎉 Welcome Visiting Students! 🎉
We are thrilled to welcome students from other institutions to our lab and academic community at UCSF. Below, you will find resources to help you settle into San Francisco, find housing, navigate the city, and make the most of your time here.
🎓 UCSF Resources
As a visiting student at UCSF, you have access to a variety of academic, wellness, and professional development resources. UCSF is committed to fostering a supportive environment that ensures student success both inside and outside the classroom. Whether you're looking for community engagement, mental health resources, or career advancement programs, UCSF has a wealth of support systems to help you thrive during your time here.
- APM 430 - Visiting Undergraduate and Graduate Students - This is a must-visit page policies/guidelines for visiting students at UCSF.
- New Graduate Students Resources - Essential orientation and onboarding information for incoming UCSF students.
- UCSF Student Wellness - Mental health services, fitness programs, and wellness initiatives to support students.
- UCSF Student Community - Opportunities for networking, social events, and engagement with peers.
- UCSF Student Success Center - Academic and professional development resources designed to help students excel.
🏠 Finding Housing
San Francisco is one of the most vibrant cities in the world, but it is also known for its competitive housing market. It is crucial to start your search early and explore multiple options. Many students opt for shared housing or rent-controlled apartments to make living in the city more affordable. Popular neighborhoods for students include the Inner Sunset, Mission, and Richmond Districts, which offer reasonable access to public transport, restaurants, and grocery stores. Our lab members live in different neighborhoods-- all over the Bay Area. Some prefer to live in on-campus housing, others prefer to share off-campus digs. Most trainees have roommates to share the housing costs. Just ask them about their hoods and how to find roomates (hint, UCSF provides a listserv for this). ! UCSF also provides student housing, which is a great option if you prefer a convenient and academic-friendly environment. Below are some useful resources to help you find housing that fits your needs.
- UCSF Housing for New Applicants - On-campus housing information for UCSF students.
- Zillow - Rental Listings - A great platform to browse available rental properties in San Francisco.
- Craigslist - Apartments - Popular for finding private rentals and roommate opportunities.
- PadMapper - An interactive map for searching rental properties.
- Facebook Housing Groups - Community-based groups for renting or subletting apartments.
🚆 Getting Around
San Francisco has an extensive public transportation network, which makes it relatively easy to navigate the city without a car. Muni buses, streetcars, and the underground Metro system are essential for getting around the city. The BART system is useful for traveling to and from the East Bay or the airport. If you prefer biking, the city offers an increasing number of bike lanes and bike-share programs. For those who want convenience, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are widely available, but they can be expensive during peak hours. If you plan to use public transit regularly, a Clipper Card is a great investment as it works across all Bay Area transit systems. We highly recommend the Muni which stops at UCSF-- and the free UCSF shuttle service (hint, you might consider finding housing near one of the many shuttle stops across the city). Also, its a great city to get in shape... and there are some great bike routes including the wiggle!
- San Francisco Public Transit (Muni) - The city's main transit system, including buses and streetcars.
- BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit - A regional train system connecting SF to surrounding areas.
- Clipper Card - Unified Transit Payment - A single payment system for all transit services in the Bay Area.
- Bike Rentals and Paths - Information on biking options around the city.
🎭 Things to Do
San Francisco is full of culture, history, and entertainment. Whether you love the outdoors, museums, live music, or food, there is something for everyone. The UCSF Parnassus Campus is a virtual epicenter for some of the biggest San Francisco attractions. Some must-visit spots include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and Golden Gate Park, which is home to world-class museums like the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. The city is also known for its vibrant neighborhoods—check out Chinatown for amazing dim sum, the Mission District for incredible Mexican food, and Haight-Ashbury for a taste of San Francisco’s counterculture history. Whatever your interests, there is always something exciting to explore!
- SF Travel Guide - A comprehensive guide to attractions and events in SF.
- Golden Gate National Park - A must-visit for outdoor lovers.
- SFMOMA - Museum of Modern Art - A fantastic museum featuring contemporary and modern art.
- Exploratorium - Science Museum - An interactive science museum for all ages.
We hope you have an amazing time in San Francisco! 🌉🎓
