Student Life

UC Merced welcomed back thousands of students to campus for the start of the university's 19th academic year!

From Aug. 17-20, family and friends joined incoming Bobcats as they arrived on campus throughout move-in weekend. As they settle into the residence halls, student and staff volunteers were on-hand to help and answer questions. Almost 4,200 undergraduate students will reside in on-campus housing this academic year. (Click to scroll)

Just in time for the start of the academic year, UC Merced's newest landmark has opened —The Labyrinth.

Located in Kelley Grove overlooking Little Lake, UC Merced Art Director Collin Lewis calls The Labryinth "a testament to our university's commitment to fostering creativity, contemplation and community engagement."

UC Merced is preparing to welcome back thousands of students to campus for the start of the university's 19th academic year.

From Aug. 17-20, family and friends will join incoming Bobcats as they arrive on campus throughout move-in weekend. As they settle into the residence halls, student and staff volunteers will be ready to help and answer questions. Almost 4,200 undergraduate students will reside in on-campus housing this academic year.

UC Merced students will present research conducted over the summer at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The research presentations mark the end of the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI), a nine-week program conducted and hosted by UROC. This summer, over 160 undergraduate students worked alongside UC Merced faculty and graduate students to conduct research in every discipline offered on campus.

After taking part in the UC Merced Center for Analytic Political Engagement 's inaugural legislative boot camp, students say they are better prepared to take on the first internships of their careers.

The week-long session in Sacramento was led by former Assemblymember Adam Gray and political science Professor Nate Monroe and gave a cohort of nine students a look behind the curtain at how policymaking happens at the state Capitol.

UC Merced is highlighting incoming students for fall 2023 — a dynamic, diverse and accomplished cohort of new Bobcats.

When Clovis native and lifelong volleyball player Morgan Wilson first began exploring her options to play at the collegiate level, her path was not clear. She had several out-of-state opportunities, none of which felt like the right fit.

"I didn't even feel a spark with a lot of the schools," she said.

Then she visited UC Merced.

For Joslyn Conchas, becoming a physician wasn’t always the plan.

“I wanted to be a veterinarian, but that was before I saw firsthand how impactful health disparities are within my community,” she said.

Her grandfather was ill and she witnessed his struggles with the healthcare system while he was in and out of the hospital.

Incoming Bobcat Benji Thier already knows what he wants to do with his college degree: Save the planet.

“I am planning to study Environmental Systems Science because I did some environmental work in high school and I think it is a very important and relevant field,” he said. “I believe we need more people in this field because we need to save our planet.”

Thier, a Tiburon native and graduate of Redwood High School, visited the campus on Bobcat Day and was impressed with how much environmentally related research is being conducted.

Since age 5, Preston Nguyen has been kicking around a soccer ball.

“I have been consumed by the sport ever since,” the Turlock native said. “I can play any role in the midfield, but I usually play as a defensive midfielder.”

The incoming management and business economics major is joining UC Merced this fall as part of the men’s soccer team on an athletic scholarship.

UC Merced and the Yosemite Community College District (YCCD) have partnered to further extend access for transfer students in the Central Valley.

By signing the Merced Promise Pathway Program memorandum of understanding, the two institutions give students attending YCCD - which includes Modesto Junior College and Columbia College - a clear, streamlined pathway to UC Merced as well as a multitude of support options to help them prepare for life at a four-year university.