Davis IS in the middle of nowhere, but you can be in the East Bay in an hour, and Sac in 15 minutes, so it's not that bad. It's hotter than hell in the summer though, just like sac, but you'll probably be back home then anyway. Davis is a college town like any other, really, but less scenic than a lot (think Santa Cruz) of course, unless you're majoring in underwater basketweaving, Davis is the superior school. I think the reason that it's as good a school as it is might be partly due to it's location in the middle of the valley. No one wants to go there to party or anything, so it's attracted a crowd of people who actually want to go to school to get an education. That's not to say you'll never find a party there, but it's definitely not Santa Barbara, just regular college parties, but not a party school. Davis is a nice little town.