The classes here are great. The professors are all the best at their field and teach with passion that is tangible. They really are geniuses. The classes taught vary from a class on just mushrooms to hip hop to harry potter to bird watching. I guarantee that if you are looking for a specific class, you will find it (even the most random ones!) We also have what we call DeCals which are classes taught by students themselves on specific topics not offered in the academia courses. Here you will find classes on the Vampire revolution (from Dracula to Twilight), how to play the guitar, wine teaching classes and much more! What I suggest is to take your time with the options. Where else are you going to learn this stuff? By taking classes that interest you, you're taking a giant step toward your future!
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
OF COURSE! What is there NOT to love? The sights, the smells, the beauty all around. This is the best university in the world. I live in the northern side of campus where it is mostly quieter than the south side, and I am just a block away from grocery stores and other great food places. I love going to the movies, and there's three theaters down on Shattuck! You can take the BART to San Francisco and be back before lunch! You will also find the friendliest people here. The hobos on telegraph can be nice and very interesting. And I'm positive this is the only campus with such a cool-nerd attitude. In high school, sometimes I just wanted to sit by myself, and read. And here you can find people finding the softest patch of grass and settling down for a good snack, or book, or a quick sunbath. And its not weird! You can talk to the people and have vigorous arguments and still feel passionate about the subject regardless of disagreements. Everyone and everything is respected! This is also the university that discovered and used compost! We have reusable water, we recycle, and the school is overall very green, very healthy. The restaurants around campus are also all about healthy. You won't find any Taco Bell or any Burger King around here! This simply is a great school and I certainly love it. From my liberal head and henna tattooed face to my tie-dye shirt and Tom shoes, Berkeley has changed me for the better!
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
You'll get your money's worth for sure! There are deals on everything! If you're low on cash for books, you can find online websites just for Berkeley that sell cheap books, or used books that you can return for money back! There are cheap stores located near campus so you don't have to spend much. There are free concerts offered and free previews, free food, free clothing, free music, free books EVERYTHING is free! The only catch is you have to find out where and when. There are so many events that take place on campus that know you're a poor college student, so they reduce prices, or have free previews on certain days and such. The dorms even have their own food plan that is way less than buying food everyday. If you look for cheap housing you will find it! Berkeley is all about freebies. You just gotta catch em all!
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
There's not always a guarantee. The only reason I decided to apply here was because it was a UC. I live in So-Cal, so I grew up hearing the name UCLA a lot.. so much that I was brainwashed into believing that I HAD to go there. Berkeley was always a highly prestigious school way up north that was in league with Stanford. I was positive that In no way possible was I going to get in. It was absurd! A geeky girl like me? No siree bob! But I still applied ( I had a glimmer of hope). And thank God I did! I was accepted and utterly stunned. My scores were good, but not great. My skills were mediocre at best. What I believe put me through was my powerful essay. So don't wait until the last minute! Work through it! Re-read, re-form, re-check! And overall, don't count yourself out of the running! I don't know where I would be if I didn't apply to Berkeley. Nothing is certain! Berkeley has a wide spectrum of students, you might just be the lucky one!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
All. (who work hard of course!) Not all students here are 4.0's with 2380's on their SAT's. I myself am considered geeky, NOT nerdy. Although it is college, and the classes might be hard, it really depends on the person. I strongly believe you can be great at anything if you put in the effort and time. There are people here who are Gods are math, but suck at english. Who take 30 minutes to write an essay and get a perfect score. Who understand everything when it is explained only once. Everyone has their skills, you just have to find them! In classes you might find that jock guy, or that bimbo girl, or any other stereotype;there's only one difference. Unlike high school where there are a variety levels of attention and indifference, Berkeley is all about the competition. You compete with yourself to be as good as you can be at any subject. Here, people all strive for the best, you just have to strive for your best, and you're golden!
The classes here are great. The professors are all the best at their field and teach with passion that is tangible. They really are geniuses. The classes taught vary from a class on just mushrooms to hip hop to harry potter to bird watching. I guarantee that if you are looking for a specific class, you will find it (even the most random ones!) We also have what we call DeCals which are classes taught by students themselves on specific topics not offered in the academia courses. Here you will find classes on the Vampire revolution (from Dracula to Twilight), how to play the guitar, wine teaching classes and much more! What I suggest is to take your time with the options. Where else are you going to learn this stuff? By taking classes that interest you, you're taking a giant step toward your future!
OF COURSE! What is there NOT to love? The sights, the smells, the beauty all around. This is the best university in the world. I live in the northern side of campus where it is mostly quieter than the south side, and I am just a block away from grocery stores and other great food places. I love going to the movies, and there's three theaters down on Shattuck! You can take the BART to San Francisco and be back before lunch! You will also find the friendliest people here. The hobos on telegraph can be nice and very interesting. And I'm positive this is the only campus with such a cool-nerd attitude. In high school, sometimes I just wanted to sit by myself, and read. And here you can find people finding the softest patch of grass and settling down for a good snack, or book, or a quick sunbath. And its not weird! You can talk to the people and have vigorous arguments and still feel passionate about the subject regardless of disagreements. Everyone and everything is respected! This is also the university that discovered and used compost! We have reusable water, we recycle, and the school is overall very green, very healthy. The restaurants around campus are also all about healthy. You won't find any Taco Bell or any Burger King around here! This simply is a great school and I certainly love it. From my liberal head and henna tattooed face to my tie-dye shirt and Tom shoes, Berkeley has changed me for the better!
You'll get your money's worth for sure! There are deals on everything! If you're low on cash for books, you can find online websites just for Berkeley that sell cheap books, or used books that you can return for money back! There are cheap stores located near campus so you don't have to spend much. There are free concerts offered and free previews, free food, free clothing, free music, free books EVERYTHING is free! The only catch is you have to find out where and when. There are so many events that take place on campus that know you're a poor college student, so they reduce prices, or have free previews on certain days and such. The dorms even have their own food plan that is way less than buying food everyday. If you look for cheap housing you will find it! Berkeley is all about freebies. You just gotta catch em all!
There's not always a guarantee. The only reason I decided to apply here was because it was a UC. I live in So-Cal, so I grew up hearing the name UCLA a lot.. so much that I was brainwashed into believing that I HAD to go there. Berkeley was always a highly prestigious school way up north that was in league with Stanford. I was positive that In no way possible was I going to get in. It was absurd! A geeky girl like me? No siree bob! But I still applied ( I had a glimmer of hope). And thank God I did! I was accepted and utterly stunned. My scores were good, but not great. My skills were mediocre at best. What I believe put me through was my powerful essay. So don't wait until the last minute! Work through it! Re-read, re-form, re-check! And overall, don't count yourself out of the running! I don't know where I would be if I didn't apply to Berkeley. Nothing is certain! Berkeley has a wide spectrum of students, you might just be the lucky one!
All. (who work hard of course!) Not all students here are 4.0's with 2380's on their SAT's. I myself am considered geeky, NOT nerdy. Although it is college, and the classes might be hard, it really depends on the person. I strongly believe you can be great at anything if you put in the effort and time. There are people here who are Gods are math, but suck at english. Who take 30 minutes to write an essay and get a perfect score. Who understand everything when it is explained only once. Everyone has their skills, you just have to find them! In classes you might find that jock guy, or that bimbo girl, or any other stereotype;there's only one difference. Unlike high school where there are a variety levels of attention and indifference, Berkeley is all about the competition. You compete with yourself to be as good as you can be at any subject. Here, people all strive for the best, you just have to strive for your best, and you're golden!