In high school, I never imagined there could be so many subjects outside of Math, English, American History, and so on. But at Berkeley, it's hard to decide on what to fill your schedule with because of the hundreds of classes to choose from. You can study almost any subject you can think of and learn from some of the top professors in the world. In your first year or two at Berkeley, you can take classes called Discovery Courses if you are unsure exactly what you want to study. They help students who just want to experience the basics, who want to test the waters before diving in. You can also take seminars that are only open to freshmen and are limited to 20 or less students. In these classes, you can get much of the focus and attention you need and they are only once or twice a week so you can take several. I know many people are undecided when they enter college and it can be scary not knowing what you want to do when you grow up, but a lot of those people don't know that most people at Cal are like that! But the beauty of being undecided is that you can experience MANY different kinds of classes first. You have the opportunity to learn so much more outside of that limited range of high school subjects. What's your interest? Astronomy? Near Eastern Studies? Peace and Conflict Studies? Microbial and Plant Biology? Anything! Go for it!
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
I originally had a choice between UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley. It was a very hard decision for me at first because I had been a SoCal girl all of my life. I had gotten used to the feeling and comforts of being in Southern California. I went to visit Berkeley and it was definitely very different. I realized that it would be the best learning and life experience to live somewhere I had never been before. And now that I have finished my first year there, I LOVE IT. Of course, it can be strange moving into a new place without parents, but it's incredibly exciting too. Berkeley has its own culture and this amazing vibe about it that is all about being open-minded. With that many students at this school, there are so many different types of people. You form relationships with people that truly become lifelong friends. The Berkeley campus is absolutely beautiful. It's free to go up the Campanile and on a clear day, you see beautiful views of the bay. Off-campus, there are two different sides of Berkeley (literally and figuratively). South Side is where all the action happens and will probably be where you live your first year. The dorms there are closest to campus as well as everything else. It's a bit noisier at night but it's actually very exciting to be there. You will see many of the same bums everyday but a lot of them are quite friendly or funny in their own ways. North Side is a bit quieter. The places here are farther from central campus (which is where most freshman and sophomore classes are). You might end up living here your last few years if you like that atmosphere more. But no matter where you are, the food is always great. When home, I still crave Berkeley's specialties.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Berkeley is DEFINITELY cheaper than many other universities in the country, especially if you are a California resident. But it is college and college is never affordable, especially with the recent budget cuts. You have to think about a lot of things like tuition, books, living, food, and other expenses. Berkeley calculates it to about $22,000-$23,000 a year. Your first year might actually be your most expensive. Living in the dorms is definitely more expensive than living off campus because your dorm fees include a meal plan that is actually kind of expensive because it's like you are eating out every meal of everyday. Your next few years may be better if you are living off campus but you have to be able to budget things like rent and groceries for yourself. So it's not as cheap as a community college, but not as expensive as a private schools. However, you are getting a world-class education. So of course it's worth it.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
There are so many great things to know about Berkeley that you will experience on your own, but here is just a few things:
- Your professors care about you. If you are unsure about things, be sure to go to their office hours and ask questions! You will stand out AND know the material better. Also, your professors are usually bored out of their minds in office hours. They HAVE to be there and no one ever walks in for help.
- Berkeley is its own culture so there are certain abbreviations and slang that you will discover around the school. Asian Ghetto, Gourmet Ghetto, CARS, and VLSB are just a few to name. But you will catch on fast so no worries there.
- When going to student orientation, they will have you pick your first round of classes. At Berkeley, we call class-picking Telebears. You do everything on-line. There are 2 phases, Phase I and Phase II (simple). In each phase, you get an appointment time to pick your classes. Always make sure you know what classes you want to sign up for first because you are competing against other students to get into the good ones. REMEMBER TO PICK DISCUSSION SECTION TIMES TOO and factor them into your schedule. These are supplemental classes to lecture that you must attend and they are usually taught by graduate students.
- Even if you are on a waiting list, you probably still have a pretty good chance of getting in (especially if its a class of 500 - 600 students)
- Comegetused.com and Pickaprof.com will probably be your best friends when the new semester comes around. Many people don't know about them but they're very beneficial. Comegetused.com is only for Berkeley students and you can buy books from students who were in the same class in the past. You can usually save about 50% off of your books and the other student could probably make more than if they were selling their books back to the school. It will save a ton of money when you have books that cost over $100. Next is pickaprof.com. It's a lot like ratemyprof...
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Students who are open-minded to all different types of people, students who want a large campus atmosphere, students who aren't bothered by crazy people with portable amplifiers talking about religion or global warming, students who want to get an amazing education in an amazing place, students who want great opportunities. But no matter if you are a crazy overachiever or just a normal student, Berkeley has everything for you. Just know that if you come here, you gotta study sometimes. So it's best for the people who know how to keep a balanced schedule. You are going to want to do a lot and being organized in prioritizing things helps keep you balanced.
In high school, I never imagined there could be so many subjects outside of Math, English, American History, and so on. But at Berkeley, it's hard to decide on what to fill your schedule with because of the hundreds of classes to choose from. You can study almost any subject you can think of and learn from some of the top professors in the world. In your first year or two at Berkeley, you can take classes called Discovery Courses if you are unsure exactly what you want to study. They help students who just want to experience the basics, who want to test the waters before diving in. You can also take seminars that are only open to freshmen and are limited to 20 or less students. In these classes, you can get much of the focus and attention you need and they are only once or twice a week so you can take several. I know many people are undecided when they enter college and it can be scary not knowing what you want to do when you grow up, but a lot of those people don't know that most people at Cal are like that! But the beauty of being undecided is that you can experience MANY different kinds of classes first. You have the opportunity to learn so much more outside of that limited range of high school subjects. What's your interest? Astronomy? Near Eastern Studies? Peace and Conflict Studies? Microbial and Plant Biology? Anything! Go for it!
I originally had a choice between UC Los Angeles and UC Berkeley. It was a very hard decision for me at first because I had been a SoCal girl all of my life. I had gotten used to the feeling and comforts of being in Southern California. I went to visit Berkeley and it was definitely very different. I realized that it would be the best learning and life experience to live somewhere I had never been before. And now that I have finished my first year there, I LOVE IT. Of course, it can be strange moving into a new place without parents, but it's incredibly exciting too. Berkeley has its own culture and this amazing vibe about it that is all about being open-minded. With that many students at this school, there are so many different types of people. You form relationships with people that truly become lifelong friends. The Berkeley campus is absolutely beautiful. It's free to go up the Campanile and on a clear day, you see beautiful views of the bay. Off-campus, there are two different sides of Berkeley (literally and figuratively). South Side is where all the action happens and will probably be where you live your first year. The dorms there are closest to campus as well as everything else. It's a bit noisier at night but it's actually very exciting to be there. You will see many of the same bums everyday but a lot of them are quite friendly or funny in their own ways. North Side is a bit quieter. The places here are farther from central campus (which is where most freshman and sophomore classes are). You might end up living here your last few years if you like that atmosphere more. But no matter where you are, the food is always great. When home, I still crave Berkeley's specialties.
Berkeley is DEFINITELY cheaper than many other universities in the country, especially if you are a California resident. But it is college and college is never affordable, especially with the recent budget cuts. You have to think about a lot of things like tuition, books, living, food, and other expenses. Berkeley calculates it to about $22,000-$23,000 a year. Your first year might actually be your most expensive. Living in the dorms is definitely more expensive than living off campus because your dorm fees include a meal plan that is actually kind of expensive because it's like you are eating out every meal of everyday. Your next few years may be better if you are living off campus but you have to be able to budget things like rent and groceries for yourself. So it's not as cheap as a community college, but not as expensive as a private schools. However, you are getting a world-class education. So of course it's worth it.
There are so many great things to know about Berkeley that you will experience on your own, but here is just a few things: - Your professors care about you. If you are unsure about things, be sure to go to their office hours and ask questions! You will stand out AND know the material better. Also, your professors are usually bored out of their minds in office hours. They HAVE to be there and no one ever walks in for help. - Berkeley is its own culture so there are certain abbreviations and slang that you will discover around the school. Asian Ghetto, Gourmet Ghetto, CARS, and VLSB are just a few to name. But you will catch on fast so no worries there. - When going to student orientation, they will have you pick your first round of classes. At Berkeley, we call class-picking Telebears. You do everything on-line. There are 2 phases, Phase I and Phase II (simple). In each phase, you get an appointment time to pick your classes. Always make sure you know what classes you want to sign up for first because you are competing against other students to get into the good ones. REMEMBER TO PICK DISCUSSION SECTION TIMES TOO and factor them into your schedule. These are supplemental classes to lecture that you must attend and they are usually taught by graduate students. - Even if you are on a waiting list, you probably still have a pretty good chance of getting in (especially if its a class of 500 - 600 students) - Comegetused.com and Pickaprof.com will probably be your best friends when the new semester comes around. Many people don't know about them but they're very beneficial. Comegetused.com is only for Berkeley students and you can buy books from students who were in the same class in the past. You can usually save about 50% off of your books and the other student could probably make more than if they were selling their books back to the school. It will save a ton of money when you have books that cost over $100. Next is pickaprof.com. It's a lot like ratemyprof...
Students who are open-minded to all different types of people, students who want a large campus atmosphere, students who aren't bothered by crazy people with portable amplifiers talking about religion or global warming, students who want to get an amazing education in an amazing place, students who want great opportunities. But no matter if you are a crazy overachiever or just a normal student, Berkeley has everything for you. Just know that if you come here, you gotta study sometimes. So it's best for the people who know how to keep a balanced schedule. You are going to want to do a lot and being organized in prioritizing things helps keep you balanced.