This place is as great as the stories describe them to be.
Going to college here is an embodiment of the American dream.
Imagine every single positive aspect of the Ivy League schools and combine them with the uplifitng environment of California.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Numbers don't tell the whole story. My GPA was only a 3.56 and my ACT score was 30 (pretty average for a Cal Student). What secured my spot in the class of 2019 was my essay, where I wrote about my language learning ability, describing not just how it allowed me to learn 4 new languages other than my 2 native toungues, English and Mandarin, but also the process that I used in essentially desciphering the gramar and vocabulary of Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Norwegian. When it comes to addmissions at Cal, prioritize your intellec of grades. Anyone can grind out a 4.0 GPA if they try hard enough, but grades won't mean a thing if your mind has no intelectual value. If you are good at writing stories, write away. If you are good at playing the violin, play away. If you are good at painting, paint away. Show those in charge of admisions that you can bring something that is intelectually sound to the table instead of a report card.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Cal is a winning formula. Here is a school with the education quality that is at the same level of the Ivy leagues, but with nowhere near the ammount of stress, competition, and suicide rates. The cold temperature in the winter here means that students will have less incentive for going out in the 40 degree night weather and study instead, while the lack of snow means that students won't be discouraged from walking to class. People here are alot more open to seeking help, should they not understand something, and the fact that there are dedicated Facebook groups for such matters means that in some cases, students won't even need to go to the dedicated Student Learning Center for a free tutoring session. Cal is by no means a walk in the park however. Students should still maintain an active learing mindset and a can-do attitude for there time here.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The only complain that I have is that my room wasn't air conditioned, so when temperatures reach above 75 degrees, it is best to close your windows and curtains, and switch on your fans. Our floor was big enough so that none of us felt cramped up, yet it was small enough for all of us to become friendly with each other. Each floor in each building has a lounge with tables and a sofa, so should you become bored with studying in your dorm, but don't want to walk all the way to a library, you can set up shop inside the lounge. I wouldn't recommend using the dorm wifi, for anything more than reading articles online, for the network can get quite bogged down when everyone in the building is connected. To remedy this, simply have an ethernet cable handy, and video streaming/gaming, will no longer be out of the question.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Berkeley's Cal Dining program is a favorite among students. Along with the 4 resident dining halls, Cal Dining also consists of a number of Cafes, convenient stores, and fast food joints, all of which accept Cal Dining's payment program, known as Meal Points. Payments are made using the student ID card, meaning that there is no need to carry around a separate card. Food wise, Cal Dining offers a variety of dishes from cuisines around the world, a reflection of the cultural mosaic that is 21st century California. Students almost always have great things to say about the food offered by Cal Dining, but should they fancy something else, there are a massive number of resturants and markets scattered within walking distance from campus. Asian resturaunts are particularly good here as, there is an entire block off campus known as the Asian Ghetto, where students flock to everyday for Korean barbeque, Japanese sushi or ramen, Chinese pot stickers, and Indian curry and tandoori.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Excluding the fact that San Francisco is easily accessable via BART, Berkeley has its own list of activities for the bored student. Recreational sports, clubs, student unions, and Fraternities and Sororities, occupy the campus, giving each student, no shortage of activities to do. Freshmen are given free passes to all of the football games, something that most upperclassmen are extremely jealous of, for Cal's sports venues are some of the most sought after in the state. If any of this fails, talking refuge on Netflix or League of Legends in your dorm isn't a farfetched desicion, for as long as you have an ethernet cable, as mentioned earlier.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
As an out-of-state student, $57k per year is a heafty payment, so to compensate, my parents were forced to postpone their retirement. While students are actively protesting to decrease this cost, out-of-state students should still take full advantage of what they've payed for and make the most of their Cal experience. It is worth noting that the prestige behind the name UC Berkeley, is one that will carry over to those searching for jobs in competitive markets. Cal alumni have told us stories about how when they submitted their job applications, they were singled out for having been students at Cal, and held above the rest of the contenders.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
The bad-grades-but-high-test-score type students
The innovative students
The opinionated, vocal students
The I-never-really-fit-in-during-high-school type students
The I-want-to-change-the-world type students
The thick skinned students
The politically active students
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Clubs send representatives to hand out fliers to people who walk through the campus main entrance each day. Most people end up finding a club that interests them within the first month of classes. Apart from clubs, Cal also offers classes known as DeCals, which are very similar to student led clubs, but are graded, and will count as academic credits, should you pass them. DeCals can cover a wide variety of topics ranging from Pokemon to politcal reform.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Apart from having our own police department, Cal also has bear walk - a service where a security guard will escort any student on foot to a given destination, Bear Transit - a shuttle bus service for students, and free bus passes for students. The city of Berkeley itself is still shady in certain areas, so it is advised that students travel at their own risk. Students have been mugged before at gun point outside of campus, and just a month ago, as I write this, someone was abducted from outside campus.
This place is as great as the stories describe them to be. Going to college here is an embodiment of the American dream. Imagine every single positive aspect of the Ivy League schools and combine them with the uplifitng environment of California.
Numbers don't tell the whole story. My GPA was only a 3.56 and my ACT score was 30 (pretty average for a Cal Student). What secured my spot in the class of 2019 was my essay, where I wrote about my language learning ability, describing not just how it allowed me to learn 4 new languages other than my 2 native toungues, English and Mandarin, but also the process that I used in essentially desciphering the gramar and vocabulary of Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Norwegian. When it comes to addmissions at Cal, prioritize your intellec of grades. Anyone can grind out a 4.0 GPA if they try hard enough, but grades won't mean a thing if your mind has no intelectual value. If you are good at writing stories, write away. If you are good at playing the violin, play away. If you are good at painting, paint away. Show those in charge of admisions that you can bring something that is intelectually sound to the table instead of a report card.
Cal is a winning formula. Here is a school with the education quality that is at the same level of the Ivy leagues, but with nowhere near the ammount of stress, competition, and suicide rates. The cold temperature in the winter here means that students will have less incentive for going out in the 40 degree night weather and study instead, while the lack of snow means that students won't be discouraged from walking to class. People here are alot more open to seeking help, should they not understand something, and the fact that there are dedicated Facebook groups for such matters means that in some cases, students won't even need to go to the dedicated Student Learning Center for a free tutoring session. Cal is by no means a walk in the park however. Students should still maintain an active learing mindset and a can-do attitude for there time here.
The only complain that I have is that my room wasn't air conditioned, so when temperatures reach above 75 degrees, it is best to close your windows and curtains, and switch on your fans. Our floor was big enough so that none of us felt cramped up, yet it was small enough for all of us to become friendly with each other. Each floor in each building has a lounge with tables and a sofa, so should you become bored with studying in your dorm, but don't want to walk all the way to a library, you can set up shop inside the lounge. I wouldn't recommend using the dorm wifi, for anything more than reading articles online, for the network can get quite bogged down when everyone in the building is connected. To remedy this, simply have an ethernet cable handy, and video streaming/gaming, will no longer be out of the question.
Berkeley's Cal Dining program is a favorite among students. Along with the 4 resident dining halls, Cal Dining also consists of a number of Cafes, convenient stores, and fast food joints, all of which accept Cal Dining's payment program, known as Meal Points. Payments are made using the student ID card, meaning that there is no need to carry around a separate card. Food wise, Cal Dining offers a variety of dishes from cuisines around the world, a reflection of the cultural mosaic that is 21st century California. Students almost always have great things to say about the food offered by Cal Dining, but should they fancy something else, there are a massive number of resturants and markets scattered within walking distance from campus. Asian resturaunts are particularly good here as, there is an entire block off campus known as the Asian Ghetto, where students flock to everyday for Korean barbeque, Japanese sushi or ramen, Chinese pot stickers, and Indian curry and tandoori.
Excluding the fact that San Francisco is easily accessable via BART, Berkeley has its own list of activities for the bored student. Recreational sports, clubs, student unions, and Fraternities and Sororities, occupy the campus, giving each student, no shortage of activities to do. Freshmen are given free passes to all of the football games, something that most upperclassmen are extremely jealous of, for Cal's sports venues are some of the most sought after in the state. If any of this fails, talking refuge on Netflix or League of Legends in your dorm isn't a farfetched desicion, for as long as you have an ethernet cable, as mentioned earlier.
As an out-of-state student, $57k per year is a heafty payment, so to compensate, my parents were forced to postpone their retirement. While students are actively protesting to decrease this cost, out-of-state students should still take full advantage of what they've payed for and make the most of their Cal experience. It is worth noting that the prestige behind the name UC Berkeley, is one that will carry over to those searching for jobs in competitive markets. Cal alumni have told us stories about how when they submitted their job applications, they were singled out for having been students at Cal, and held above the rest of the contenders.
The bad-grades-but-high-test-score type students The innovative students The opinionated, vocal students The I-never-really-fit-in-during-high-school type students The I-want-to-change-the-world type students The thick skinned students The politically active students
Clubs send representatives to hand out fliers to people who walk through the campus main entrance each day. Most people end up finding a club that interests them within the first month of classes. Apart from clubs, Cal also offers classes known as DeCals, which are very similar to student led clubs, but are graded, and will count as academic credits, should you pass them. DeCals can cover a wide variety of topics ranging from Pokemon to politcal reform.
Apart from having our own police department, Cal also has bear walk - a service where a security guard will escort any student on foot to a given destination, Bear Transit - a shuttle bus service for students, and free bus passes for students. The city of Berkeley itself is still shady in certain areas, so it is advised that students travel at their own risk. Students have been mugged before at gun point outside of campus, and just a month ago, as I write this, someone was abducted from outside campus.