Berkeley is a great school chock full of award-winning, book-publishing, enthusiastic professors who really know their stuff. If you take classes you're really interested in, you'll learn more. Don't forget about office hours, tutoring sessions, and study groups. Besides the required curriculum, there are a whole lot of opportunities to expand your view of the world - theater, symposia, films, lectures, and of course the occasional crazy person giving a speech on Sproul.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Whatever you're into, you'll find it here. Cal has all sorts of sports to participate in: basketball, football, soccer, baseball, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and a bunch more. There are fraternities and sororities, religious groups, service clubs, career clubs, and musical groups. I personally have been having a blast as a member of the Cal Band. If you'd rather be a spectator, you can listen to choirs, jazz and rock bands performing on Sproul any day of the week. Zellerbach Hall on campus has hosted world-renowned musicians and dance companies. And the bay area is home to loads of music and dance clubs. Don't forget to play tourist in San Francisco!
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
It's true that as UC Berkeley's funding is shrinking, tuition is increasing. Still, you can't beat the college experience. If you're in the dorms, you'll get a meal plan. You can eat at the buffet-style dining commons, which serves some pretty good food in my opinion. The hall staff organizes a bunch of cool activities for dorm residents. There's tons of free or nearly-free entertainment. You can see student group performances for under $5 a lot of the time. And people-watching on Memorial Glade is always. Half-naked people sun tanning in the middle of campus? Priceless.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
- Berkeley is a noisy place, even at night. Get yourself some ear plugs if you're not a heavy sleeper.
- The professors do actually care about you. Even if you're in a 400-person lecture hall, don't be afraid to ask questions.
- Don't drive yourself crazy studying. Get up and talk to people every few hours. Walk around, get a frozen yogurt. Then get back to work.
- Lastly, UC Berkeley is what you call the academic, research-oriented campus. Cal is the fun, sports-winning, spirited side of campus. Don't go to a football game and yell GO UC BERKELEY!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
There are different kinds of students at UC Berkeley, but I'll oversimplify:
If you are the overachieving, type A, stress-prone type, you should calm down a bit when you come to Cal. I worry about floormates I've seen staying up all night on Red Bull and doing nothing but complaining about work. You got in. Congratulations! You deserve to have some fun.
If, like me, you coasted through high school and got A's without trying too hard, Berkeley is not quite as easy. You might have to actually study. My high school 3.73 GPA turned into a 2.87. Shameful, I know. Crack them books!
Berkeley is a great school chock full of award-winning, book-publishing, enthusiastic professors who really know their stuff. If you take classes you're really interested in, you'll learn more. Don't forget about office hours, tutoring sessions, and study groups. Besides the required curriculum, there are a whole lot of opportunities to expand your view of the world - theater, symposia, films, lectures, and of course the occasional crazy person giving a speech on Sproul.
Whatever you're into, you'll find it here. Cal has all sorts of sports to participate in: basketball, football, soccer, baseball, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and a bunch more. There are fraternities and sororities, religious groups, service clubs, career clubs, and musical groups. I personally have been having a blast as a member of the Cal Band. If you'd rather be a spectator, you can listen to choirs, jazz and rock bands performing on Sproul any day of the week. Zellerbach Hall on campus has hosted world-renowned musicians and dance companies. And the bay area is home to loads of music and dance clubs. Don't forget to play tourist in San Francisco!
It's true that as UC Berkeley's funding is shrinking, tuition is increasing. Still, you can't beat the college experience. If you're in the dorms, you'll get a meal plan. You can eat at the buffet-style dining commons, which serves some pretty good food in my opinion. The hall staff organizes a bunch of cool activities for dorm residents. There's tons of free or nearly-free entertainment. You can see student group performances for under $5 a lot of the time. And people-watching on Memorial Glade is always. Half-naked people sun tanning in the middle of campus? Priceless.
- Berkeley is a noisy place, even at night. Get yourself some ear plugs if you're not a heavy sleeper. - The professors do actually care about you. Even if you're in a 400-person lecture hall, don't be afraid to ask questions. - Don't drive yourself crazy studying. Get up and talk to people every few hours. Walk around, get a frozen yogurt. Then get back to work. - Lastly, UC Berkeley is what you call the academic, research-oriented campus. Cal is the fun, sports-winning, spirited side of campus. Don't go to a football game and yell GO UC BERKELEY!
There are different kinds of students at UC Berkeley, but I'll oversimplify: If you are the overachieving, type A, stress-prone type, you should calm down a bit when you come to Cal. I worry about floormates I've seen staying up all night on Red Bull and doing nothing but complaining about work. You got in. Congratulations! You deserve to have some fun. If, like me, you coasted through high school and got A's without trying too hard, Berkeley is not quite as easy. You might have to actually study. My high school 3.73 GPA turned into a 2.87. Shameful, I know. Crack them books!