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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
March 17, 2008 |
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If you are considering going to Berkeley, here is what you need to know (opinion from a white, middle-class, out-of-state male; chose Berkeley over UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, and Stanford; Business Administration major; graduated 2007):
1) Berkeley is diverse. Not so much in a racial sense, but rather in the sense that everyone has a mountain of interests, a unique background, and a different take on life. If you enjoy meeting people different from yourself, you will love this part. If you have trouble getting along with people outside your normal group, you might end up isolated.
2) Berkeley students are active. Really active. I have yet to visit a single campus (and I have visited over a dozen across the US) that feels as "alive" as Berkeley. People are always doing something - playing frisbee, trying to hand you club flyers, studying in classrooms during off-hours, singing, dancing, etc. If you like active and activist people, Berkeley will engage you in an amazing way. If you prefer to keep to yourself or take offense when someone on the street wants to talk to you about saving the environment, you might want to think twice about attending Berkeley.
3) Berkeley offers something for everyone, but everything for no one. The sheer number of classes, clubs, organizations, and lifestyle choices available at Berkeley are enormous, and you are virtually guaranteed to find something that appeals to you. However, that same breadth in choices means that it is very hard to find a track that consistently appeals to you. You might join three clubs and only really like one, or pick a major and discover the later classes all suck. If you want lots of options and time to discover your interests, Berkeley is great. If you know 100% what you want to do with your life, pick a more focused school.
4) There is no hand-holding here. Berkeley is a public school. A big public school. As a result, no one in the administration really cares about you as more than a number. They want you in and out in 4 (5 if you beg) years to make room for the next wave, and no one is going to care if your grades drop and you hang out with friends smoking pot instead of going to class. This is largely true of the undergrad professors as well, especially in the larger majors - their priorities are often in research and publishing rather than teaching. If you excel when given complete freedom and the chance to make an impression, go for it. If you party all the time and need mom and dad to make you study, you're not going to go far at Berkeley.
5) Competition is rampant. If you thought high school was tough with kids competing for that valedictorian spot, you better be ready. In virtually all of the larger majors, kids are going to outperform you on tests left and right. Grades are often curved, and if you remember that one kid who always screwed up the curve in Math, imagine ten of him (or her) together. If you like learning at your own pace and feeling comraderie among your fellow students, go somewhere else. If you are ready to compete and don't mind staying up late night after night to study, this is the place for you.
6) Big school, small town. Location-wise, Berkeley really has a lot to offer. The school really is the city of Berkeley, and there are plenty of small spots to go to - hiking trails a mile away, parks nearby, and plenty of cool hang-outs just off campus. Hop on BART and be in San Francisco in about 30 minutes. The downside is that corporate-type jobs/internships are far away and you'll need a car to get to Costco, Wal-Mart, etc. If you love living in big cities, go for UCLA instead. If you prefer small towns and eclectic spots, you can't go wrong here.
7) Some notes for people who haven't visited. Remember all those jobless, smelly Berkeley hippies your mom told you about? They never left. And they like to ask you for money. The campus is small - about a square mile of campus holds all of the academic and most of the administration buildings. Dorms are off-campus and very expensive - you'll need to walk 15+ minutes, bike, or take the bus to get to class from most of them. Apartments are run-down and overpriced ($1300 a month for one bedroom, one bathroom half a mile away). Parking is hard to come by.
8) An aside for prospective out-of-state students. If you are considering going to Berkeley out-of-state and have private school options, don't. With housing costs and the arbitrary add-on fee, Berkeley will cost very slightly less than a nice private school, and you'll feel less a part of it. The student experience is tailored to in-state students. Pick a private school and you'll end up with friends from across the country instead of across the state, and a better degree to boot. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
March 28, 2007 |
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I greatly enjoyed my time at UC Berkeley. I would recommend this college to anyone who wants a good education from a state school. I attended several universities, some public and a small liberal arts school, and I believe Cal provided the best education for the money.
My only regrets are that I was denied residency, even though I had lived in California for years. If your parents live out of state, and they are helping you financially, you will almost certainly have to pay the out of state tuition. My other complaint is that the well established, "famous" professors in my department tended to be poor teachers. It was disappointing to find that well regarded authors could be such shabby professors. On the other hand, I had many outstanding visiting professors. So, even if your department suffers in this way, Cal will definitely provide you with exceptional visiting faculty.
I thought I would want to attend a small liberal arts school, but Cal proved to be a much better fit for me. It was easy to get time with professors, even though it is a huge school. I wouldn't discourage anyone from going to Cal.
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
February 28, 2007 |
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I went to Berkeley for electrical engineering and computer science. The education is excellent, but like any college, highly dependent on the effort you put in. All the tools are there, though: top-notch professors, fellow students who (mostly) know their stuff, good libraries and research facilities. Of course this leads to a fair bit of competition too. The environment around Berkeley is of course one of the main "features," if you stay there for four years, it will either turn you into a hippie, a yuppie, or probably both. Life is a real mystery at times. It's highly political, and there's a good chance of getting liberalized. There are tons of good cheap eats and lots of even more suspicious dives not too far. Plenty of crazy homeless people and the like to go around. It's a fun place, good for young, rosy-eyed college students. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 28, 2007 |
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At Berkeley, nothing will be handed to you. The ideal Berkeley student must be willing to go to office hours, seek out counselors, seek out research opportunities, etc. However, if you do these things Berkeley will allow you to be a part of the most cutting edge research out there. Berkeley is like no other place on earth it has amazing opportunities as well as cracks you can easily fall through
Berkeley has an interesting, diverse student body, and if you make some effort, you will be able to make friends easily. I highly recommend getting involved in extracurricular activities, intermurual sports, and/or Greek life. The campus of Berkeley provides unlimited opportunity but you must harness it. |
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Author: |
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Anonymous |
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Date: |
January 21, 2007 |
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This is a great place to learn, not just academics, but also about life. Don't let the large population fool you! You can get individual attention and focus if you know to seek it out. They provide excellent facilities, and many of their departments are ranked in the top ten. I would definitely come back to UC Berkeley if I had to do my undergraduate work over again.
Also, don't be fooled by what you might hear from others who have not attended; this is not a crazy hippy university. You will be expected to work hard and be the best you can be. I won't lie; pressure is extremely high sometimes, especially around finals. But that's okay, because if you learn how to manage your time properly, you can still have time to join one or maybe a few of the hundreds of student organizations on campus, take in a football game in Memorial stadium, and be swept away with the Cal spirit.
It's also a beautiful campus with wonderful views. It'll get cold and foggy sometimes, but the sunny days make up for it. Also, you're a short 20 minute train ride away from San Francisco, which is great for a day trip.
Great campus, great faculty, great buildings. I wouldn't recommend anywhere else. |
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