Academics

I used to always be intimidated by professors because many are world-renowned for their work, and some of them have even won Nobel Prizes. But, after I got over my initial fear of approaching professors, I realized that they are people just like anyone else. Most professors are welcoming and want and like to help students. We have several Nobel Laureates teaching right now, and most of our departments are ranked nationally in the Top 10. Because of the prestige of this university, professors have high expectations for us. Workload depends heavily on the class and the professor. Usually, there are assigned readings for every class, and while they are manageable, it is very easy to fall behind and tell yourself that you’ll do it later. When midterms come around, you find yourself doing all the reading at the same time.

Athletics

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really glad I go to a school with a football team. It brings more unity to the school and cultivates a sense of pride.

Campus Dining

The restaurants on campus are fairly standard for a university and serve sandwiches, rice bowls, hamburgers, and snacks. The quality is not bad, but it is not amazing either—the campus restaurants are mainly convenient and reasonably priced. The Golden Bear Café is the largest and most central on-campus restaurant. It also has the most variety of food. You can use student meal points at any of the on-campus restaurants, where you pay by the item, as well as the dining halls, where it’s buffet style. Each dorm has a main dining hall, but you can eat at any of them. The food is all organic and relatively healthy. Most people don’t have to worry about the Freshman 15. A salad bar, sandwich bar, and pizza bar are always available, and a grill, Asian counter, and main course station have new dishes every meal. Their made-to-order omelets during breakfast are my favorite.

Campus Housing

Units 1 and 2 are closest to the concentrated Greek scene and equally close to campus. Kerr has many of the athletes and tends to be pretty social, along with Unit 1. Foothill is very quiet; it tends to attract more studious types. For reference, if you can find a map, the Greek scene is basically any building within two blocks of the corner of Piedmont and Channing, and a few houses along Bancroft, across from Campus.

Campus Strictness

Everyone complains about campus police because they can be tightwads about walking your bike, wearing your helmet, etc. But really, they’re pretty relaxed compared to other campuses I’ve been to. A friend of mine got taken to the precincts when he went to Pomona because he was drunk on school property. The only time I deal with the UCPD is when I’m at a party and it’s getting too loud and out of control, and it’s understandable why they have to come and break it up.

Computers

There are always computers available; our computer labs are very good. I do suggest bringing a computer; sometimes you have to pull all-nighters, and it’s more convenient to have a computer in your room.

Diversity

As a white person, it was kind of weird to be in the minority in some classes. It made me self-conscious of what I said during class, but it makes me appreciate things a lot more.

Drug Scene

If you want drugs, you can find them, and if you don’t, you can avoid them. Berkeley’s famous Telegraph Avenue is not quite the drug center it was 20 years ago, but they’re still out there.

Facilities

A lot of people complain about the Tang Center, saying that it takes forever to get seen, and the people that see you are incompetent or mean. I’ve never had a really bad experience there; I’ve always been treated carefully and within an hour or hour and a half. I’ve also gone to the counseling center in the Tang and was really happy with their services. I would recommend students to get the University Health Insurance plan, because it makes seeing the doctor a lot less of a pain. You’ll probably get sick more often at college than at home, so the insurance plan helps pay for all the medicine you’ll have to buy.

Greek Life

It’s been a really positive experience for me. I’ve made pretty much all of my friends through the Greek system, and it definitely makes me feel like more of a part of campus. Being in a sorority has also really made me more outgoing and given me much better leadership skills than I would have had if I had never joined. Probably three-quarters of people who go through recruitment think that they would never join a house, and then they do, and they end up loving it.

Guys & Girls

Berkeley admits the elite of our country, so the majority of people are more interested in acquiring knowledge and studying. Of course, since we’re young, we’re also interested in dating. Just remember that hardly anyone comes to Berkeley solely to pursue the opposite sex! Having said that, there are around 20,000 undergrads at Berkeley; I’m sure you can find a guy or girl that’s good-looking enough for you. I don’t think there’s a shortage of hot girls; it’s just a matter of whether or not I have the time to pursue them, and whether or not they’re attracted to me. But then again, looks aren’t everything. A lot of Berkeley girls are attractive because they’re down-to-earth, fun to hang out with, and still really hard-working and smart.

Local Atmosphere

There is always something to do here, and it can be quite distracting when you’re trying to study! My favorite things in Berkeley are the fire trails. Berkeley can be overwhelming sometimes, and hiking on the fire trails really allows me to clear my mind. San Francisco is just a short BART ride away–there’s Chinatown, Powell Street for tons of shopping, Golden Gate Park, Japanese Tea Garden, the list goes on! I also really like trying all of the restaurants near the Berkeley campus. Another fun thing to do is go to a jazz club. There are performances throughout downtown Berkeley in restaurants like Jupiter’s and Anna’s Jazz Island that offer affordable performances. My favorite, however, is Yoshi’s Jazz Club in SF and Oakland. They have amazing sushi and have really entertaining performers.

Nightlife

For bars and clubs, I would say that the places to go are Blakes and Kip’s. These seem to be the main bars close to campus. I’m not much of a drinker, and I’m not of age, so I don’t go too often. Blakes features live music and DJs each night. Also, the International House isn’t a bad place to hang out if you’re underage. As far as clubs are concerned, it depends on what you like. I haven’t seen any good dance clubs around, but I prefer dancing in warehouses anyway, so that’s okay. If you like reggae, there’s a pretty good club called Ashkenaz. If you’re into punk, there‘s Gilman.

Off-Campus Dining

The restaurants off campus are great. They range from cheap, local restaurants to the more pricey places on College Avenue or Shattuck. You can enjoy a good variety of cultural cuisine: Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, Indian, and more. The places near campus are reasonably priced for large portions. A definite hit would be the restaurants in the Durant food court—there are many cheap options. Local favorites that are open late are La Burrita and Top Dog. These are all located a block off campus and where most students go. A little farther are the pricier restaurants on College or Shattuck. The food's exceptionally great but be prepared to spend a little more than the average college-student budget. Definitely hit up the Cheeseboard-that pizza is to die for.

Off-Campus Housing

I would seriously consider living outside of Berkeley, like in Rockridge, Oakland, Emeryville, or El Cerrito. If you want to live off-campus, you don’t want to be scrounging for money all the time. The rent is sometimes half as much once you get out of Berkeley, and a lot of places are filled with students, from Cal and other colleges, and totally accessible by bus or BART. My boyfriend lives in Oakland, and he pays less than $400 for his own room in an awesome house run by artists. He can hop on the bus and be on campus in fifteen minutes. If you’re going to use services, like E-housing, definitely make sure that you’re including places beyond Berkeley in your search; you’ll have better luck finding a gem a few bus stops away than right around campus.

Overall Experience

When you take everything into consideration, the problems with Berkeley don’t outweigh the benefits it offers. There are so many things to do, for fun and in school; there are so many types of people and professors to meet and work with. There really is an opportunity for you to do anything you want. But you really have to find things you want, focus on them, and go after them, or else you can easily let awesome opportunities slip through your fingers.

Parking

Don’t even think about bringing a car. You don’t want one unless you have an apartment with an assigned parking space. Parking is impossible to find. Most of my friends with cars have ten or more parking tickets. Besides, you don’t want a car. There’s a lot of public transportation available. All students get a free bus pass, which will get you all around Berkeley. BART is a subway that goes to San Francisco, and it’s easy to use.

Safety & Security

Many of us are not used to the urban environment of Berkeley. The school offers many safety services for students. For those late nights studying at the library, students can call BearWALK to have a community service officer (CSO) walk you home. Also, there are night shuttles that also take students back home late at night. After 2 in the morning, the Night Owl shuttle drops off people at their home. It’s just common sense not to walk alone by yourself at night. If you utilize the safety services offered, there is no reason to feel unsafe at Berkeley.

Transportation

Bikes are definitely the transportation mode of choice. There are so many cyclists in the Bay Area because it’s a beautiful terrain, and it’s so much easier to get around by bike than by car. There are a lot of bike trails around the city and in Berkeley, and there is almost always a bike lane to ride safely with other traffic.

Weather

Berkeley has probably the best weather in the entire United States. We get mild conditions all year round. Summers are cool and dry, with highs usually in the 70s and low 80s. We get morning and evening fog, which acts as natural air-conditioning and keeps the air fresh and cool. Spring and fall are usually clear and warm as well, while winter is when we get most of our rain. Lows in the winter are probably in the 40s, with rain on maybe thirty to forty percent of the days. Overall, it’s the best weather you could ask for.