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| Quite Bright |
I read some of the other comments people wrote and they tended to be negative about the administration. To be honest, I don't know what they expected coming to a such a massive university. I've spent very little time dealing with the administration here as I came in as a junior transfer and pretty much figured it out on my own. There are tons of resources available, however.
Since I came in as a junior transfer I have taken only upper division courses, for the most part. Overall, I'm pleased with my decision to come to Berkeley. Academically it has been very rewarding and challenging. I've had a few truly amazing professors that challenged me in the way you would expect a university with such a prestigious reputation to.
The social life and dating life here, however, SUCKS! There are very few good looking people that come here. Prepare to lower your standards of what you consider good-looking (The phenomenon is known here as "Berkeley goggles"). Most people tend to keep to themselves on campus, and coming in as a transfer it can be somewhat isolating. There are clubs and stuff that you can join but since I'm not Asian there goes about 80% of the options. The football games and close proximity to San Francisco are the only good social perks about Berkeley. Around town there are only a few bars and they can get really overcrowded and gross. I've only gone to a couple frat parties which were fine I guess, but I would only go if you're under 21. I don't know why frat boys insist on drinking their natty light at room temp.
The city itself is...depressing. Homeless people everywhere. Lots of robberies so it is definitely not recommended to walk around alone at night. If you like ethnic food and vegan food this city will be great for you. I'm a pretty picky eater and have not been too pleased with the food here.
On the other hand...this is BERKELEY. Anywhere you go in the world people will recognize this place, and not just because of the school. There is a lot of history here and I think it is pretty cool to say that I have lived here. Also, you definitely get the experience of a small college town. It's mostly students living in Berkeley and there is school pride everywhere. Football game days are the most exciting days at Cal. Everyone tailgates outside on the many streets surrounding the school and stadium and then walk up to the game. I don't think I would have gotten an experience like that at other schools in California. Everything is very close together, meaning driving here is not recommended. I have a car here and it is expensive and a pain in the ass. No parking, and parking is expensive when you can find it. However, they do give you a free bus pass with your student ID so most people here use the very ample public transportation.
Overall, I would recommend coming here. Further than that, I would recommend going to a community college for your lower division work and then transfer for upper division. For one, it's WAY cheaper and you're taking essentially the same classes (except they'll be harder at Cal), and also because it's easier to get in as a transfer. Ha, I'm getting the same degree as you but I spent way less and didn't have to deal with the extremely stiff competition coming straight from high school!
If you live in California and you choose another school over Berkeley, you are retarded. The only possible exception would be UCLA, but I still think Berkeley has greater national recognition and will probably help when looking for a job. It is the best value: It's the highest rated public school in the country with low tuition.
GO BEARS! | Useful Schoolwork: A+, Surrounding City: D |  | | |
| | Jan 29 2010 | 2nd Year Female --
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| Super Brilliant |
What a bunch of prima donna reviews. The world isn't going to hand you a beautiful life on a silver platter. College is what you make of it no matter where you go--and Berkeley is no different. There is a very distinct vibe here: intelligent, liberal, politically conscious--but it's not overwhelming unless you want it to be. People are very accepting and friendly. Sure, at first it may seem anti-social, since there are a lot of people who just want to study. If you look, you will find tons of friendly people (it's really not that hard).
If you want something, make it happen. If you want to be social, go greek. If you want quiet life, live north of campus. If you want small classes, wait until upper division (true for any big public university). Berkeley won't hold your hand and I'm glad they don't. Plan your schedule intelligently, and use your phase I of Telebears (registration) very carefully.
Keep in mind that Berkeley is an urban setting, it's safe for the most part, but it's still urban. There are lots of homeless people living on telegraph and all around. There are lots of interesting hole-in-the-wall places to eat--explore. If you want a more "neighborhood" feeling, take BART out to pleasant hill or walnut creek. SF is also just a BART ride away.
Remember--Berkeley, like ANY college, will be what YOU make of it--and there are lots of opportunities at Berkeley to mold it to what you want. | Starting Job: Research Associate, Preparedness: A, Reputation: A | | |
| | Jan 26 2010 | Alumnus Male --
Class 2000 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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| Quite Bright |
THE GOOD: The biggest reason to go to UC Berkeley is the degree. Berkeley is known around the world and a degree from here has prestige and can sometimes open doors. The quality of the education here isn't bad, either. It's a vibrant and stimulating intellectual community, with fine educational resources, and a fairly high percentage of the undergrad classes I took here were really pretty good. Some (not all) of the professors really try to make their classes worth taking. If you're a smart, motivated student it is possible to acquire a decent education here and get decent grades (if you're lazy or not a good student, don't come here-you won't make it). It's an amazingly beautiful campus, too.
THE BAD: Berkeley is overcrowded. Classes are often huge (don't believe the "official" student/faculty ratio, which is a joke). Some students are not able to get into their desired major or program. Even if you do get into the major you want, you will find that overcrowded classes will often mean you are waitlisted for classes you really need-sometimes for weeks after the semester begins-and may ultimately not get in at all. I was one of countless students who had this problem, and it was stressful to the max. The bureaucracy is awful here, too: when you have a problem like this don't expect any sympathy from the bureaucracy or advising staff because all you'll get is catch-22's and administrative run-arounds. Berkeley is huge and very impersonal, so forget about any personal attention for anything else, also. Letters of recommendation for grad school are difficult to get from faculty, because professors spend so much time on their research and their grad students that there isn't much time left over to get to know any of the hundreds of (low-priority) undergrads in their classes. Real help for preparing for grad school or a career is almost nonexistent. This is another critical area in which Berkeley fails almost completely, and this is quite serious considering it's the reason you are going to school in the first place. Berkeley rests on its reputation as a research university and evidently thinks you (the insignificant undergraduate) are lucky they let you come here at all. Don't ask for anything or expect any concern for yourself as a human being or for your future, when you are an undergrad here. You are just a number (your Student Identification Number, to be exact).
THE UGLY: Older, non-traditionally aged students comprise only a small percentage of the college student population, but IF YOU ARE AN OLDER STUDENT returning to school, like I was, DO NOT GO HERE. The administration and advising bureaucracy, unfriendly enough for the regular student, becomes cruel and intolerable. The rules stipulate that they cannot discriminate against students on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, etc. and this leaves-for this huge, unkind bureaucracy with its shadow side-the older student to harass and belittle. Upon being readmitted, one L&S adviser told me that I "had not done anything with [my] life to justify being admitted and didn't deserve to go to school here." The Psych student services director (since retired) welcomed me with jokes about my age and gave me patently wrong information that, had I followed it, would have kept me out of the major entirely. I was excluded from the honors program on a technicality (after being advised by a Psych student services advisor that I'd meet the requirements, and after working on it for many months)-goodbye research experience for my grad applications! Every step of the way, someone in administration was waiting with ageist comments and to try to kick my feet out from under me, right up to graduation: someone in the Registrar's office tried to block my graduation by not giving me credit for university requirements I met way back in high school. I must stress that this awful treatment came from administration and not faculty (faculty were generally quite good about everything). But listen: if you are a non-traditionally aged student the disgraceful, uncaring administration at Berkeley makes this one MEAN place to go to school. Don't go here. Period.
This review is not influenced by my grades. I earned a 3.97 GPA in Psychology as a returning student at UC Berkeley. I graduated in May 2009. | Campus Aesthetics: A+, Individual Value: F | | | |
| | Nov 23 2009 | 3rd Year Male --
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| Quite Bright |
You have to be very aware that Berkeley is a BIG university. Some people are shocked to find out that someone doesn't come over to personally guide you through your undergrad degree. There are plenty of resources for students at Cal, but you have to be proactive and find out what services are out there. Usually they are pretty accessible via the website.
The administration overall is pretty impersonal. Imagine calling your bank's customer service line, sometimes you'll get lucky and get great service and sometimes not. Like any bureaucracy, you have to be on top of things in order to get stuff done. Again, I repeat the university is very big so you have to imagine that to run it, they cannot take the time to call you individually to remind you of deadlines and due dates. Although, they do send email alerts, though.
Classes at Cal can be very packed and tough to get into. It is true that you will often end up on a waiting list. I have to add that this depends very much on your major. I was an undeclared Psych major my first two years and I experienced waiting lists and packed lecture rooms with over 700 students I decided to declare Linguistics instead and I couldn't have been happier. The Linguisic department is a hidden campus gem. It is small. How small? So small that when you declare the major the Major Advisor takes a picture of you to go on the wall along with your fellow undergrads. Classes were easy to get into and the largest lectures contained no more than 60 students. Professors get to know you by name (really) and they often extend invitations to undergrads to attend conferences and symposia usually reserved for only for researchers in other depertments. I graduated in May of 2009 along with 40 other undergrads. FORTY. All this to say that your experience at a big university will vary depending on your major. If you are trying to declare an impacted major (like Computer Science, Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Bio, etc) then be prepared to brave the crowds. If you go for a small department like Linguistics, you'll get the best of both worlds. You'll get an amazing education at one of the foremost universities in the country and you'll also get the small college feel belonging to a tightly knit student body and of knowing your professors and them knowing you as well. | Education Quality: A+, Individual Value: B- | | | |
| | Nov 23 2009 | 4th Year Female --
Class 2009 | | Blog it!Blog about this comment from your webpage or Blog, or MySpace account:
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