Coming into Cal, you’re thrown into a university with much to offer. With six undergraduate colleges, there’s definitely a lot to choose from for your academic pursuits. In the College of Letters and Science alone, there are over 80 different majors to explore and 500 courses you can take alone. Constantly, new majors and minors are being unveiled, and students can engage in a wide variety of different academic departments and programs. When I started at Cal in 2021, I came in as a pre-law student interested in a whole bunch of majors. I switched around a lot (and I mean… A LOT). Eventually, I landed on my B.A. (and now B.S.), which I’m currently pursuing. It took a lot of trial and error, but ultimately, this journey led to what I’m passionate about. If you’re an incoming student and worried about what to explore academically at Cal, here are my top tips for you:
Breadths are your BFFs: As my co-ambassador Melina mentioned in her latest blog, breadths can literally take your breath away. “Breadths” are courses that students take to fulfill their general education requirements toward their degree. Our university has university-wide requirements that all students must take to graduate. However, each undergraduate college has a set of breadth requirements to expand students' knowledge and academic experience in areas outside their primary major. For example, the College of Letters and Science requires a seven-course breadth, in which each course fulfills a different subject area. One of my favorite courses that has allowed me to find my true passion in Ethnic Studies was the course I took to fulfill my “Historical Studies” requirement, ETHSTD 21AC.
Ask Questions!!!!: Something that I did a lot when refinding my academic passions and navigating majors was asking so many (and I mean, MANY) questions about these majors and what I wanted to do career-wise. At Cal, there are so many forms of advising that are openly available to all students and tackle a wide variety of different academic-related questions. For my college specifically, there’s major-level and college-level advising. I was really lucky to make a good connection with my Golden Bear Advising (GBA) Advisor, who helped connect me with various major advisors on campus and develop my four-year plan throughout my first and second years. Career advisors from our Berkeley Career Engagement Office also helped me find what I wanted to do post-Cal and how to find a major that best suited what I wanted to do.
Never Be Afraid to Change: Change can be scary, but it allows you to grow to your fullest potential. I changed my majors A LOT, as I navigated my first two years. And Cal is constantly adding new and exciting academic opportunities, which can make choosing one hard. But, I always held onto a really wise piece of advice one of my advisors gave me: it’s never too late to make a change. Taking this advice, I realized it was worth switching from my intended pre-law track to a more education-oriented career. Also, it led me to ignite my passion for completing our new Educational Sciences major, which is fully launching this summer!
Cal is a place for endless opportunities and allows students to take advantage of many different programs. This can be really (really) scary at first, but there’s an endless amount of support and resources to decide which path is right for you. Don’t be afraid to change and see what else is out there for you. At Cal, you’ll truly find your calling and make your experience all the worthwhile. Happy exploring! :)