summer in berkeley

Focus and Managing Stress During Finals and Midterms at UC Berkeley

August 19, 2024
Anna R.
Focus and Managing Stress During Finals and Midterms at UC Berkeley

Summer sessions at UC Berkeley can be intense. This past summer, I found myself buried under a pile of midterms and finals, all hitting at once. It was overwhelming, to say the least. With everything happening at lightning speed, I barely had time to catch my breath, let alone keep up with the endless stream of assignments, exams, and projects. As the dust settled and the fall semester started to peek around the corner, I figured it was the perfect time to step back, reflect on what I’d just been through, and come up...

Threads of Growth: Weaving Leadership and Community at I-House

August 12, 2024
Anna R.
Threads of Growth: Weaving Leadership and Community at I-House

Yesterday, we hosted an I-House send-off event. I found myself sitting on the Glade, watching the sun dip behind the hills, and I couldn’t help but think about everything that’s happened in just three months. A year ago, I moved from Beijing to Berkeley—two cities that could not be more different. This May, I stepped into my role as an RA at International House.

I-House lounges overlook the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, like windows into other worlds, each resident carrying their...

Home: My Commute to Berkeley This Summer

July 31, 2024
Esther Y.
Home: My Commute to Berkeley This Summer

My journey from my home to my new home in Berkeley is quite short. Originally from Sunnyvale, CA, located in Santa Clara County of the Bay Area, going home isn't much of a burden. It takes about an hour down Highway 880, and the Orange Line BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) even takes me directly to the Milpitas BART station, which is just 20 minutes from my house.

As a campus ambassador working this summer—all while enjoying the coziness of my childhood room, my mom’s home-cooked meals (nothing beats her Korean...

Berkeley Small Businesses to Love and How to Support Them!

October 14, 2021
Dina Katgara

yellow and blue street banner of the campanile at the intersection of telegraph and bancroft

Telegraph and Bancroft

When you first come to Berkeley, you might be bombarded by how much there is to do and see here. From the quirky bookstores to the vegan cupcakes, the city of Berkeley is teeming with unique and cultivated experiences. Working as the lead business and economy reporter for the Daily...

The Soundtrack to my Time at Cal

April 6, 2023
Alyssa H.

The past four years have been a whirlwind – the one underlying thing that got me through good times and bad was music. Whether I was blasting Phoebe Bridgers in my headphones to get me through a dull day or heading across the bay to see my favorite artists perform live in concert, there were sweet, sometimes bitter, melodies keeping me going.

Freshman Year

Fall 2019

“Home” by Cavetown

During my first semester, I was still trying to make Berkeley feel like home. I would listen to this song often and I...

How (and Why) to Spend the Summer at UC Berkeley

March 7, 2023
Jazzy J.

As a member of the Haas Global Management Program, I was required to spend the summer after I graduated high school participating in the Global Edge Program at UC Berkeley. A couple of weeks after my official graduation, my cohort and I moved into Blackwell hall to spend the next two months taking classes and preparing for our move abroad.

Global Edge is just one way freshman students can get introduced to Berkeley’s campus, though it is only open to newly admitted students in the Rausser College of Natural Resources, the College of Letters...

Summer in Berkeley – a Comprehensive Guide

June 3, 2022
Emily Conway

Berkeley is a blast during the school year – the hustle and bustle of classes, club meetings, sports games and projects keeps students busy from August to May. However, a decent handful of students opt to stay in Berkeley for the summer months, whether they’re working or taking classes. Although campus isn’t as busy as usual, I’ve come to appreciate the quieter summer months in my college town. Here are a few of my favorite summer activities to do in Berkeley!


1. Take an art class through the Berkeley Art Studio
I took my first pottery class through the Berkeley Art...

Straying from Strada

April 7, 2021
Alyssa Hurtado

With the only Starbucks being at least a 10 minute walk from campus, students have become pretty good at expanding their coffee horizons beyond the world’s largest chain, but students still seem to settle on what feels comfortable and convenient. When it comes to coffee, and to life in general, you should never be afraid to explore! Here’s one gal’s review of a few places and recommendations for more!

Caffe Strada, conveniently located right across from Phoebe Hearst Anthropology Museum and easily accessible from Unit 1 and many Greek houses, is...

Living in Berkeley: Ultimate Travel Guide [Part 1]

April 13, 2021
Vincent Ooi

Are you a new or prospective student to UC Berkeley? Or are you a returning student who needs new travel ideas around the Bay Area? Either way, this travel guide will give you a sense of how many options Berkeley really has to offer…I will feature my all time FAVORITE places to hike/visit, restaurants to indulge at, and more!

As an incoming student at Berkeley, you may have done your research on the Internet regarding places to visit. But you might have also wanted an opinion from a fellow golden bear. This is what I’m here for! I’m currently a junior at UC Berkeley who has lived...

Biking Berkeley: An Amateur’s Guide

April 7, 2021
Allie Dunham

Classes moving online held some major setbacks for me, but also provided some really great opportunities! Think about it: with asynchronous classes, you can have more time to enjoy the day outside and be active! While I completely understand the last thing you feel motivated to do during the pandemic is be active, I want to stress the importance of pushing yourself to do so!

Prior to the lockdowns, I didn’t think about my level of physical activity– this was because I walked to class every day, was going on adventures with friends, and was able to...