academics

Reflecting Upon my Junior Year at Cal

June 6, 2022
Josephine Lee

Along with the passing of May came and went the last month of my junior year at Cal, and the realization that I had only a year before graduation left me nostalgic with so many mixed emotions, and even more self-growth to reflect upon. As someone who spent my first two years of college figuring out who I was and struggling to differentiate that from the ideal college self that I thought I would be, there was a lot that I had to come to accept, the most challenging being that I had to pursue my own career goals to gain my own happiness, even if it diverged from the pre-med student my...

The 20 Unit Spring: A Cautionary Tale

February 22, 2021
Bridget Bernet

I took 20 units this semester. That’s 5 classes total. The minimum amount of units I have to take in L&S is 13. Most students take 16 units. That’s 4 classes.

Before I get into my experiences, I should explain what units mean exactly. The number of units a class is assigned is based off of hours of work needed to put into each class outside of the predetermined lecture and section time. The reason students usually stick to around 16 is because more than that tends to start to be overwhelming and very time consuming, as I now know first hand.

Disclaimer: 20 units is 100%...

My Internship Search

March 2, 2021
Kaelyn Schlegel

I feel like my parents ask me at least twice a week what job I’ll be able to get with my major and what my career goals are. Both of my majors are incredibly broad and not something you see in a lot of fields. In a previous blog post I talked about my decision to become a geography major on top of my Society & Environment major. Truthfully, with a lot of things academic wise and career wise, I just don’t know what I want. I’m the type of person who gets excited about literally anything and everything but I also get bored easily. I chose my majors because I wanted something that would...

Brain Like Berkeley

March 2, 2021
Katia Gibson

If you’ve ever had the privilege to join us on a campus tour or online visit, you may have heard the abbreviated version of some of Berkeley’s best contributions to the world of science. Whether it’s the mention of our 16 elements on the periodic table or winning a Nobel prize for the discovery of CRISPR gene editing, we as campus ambassadors try to highlight our favorite scientific discoveries for our visitors. However, a regular tour doesn’t have enough time to get into all the facts because UC Berkeley has too rich of a history to even brush the surface. Here I try to outline some...

Why Office Hours Are Important!

March 10, 2021
Allie Dunham

As the end of my third year of college comes rushing towards me, I have given some reflection on my time at Cal. The memories I’ve made with my friends, random adventures I’ve been on, and the brilliant people I’ve met along the way. One of my favorite things about university that isn’t talked about enough might surprise you: office hours.

If you don’t already know, office hours are a time for you to meet with your professors or graduate student instructors (GSIs) outside of class time. Sound intimidating? That’s the secret– it isn’t! I’m not here to give you the...

No need to lament over learning a new language!

March 15, 2021
Andres Larios

Bem-vindo, Bienvenue, Bienvenidos, Welcome. These words in their respective languages all signal to the listener that the space that they are in is hospitable, that the speaker is greeting the listener in a positive manner. This is a common introduction I have heard during my time at Cal learning different languages. I knew I wanted to study another language that would not only be useful for me when I travel, but also in my career field.

So first, I decided that I would strengthen my Spanish knowledge and would learn Portuguese since there are already many...

23 Essays: How To Write One Essay Every Week

March 23, 2021
Bridget Bernet

This semester, I as a rhetoric and philosophy double major have to write 23 essays. As of now, I’ve done 13 with 10 to go. At this point I feel like it’s a key aspect of my personality, “Hi my name is Bridget and I’m writing 23 essays this semester” which seems more daunting than it really is.

I have an essay that gets assigned on Wednesdays due every Sunday, which I appreciate being a constant in my life. So that’s a minimum of one essay a week which honestly is doable. However, where the challenge comes is my other classes where I’m assigned longer essays less frequently. Last...

How to Develop Successful Habits for Online School

March 23, 2021
Vincent Ooi

The transition to online classes has been difficult for many. It’s not easy to stay focused during quarantine…so how do we maintain our “A game?” If you’d like to know the secrets in developing successful habit, then stick around!

If you’re like me and many other students, then you’ve probably experienced zoom fatigue. Staring at zoom or your computer for extended periods of time is not sustainable for maximizing your retention rate in learning. We’re not robots..but rather humans that need to have a proper work-life balance!

So where do we start?...

How to (mostly) write an essay.

April 21, 2021
Andres Larios

Whether you find yourself in a STEM class (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) or in creative writing class, essays will follow you throughout your time at Cal and any other higher education institution you find yourself in.

Some may rejoice while others may think it is just an unnecessary way of reaching a conclusion. I am not here to debate its necessity, rather help provide advice and some ideas for you when that day arrives where you sit down for several hours to brainstorm and write your essay.

The first thing to establish is that every professor and every...

The Myth of “ONE” Best Fit University

April 21, 2021
Katia Gibson

Maybe you applied to 10 schools and got into all of them! Congratulations!

Perhaps you were waitlisted to Berkeley, accepted your offer elsewhere, and now you got in to Berkeley! Now what?

Maybe you didn’t get into the schools you hoped for and are now overwhelmed as you compare and contrast your options.

As a college senior reflecting on the college decisions process, I think the college decision was too overhyped for me. I remember my thoughts that kept me up at night, trying to search for a sign that would reveal the school that was the one. Committing to a...