adulting

Every campus ambassador ends their tour with their Berkeley Story, a tale of how they got to where they are today. During mine, I mention that it was difficult for me to adjust in my first year. It took a long time for me to feel like I belonged at Berkeley. I usually don’t have time to expand beyond that, but I’d like to do so now.

During freshman orientation week, I remember a lot of the presentations included the phrase “you belong here.” Honestly, I think it’s kind of hard to feel that way in a school of 40,000 students. It’s difficult to feel connected...

I went to Sydney, Australia for my spring semester of junior year and it was a life changing experience. Going abroad was something I always knew I wanted to do and I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to go abroad. I planned it out my freshman year that I would go abroad my junior spring semester in order to give myself some time at Berkeley first and then also to ensure that I did not have to miss football season my junior year. When it finally hit my time to go abroad, I was so nervous but also incredibly excited. Here, I’m going to tell you about my experience and why I highly...

Last semester, I participated in Berkeley Dreams Big, an event hosted by the Berkeley Residence Hall Association for students living in university-owned housing. Students can apply for an item or tool within $200 that will help them achieve their dreams. All participants are invited to a year-end banquet whether or not they’re selected. While I was at the banquet, they told us to write down a few dreams or goals.

Back then, I wrote that I wanted certain leadership positions in my clubs or programs. However, when applications opened up this semester, I felt...

Before I came to university, I always considered myself a fairly organized person. In high school, that meant having a different binder for each class and a to-do list in the notes app on my phone. But flash-forward to my first time reading a course syllabus at Berkeley, and I realized that I needed to change my approach.

Firstly, I think it’s incredibly important to put all of your classes into a calendar. Most students use Google Calendar for this. In university, unlike in high school, your...