Campus visits

Residence Hall Virtual Tours

To support student's privacy and health safety, Cal Housing does not offer in-person tours of our residence halls and insteads offers a variety of interactive virtual tours! Please visit the Cal Housing website for information.

While on campus, Cal Dining encourages visitors to eat at the Crossroads Dining Commons. Payment...

Socializing Tips from a Campus Ambassador (and Journalism Minor!)

July 24, 2024
Nichelle W.
Socializing Tips from a Campus Ambassador (and Journalism Minor!)

Although I enjoy talking to people, it doesn’t come naturally. To be honest, I’m not the most sociable person in the room. That said, I can articulate the skills I’ve acquired because I’ve had to learn them myself. As a campus ambassador, I get paid to talk to people, and as a journalism minor, I’m required to for my grades. Many tips I’ve gleaned are from books and websites, but I’ve also picked up several just by observing how others socialize. When I’m working, I’ll note how friendly visitors strike up...

Pre-Cal Day Excitement – The Seasoned Campus Ambassador’s Perspective

April 12, 2024
Ethan C.

I didn’t get a Cal Day. The admitted first-year class of 2025 and transfer classes of 2023 were the resilient classes, the transitional classes, as we entered a new sense of normalcy with the pandemic. I came to Cal without the Cal Day experience, no tour of campus, no committing on the Glade or Sproul Plaza with newly-made friends, none of that. Cal Day was new to me when I became a Campus Ambassador. The first time I heard about it was when I was in a staff meeting, and our Leadership Team began to talk about the Day’s festivities. It was a Cal Day in this new normal. The first Cal...

What I Love About Being a Campus Ambassador (Other Than Giving Tours)

March 11, 2024
Melina T.

When I was first interested in the Campus Ambassador role, I figured giving tours was the entire job. I had no idea of all the other roles, or as I like to call them, side quests, that tack onto the title. We cover a vast range of operations, ranging from running the Campanile, staffing the Koret Visitor Center, and executing large community events. While I love giving tours, I’ve really enjoyed dabbling in these other roles as well. I’m still pretty new to “campus ambassadoring” but here’s what has stuck out to me so far.

Learning about Berkeley ...

Fun Things To Do Around the Bay

March 30, 2023
Jordan S.

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden

The UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is an amazing place to spend your time on a nice, sunny day. The garden offers the perfect day for nature lovers and is extremely relaxing. The garden itself is massive and is somewhere I have spent hours wandering up and down the different paths and enjoying the scenery. Beyond the beauty of the garden, there are plants from all over the world and they are all sectioned off so you can feel as if you are stepping into a new continent in each section. The crown jewel, in my opinion,...

5 Cute Date Ideas In/Around Berkeley

December 21, 2022
Mikayla Hwee

Picture this: you just asked someone out on your first date, and (of course) they said yes! But—you’re new to the Bay Area…what do you do now?

Fear not! As your new wingman, I’ve compiled a list of cute date ideas in and around Berkeley. There’s one for each season, and a few bonus ideas that work year-round. All of these places are accessible via the A/C Transit system, which all students have access to for free. You’re welcome in advance. (Keep in mind that these don’t necessarily have to be with a romantic partner—friend dates and solo...

My College Application Journey (Applying to Colleges, Receiving Admission Letters, and Getting Waitlisted at Cal)

April 5, 2022
Josephine Lee

Working at the campanile and meeting many of the newly admitted/waitlisted students, as well as many prospective students looking into colleges and deciding where to apply, I couldn’t help but reminisce back to when I was a high school senior doing the same, and reflecting on how those experiences led to where I currently am today. So that being said, I decided to use this opportunity to share my experiences as a high school junior and senior and how I found the right college for me. I know that not everyone will agree on what type of college they would want to attend, but hopefully, this...

Deciding the School That’s Right for You

April 19, 2022
Emily Conway

Congratulations, high school seniors! You’ve survived 4 years of hard work, a grueling college application season, and the agonizing waiting period before decisions are released in March. Whether you applied to Berkeley or elsewhere, pause and give yourself a pat on the back – taking the first step toward higher education is a huge accomplishment and you deserve to be proud of yourself.
Most people I knew had a decision to make at the end of their college admissions process. Some were lucky enough to have a clear choice. However many schools you’re choosing between, here are a few tips...

Becoming a Campus Ambassador

November 2, 2021
Bridget Bernet

Picture this: you’re a freshman at the number one public university in the world. You spend all your free time going to club events and football games, making new friends and truly enjoying your life and where you’re at in it. Three months go by before you remember you kind of need to get a job sometime soon. That was me, I was so wrapped up in the wonders of UC Berkeley, but I couldn’t find a campus job that was equally as exciting.

That is, until a friend of mine told me I would make a good campus ambassador. I spent so long mulling over the application, pouring hours into each...

So you’ve finished your campus tour… now what?

November 4, 2021
Emily Conway

Unfortunately, our campus tours are limited in scope to only cover the Berkeley campus – there is so much more to see and explore in the surrounding city of Berkeley! Listed below are a few of my favorite places to visit while exploring after your campus tour.

Berkeley Thai House
Berkeley Thai is a longtime favorite of the students on campus – the outdoor patio provides an excellent ambiance in good weather (which, let’s face it – almost all Berkeley weather is good weather). The entree-side-drink combo is great for eating out on a budget, and the...