housing

For my freshman year at Berkeley, I lived in Blackwell Hall. I absolutely loved my experience and got to meet so many new people from around the world; I know that I’m going to miss living so close to so many close friends. It really was like a fun sleepover every night (except we had to go to classes, do homework, write exams…the parts that made it a little more stressful than a sleepover). However, while Blackwell is the newest undergraduate dorm building with many nice amenities like a 24-hour gym and 3 study/social lounges on each floor...

Incoming college students are often told that the answer to any specific question is just to Google. But what if there’s no Reddit post or YouTube video with your specific query? In my freshman year, I compiled a list of my questions so my future self could respond. And here I am as a sophomore, providing answers to both arbitrary and serious asks from the past.

First up, we have the dorms: I lived on a single-gender floor in Unit 1 my first year.

1. Can we bring a hair dryer? Can we bring a kettle?

Yes, you can bring...

Returning to the dorms was something that I’d never thought I’d do. Although I had loved my freshman year experience, I was excited to experience new housing adventures, like living in my sorority house or in my own apartment. While I did end up doing these things, once COVID hit and I returned back to my hometown, I had to rethink my housing situation for senior year.

I ended up applying to be a Resident Assistant (RA), as I fondly recalled how the RAs in my freshman year building had helped me, a shy and scared first-year, navigate the university. I knew that I...

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...