how I got here

One Bear’s Goodbye to Bear Talk

September 21, 2021
Evelyn Lawrence

Throughout my time at UC Berkeley, I was lucky enough to partake in a wide and wild array of activities. In a single day, I would fly from one end of campus to another, learning, dancing, giving tours, leading my residents, having meetings, and discovering new things. One of the most special activities I participated in, however, was one that I did more quietly. Beginning in the Fall of 2018, I wrote blog posts for this student blog, Bear Talk.

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Pick-a-Major: Finding What Works for You

October 21, 2021
Paulina Nguyen

One of the hardest decisions I faced when I entered the College of Letters and Science was figuring out what I wanted to study. With over 80 full majors and over 100 minors to choose from, the possibility of what major to choose results in endless combinations. Not to mention the option of applying to majors between other colleges; actually deciding what path to choose can seem like an insurmountable task. It definitely felt that way when I was a freshman two years ago. It seemed like there were just too many interesting classes to take and not enough time in my schedule.

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How Being A Campus Ambassador Has Helped Me

November 16, 2021
Dina Katgara

Thinking back to when I walked into my campus ambassador job audition my freshman year, I was so nervous. Being surrounded by so many intelligent people at a school that I thought I’d never get into* is intimidating in itself. When you add the opportunity to try to be a representative for the entire school by giving tours, my anxiety skyrocketed. I wasn’t shy, but I was unsure about my value as a student and human being. Becoming a campus ambassador has not only improved my confidence, but also developed skills, helped me make genuine connections, and understand responsibilities....

How I founded an Organization at UC Berkeley

December 7, 2021

Ever imagine building your own organization on a prestigious campus like UC Berkeley? Attending a school with 40,000 students is a great opportunity to start your own project or business. Not only is there a wide client base, but you also have access to a large audience and a ton of experimental room as well as opportunities for learning and growth.

During my junior year of high school, I told myself that I wanted to concentrate all my energy into making a positive impact in these three fields: medicine/healthcare, education, and business. Thus, as a current pre-...

How I Became the President of 3 Organizations at Cal

December 14, 2021
Vincent Ooi

What is the process of going from a member of an organization into leading it as the President?Is there some kind of secret way on getting to the top? These were all questions I wondered in my first year at UC Berkeley. Before I begin elaborating on my experiences on how I became the president of multiple organizations (the Omniscient Tutor, See the Lord, Student Pre-Medical Advising Network), I would like to mention that you should only commit your time to organizations that you truly care about and would want to make a difference in, specifically within the field...

What Berkeley Has Taught Me

February 24, 2022
Emily Conway

Although my college experience is far from over, recently I’ve been reflecting on the lessons that I’ve learned from the school I’ve called home for the past 3 years. Looking back on my freshman year self, sometimes it’s hard to recognize the person smiling back at me in photos. Berkeley has shaped me into who I am today, and although at times I seemed impossible, each of the challenges I’ve overcome have taught me important lessons about myself, life, and the world around me.


Even though my journey at Berkeley started with an acceptance letter, I’ve been faced with more...

My Family’s Berkeley Story

March 1, 2022
Josephine Lee

Although my mom graduated from Cal, her journey there was not easy.

My mother was six years old when the Khmer Rouge came and ripped her and the rest of her family from the happy, mundane lives they knew. Anyone was lucky to survive alone, yet my grandmother ensured that her two daughters would not only survive but stay with her. After experiencing much physical and emotional trauma, they eventually made it to California where my grandma concurrently held three demanding yet low-paying jobs that each paid two dollars an hour earning just enough to send both...

CS@Cal

June 13, 2022
Jeffrey Zhou

Hey!

Hey you!

Yes you. You look like you clicked on this article looking to get a better sense of what studying Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley is like!

Well that’s what I’m going to try my best to do in this delightful little blog post here, so bear (ha ha) with me as I take you through a beginner’s guide of this wild and wacky world of CS @ Cal, everything from classes, to projects, to the L&S declaration process, and finally a little sneak peek at what you could potentially get out of this small, niche, oft under-the-radar major here...

Am I Satisfied with my Berkeley Degree? From a UC Berkeley Alumni

June 27, 2022
Vincent Ooi


The answer to this question is what every incoming student wants to know. Is a Berkeley Degree worth the investment? And that’s a valid question. As a UC Berkeley alumni, I want to provide my perspective on this. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you will be able to gain additional insight to your education here at Berkeley. This will also be the last blog that I will write for Bear Talk. If you’d like to read my previous blogs, then please check out my profile here.

First, I want to start off by saying that everyone’s experiences will be different depending on the track and...

So you want to be an Education major?

July 11, 2022
Ethan Collier

Guess what? Did you know that UC Berkeley’s School of Education will be unveiling a new undergraduate major in Education? That’s right! Starting in Fall 2023, students will be able to declare Education as a major! This is a huge milestone for students who are interested in all things related to public education. Let me give you a quick low-down on the history of being an “Education student” at Cal!

Beginnings: School of Education, Education Minor, and CalTeach

Studying Education at Berkeley begins with our undergraduate Minor in Education....