student life

Dancing My (Blue & Gold) Heart Out

December 1, 2023

Prior to coming to UC Berkeley, I danced throughout my childhood. Beginning when I was eight years old, I used to dance in an after-school program with the YMCA. I was a hip-hop dancer until I was 13 when I entered middle school. I took a break from dancing for two years, then came back to it when I was in high school. My school offered Mexican folklórico dance classes as electives and I took it for fun. I ended up sticking with it all through high school as it was a very significant part of my cultural identity. Now in college, I dance for group on campus and through our school’s...

Day in the Life of an English Major

November 17, 2023

All throughout highschool (...and middle school) I would watch countless amounts of “Day in the Life of a…” videos. Heading into my college years, I especially loved to see videos about college students and people who were studying what I wanted to study. Rather than film a video, I’m going to be sharing my day in the life as a Berkeley English major!

From a recent Friday (08/27/23) in the Fall 2023 Semester:

8:30-9:00 am – Waking up! Honestly, sometimes the hardest part of my day. But it is Friday!

9:30 am – Grabbing a...

Finding My Community at Cal

November 3, 2023

Coming into Cal, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had never seen the campus until I moved into my dorm at Clark Kerr for my first year. I was the only one in my graduating class from high school to come to Cal. So, you’d think the odds were stacked against me, right? At first, I thought so, too. I didn’t know if I would necessarily fit into any group on campus. However, I started discovering myself, who I wanted to be in this world, and what I wanted to do with my time at Cal. Thus, I found my small community within this large university with over 45,000 students. You’re...

My Campus Involvements

October 27, 2023

The University of California, Berkeley attracts students who follow their passions, participating in many activities that help them reach their goals while also maintaining a sense of fun and community. It is not uncommon for students to be very involved in campus organizations, clubs and activities at Berkeley. In this blog, I’ll go over some of my campus involvements to give a snapshot of the Berkeley experience.

Kaufer Lab

Research is a common endeavor that students focus on at Berkeley. Whether or not a student is...

Diary of an RA: Finishing the First Year

April 27, 2023

So, this year was a bit of a challenge… but in a really good way. I wanted to give back to my community. When I was a first-year, I applied to be a Resident Assistant as a fun way to get involved in my community and to make a change in those around me. I got hired and was super excited to see what was ahead for me. But, transitioning from Resident to Resident *Assistant* was more challenging than I anticipated. Nonetheless, I preserved.

I started training in August and met the amazing staff of 20 fellow RAs. They are all super cool. I also met...

Takeaways From My First Year at Berkeley

April 18, 2023

Just now, Berkeley decisions have been released and prospective new students are making their college decisions. I remember this time last year when I committed to Berkeley. I would stay up for hours reading and watching YouTube videos about people’s experiences, not sure what to expect and somewhat nervous about the end of my freshman year.

Now, looking back at it, I wish I could give advice to my scared high school self. I wished I could tell them everything would work out, and that they would now be looking back on their freshman year with...

The Cal Falcons: Berkeley's Unofficial Mascots

April 13, 2023

“Go Bears!” I hear this at least once a day, either when I’m walking to class, working in the Campanile, and especially when I give a tour.

“Oski!” I hear that at least once a week, be that on Sproul during game day rallies, or at sports games where students want pictures with our mascot.

The Golden Bear first made its appearance in 1895 and was made Berkeley’s official mascot in 1941. So naturally, hearing “Go Bears!” and “Oski!” has now become a part of daily life for all students. However, for me, the Golden...

Let’s Talk About Cal Athletics

March 16, 2023

Being a large public university, sports are a big part of our college experience. At Berkeley especially, sports bring a big sense of pride as we go by “California” within the athletic sphere, allowing us to represent our great state. Now, I know what you may be thinking, Berkeley is an academics-focused school, their sports are all bad. To that I respond, you could not be more wrong. Berkeley is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, a sports conference for Western schools, which plays in Division I. Our athletics are all top-tier and we play with...

What It's Like to Intern Abroad

March 14, 2023

I am an impulsive person. While some of my rash decisions have led to some little regrets, I can safely say that my decision to go abroad was one of the most rewarding experiences in my undergraduate career. In this article, I’ll walk you through my process of internships abroad as well as tips for your own study abroad journey!

When I got to college, I knew that I wanted to, at some point, go abroad. Up to this point in my life, the furthest I’d lived from home was in Berkeley (which isn’t that far from Los Angeles). I wanted a chance to...

How (and Why) to Spend the Summer at UC Berkeley

March 7, 2023

As a member of the Haas Global Management Program, I was required to spend the summer after I graduated high school participating in the Global Edge Program at UC Berkeley. A couple of weeks after my official graduation, my cohort and I moved into Blackwell hall to spend the next two months taking classes and preparing for our move abroad.

Global Edge is just one way freshman students can get introduced to Berkeley’s campus, though it is only open to newly admitted students in the Rausser College of Natural Resources, the College of Letters...