student life

Dear Freshman Year

May 5, 2020

Dear freshman year,

With the end of my freshman year approaching, I've been looking back on what made it so great, regardless of how it was unfortunately cut short.

A lot of those great memories have to be credited the UC Rally Committee. Rally Comm gave me my friends, my future housemates, my job, and a great deal of happiness. Looking back on how scared I was to join makes me laugh, I can't imagine my freshman experience without the UCRC. I've come so far and I'm excited to give back to the committee that gave me everything I wanted and more as the new Director of Security...

The 20 Unit Spring: A Cautionary Tale

February 22, 2021
Bridget Bernet

I took 20 units this semester. That’s 5 classes total. The minimum amount of units I have to take in L&S is 13. Most students take 16 units. That’s 4 classes.

Before I get into my experiences, I should explain what units mean exactly. The number of units a class is assigned is based off of hours of work needed to put into each class outside of the predetermined lecture and section time. The reason students usually stick to around 16 is because more than that tends to start to be overwhelming and very time consuming, as I now know first hand.

Disclaimer: 20 units is 100%...

Squeezing the Most out of my Last Virtual Semester

March 6, 2021
Jazz Van Horn

As I near graduation, it’s hard to pick a favorite memory, school year, or class. But, I’m not quite looking back yet, I’m still looking at my last couple months to make sure I fit in everything I want to while I still can. I still have two full months and I want to enjoy it as much as I can, but it’s hard to know how to fit in as much of the Berkeley experience as possible, when there’s nothing in person. I have decided on 3 main things to focus on for the rest of the semester to make sure I enjoy the last little bit of my time at Berkeley.

Food...

Connecting Through Food

March 8, 2021
Carson McNealy

This week marks one year since classes at UC Berkeley went online, and since then, it has been difficult to connect with students outside of my apartment. Over the last year, I have learned to appreciate spending time with my housemates, especially cooking dinner with them. Even though things have been online, all of our schedules are still very busy with classes, work, and various student organizations. However, we still make time for what we call “family dinners” at least four days a week, where we all help cook a meal and sit down together at the table to eat.

...

Why Office Hours Are Important!

March 10, 2021
Allie Dunham

As the end of my third year of college comes rushing towards me, I have given some reflection on my time at Cal. The memories I’ve made with my friends, random adventures I’ve been on, and the brilliant people I’ve met along the way. One of my favorite things about university that isn’t talked about enough might surprise you: office hours.

If you don’t already know, office hours are a time for you to meet with your professors or graduate student instructors (GSIs) outside of class time. Sound intimidating? That’s the secret– it isn’t! I’m not here to give you the...

Being Home Again

March 15, 2021
Lisa Zhou

Moving from LA to Berkeley is quite a big distance even though both places are within the same state. California can practically be its own country if it wanted to, but this is beyond my point. Being able to miss someone is not defined by a long distance. All it takes is a moment alone.

This was something I had realized when I moved to Berkeley to go to college. Now you might be wondering that this blog is going to turn into a movie trope story about being grateful for being with your loved ones. I have to admit, it is part of the story, but not all of it. This...

No need to lament over learning a new language!

March 15, 2021
Andres Larios

Bem-vindo, Bienvenue, Bienvenidos, Welcome. These words in their respective languages all signal to the listener that the space that they are in is hospitable, that the speaker is greeting the listener in a positive manner. This is a common introduction I have heard during my time at Cal learning different languages. I knew I wanted to study another language that would not only be useful for me when I travel, but also in my career field.

So first, I decided that I would strengthen my Spanish knowledge and would learn Portuguese since there are already many...

Ready for the Real World

March 26, 2021
Katia Gibson

I distinctly remember the frenzy in February of my freshman year when it came time to find housing for the coming year. Most private apartments around Berkeley do a 1 year lease starting in June so that it matches with the school year. That means that come springtime, the early bird gets the worm to find a good housing deal for the next year.

It’s always a bit dramatic to sort out the roommates. Are you looking to room with 1, 2, 3, or 4 others? Are you okay to have a double occupancy room, or are you going for a single? What’s your budget, and are you willing to compromise? All...

23 Essays: How To Write One Essay Every Week

March 23, 2021
Bridget Bernet

This semester, I as a rhetoric and philosophy double major have to write 23 essays. As of now, I’ve done 13 with 10 to go. At this point I feel like it’s a key aspect of my personality, “Hi my name is Bridget and I’m writing 23 essays this semester” which seems more daunting than it really is.

I have an essay that gets assigned on Wednesdays due every Sunday, which I appreciate being a constant in my life. So that’s a minimum of one essay a week which honestly is doable. However, where the challenge comes is my other classes where I’m assigned longer essays less frequently. Last...

Straying from Strada

April 7, 2021
Alyssa Hurtado

With the only Starbucks being at least a 10 minute walk from campus, students have become pretty good at expanding their coffee horizons beyond the world’s largest chain, but students still seem to settle on what feels comfortable and convenient. When it comes to coffee, and to life in general, you should never be afraid to explore! Here’s one gal’s review of a few places and recommendations for more!

Caffe Strada, conveniently located right across from Phoebe Hearst Anthropology Museum and easily accessible from Unit 1 and many Greek houses, is...