Architecture, College of Environmental Design, Minor: Structural Engineering

My first semester at Cal was overall an enjoyable experience. I was beginning a completely new episode in my life in a completely new environment. It was exciting to be in a new city and waiting to see what Cal had to offer. I began this adventure with a friend from high school, with whom I lived in the dorms. Originally, when I was accepted into Cal and it was time to select housing, I had marked down doubles in the units. I didn't know much about the dorms, but I knew that I wanted to live in the units. They seemed to be one of the more social living situations in the resident halls since so many students live in the units. But, when my friend realized that both of us were headed to Cal, he was stoked and immediately wanted to live together. As a result, my housing option changed from the doubles in the units, to Bowles and triples in the units because he wanted the most affordable option, and I didn't mind at all. We ended up living in Bowles, and had two other quadmates. They were real chill, genuine guys who were great to live with.

During my first semester I joined a club on campus: Circle K! I quickly befriended the members of Circle K and started hanging out with them regularly. I would attend service projects with the club on the weekends and hang out with many of them during the week. I had found my niche. Circle K was my outlet when I needed a break from school and from my dorm room.

I definitely owe my overall wellbeing (mental, emotional, and academic) to the people in Circle K because if they hadn't been there I may have ended up having a much more tense and stressful semester.

--Darrell, Architecture, Minor: Structural Engineering
Lived in Bowles Hall at Cal
From Los Angeles, California
Previously attended Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School

Sociology, College of Letters and Science, Summer Bridge

Why Cal? I came here because I wanted to get a new experience and grow as a person. When I was accepted I read my terms and conditions and found out I would be in the Summer Bridge program as well.

I felt like I was coming to Summer Bridge blind-sighted. My parents always made me attend school and I did not think that this program would be different from other schooling I’d had. Even after orientation, and hearing every RA say “Summer Bridge is not a game,” the idea still did not register in my head of how intense this six-week program would be. I think it was the first Thursday of instruction, when I was drinking Monster daily and going to bed after 4am, that I realized Summer Bridge really was not a game.

The classes I took my first semester required a lot of reading and writing. Summer Bridge helped me prepare for fall and understand how to access helpful resources at Cal. Knowing were to buy lunch and where to buy books, I felt like I learned the ins and outs of the campus.

After completing Summer Bridge I felt like I belonged at Berkeley and it made me feel like coming to Cal was the right choice. It’s these memories that I will hold in my heart forever and when I am feeling down I know that there are people around me to support me. I didn’t think I would be able to survive my first fall semester but successfully completing Summer Bridge gave me confidence that I will able to thrive here.

--Davene, Sociology
Lived in Unit 3 at Cal
From San Diego, California
Previously attended Helix Charter High School and Grossmont College

Molecular Environmental Biology, College of Natural Resources

It is needless to say that in the spring of 2008, my life hit a turning point. After spending what felt like an eternity in high school, I was preparing for graduation and the transition to college. I have to admit that I never thought I would be attending Berkeley, at least not until the last moments before I submitted my SIR.

Growing up in southern California, UCLA had always been my dream school and Cal nothing more than a distant cousin in the UC system. Throughout high school, I owned and wore two UCLA hoodies, and even spent my summer between junior and senior year as a student there. I honestly knew nothing about UC Berkeley’s prestige, programs, or even its exact location in the state. Call it ignorance, call it apathy; for me, it was simply a matter of my environment.

To complicate matters, I had an older brother who attended Berkeley, which practically compelled me to choose another place just to be different. He, too, had been a self-proclaimed Bruin in high school until, at what appeared the last second, he chose to attend Cal. In fact, those two hoodies I owned were passed down from him. It seemed inevitable, then, that when I received acceptance letters from both universities there would be no question as to where I would go. But something in the back of my brain prevented me from a hasty reply. Something about my first impression of walking down Durant and Telegraph on my brother’s move-in day years earlier permeated my thoughts.

Humorously enough, I eventually whittled down my criterion to three aspects: food, fun, and people. In the weeks before my final decision, I consulted friends, family, and teachers on how they would frame their college selection process. But ultimately, each had their own opinion about what was most valuable in each school, leading me nowhere. It was only then I called my brother one quiet April evening and asked him to pitch the university to me. The pause between my question and his answer lasted nearly a minute, but the eventual answer moved me. In a serious, heavy tone he replied, “Fritz, as much as I want you to come Berkeley, there isn’t anything you don’t already know. Berkeley, UCLA, whatever you choose, what you get out of college will be based on what you put into it.” In the furthest recesses of my mind, where my intuition and gut feelings arose, I knew then that I couldn’t spend four years at UCLA. I had lived in the bubble of Southern California for too long and realized that, personally, I could no longer grow as an individual there. UC Berkeley, which boasted arguably one of the most diverse intellectual and cultural populations in all of academia, would provide me the opportunity to develop into a true scholar.

Do I ever look upon my decision with regret? I think it is hard to say that anyone who makes such a big decision never second-guesses himself. But when I look to the Berkeley hills and to the Campanile, immersed in the urban glow of a bustling college town brimming with vivacity and excitement, I know I made the right decision for me.

--Fritz, Molecular Environmental Biology
Lived in Unit 1 Freeborn Hall at Cal
From Rialto, California
Previously attended Wilmer Amina Carter High School

Intended Business/Psychology, College of Letters and Science, Commuter

After years of rigorous work I had decided to apply to the school of my dreams, Cal. I knew I was not going to be able to pay for room and board but I still applied. One day, I received a letter from UC Berkeley. I opened it and read, “Congratulations, you have been accepted….” I laughed, I cried, I jumped; it was the happiest day of my life. I got several scholarships, which made it possible for me to attend Cal the first semester.

I took a flight from Azusa, California and after an hour, the plane finally arrived in northern California and I took BART to Berkeley. At first, I felt confused because I did not know if I would like college or not. I was afraid to face such a new world. Over 35,000 students—wow! How was I supposed to survive? I lived in Davis, California and commuted five days a week to Berkeley. It took the bus about an hour and a half to get from UC Berkeley to UC Davis. Then I had to walk for another hour and a half to get home. By the time I got home, I felt exhausted. But I had to make that sacrifice because I could not afford on-campus housing.

That first semester I learned that college is much different from high school. There was no supervision and few extra credit assignments. I learned that college is more about how well you master the material. I struggled with Astronomy and discovered that science is not a career I would like to pursue in the future. Cal also taught me to be a well-rounded student and to respect and value other students’ perspectives. I joined BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) and since then, I have been fighting for justice on campus and in the community. I also joined the Freshman and Sophomore Business Association after realizing that my interests revolved around business.

My first semester ended better than I had expected. I was not only satisfied with my grades, but also immensely happy for surviving despite all the difficulties I faced. I realized I was an independent woman willing to do her best in order to achieve her goals. I realized that Cal was my new home.

--Gabriela, Intended Business/Psychology
Lived in Davis, California and commuted to Cal
From Azusa, California
Previously attended Azusa High School

Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry

I had always wanted to come to Cal. It was the dream school for me although I did not know if I had what it took to get in. I only applied to three schools, UC Davis, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. I was accepted to all three schools, leaving me with the tough decision of where and how I wanted to start my life. Berkeley was it, hands down.

Being away from home for such a long period of time was an extremely new experience for me. As I stepped into my dorm, Freeborn in Unit 1, on my first night in Berkeley I remember thinking to myself how much I wished I could be back at home with all my friends and family again. I felt very alone because I had not had the chance to meet any of the people in my building, let alone my roommates. I spent the night feeling very homesick in my room.

That all changed by the second day when a small group of people from the second floor of my building and myself went around introducing ourselves to the other floors, all the while getting to know each other better. Instantly Berkeley had become a much friendlier place to me. Within a week, I was actually very sad about leaving for breaks because it meant I would have to leave all of my new friends.

Most of the courses I took my first semester were major requirements or electives meant to fulfill breadth requirements. Of all of these classes, those most related to my major tended to be the ones I enjoyed most, though a big part of the level of my interest in a class was also how enthusiastic the professor was about the subject. When I learned about DeCal, student-taught classes, I signed up for one on the media, just on a whim. It seemed like an interesting subject. Now, I always look for classes such as these and free time in my schedule to fit them in because of how much fun they can be.

I remember stepping into 100 Lewis for my first Chemistry 4A lecture, also my first college lecture ever. Sitting down and listening to my very first professor speak so passionately about a subject he clearly loved, I felt energized, completely exhilarated. I knew I had found the perfect fit for myself. I came into Cal as an intended Chemical Biology major because it was the subject that interested me most in high school. During my first semester this interest was only strengthened by my courses.

Over the course of my first semester, I found a place for myself to truly fit in. The classes, the people, and ultimately learning more about who I am all played a huge role in my transition to life at Cal. Making friends in my dorm and in my classes brought my comfort level to a maximum and eliminated practically any traces of homesickness. If I were to go back in time, I would not change a thing. Berkeley is my home now and I could not have chosen a better place to be.

--Nick, Chemical Biology
Lived in Unit 1 Freeborn Hall at Cal
From Sacramento, California
Previously attended El Camino Fundamental High School

Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering

After my CalSO session in the summer of 2008, I was so incredibly excited to move into my dorm and my new life. I spent the last month of my summer packing and re-packing all of my belongings because I was too excited to wait until the end of summer.

On move in day, my whole family helped me pack up the car. My mom and dad drove me to school, telling me the whole way about how I should come home for a family dinner once a month, make sure I study hard, make sure I make lots of friends--the typical parental advice drill. After helping me unpack, they left me on my own. I didn’t realize how soon they’d left until I missed them less than 15 minutes later. After an afternoon of walking around the campus and going to the top of the Campanile with my roommate, I was so happy to be at Berkeley, that I didn’t miss my parents anymore, but I kept texting my mom all day.

I realized my first night at school that I really was on my own. I didn’t have to ask my parents if I could go somewhere and didn’t have to tell anyone when I would be back. I took that pretty far and really tried to live a different life than I did in high school. My mom had always forbidden me to drink energy drinks, so I drank three Red Bulls at the Greek Carnival during Welcome Week to begin celebrating my new freedom in my own dorky way.

Similarly, my roommate, also my new best friend, and I went out to Yogurt Park at least four times in the first two weeks. I stayed out later than I ever had before and much more often; almost every night of the week I was out at some sort of social event. But then once my classes really started to get going and I was really tired, I realized my parents had taught me a lot about how to take care of myself. I started to go to sleep earlier, made sure to eat my veggies, and I was feeling great again.

Coming to Cal was the first moment in my life that I could instantly tell was a life-altering moment. I missed my parents, explored my freedom, pushed my limits, and came back to reality--all within the first month. By the end of my first semester, I regularly, fondly referred to Berkeley as my home.

--Jessica, Materials Science and Engineering
Lived in Foothill Residence Hall at Cal
From Livermore, California
Previously attended Granada High School

Public Health/Mass Communications, College of Letters and Science

During the course of my high school career I never had "a school": a university that I absolutely had to get into, that I was passionate about. One main reason is that I did not want to get attached to a place I was not sure I would be attending. However, during my senior year in high school, I saw this begin to change. My cousin was accepted to Cal as a transfer student from southern California, and I took trips to Berkeley to spend time with her. I did not know it then, but by the time UC decisions were released, I realized that I had fallen in love with Berkeley. I had attended Cal events, made new friends, and gotten used to all the great food. I was convinced that my ideal college experience would happen on this campus--so you can imagine my anxiety when decision day came. It was a couple hours before I could bring myself to check the Berkeley site and see if I was accepted. I was! I was filled with joy and excitement, and felt that I had been rewarded for all my hard work and sacrifices. I was hopeful about embarking on the journey of new experiences and life lessons that everyone told me college was about.

Transitioning to Cal was definitely a lot easier for me than it was for most. I lived only an hour away and had visited a lot during my senior year. I was also going to be rooming in the dorms with my best friend from high school. Everything seemed to be going just as I had wanted...until I received my housing assignment. My friend and I were placed in a triple; this was definitely not in the plan. We could not even believe three people could fit in a room so small. Wouldn't it be awkward to have a third person living with two friends? Our efforts to get out of the triple failed, but when move-in time came, we found out that things were not that bad. Our third roommate was someone we had known from our hometown who also had attended CalSO with us. It was challenging to accommodate three people in such a small place, but we were all real and honest with each other from the start. I quickly learned that the key to a functional relationship with your roommates is good communication. I found that I did not have to surrender my lifestyle, but that I did occasionally have to compromise. We devised a great system, and now I would not change my roommates for anything.

Next I had to adjust to college classes, how they work, and how to do well in them. The courses I took were mainly to fulfill general requirements, as I was undecided when I entered Cal. I took General Chemistry to see if I had any interest in a science major, and learned that my strengths did not lie in large, competitive chemistry classes. General Chemistry was a huge struggle, and I realized that college--unlike high school--isn't so much about the little assignments but about studying very well, and understanding core concepts, and applying them to anything. I enjoyed my other classes, which was nice since I began to despise Chem.

Another huge part of my first semester was my involvement in clubs, in particular the Muslim Student Association (MSA). I was appointed to the MSA board as a freshman, and this position led to a lot of responsibilities and time commitments. My involvement in this campus club was beneficial to my transition to Cal; I found a group of people who shared my beliefs and with whom I could build a community. A highlight of this semester was my first encounter with Berkeley activism during Peace Not Prejudice Week, an event that I had a hand in planning through the MSA.

My first semester had a lot of ups and a few downs. I learned a lot about being open to new ideas and meeting new people. Most of all, I discovered the importance of finding a community for myself within the larger Cal community. While I grew socially, I also realized that I needed to strengthen my study habits and put more time into my academics.

Overall, I have no regrets about my decision to come to Cal. I have met people who changed my life, and have partaken in many things that helped me grow as an individual. I wish you all the best of luck, and hope that you come to Cal with an open mind and an open heart.

--Huda, Public Health/Mass Communications
From Tracy, California
Previously attended Merrill F. West High School, Tracy

Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Out-of-State Student

As an out-of-state student from Colorado, I was especially nervous coming to Berkeley. It wasn't so much the being away from home that scared me, but that I was entering uncharted territory. I wasn't sure where I'd fit in. After coming from a high school where I knew almost everyone--and where walking into school meant seeing familiar faces--being at a large school in an entirely new state was intimidating. I could tell as soon as I walked on campus that I was facing a new culture: I dressed differently, I spoke differently, and I felt like an outsider when other people bonded over shared high schools and mutual friends.

I realized that if Berkeley was going to become my home for four years, I had to make it so. My strategy was to try anything and everything that interested me. I learned to mountain bike with Cal Cycling. I programmed at the Lawrence Hall of Science. I mingled with future engineers at an AICHE meeting. I waited (at five in the morning) at the RSF to sign up my dodgeball team. I played soccer and Frisbee on Maxwell Field. I tried everything and rejected nothing, and I met countless people along the way. It amazed me how a campus that was once full of unfamiliar faces grew smaller and smaller every day; soon it became impossible to walk to class anonymously.

Naturally, some activities fell by the wayside. I realized that mountain biking competitively wasn't for me. I decided I didn't want to be an engineer. But, as it turns out, I loved playing dodgeball, and I loved night games of Frisbee. Most importantly, by involving myself in life at Berkeley, I began to feel like I belonged at this school. I think the most telling moment was during winter break, when I decided to go on a road trip through California. Suddenly, I had new friends all over the state, and that was a great feeling. And while Colorado was still extremely important to me, I began to feel--just a little bit--that I identified with both Berkeley and California as a whole. Coming back after break was like coming home, and that's a feeling I've found only grows as I spend more time here.

--Lauren, Chemistry
From Littleton, Colorado and Portland, Oregon
Previously attended Dakota Ridge High School, Littleton

Molecular Toxicology, College of Natural Resources

"I don't even know where Berkeley is on a map!" That's what I told a friend of mine when I was figuring out which UC campuses to apply to. My plan was simple: if I didn't get into UCLA I was going to Santa Barbara...but then I got accepted to Berkeley. And getting accepted into this school completely changed everything: where I was going to live, what I was going to study, and my plans after college.    

Frankly, I chose to come to Cal on a whim. Berkeley was an area I had never been to before, and I really wanted to be somewhere new (yes, I deliberately put myself way out of my comfort zone). In addition, it was the only college I applied to where I wasn't listed as a Computer Science major (with all respect to Computer Science majors, it's just something I can't do). Lastly, it was a chance to redefine myself as a person. In high school I was not really outgoing, and this sometimes gave the impression that I might be a jerk. When I came here, I wanted to appear to be the exact opposite.

Coming to Cal was a bit of a shock to me--but in a good way! In Los Angeles, I felt that people had a general lack of desire to interact, or only wanted to interact with certain folks. I loved Berkeley because most people I met had a passion for interaction, and always had something interesting to say.

So, I met people easily, but in time I started to realize that my floormates (l lived at Clark Kerr Campus) had something I didn't have, something I resented: a means of going home whenever they wanted. I was used to having family around for anything that I needed, material and immaterial. I "fixed" this by developing relations with those I knew I could trust completely, particularly the Resident Assistants. Of course they couldn't be like a mother, but they were like older brothers and sisters, and they made it feel like home. Homesickness was my big transition problem, but I found ways to come to terms with it, and now I don't have problems calling Cal home (though my mother still does).

My classes--and academic life in general--was a mixture of good and bad experiences. When I applied here I was not totally sure of what I wanted to do. I was not initially aware that I was in a biology and chemistry-oriented college, but I embraced it along with an intended Molecular Toxicology major. I then signed up for classes that got me started on that path and filled my breadth requirements (Chem 1A, Math 16B, Anthropology 2AC, and Nutritional Science 10). As it turns out, I set myself up for a challenging first semester, but the only real trouble I had was with the first class: Chem 1A. I had never taken the AP chemistry exam, and the honors chemistry class I took in high school was...unsatisfactory. I ended up going to multiple office hours just to understand the lab reports. Overall, I did reasonably well, especially considering it was my first semester. During my first semester I discovered something about myself and how I study and learn. It turns out that I am a hands-on learner, not someone who can just chill in a classroom and listen. For me, it's impossible to succeed without going to lecture, reading, and practicing. This semester, I've adjusted better to my course load. I still need to fix a few things about how I work, but I have a better idea of what it takes to succeed at Berkeley.

I got involved in campus life because I wanted to become two things: a CalSO counselor, and a Resident Assistant (RA). I had asked my RA about it, and she recommended that I run for student government in the residence halls (the Hall Association) and for the Residence Hall Assembly (RHA). Both of the jobs I ultimately wanted involved programming and people skills, and student government developed both. I also became friends with the student government president who got me involved in a paid middle school tutoring program. While working for the RHA I got the chance to implement two programs: Bearfest and All-Halloween. Moreover, working with--and for--this group of people actually had an effect on my goals: I get to be a CalSO counselor, and I'm on the brink of becoming an RA. On top of all that I get to work on one of the most popular events of the year: Boatdance! So getting involved not only helped me attain my goals, but also gave me experiences I know I won't forget.

My first semester was not stagnant, that's for sure. I was thrown into an academic level and setting I had never experienced before, and I helped create and execute programs for students. All of this caused me to grow--and I grew well, considering I started from scratch. The only thing I feel I might still be missing is a permanent niche, but that will develop in the semesters ahead.

Overall, my first semester was great! My decision to come to Cal was initially based on an enormous leap of faith and the desire to go somewhere new. The good news is that if I could go back, I wouldn't change any of it.

--Adrian, Molecular Toxicology
From South Gate (Los Angeles), California
Previously attended Southeast High School, South Gate

Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Natural Resources, Out-of-State Student

When I was a little kid I lived in the Bay Area, right above Berkeley in the hills. But when I was seven, I moved to Texas and lived there until I graduated from high school. I always knew that I wanted to go to college in California, and my dad was really pushing Cal because of its prestige. When I got accepted, it was a choice between UCLA, Cal, and UT (where my mom wanted me to go because it was close). I ended up picking Cal because they gave me a generous scholarship and because my dad agreed to pay my tuition for the full four years I was projected to attend.

When I got here, I was really excited--and also really nervous--about the transition. I was leaving behind my family, and I was actually going to be alone for the first time in my life. Because I came from a fairly sheltered family life, I thought the transition would be difficult and was scared when my dad left. As it turned out, the semester did become difficult, but not in the way I thought it would. My classes were pretty tough. It was weird to be in such large classes with hardly any communication between the students and the teacher. I was shocked when I failed my first midterm horribly, and even more surprised when my parents said it was OK and that I was expected to get better later.

After a while, I got used to the course load and made a productive study schedule. Initially, my habits started out strong, and I was studying whenever I had the time. Then I started slacking off, studying less often and putting off assignments to the last minute. Now, I'm trying to use my free time in a more useful way and get work done instead of sitting around watching TV, eating chips, and checking facebook. As much fun as that sounds, it takes up a lot of time that it doesn't need to.

I did not get involved with any on-campus clubs, but I did join a fraternity, Kappa Delta Rho. Through that, I became a lifelong part of something much larger than myself. I also got a job at the campus library as a security monitor, and it is great.

My first semester ended well. I had learned a lot about myself and became, I believe, a better person. While I am looking forward to going home, I am actually really excited about coming back to Cal.

--Ali, Plant and Microbial Biology
From Houston, Texas
Previously attended Lamar High School, Houston