Conservation and Resource Studies, Minor: Global Poverty and Practice, College of Natural Resources, Transfer Student, Commuter, Married

My first semester at Cal was great overall because I learned so much. At first, I was very confused about what I was supposed to do, what was to be expected. As times got tough and frustrating, I wondered what I was doing at Cal, and then I remembered that I worked very hard to get here and that I had been accepted. I reminded myself that I deserved to be at Cal and was capable of being here and doing the required work. Cal was the only place I wanted to transfer to, it was all I had wanted. As the semester started, I appreciated every morning I came to Cal.

Some things really helped me on my first semester journey. A service I used was the Counseling and Psychological services. I have SHIP, and was able to receive six free sessions for the school year, as well as additional sessions at a great price. It was just really nice to decompress three-quarters of the way through a stressful semester. I was able to talk to professional, caring psychologists who listened to all of the things that were stressing me out and gave great advice for what to do about those concerns. I was even able to bring my husband with me for couples counseling where we could work on our communication constructively. This really boosted my mood and helped me get through the tough semester.

Berkeley is a wonderful place, full of wonderful things to do. It is very easy to be overwhelmed by all of those interesting things to do. I got involved in activities to meet other Cal students, but I also tried to balance out the fun stuff with schoolwork. When I only concentrated on the great things to do in Berkeley, I ran the risk of falling behind and feeling really stressed out and worried about grades. At Berkeley, I learned that it is very difficult to catch up, if it can be done at all.

I enjoyed taking classes that were more than textbooks and tests. In my ESPM 100 class we took an awesome weekend fieldtrip and learned about a new aspect of the environment each class. In my Energy and Resources group class, my partner and I helped make the Stanley Building on campus more sustainable by doing an energy audit and designing newsletters. In my first semester, I discovered the many cool classes that are great to take for a unit or two and are fun. I only used the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) once or twice, but it was great because it was so cheap to join. In the end because I commuted to and from school, it just wasn't very convenient for me to exercise there.

During my first semester, the main thing that I focused on was having enough time to enjoy things outside of school and to relax. While I may not have always managed my time as best as I could have, I found I was able to manage stress well with the help of counseling services at the Tang Center and making free time. When you try not to carry around stress it makes everything seem much easier to deal with. I had a great time my first semester. I did well academically, learned so much, and had fun, even with the pressures of trying to be a good student and wife.

--Shelby, Conservation and Resource Studies, Minor: Global Poverty and Practice
Lived in Suisun City, California and commuted to Cal
From Fairfield, California
Previously attended Angelo Rodriguez High School and Solano Community College

Psychology, College of Letters and Science, Transfer Student and Student Parent

UC Berkeley had always been a place that I dreamt of attending one day. No one in my family or in my neighborhood had gone to Cal, but I was born in the city of Berkeley, and had looked to this prestigious University while I was growing up. In 2005, I began attending Berkeley City College, and two years later, I applied to Cal. I remember the anxiety--waiting in front of the computer--waiting, waiting, and waiting! I cried when the screen said Congratulations, Ayanna! Going here I knew I would receive a world-class education that would allow me to lead myself, my children, and others towards enlightenment.

I hit the ground running: I signed up for housing, and applied for fall aid (my offer letter initially reflected that I would need to pay over $10,000 out of pocket!). I immediately visited the transfer and re-entry center, and went to every event for newly admitted students. Two events were most helpful: CalSO and the Resource Fair. At the Fair, I found out about a lot of campus resources, such as the IDEAL, SAGE, and George Miller Scholarships. I applied for them all and got them! I was excited, overwhelmed, and terrified. Were all these opportunities real’ Was I Cal material’ I had mastered community college, but Cal was a whole different animal!

I immediately noticed the difference between community college work and courses at Cal. Community college instructors assume that you have little (or no) background on their subject. But at Cal, I was expected to already know everything about the subject, what was happening in the field, and who the gurus were! Gone were the days of cramming at the last minute and still managing an A. Thankfully, the Student Learning Center and the study strategies handouts were a real help. I learned to check out books at the library to get ahead on reading if a text wasn’t available in the bookstore yet.

I befriended another transfer student (who I stuck to like glue) and really relied on her to help me figure things out. She suggested that I space my classes out, but no, I had made it to Cal and I knew what I was doing. I scheduled my classes back-to-back, not taking into consideration that some of them were on opposite sides of campus. My first week was a disaster; I was late to almost every class because I did not allow travel time. Housing was also an issue. I had moved to the UC Village, one of Cal’s developments for families with children. At the Village, I felt lonely and experienced culture shock--I was in a community that was predominately international students, and their activities and routines were unfamiliar to me.

At the beginning of the semester I started off with over thirteen units and four scholarships. At the end of the semester I had dropped courses (after the fifth week, when it was too late) and was down to nine units. I even gave up the SAGE scholarship. Everything was too much, too soon. Scholarships can be great, but there are time commitments involved, and you need to show up, be present, and participate. I felt like I had made a mistake, Cal had made a mistake, the admissions department had made a mistake: I was not Cal material. I was depressed, overwhelmed, and angry. Why couldn’t I do this’ I had overcome so much and yet this place was overwhelming me. I felt like a failure. But I also received a lot of encouragement, support, and reminders that this was my first semester and to be kind to myself.

At the beginning of my semester, we were told to do a group project in one of my classes. I just wanted to be responsible for my part and not build a relationship with the others in the group. But my GSI wouldn’t let me off the hook, and forced me to work with the other students. Ultimately, we did work together: we championed each other’s strengths and built cohesion. The whole class of 400 thought our team presentation was the best, and our GSI was really proud of us. If the circumstances had been different, I know I would not have challenged myself to grow in this way, but my first semester at Cal made me. Now I can’t wait to see the person I will be when this journey at Cal is over! I’m really glad I stayed.

--Ayanna
From Concord, California
Previously attended Berkeley City College

Political Science, College of Letters & Science, Transfer Student

When the UC Berkeley website posted that I had been accepted, I immediately submitted my SIR. Choosing to attend Cal was a very easy decision; Berkeley had many things to offer, including a world-class education and the ability to interact with a very diverse group of students. In addition, I was already very familiar with the campus: my eldest sister attended this university, and I had visited friends here many times. Finally, Berkeley is less than an hour from my hometown. I felt that I was far enough away to enjoy my college experience, yet close enough to go home if I needed to.

During my first two weeks here, I stuck really close to my friends from the community college. We were all going through the same transitional phase, but the experiences we were having were probably somewhat different from those of the incoming freshmen. To help me build a social network, I decided to live on campus during my first year. I chose to live at Wada (the transfer apartment at Unit Two), and roomed with one of my friends from the community college. The apartment was really nice: it had a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. However, it turned out to be a lot harder to make friends in this housing than I thought it would be. All of the front doors in Wada are closed, not open like they would have been in the dorms.

I had a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of academics. The workload from community college is very different from that at Cal, particularly in terms of the reading assigned, the length of papers, and the overall expectation of the students. But even though classes were demanding, they weren't that bad if you kept up with the reading. I found out pretty quickly that study groups are very helpful tools in preparing for exams, and they also allow you to make new friends!

Overall, my first semester went by pretty well. I made a lot of new friends and understand now what it takes to be a successful student at Berkeley, both academically and socially. I feel more knowledgeable about the campus resources and look forward to the remainder of my time here.

--Tony
From Cupertino, California
Previously attended Monta Vista High School and DeAnza College

Sociology/Molecular Environmental Biology, College of Letters & Science and College of Natural Resources, Ethnic Studies Minor, Transfer and Commuter Student

The day I checked “myBerkeleyApplication” for the admissions decision, I was so nervous that I forgot my login password. I desperately made several attempts until I finally typed the correct password and the big CONGRATUALATIONS popped up on the screen. I blinked again and again and again. I was in complete denial, and my initial thought was: This must be a mistake; Berkeley actually wants me” But after thinking about all the hard work I put into getting ready, a positive mindset began to settle in. Yes, they did want me, and I deserved it.

When the fall semester kicked off, I tried to keep my attitude upbeat; however, I couldn”t help but feel lonely. I had been best friends with nearly everyone at my community college--both students and faculty. To go from that to an enormous university where I didn’t know a single soul was devastating. I actually found myself frequently visiting my community college and scheduling weekend brunches with old friends and professors. They all encouraged me to tackle my coursework at the University with the same dedication and curiosity as I had at the community college.

Cal has a massive amount of different organizations and clubs. It was difficult for me to decide what I wanted to get involved with, so I decided to just immerse myself in a few different things and get a feel for them. I was determined to meet to new people and really get involved on campus, which took a lot of initiative because I was commuting to campus. In the end, I chose a few to commit myself 110%: I dedicated myself to the organizations wholeheartedly, attended late-night meetings, and became a really active member.

My attitude fluctuated throughout the semester and there were times when I felt like Cal just wasn”t for me. I spent the entire fall feeling out of place and questioning my validity as a student. Only after the second semester kicked off did I really feel settled. Now I realize that Cal is where I belong and that I have an incredible opportunity do great things here.

--Nikki
From San Francisco, California
Previously attended the City College of San Francisco

Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry, Transfer Student, International Student

To be honest, Berkeley was not my first choice. I was planning to go to UCSD instead since most of my relatives live down there; if I got in, I would live with them. But after talking with some friends and thinking over, I decided to go to Berkeley. I thought it would be good for me to challenge myself by living in a totally different environment than I was used to. About ten days after my spring finals at Seattle Central Community College, I flew to the Bay Area to attend orientation. I tried to get out of my loneliness by trying new things and making friends.

When I started the semester at Berkeley, I was eager to get acquainted with my new school, new friends, new environment, and new experiences. However, my first semester was not a good one. The teaching level at Cal was much higher than at my community college. The classes were larger in scale and also harder. In addition, the professors spoke faster, so I got lost many times at first. When I came to Berkeley, I felt I had a good academic understanding and was a decent time manager. I was really confident that I could stay organized enough to study well, work for 15 hours per week, and join clubs. The first two weeks of classes went smoothly without any problems. The third week I started to "see" stress around my head. How could I get the homework and readings done? It was too much! I took a deep breath and thought about what I really needed to keep, and what I had to let go. I arranged my schedule so that I could go to office hours and the Student Learning Center, which was really helpful. My first midterms turned out not so good, but the second midterms and the finals were better--though they still didn't reach the level I expected.

Actually, I wasn't very satisfied with my first semester at Cal, but I tried to think of it as just a first step. I have promised myself that I will try harder this semester, and hope it works well.

--Hai,
From Vietnam and Seattle, Washington
Previously attended Seattle Central Community College

Sociology, Minor: Peace and Conflict Studies, College of Letters and Science, Fall Re-entry Transfer Student, International Student

Getting accepted into Cal was the most shocking news that I had received in a long time. I remember when I saw the word "Congratulations", my first thought was that Cal must have made a mistake. My eyes were glued to the computer screen looking at those words with tears rolling down my cheek for about an hour. I had even thought something was wrong with the computer so I kept on logging off and signing back in to make sure it was true. Yes, it was true because the same words kept on popping up. I remember calling my family and shouting at the top of my lungs that I had gotten into Cal.

When I was applying to schools I expressed to my mum that Cal was a prestigious school and that it was hard to get in. I had even told her that I would go ahead and make plans to attend UC Davis. My mum stopped me right there. She is an amazing woman who has high hopes for everything. She had told me that everything is possible and that I will go to Cal. It's like she was predicting my future even before the results were out. Funny part is that my mum doesn't live in the US therefore she really didn't know much about Cal. But she could tell that I really wanted to go to school at Cal.

The excitement left and it really hit me that it was time to start preparing myself for school. I was lucky enough to have my boss give me a campus tour. She was a Cal graduate and she had advised me that I really needed to prepare myself before school started. She even advised me to take only 13 units and to take classes at least 15 minutes apart to give myself enough time to travel around campus.

Sometimes we are given good advice but it goes in one ear and out the other and we pretend we know better. Instead of sticking to 13 units I decided to take 16 units and by the second week I had already dropped one class because I could not manage the load. I thought it would be easy to transition since I was transferring from a community college and I had thought I had overcome the culture shock when I had migrated to the US four years ago. Every day seemed a challenge, from inside the classroom to the world outside of campus. Dropping out seemed the only solution since I had thought everything was just a mistake, until I came across a Transfer Coordinator who I remembered from CalSO. For some reason I kind of felt more relaxed when I walked in his office. I expressed to him what was going on and how I had just lost my dearest cousin and how everything was just not working out. I expressed to him that I was planning to drop out and attend Cal State East Bay. This gentleman was the best person I met at Cal. He convinced me that I belonged in this school and he assured me that everything would be okay. He said I was not alone and that everyone who had transferred to Cal was experiencing similar challenges.

I did not drop out. As the Transfer Coordinator had advised me, I was not going to give up. I decided to continue at Cal and to push myself more. In fact, I went from getting an "F" on one of my midterms to getting an "A" for the same class.

As I mentioned earlier, I had thought I had overcome culture shock when I first migrated to the US from Kenya. This campus was full of people from all walks of life. It seemed like planet all of its own. I decided to take the Education 198 class in order to adjust to this new world and honestly it was the best class that I had my first semester at Cal; I always looked forward to it.

In this campus being depressed or feeling lonely is easy but remember you are not alone. Find someone who you can talk to. Find your voice and try to mingle with people and have fun. As much as you feel like you might not have time this will help you overcome most challenges. Never keep only to yourself.

This is my second Semester and Challenges have not gone away but now I feel better about facing them, and I am happier because I have made friends who are like family, who are here for me when I need them.

--Karen, Sociology, Minor: Peace and Conflict Studies
Lives in an apartment in Hayward
From Mombasa, Kenya
Previously attended Chabot College

Latin American Studies, College of Letters and Science, Transfer Student

I almost didn’t apply to Cal; Going to Berkeley never crossed my mind much. My heart had been set on attending UCLA ever since I was a little boy--it was my dream school. I only applied to Berkeley only after friends and family pressured me into it. I found out first about my admission to UCLA and was tempted to submit my letter of intent to register immediately. But once again, friends and family talked me out of it until I found out Berkeley’s decision. When the time came to check my application status online, and the website read, Congratulations! I began to second-guess my “dream school.”

My first semester as a transfer student at Cal was much different than I had expected. I thought I had prepared myself thoroughly at my previous school, DeAnza College. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t know the material, but that I wasn’t used to the amount of work that each course demanded here at Cal. I remember feeling that maybe I had made the wrong decision; I felt that I was drowning in the amount of reading each class demanded.

During my first semester I also decided to pledge a fraternity. One of my friends that I met during CalSO had a friend from high school in the fraternity. I unknowingly attended their rush events, and received a bid (invitation to join their house) within one week. The new commitment to the fraternity only added more to my stress as a new student. I felt like I was going to die trying to keep up with schoolwork and the fraternity’s requirements. I almost dropped out of my pledge period because I felt that trying to balance both wasn’t going to be possible, but I soon realized that it wasn’t going to be that easy. Quitting wasn’t much of an option, and the brothers in the house and my pledge class didn’t want to see my fail or give up. They helped me study and manage my time effectively, and I came to realize that getting accustomed to the “Berkeley workload” wasn’t all that difficult. In time, I was able to adjust to the new system, and hold my own.

Overall my first semester at Cal was amazing. I met so many people in my classes and through my fraternity, and realized that the courses weren’t all that different from my community college. I knew a lot of the material coming into Cal; I just needed to use the resources right in front of me.

--Pablo
From Santa Clara, California
Previously attended DeAnza College

Film Studies, College of Letters and Science, Spring Transfer

I remember when I found out I was accepted to Berkeley as a junior transfer. Fifteen minutes later--after my initial excitement began to subside--I realized that I had been accepted for the spring semester, instead of fall. I didn't know what to make of it at first; I thought maybe I wasn't "good enough" to be accepted for the fall semester. But I didn't let that worry me for too long: I had been accepted to Berkeley! After spending five long years at the community college, I was more than happy to finish my undergraduate studies at a world-renowned university.

After much deliberation, I decided I was going to try living in the residence halls. Of course, leaving my family and friends behind in Southern California was difficult, but I was determined to experience life in a new setting. I was incredibly nervous about seeing my roommates, and I arrived expecting to meet everyone at once. As it turned out, most people did not return to the dorms until the weekend before classes began, so I spent a few days on my own. I was initially disappointed, but being alone forced me to get familiar with the campus and the neighborhood.

It was during this time that I became acquainted with the Transfer Center, a place where I spent many hours my first semester. After attending their Welcome Week workshops on topics such as financial aid, class registration, and library resources, I began to feel a little less lost at Berkeley.

Adapting to the university life was not as tricky as I had imagined it would be. I didn?t realize it at the time, but my community college experience had prepared me better than I thought. I was able to jump into my major courses right away. I always worked full-time while I was at the community college, and this taught me to manage my time and juggle several projects at once. Those skills enabled me to maintain a good balance with schoolwork at the University.

Overall, I feel that my transition to Berkeley went smoothly. I can now say that--regardless of whether I came here in the fall or the spring--I am glad I chose to come to Cal.

--Carina
From Los Angeles, California
Previously attended Los Angeles Valley College