<p>@neuromajor btw MCB neuro is a B.A. not a B.S. (It really doesn’t matter, but there are some peculiar people who care…)</p>
<p>As for respect-- as an engineering borderline physics major student, I hate people who belittle majors because they’re not hard enough. Study what you want, mind your own “hard-science” business, don’t get into people’s butt about “respectable” majors. /endrant</p>
<p>But if you were quite earnestly curious about how much respect you’d get in the scientific scene in Berkeley: it’d depend on who you talked to. If you talked to ppl in bio / psych / bio-related fields, probably wouldn’t have to worry. If you talked to physicists, the level of respect earned would prob depend on how eloquent you are about your work/passion… </p>
<p>The physicists respect biology majors because of the visual learning and memorization required, and the biologists respect the physics majors because of the very complex multi-variable calculus required to elarn quantum mechanics.</p>
<ol>
<li>Recommended housing place for freshmen?</li>
<li>What kinds of extra-curricular activities and things are there to do at Cal?</li>
<li>What should I bring to UCB? (essentials, laptop, etc.)</li>
</ol>
The units 1,2,3 are the most popular ones since they’re closer to campus. Unit 3 is the closest one to campus on the southside, so if you prefer convenience choose Unit 3. Unit 1 and Unit 2 are in better quality than Unit 3, but I never really thought it mattered to me lol. I was just lazy so I chose Unit 3. If you are computer science, your classes will be more on north side, so you might want to dorm at foothill or bowles (but these are isolated, and they have a reputation for being “anti-social”, bowles is also guys-only, so dont know if you want that) Clark Kerr is the furthest since its a 15 minute walk to southside of campus but the dorms there are bigger and nicer. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Many things! What do you like to do? It depends on what you are interested in. We have over a thousand clubs, many of which are pretty random. If you like volunteering, we have multiple clubs for volunteering. If you want to talk about anime, there’s an anime club. There’s also many clubs that are more career-oriented like pre-med clubs, and business clubs. Heck, we have a kendo club too (japanese martial art with bamboo sword). First week of school is a event day (usually on thursday) called Calapalooza and it is a event where clubs just showcase themselves, so you will be able to walk around to talk. There are also intramural sport teams if you love playing a type of sport, and a martial arts program ranging from Taichi to karate to taekwondo. There’s also boxing, and etc. So definitely just check out whatever you are interested in .</p></li>
<li><p>For essentials, laptop is pretty useful for classes. DORM wise, everyone says to bring a laptop lock but I never used it. You just need to not keep your door open while you are gone so no one can steal it. I drink from the tap, but maybe you would want a brita water filter for filtering water. Umbrella for random days when it does rain. No, you don’t raelly need any rainboots. Maybe a suit for formal wear (business casual or business professional), in case you have an interview, or you need it for something a formal event. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Bedding, laundry hamper and laundrystuff, a suit for formal wear, all types of clothes from shorts to long pants to light jackets and heavy jackets because weather can change erratically. a microwave or mini-fridge (or you can rent it), towel /wash cloth, desk lamp, ethernet cord for internet, flip flops for shower (or you can buy them here too), a dorm shower basket thingy so you can bring your shampoo and etc in one go, get a small bag of just random office essentials like some postits, paperclips since it just sucks when u need one, and u have to waste money to buy a box of it. alarm clock, surge protectector/extension cord!</p>
<p>So there is no wifi in the dorms? I have a macbook pro and it doesn’t have an ethernet connection (Although I know there are extensions, but it’s stupid).</p>
<p>@Moshe1010 There’s wifi in the study rooms, but unless your room is super close to it, then you won’t really get to use the wifi. What some people do is, they bring their own router to hook up to their ethernet so that they could have wifi in their room. </p>
<p>Hm…this is probably a pretty rough estimate, but 30-40 people a floor, and there’s one set of bathrooms (they’re co-ed, unless you chose one that is the same sex). Maybe 5 toilets, and 5 showers around? I never had trouble getting to a bathroom, but there were a couple of times that it was really crowded. You could just walk up one floor or down one floor and use their bathrooms. <strong><em>this is for residential hall</em></strong> if you are in an apartment or a mini-suite, it’s usually just 4 people to one private bathroom</p>
<p>So I guess my best bet would be a mini-suite. Are the mini-suites (doublets) a better choice overall than the units? (if money is not an issue).
I’m asking in terms of:
Social aspect
Condition of the rooms
Size
Distance to classes (science classes mainly bio/physio/nutrition)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Social aspect, the residential halls would beat everything. The dorms are pretty small, but its tolerable for a year. I think it’s important to dorm for your first year because you just meet a lot more people that way. Mini-suite, I would not recommend for freshman, since I don’t believe the social environment is as strong (not sure though), but they do have a lot more space.</p></li>
<li><p>well…residential halls are smaller since they’re dorms… triples are pretty small, but it’s not something that is going to ruin your life. You get pretty used to it after a while. Most people move out of the dorms after a year into apartments, since there is a lot more privacy. Dorms are dorms, so it’s not going to be like the Ritz. They provide you a naked mattress, and you get a desk and a closet depending on what room you get. </p></li>
<li><p>I mentioned the size in 2, but here’s a link to the housing and they can show you the size of the rooms of the different units: <a href=“http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/room_tour.html”>http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/room_tour.html</a></p></li>
<li><p>For science classes, I’m not sure, but I would assume that they would be in southside since VLSB is on southside of campus. Unit 3 is the one that is the closest to campus, followed by Unit 1 and 2, which are newer. I lived in Unit 3 because I wanted to be closer to campus. If you prefer a dorm that is a little further away, that is fine, since walking is good for you! Bowles/foothill are two dorms that are pretty isolated on the northeast side. Clark Kerr is also pretty far from Southside of campus </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks @totalcaprice
Would you say that in terms of the social aspect, if I’m a transfer student from a CC, that would also be a problem? So if I’m a transfer student would you recommend the mini-suite or the dorms anyway?
I see that there is a transfer theme in unit 2, is that any good?
I also see that each room has a printer? should we bring one?</p>
<p>@Moshe1010 Look into Wada/Martinez (apartment-dorms) if you’re a transfer. They’re considered off-campus for aid, but the rooms are really nice, it’s cheaper than the normal dorms, no forced meal plan, and it’s mostly transfers/upper div students. I lived in a mini-suite my first year as a transfer, this year I’m in Wada… would definitely recommend Wada over mini-suites.</p>
<p>Also, the Wifi is pretty good now, we usually get it in our room. But the wired connection is much more stable.</p>
<p>Printer: Eh… depends on you. My classes don’t require much printing, so I didn’t bother with a print and just go to Soda or Moffit if I need to print. But other students keep printers in their rooms, and have more assignments due in class.</p>
<p>@failure622 Any idea what is the difference in terms of financial aid between the Wada/Martinez and the dorms? If it’s considered off-campus, does it mean it’s further away than all the others?
Would you still recommend getting a meal plan if I plan on the Wada/Martinez? Are the floors mixed in terms of gender?</p>
<p>@Moshe1010 I don’t know any details about aid, sorry! Martinez is right next to Crossroads (dining hall), It’s kinda in the middle of the three units. Wada is in Unit 2, which is the farthest of the units but still not too bad. I wouldn’t suggest getting a meal plan unless buffet-style meals everyday is something that appeals to you… there’s tons of food around campus, usually cheaper and better tasting than dining hall. Dining hall is okay, the food can get a bit boring/bland, but it’s healthy, usually has lots of choices, and it’s all you can eat… though a lot of students prefer eating out. Floors are mixed gender, rooms within an apartment (or mini-suite, if you go that route) are single gender.</p>
<p>I also see that Channing Bowditch is for transfers as well? Is it any better than Wada? It looks like if I plan to stay at the summer, it would be better to go with Channing Bowditch?</p>
<p>Would you recommend co-ed or single sex floors? I’m a female transfer student planning on going in a dorm building and do want to meet as many people as possible, but sharing a bathroom with guys seems like it would be pretty uncomfortable and inconvenient.</p>
<p>@sarajh I lived on a co-ed floor my first year. Initially, I was nervous about sharing bathrooms with guys. However, I got used to it within a couple of weeks. I’ve never had any trouble (or harassment of any type). I think co-ed floor is more fun and you get to meet more people. In my experience, the perk about single sex floors is that there are more toilets for everyone because there are no designated stand-up stalls.</p>
<p>If anyone has more questions about Berkeley dorms/dorm life, here’s a blog post that I found helpful:</p>
<p>Do you really need binders and notebook paper anymore if you take notes and do assignments on your tablet/computer? Do most profs for breadth classes require that you print things out and turn in assignments on paper? </p>
<p>You don’t really need binders, but you probably need notebook paper or even notebooks. It depends on how you organize your papers, and assignments. Some professors may not let you use laptops in class, so you would have to use paper. Some professors let you submit assignments online, but some want you to print it out to turn in. owning a printer is more convenient, but its not necessary. you can print stuff on campus for free at the open computing facility. however, it’s simply easier to just have a printer next to you so you don’t have to rush or go out of your way to go on campus to print. </p>
(Although I know there are extensions, but it’s stupid).</p>