<p>strawberryfields, just wondering what you don’t like about Brown? I’m actually considering putting in a transfer app TO brown from berk (hah, want to trade?).</p>
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<p>
</p>
<p>Well, it’s not completely correct to say that majors are not a factor. For example, if you try to get admitted as an engineering major it’s more difficult than a major in L&S. It’s just that for majors in L&S (most majors), which major you choose doesn’t make a difference.</p>
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<p>aelles-my decision to transfer is based on a lot of personal/family reasons, and is not so much a reflection on the school than it is on my own situation. Aside from the fact that it’s in Providence, Rhode Island (although, as far as locations go, you could do worse), Brown is a great place with some very cool people. It is supposed to be the “Happiest School in the Country” or something, right? Anyways, good luck!</p>
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<p>Wonderful thread. My thanks to andrew and all those who have participated. It really gives me an insight into the Berkeley life. </p>
<p>I have several questions:</p>
<p>I applied to EECS and am probably accepted (as I have received the invitation for regents interview). And based on previous posts, EECS courses seem very competitive and rigorous. Can somebody be more specific? For example, is it rigorous because the classes are hard and/or the hw load is huge? Or is it because the grading curve is high and it’s hard to get a good grade? And, since I intend to go to graduate school, is it really important for me to keep straight A’s or at least B’s, or is the selection not that competitive?</p>
<p>Sorry for the plethora of questions… and thanks ahead of time.</p>
<p>“is it rigorous because the classes are hard and/or the hw load is huge? Or is it because the grading curve is high and it’s hard to get a good grade?”</p>
<p>According to my EECS buddies, BOTH.</p>
<p>All I have to say, Berkeley Engineering is no walk in the park. I know many who study their butts off and have low grades to show for it. Unlike high school, where working hard = straight As, working hard at Berkeley doesn’t necessary equate to an A or B.</p>
<p>“where working hard = straight As”
LMAO, man the thing i’d say, is that in high school, you could completely BULL.$.H.I.T. your way through it, it WAS a walk in the park. At Cal, you can’t B.S. your way through a whole lot.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Okay, so it’s working your ass off and not earning a high grade in EECS. Great. Any tips for EECS survival? =)</p>
<p>HELP-
Bears, please respond.
I’m a Mom who started reading this thread after my son got his acceptance last night on the web.
Questions and concerns:
1.When do we get merit info if any? We are out of staters. 2.
Also, reading this thread was so depressing. Berkeley is his top choice but reading this makes it seem like a poor choice. He is a great kid, politically minded and active, a leader, super smart and Jewish.Very, very liberal. This site suggested anti-semetism and clicky, unfriendly kids and lots and lots of drug use.
Can those attending elaborate.
3. Don’t you know any profs? All TA’s with huge classes and no chance of participating in class discussions if theere are any for that matter?</p>
<p>Crazed, there are many more positives than negatives in going to Berkeley. Berkeley is not for the kid who needs hand holding. If you want to talk to a prof, sit infront of his office just before the posted office hours. The prof will talk to you. Ask good questions and he/she will remember you. If you don’t ask for help, you will not get any. Just like the real world.</p>
<p>If your kid can make good decisions by himself, you don’t need to worry at all.</p>
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<p>crazed:</p>
<p>Don’t worry! I’ve been here for three years, and Cal is an amazing place.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I really don’t know about the merit info. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help in that regard.</p></li>
<li><p>I haven’t read most of this thread, but I can tell you that I’ve met a whole lot of happy people at Berkeley. Very rarely do I come across someone who isn’t. I can assure you that anti-semitism is not an issue. I am Jewish, regularly go to Hillel, and have never experienced the slightest bit of anti-semitism. And let me tell you, I flaunt the fact that I’m Jewish. I was the only Jew on my floor as a Freshman, and everyone knew that I was Jewish, and proud of it. I’d write Hebrew on my door, just to stroke my pride. I’ve only heard of a few, very rare incidents of anti-semitism. It really, really isn’t an issue.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In fact, for Jews, Hillel is a wonderful place to meet like-minded people. Berkeley’s Hillel is very, very active (<a href=“http://www.berkeleyhillel.org)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.berkeleyhillel.org)</a>. Hundred of students come to Hillel every Wednesday and Friday for barbecue and Shabbat dinners, among other events.</p>
<p>As for unfriendly people, that’s pure garbage. I’m a sensitive guy, and the students at Berkeley are wonderful. Getting involved in student groups, Hillel, hanging out with one’s dorm, etc. “shrinks” Berkeley, and makes it very easy to make friends. Berkeley students also tend to be quite mature, as the university does not hold students’ hands.</p>
<p>Regarding drug use, I have a good perspective on this. I lived in Foothill my freshman year, a dorm that is known for being quiet, and for being filled with engineers and other science majors. As I am an engineer, I felt that it would be a good choice. Many people complain that Foothill is “lame,” but I actually met some great people while I was there. Sometimes you get lucky, although the Foothill crowd can be pretty “lame” if you aren’t so lucky. I mention Foothill because the drug use there is practically non-existant.</p>
<p>I’ve also lived in Unit 3, one of the more social dorms. A chunk of my floor did smoke pot a lot, and I couldn’t relate very well to some of the students. It was a decent experience, but it did not compare to my Foothill experience as a freshman in terms of meeting like-minded people.</p>
<p>In terms of the Units, it’s a real crap-shoot as to what you get, but I have a lot of friends who loved their floors as freshmen! I really don’t think that there is more drug use at Berkeley dorms than at other universities, and I don’t feel that this is a reason to turn Berkeley down.</p>
<p>As for drug use outside the dorms, it really depends on the types of students you’re around. The engineers I meet are usually very tame, and rarely do drugs. I am also involved in theater, and most of my fellow actors drink, smoke pot, and much, much more :). As for people at Hillel, a lot of them are quite tame and stick to drinking, and a bunch smoke pot. As I said, I really don’t think that Berkeley has more overall drug use than a typical college campus, although I don’t know enough about other campuses to say that definitively.</p>
<p>Your son seems like a great fit for Cal. I highly recommend visiting it, having him meet the students, and seeing if he feels a connection. One of the reasons I chose Berkeley is that I really liked my overnight host program experience.</p>
<ol>
<li>The extent that students know their professors really depends on a student’s major (in terms of class size and accompanying discussion sections), class level (higher level classes are smaller), and assertiveness.</li>
</ol>
<p>Participation during lectures is usually quite minimal; that’s just the nature of lectures. Most large classes do have accompanying discussion sections and/or labs, which normally afford students a great chance to participate. Think along the lines of 15 to 30 students. I always find myself actively participating in discussion sections; the fact that I’m only dealing with a TA makes me less nervous, and I am more likely to ask questions.</p>
<p>Professors are usually available during their office hours, and assertive students who want to get to know their professors will make use of this. Most students don’t, but for those who do, this process of learning how to forge relationships by being assertive is very valuable. Schools that hold students’ hands neglect to teach this skill to anyone.</p>
<p>I do undergraduate research with an engineering professor, and I know him very well. I’ve been working with him for a year, and it’s a great thing to have a connection with a professor like that. It really helped in applying for graduate school :). I had to be assertive in order to connect with him (especially because I never took a class with him), and it definitely paid off. It’s definitely possible to get to know professors, but they won’t come to you.</p>
<p>Hope this helps :).</p>
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<p>cal’s awesome, it’s anything you make of it. the drug use is no different than any other bay area college or college on the west coast, and even then it’s just pot.</p>
<p>your son’ll have lots of fun if he wants it. and trust me, there’s plenty of political activism and berkeley’s still a bastion of free thinking. Hell, it’s known as the People’s Republic of Berkeley, the last communist stronghold on earth!</p>
<p>calstudent86: what’s your major? is it a lot of work? I mean, I don’t expect to slack off and do well in engineering, but high school has pretty much been full of studying, so I don’t want a four-year repeat of that. I guess, appx. how many hours of sleep do engineering students get? And is it cut-throat in terms of competition?</p>
<p>Overall, this thread has made Berkeley sound like a scary, scary place. Can’t wait to visit. :D</p>
<p>calstudent86:
Thanks for replying to all my questions. If you read this entire thread from the beginning you’ll see why I was totally “off” Berkeley (and it has been my sons first choice due to the reputation there.)
Your replay has made me feel better about this opportunity. We’ll have to get out there this month and see how it feels to him.
Also, I understand there is a housing shortage and most Soph-Srs. live off campus. Is that mandatory at some point? What is the availability of off-campus housing and cost? Transportation?
Thanks for the Hillel update. If we’re there on a Wed or Fri I’ll insist we check it out.
Again, I appreciate your time in writing.</p>
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<p>housing’s guaranteed for the first 2 years. most people move out after their freshman year because they’ve had their fill, found friends they want to live with, and realize that its cheaper to live off campus. For the first year, dorms are great for meeting people, after that they’re really not much of a use, i think.
you can always apply for housing all four years, but it’s not 100% that you’ll get in. Either way, its cheaper to live off campus anyway, and usually you can find a place around campus that’s as close or closer than the dorms.</p>
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<p>coffeebean:</p>
<p>I am an Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) major. Yes, it is quite a bit of work, but your workload really depends on the classes you take, and the professors you have. Last semester, I spent 260 hours on a project for one class (EECS 150), in addition to labs, homework, and exams. That’s a crazy class, and I knew what I was getting myself into. The same semester, I took a class that required only 40 hours of project work during the course of the semester (CS 186). If you don’t want to drive yourself nuts, you can always avoid the most challenging courses (although I don’t necessarily recommend that). Also, if you have AP credits, you could certainly take a pretty light load and graduate (but that might be a problem if you apply to graduate schools or jobs that require your transcript, as it shows a lack of effort).</p>
<p>EECS is regarded as one of the most time-consuming engineering majors, although I do believe that they are all fairly time consuming. I would not call it cut-throat in terms of competition. The mentality is, “Oh, crap! We’re all going to fail! Let’s study together and fail together!” The curve makes it very hard to get good grades (especially in EECS), but people work together. A lot.</p>
<p>Berkeley can be scary. But it’s fun, too :).</p>
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<p>crazed:</p>
<p>I’m glad you’re feeling better about it. It really is a great place to be :).</p>
<p>As for your other questions, I will add to what punkdudeus said:</p>
<p>It’s never mandatory to live off-campus, but after your son’s 2nd year, there is a chance that he will not receive a housing contract if he applies for one (unless he is a Regents’ Scholar).</p>
<p>There are many apartments that are walking distance from campus, so I would not say that transportation cost is an issue.</p>
<p>I will note that there is upper division housing available on-campus, and it is actually cheaper than the dorms. I live in a wonderful on-campus apartment (<a href=“http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/unit2_wada.html)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/unit2_wada.html)</a>, but my Regents’ Scholarship guaranteed my housing contract, and I was lucky enough to get placed in this upper division building. This isn’t really something you can count on, and most students would choose not to live here because it is “in the dorms,” but I just thought I’d let you know about it.</p>
<p>Regarding Hillel, Wednesday BBQ’s are at 6 PM and Friday Shabbat dinners are at 8 PM (following services that start at 6:30 PM, I believe…I’m not religious, so I skip the services when I go). I agree that you should stop by if you can. And if you do, I would try to meet Adam Weisberg, the executive director of Hillel. He’s there often, and is a great connection to have. When I visited campus three years ago, he spoke to my dad and I, and it was very helpful. If you have any more questions about Hillel, he’s a great person to email (aweisberg at berkeleyhillel.org).</p>
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<p>Some of what calstudent86 said seems a bit much to me.
comes to mind, and
Some students are plenty apathetic or cold, and some are unfriendly (not that I think these things only happen at Cal). Also,
sounds like the university’s own rhetoric.</p>
<p>However, I generally agree with calstudent86, or what calstudent86 said minus a few degrees of intensity here and there.</p>
<p>As to off campus living, Berkeley’s culture is just that way. The first dorm wasn’t built until about 50 years after the school opened. I had a prof who has been at Berkeley since he was an undergraduate and he has never lived in university owned housing. It’s just how it is, although it is starting to change a little now that housing is guaranteed for two years instead of just one.</p>
<p>Anti semitism is really a non-issue besides the rare notable cases (such as the broken window at Berkeley Hillel about 5 years ago). There is a good amount of Israel vilification, but I think very little of it has anti semitism as a true underlying cause.</p>
<p>DRab:</p>
<p>Whoops. You’re right. I unwittingly used a view extreme adjectives in an effort to make sure that crazed did not have an inaccurately negative picture of Cal. It sounds like a great opportunity for her son, and I wanted to make it clear that there is really nothing for her to worry about.</p>
<p>I’m sure she realizes that Cal isn’t one large happiness cult. Yes, some students are obnoxious, cold, etc. As you say, people like that can be found everywhere, especially in my major (EECS) ;). Nevertheless, there are a ton of very friendly people.</p>
<p>As for “Berkeley students also tend to be quite mature, as the university does not hold students’ hands,” I really have experienced that. I come from a small, private school, where our hands were held all the time. The difference in maturity once I got to Cal was really noticeable.</p>
<p>There is a reason why I suggested that she and her son visit Cal; I don’t know her son, so I really can’t say that it would be a fit. I can only say that it sounds like it would be.</p>
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<p>Oh, dude. Not helping… haha. Is Cal EECS known for its curmudgeons? I’m a tentative EECSer.</p>
<p>karch:</p>
<p>Damnit! I inserted a wink for a reason!</p>
<p>EECS students are usually nice people, and as I’ve mentioned many times, EECS is very group-oriented. People work together all the time. The only problem is that EECS students are somewhat extreme: many of them tend to be very focused on EECS, and only on EECS. That’s great for group projects, but they aren’t the fun kids on campus, and they definetely tend to lack in social skills. Granted, I’m generalizing. There are definetely EECS majors who are just the opposite of what I’ve described. And there are also some who strike a nice balance.</p>
<p>…but who cares if a lot of EECS majors aren’t all that fun to hang around with? If you don’t have fun with your classmates, you can hang out with the thousands of other students who do love to have fun. You’ve got the best of both worlds. Don’t worry.</p>
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