University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

As a college, Berkeley is one of the best places to learn about yourself and of students of other cultural and ethnic backgrounds. While there are sure to be student groups geared towards hobbies and cultures that you identify strongly with, there are also students groups which differ greatly from your political and social viewpoints. That is the beauty of Berkeley. Thus, compared to other well-established institutions, I would say that Berkeley has a reasonably well-rounded student body. There are currently more than 650 student groups on campus, ranging from The Rubber Band Club to the recently re-established third world Liberation Front, covering issues which span the political scale from the very liberal left to the very conservative right. There is such a range of eccentric people roaming around campus, student or not, that it is impossible to feel out of place at Berkeley. From “emo-rocker” to “grunge bohemian,” fashion is a common way for Berkeley students to make a statement. Although most students don a pair of blue jeans and a Cal sweatshirt for class, at Berkeley, no one would take a second glance if you were going to class in a bright orange bathing suit. However, the Northern Californian weather is a huge factor in deciding what to wear to class, and even into late spring, the crisp cool weather keeps most students in jackets and sweatshirts. Especially for Southern Californian residents, who are accustomed to t-shirts and tank tops, San Francisco/Bay Area weather proves to be much more temperamental, with surprise showers and the occasional foggy mornings. What I appreciate most about Berkeley is the diversity among students, and the strong emphasis which these students themselves place on embracing multiculturalism. Most recently, a strong desire to establish a permanent space for a multicultural center has prompted various student protests as well as emergency sit-ins against the university. Students from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds participated in this movement together, working towards a goal which may represent different things to each of them, but together means a substantial shift towards a desired change on campus. Thus, cultural student groups have a strong influence on the atmosphere of Berkeley student life. However, although culturally diverse, the Berkeley student population is not as geographically diverse as most other college populations. While there are a handful of students from out of state, there are few to none full-time international students. Although it is great meeting people from all over California, I would have hoped that my college experience would expose me to students from different states and countries. Still, it would be wrong to assume that because most Berkeley students are from California, that they are homogenous representation of the democratic state of California. Instead, the students are a reflection of the general American population, reflecting stances regarding social and political issues similar to that of the general population curve, with moderates in the majority, and a few on the far left or far right.

our student is diverse, only because students identify with so many different backgrounds, beliefs, ideals, race/ethnicity, etc. Our school is filled with rich kids that own many houses in many countries. Then there are students that are paying their tuition and their parents rent, because money is hard to come by. you would think Berkeley is full of liberals but no, there are many conservatives, they have alot of power. some students where pajamas, no clothes, hey you name it!

As an all-encompassing statement: UC BERKELEY STUDENTS ARE SWEET. EXCEPT FOR THE DOUCHEBAGS. No seriously, there's room for everybody, and if you look hard enough you'll find your place fairly quickly. Also, don't be afraid of talking to random people. You'll find that strangers can end up being friends fairly quickly.

The students are not nearly as left as I would have liked. Eating at the Free Speech Movement cafe on campus, inspired by Mario Savio's passionate calls to action, and knowing that a huge number of my fellow students voted and support George Bush is pretty appalling to me. I can't imagine a young intelligent individual in that kind of a place supporting that kind of oppression. In CS, there is a lot of talk about the future and some of it is very financially based, but I usually steer clear of those individuals and find myself in intense conversations about crazy new internet ideas or startup plans. Those are definitely something i'll miss when i leave.

I know all kinds of people from Berkeley, and I'd be tempted to say that if you want to find a particular group of people, it's there on campus. Or around campus. I know people who will discuss their future $, yes, but also I understand that the pockets of hippies are out there. Or whatever other group. There probably could be more interaction among groups; these things do tend to form cliques. But in another way, that's just part of finding one's path through college.

In general Berkeley students are fairly friendly, but you have to go out and seek them. You can, and will make friends from class if you try, but several people have told me that this almost never happens. For the most part people are divided by their club/house/frat. If you want friends and a guaranteed social life you almost certainly should join one of these organizations, at least for a little while. I lived in the COOOPs (www.usca.org) for a long and would highly recommend it, even though I've had my ups and downs.

I don't think any kind of student could feel out of place at Cal. What to most students wear to class? Jeans. Different types of students, for the most part, do NOT interact. That's just how we are, man: we don't like the unfamiliar. Four table sin a dining hall? What the hell? Are you a freshman? Most Berkeley students are from California as far as I can tell. (It's a good price.) Can't say what financial backgrounds are most prevalent; I don't watch my friends fill out their FAFSAs. The few students that are politically active are REALLY active; sometimes I wish they'd get out of my face with their flyers and crap. Predominantly left.

Every kind of student can find a home here. African Americans are a minority, as they are in most colleges, but there are a substantial number of them here, so do not avoid Berkeley if that worries you. Also, the school is socially diverse to the point of basically splitting the various fashions, politics, and interests, so you will only interact with people you don't like in classes. Yes, there are many gay people. If you are gay, this is a great school for you. So go here, do not go to Reed. Also, remember there is SF 20 min away. 4 Dining hall tables: a table of athletes, lanky and muscular (Crew=lanky, Waterpolo=muscular). A vaguely mixed group of friends, obviously from high school. A group consisting of 4 people that look totally alike. 1 awkward person reading a huge reader with spilled tea or coffee everywhere.

I'm in a Christian ministry on campus called the Ark. Upon my arrival in my first year, I found the Christian scene very interesting. It was appropriately directed towards the seeking population and in berkeley, that means it was a uniquely intellectually driven faith. With such a large campus and a diverse population, I was able to find exactly the right community for me even when I thought that it would be impossible. I found a community that focused on ministering to God first and loving Him and each other. I think feeling out of place in Berkeley is a normal thing for a time. College life is a huge adjustment from high school, especially for a group of high achieving students. Eventually, dependent on how willing a student is to experiencing new things and adjust, I believe every student can find their niche and be changed (for the better). Berkeley's great because it has ever option in the world. Students don't dress fancy for class as was the case at my high school. Dependent on the time of year (mid-terms/finals/papers) student's will attend class in their pajamas and look ready to learn. Class subjects definitely bring students into all sorts of interaction whether class mandated or not. Berkeley students are very open minded and accepting. Student's are politically/socially aware and active so as to understand that everyone's beliefs and individualities are interesting and deserve respect. I would say, consistent with the stereotype, student activities and mindsets are left and jokingly extreme left. We're all aware of how the berkeley population is perceived and its amusing to see instances where those stereotypes are met by us or others. I think the Haas School of Business students and may be Bolt School of Law students talk about their potential earnings more than my departments of political science and theater, dance, and performance studies. College irons out all financial stratification. Both students whose families are well off and student's who's families are more modest are given the same living conditions, same food options, same very reasonable tuition. All financial statuses are challenged to live off of a relatively similar budget. Characteristic of college student's in general is that we've all become broke when we entered college. operating out of this understanding, every student i've met is very mindful of these considerations. We all are learning to make good investments and good decisions to save.

there's something for everyone at berkeley. most people are from within california, since it's a state school. most political demonstrations are done for shock value. larouche, nader, and the socialist party have their tables out pretty often. the backlash to political activism is larger than you'd think and a lot of people are apathetic.