University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

-Professors usually only know a student's name if the class is small (15-20 people) or if they frequently attend office hours or ask a lot of questions in lecture. -My favorite class ever was a reading seminar, History 103: the Sixties. I loved it because it was a small class, 15 people, and all we did was read a book a week and discuss it for two hours. It was actually a lot of work, and the paper assignments were challenging, but I loved the material. It was led by a professor, Professor Frydl (one of my favorites, and I feel like I really got to know her and my fellow students because the class was so small. I still go to that professor for advice in other classes. -Worst class ever: American Studies 101: The Atomic Age with Prof. Christine Palmer. The topic sounds interesting, but the reading material was odd and the lectures disorganized. The professor did not rely information well, and the assignments were very confusing. I found Professor highly incompetent and, above all that, very rude in office hours. -Students study a lot. I mean, a lot. I use my weekend to get a bulk of my homework done, rather than relax, and I feel guilty when I am not doing homework or something productive. -Class participation is common, and required, if the class is small. Other than that, participation is always limited to a hand-full of students who ask questions in lectures. -UC Berkeley students definitely have intellectual conversations outside of class, at least I know my friends and I do! -Competitiveness depends on the major. Hard sciences and engineering, yes, humanities and social sciences, not so much. Those in humanities and social sciences usually don't have to worry about a grading curve, and students in these classes are usually more friendly and eager to help each other. -The most unique class I have taken is actually a class I took over summer: The social history of the US. The professor was a visiting professor from SF state and incorporated field trips and interesting projects into the class that made it very enjoyable. -The history department is great. Leah, the history adviser is always very friendly, helpful and available. There are always so many interesting classes offered I find it hard to decide upon which ones I want to take! The history requirements are not too terrible, but most history classes require a lot of reading and fairly good writing skills. The department also offers great events like speakers or workshops, and Leah always sends email updates of these events or job opportunities. What turns most people away from the history major is the required research seminar where students have to produce a 35-120 page thesis in a semester. I am in the class right now, and it is a lot of work, but I am learning a lot and I am really enjoying exploring a topic in such depth. -I only spend time with my professors outside of class when I go to office hours. -UC Berkeley's academic requirements are reasonable. -For me, I feel like my education has been geared towards learning for its own sake. However, in the process I realize I have gained excellent writing and analytical skills. Plus, going away to college has made me a more independent and confident person.

Berkeley, as well as any other public institution, is known for intimidating class sizes and large student to professor ratios. Of course this comes with the good and the bad. The good? Sleeping in lecture does not constitute embarrassment in front of the other 499 students in class. The bad? Falling asleep and not paying attention to the professor could really put a damper on your academic edge. Since lecture style teaching is a huge part of the college learning experience, it is generally hard to avoid large 500 person lectures, especially with science and math courses. However, for those who prefer learning in smaller groups with a greater focus on the students, many lectures run concurrently with discussion groups. These discussion groups are usually a required component of the course, and are run by graduate student instructors (GSIs) who supply complimentary information and give students the chance to receive one-on-one attention. Furthermore, these discussion groups offset the large lectures and provide students with a more intimate learning environment. For the students who are really struggling with a certain class, there are a great number of tutoring centers available on campus and in the residential halls which are open five days a week for drop-in tutoring. Besides these resources, office hours are great opportunities for students to interact with GSIs and get help with difficult concepts. Professors hold office hours as well, which give students a chance to converse with them about research opportunities or issues they may be having with the class. Many people wrongly assume that professors at Berkeley are largely detached from their students (or from the rest of the world in general), but this is entirely false. Although Berkeley is mainly a research institution, many professors genuinely care about their students, and are willing to take time out of his/her research to ensure the success of students who are truly willing to learn. Not only have I been pleased with the quality of the professors here at Berkeley, I have also found the required coursework to be exciting and rewarding. As a freshman intended for a Molecular and Cell Biology and Business Administration simultaneous degree, I am part of the College of Letters and Science, the largest college on campus. This college awards Bachelors of Arts degrees to its students, whether they are science majors or history majors. Although many science majors are disgruntled by this, and would prefer to take more specialized courses in lieu of the nine required breadth courses, I believe that taking breadth courses is a great opportunity for students to become more knowledgeable in fields outside of their own, and to promote appreciation for the other majors offered on campus. The required breadth courses are more than just a wonderful way for those uncertain about their career paths to explore a variety of other majors. They are also a way for the College of Letters and Science to balance learning to gain experience for a job and learning just for the sake of learning. In effect, a Berkeley degree prepares students for more than just a career and provides students with a standard of achievement and academic experience hard to find anywhere else. This sentiment, which is echoed by many Berkeley alumni who are currently working or in graduate school, goes to show that Berkeley truly prepares its students for life outside of college.

Some instructor know your name if you make it known and go to office hours! students study all the time it's mandatory. studying your heart out will at least give a B. Students are extremely competive, if not, it won't be called UC Berkeley right? I think the American Cultures (AC classes) should be forced upon students, so they can learn about other cultures. Some students (white students) graduate from Cal, not knowing a thing about another culture than they're own. That sucks. If we can learn about Marx and Plato, we can learn about Cesar Chavez and Malcolm X, they all had philosophies right?

Personally, no, the professors do not know me. I should go to office hours more. If you go consistently (which is in fact really helpful), then they will get to know you. Although I'm an Engineer, the best class I had was probably History 162B, taught by David Wetzel. If you want to get passionately yelled at about how Napoleon Bonaparte was an INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL, then take this class. It's awesome. I hated Physics 105 with a passion. Never been quite so bored with a class or a teacher before. That in turn made it hard, and when you don't understand the material, it becomes more boring. A deadly cycle. I study every day except Fridays (maybe). I'm pretty sure a large portion of the student body studies five days a week. --- Intellectual conversations are fairly common, but people don't run around saying, "Hey man, let's have an intellectual conversation." If you're curious and thoughtful, you'll probably end up having an intellectual conversation at some point along the way. Surprisingly, the atmosphere isn't as competitive as you'd think. --- --- --- The Engineering requirements are pretty stringent, and if you don't push yourself, you'll probably end up following the exact path that they have planned out for you. That is, there are a lot of required classes, and if you plan on taking three per semester, you're probably not going to end up taking any classes by choice. The education at UC Berkeley isn't geared either way per se. I'd say that your personal approach determines whether you're learning to get a job or just for the sake of learning.

My favorite class was (of course) one of the introductory CS classes taught by a professor who is, in my opinion, the best teacher ever. Despite the huge size of the class, my effort to be noticed did not go unrecognized and he quickly learned my name. Now, just one year later I have a close relationship with that professor and I am now his TA for that class. However, it's not all roses at Berkeley. I came to this campus planning on studying Physics, but after 4 semesters of mediocre to awful professors I had to give up and turn to CS where the teachers cared about the kids and didn't give tests where the students averaged below 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}.

One of my favorite classes was an English Senior seminar. It was one of my last classes before graduation, too-- but anyway, it was a serious challenge, and I think it's because of that challenge, and that class, that I am a viable candidate for graduate school, if I choose to pursue it.

I entered Cal as a Bioengineer, but almost immediately felt a bit out of place. It was very restrictive and I felt obligated to follow the pre-specified engineering course path. I felt rushed and without time, which is a crazy notion given that it was my first semester. The vibe just didn't fit right and the engineering advisors were horrible. Then I had the opportunity to take Chemistry 4b, an absolutely amazing class. By far the best chemistry class I have taken. This class led me to switch to Chemistry. For a while this is what I wanted to do, but after a couple years of bad teachers, lackluster students, and bad research experience, I decided to switch. The final switch was to computer science. It's a great place to be. Everyone is extremely passionate about the material, and very friendly to one another. I've made many friends from my classes, which was a rarity in my other courses. Also, the teachers are very approachable and extremely knowledgeable. I guess all of this passion and excitement comes from the fact that CS doesn't feel like a dead science. We learn about concepts that are only a couple of years old. We hear stories about people who are still alive. We create things. Its a very empowering field. Though, there are problems with computer science. There is a clear and dangerous lack of girls in the department. So, if you're a girl and if you can see past the false CS stereotypes and the social stigmas of girls in a "man's" world, you should consider computer science. As with all majors be prepared to work very hard. This may not be the case with certain humanities classes, but I don't have the authority to comment on that.

For the most part, professors don't know my name because I'm usually in a class of 100+. My favorite class was ME 104 (Dynamics) with Benson Tongue; he's a funny, great lecturer. My least favorite class had to have been E 45 (Materials Science). The subject matter was too boring for me. Students' studying times vary. Some don't study at all for their tests (*cough* humanities *cough*), and others sleep in the library (*cough* pre-med *cough*). Class participation is common in discussion sections, not so much in lecture. Yes, students do have intellectual conversations outside of class, but that depends on your friends, too. Most of the people I know aren't that competitive, but I'm not in a very competitive major (eg, MCB or business). My major (mechanical engineering) is awesome. We build stuff that moves. Car? Can't have one without ME. Computer heat sink? Can't have one without ME. Fifty-story tall mech? Still working on it. There are a lot of academic requirements. It's a bit daunting at first, but you'll whittle it down. A lot of the education seems like it's learning for its own sake: lots of theory, less hands-on application.

The professors will not know your name unless you are in a small major, in a small upper division course, or have stalked them. My favorite class was Organic Chemistry. It was at 8am, and it was long, difficult, and competitive. It really (3A and 3B) gave me a grasp on the limits of my mind and work ethic. If you can survive it, you are on your way to being tough enough for anything. I recommend it for anyone. Honestly, I do not think that I hated any class in Berkeley. My reasons for not liking classes were usually stupid, like too much reading or not liking the professor. Really, I cannot criticize the superb quality of the education I received here. My Rhetoric Department is tiny. It is intimate. Professors will stop you in the halls to talk. They love your ideas and will polish your thoughts with you. If you need a mentor, you will find one, always. Of course, there are some people there that are distinctly arrogant to the point of evil. I won't name any names, but if they are using Heideggerian methods to dissect texts, chances are that you are being taught by Satan. Stick to their classes, however, as they are the most rigorous and enlightening members of the Rhetoric faculty. Just don't expect a good grade. It is definitely a school that is learning for learning's sake. However, some majors (Sciences, business) are definitely marketable in the field. You should do your research, but know that liberal arts will often lead to joblessness if you did not make connections. UC Berkeley students talk about intellectual matters so much, that after a few years they learn to think for themselves, and begin to engage in them selectively, rather than spewing useless opinions at anyone who'd listen. Also, the students are competitive in some, but not all majors. Do your research, there is no guideline. In non competitive majors, the students are still really dedicated to their work, so you should study if you want their respect.

For the most part, professors exert a great deal of effort to get to know the students' names. It's a matter of the student wanting their name to be known. Contributing to class discussions or providing constructive feedback to professors are ways of building a relationship with the professors. There's also the up-side of not HAVING to be known by the professor to get a good grade. You can pick and choose which classes to have your name known in and which to engage with the material in other ways. My favorite class was with professor Gregor. He didn't know my name because it was a lecture size of 300 students on Revolutions of the 20th century. His expertise and passion for the subject matter was obvious and although harsh at times, he had the deep respect of the students from day one. Learned a lot, was definitely challenged, and had fun in his class. Class participation is definitely common. Some students feel their thoughts contribute to the trajectory of the course and are excited to participate. Students of berkeley are taught to think critically about everything so intellectual conversation is inevitable in and outside of the classroom. My classes are not curved so student competition is less obvious and necessary. The general feeling is that all of us student's are in it together. I'm a double major in political science and theater, dance, performance studies. Both of my majors are cutting edge in the field and i love the level of excellence within the faculty. There's always the option to spend time with professors outside of class but I personally choose not to. I would say that Berkeley's academic requirements are definitely reasonable. Education at berkeley is geared towards learning and building critical thinkers and leaders for the world. My departments are not interested in having its student's make the most money in the field. It's about pursuing whatever is of interest to the student.

i made it a point to take a lot of smaller-sized seminar classes. i became pretty close with one of my film professors and one of my english professors, who endorsed a campus publication i had worked on. "intellectual conversations" were pretty common, but necessarily rooted from previously discussed class material. the reading lists were pretty dense, so most "fun" conversation usually had to do with music, or readings and films we had done/seen on the side. my least favorite class was introductory latin. and the r1b requirement. the pre-1800 requirement for the english major was also painful. the rest of my classes were pretty great. it's a gross generalization, but anyone studying math/science/engineering/business was mostly in it for the money or future job. but they're probably as equally annoying/competitive as those deadset on graduate school. these are the annoying people that feel the need to make comments in large lectures just to stand out to the professor, even if they don't really have anything to say. the for the most part, the academics at berkeley are pretty broad and traditional. it's not career-training, it's learning for learning's sake.

I had some truly great classes at Berkeley. Especially when I research the course and professor in advance, through asking other students, etc. Professors know your name if you make an effort and go to their office hours. Otherwise they may not. The question is, Do you know your professor's name?

Most of the classes I've taken are so big that the Professors don't know my name. My favorite class currently is a sociology class on social psychology. The professor (Robb Willer) is great, and makes the class material super interesting and extremely accessible. My least favorite class is Research Design and Statistical Analysis, an upper-division requirement for my major. The material is really dry, and the professor is just completely inadequate. It's more or less an exercise in futility. Berkeley students ALWAYS have intellectual conversations outside of class. Students are competitive, but it really depends on what major you're in. The most unique class I've taken was a decal (and student facilitated class) on the band Radiohead. It's great that in addition to all the demanding classes I have, I can also break it up and earn units with something fun and interesting. The Psychology Major/Department is great. No complaints there. The professors are wonderful, the advisors are extremely nice and accessible, and the classes are always interesting. I don't spend time with professors after class. Office hours are often inconvenient for me, so I usually don't get to know professors one-on-one. I do know people who spend time with professors outside of class though. UC Berkeley's academic requirements seem very fair, but once again I think it depends on your major and interests. I would definitely say that, for the most part, UC Berkeley is geared toward learning for its own sake, and not toward getting a job. This is not to say that there aren't opportunites, like career centers and career fairs. It just seems that in general, what you learn in class is more theory and concept, rather than something that can be directly applied in a job.

I have had very close relationships with a handful of professors. The professors at Berkeley are always available, but you have to use them. They won't hold your hand. I found that out my freshman year. You can skip class and no one notices! It first this seemed cool, but then I realized that getting good grades was really easy if you read all your readings, went to class and discussion section. But the most important thing, in order get the benefit of the doubt by your graduate student instructors - who run discussion section and ultimately grade you - is to visit them in their office hours and show interest in the class. I have had so many great graduate student teachers. They are close to my age but know the material like the back of their hand - just more approachable then professors. When I was in the dorms, I realized how hard some people studied. I was never one of those people. I saw college as a holistic experience rather than simply an academic one. My only complaint about Berkeley's academic requirements are their breadth requirements. I came to Berkeley to study humanities. Yet, I had to complete a biological and physical science requirement. I know I came to get a liberal arts education, but NOBODY is benefitting by me taking science and math. I found it frustrating that I had to waste two classes worth of units on topics that I hate.

Like two profs ever knew my name. Most dont. E45 is great with Gronsky. Students study from all the fucking time to almost never and their grades oare often uncorrelated. I wish I could take my professors out to lunch like it seems is easier at other colleges . . . this might just be me slacking though. UC Berkeley is geared to job and learning for its own sake equally.

Most classes are big, so don't expect all of your professors to know your name. Nonetheless, once you graduate from UC Berkeley, you are geared for success!

Now that I changed my major to ISF, my professors definitely know my name. Before when I was taking MCB classes, I didn't want them to know my name because they were all douchebags. My favorite class in college has been ISF 100A on the evolution of capitalism and critical social theory. I participate in class, commonly. I have intellectual conversations about intellectualism about being outside of class. Certain students are competitive. They actually make up a good majority of the students here. The most unique class I have taken have been classes in critical social theory. I am in a small major that is like independent studies. I make up my own course plan and I have to write a research thesis before I graduate. The department is small, so the profs get to know me pretty well which I like. The academic requirements are not flexible enough. You shouldn't be kicked out after reaching a certain credit limit, within reason. Depends on the skills taught in your major whether its geared towards getting a job. If you want to gain practical skills for a job, Berkeley has that. But you can also take classes that teach you how to think critically about the world and about problems and how to come up with creative solutions. Although this doesn't directly prepare you for a job, I think it's a lot more fun.

Berkeley is competitive and classes, especially in math and the sciences, are notoriously difficult, even after the curve. Unless you introduce yourself, professors won't know your name; however, many professors are truly interested in their students, and office hours are excellent opportunities for one-to-one discussions with professors. Sections, discussions, and labs are taught by Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs), who may have teaching methods that better suit students' needs. GSIs often consult their students about a convenient office hour time that would also work for their students. Depending on the college, Berkeley has different academic requirements. The University of California has basic writing, history, and government requirements, which may be fulfilled through AP or IB credits. Berkeley has a campus-wide American Cultures (AC) requirement, which must be fulfilled with a class on campus. A wide variety of AC courses are offered each semester so that students can choose. Each college also has its own individual requiremnts. For the largest college, Letters and Science, a seven-course breadth requirement is designed to expand students' academic horizons. Berkeley has a scheduling system called TeleBears, which is split into two phases to ensure fairness. Each student receives an appointment during the two phases; a unit cap is in effect for the first phase. TeleBears is always a stressful time of the semester. After diligently researching interesting classes and professors and fitting lectures and discussions into a weekly schedule, I have to find out which ones are highly impacted and guess which class would fill up faster. Waitlisting into a course is also nerve-wracking, especially if the course is a prerequisite for another course or for a major. The level of academia here at Berkeley is amazing. We have some of the world's most renowned and most interesting professors and faculty. One of the most interesting classes I've taken is Drugs and the Brain, in which Dr. Presti, the teacher, brought in a preserved human brain to show the class.

Classes are large at Berkeley, and most professors will not know your name -- it's nothing personal -- but they are very good professors able to handle such lectures, and so discussion does not suffer for the number of students there. I don't think I need to proclaim the greatness of Berkeley's academics here, but it's worth noting that the math and sciences are notoriously difficult and rigorous, and the humanities less so. In my own defense, it appears that the Philosophy department has the lowest average GPA of all the humanities-- though, upon further reflection, it's possible that this indicates that we're dumber rather than that the classes are harder and methodology more critical. Seriously though, I would certainly say I've had an easier time in the classes in my other major, Religious Studies, but I rely heavily on my own passion for the material so I am reluctant to set standards for others. Needless to say, Berkeley is tough, but it's worth it. Or so says one who never had to take an o-chem midterm. To understand Berkeley's academics, understand simply that there are many people, that they are smart, and that they all must struggle -- even the best -- with on some level being nobodies. With the right attitude, it is a healthy struggle, and one that I personally was looking for-- no one will tell you that you are special unless you truly go above and beyond because it is assumed you are already special enough for getting here, and anyway, what was your name again? One of the positive developments of this scenario is that, in my experience, students very rarely seriously compete with one another; even in the classes where the grade is curved, everyone just wants to do their best, and people always cooperate. And even if the professors are so barraged by exceptional people that they have a hard time picking you out, they are always willing to talk with you because the vast majority of them truly love teaching-- even if they don't have a Nobel Prize yet. The lack of core classes also provides an interesting element, such that all majors end up taking interesting classes full of people who have not been forced to attend; you may miss out on reading some of the classics, and you may find yourself picking certain classes simply because you know they'll be less stressful than other classes that will fulfill that requirement, but you'll be thrown into unusual situations as a result-- which as I have said is for me the theme of UC Berkeley. Applying my philosophy-trained mindset to my Environmental Biology class sophomore year resulted in some very interesting interactions that I will never forget. People at Berkeley are more career oriented than they have been before, I think, due to the changing student climate, but as I have emphasized, anyone can find their niche, and the professors teach their classes out of passion, passion that you as a student are encouraged to share for its own sake.

People study like crazy. During midterms and finals, the campus is dead. People are locked up in the libraries and study lounges. Some people even camp out in the libraries and spread out blankets to claim their spot. I have also found that the majority of students are working towards going to med, law, or grad school. I have even been looked down upon when sharing that I wasn't planning on going to school once I finished my undergrad education. Classes are huge. Here is the basic format: Lectures with hundreds of students led by professors (often boring and filled with power points) and Sections (or small groups) led by grad student instructors (GSI's). In my experience, I have learned far more from my GSI's than my professors. I think this is kind of disappointing, and I wasn't expecting that when I came here.