University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

they are all hippies, hipsters, politically extremists, potheads, vegans on bikes, or extremely nerdy and socially awkward science freaks. the academics are cutthroat and the campus is overcrowded. also, crazies and homeless people abound.

1 UC Berkeley students are smart. 2 UC Berkeley students are uglier than other students. 3 UC Berkeley students hate stanford students. 4 UC Berkeley students are pot-growing hemp-wearing hippies. 5 UC Berkeley students are asian. 6 UC Berkeley is one of the top schools in the world.

I think that many people still believe that UC Berkeley is full of hippies or that it's still as radical as it once was. While there are probably more "free-spirited" people here than I have encountered anywhere else, overall Berkeley is pretty tame. I would say there is a good mix of differently minded individuals, and that nearly everyone could find a group here to identify with. In terms of UC Berkeley students, there are a lot of ethnic and racial stereotypes, as well as stereotypes concerning athletes, fraternity/sorority types, hipsters, and co-opers.

Went I was applying to Berkeley, I thought all students would be hippies, liberals and nerds.

UC Berkeley is thought of as a chrysalis point and haven for liberal thought and activity. Also, most Berkeleyites are not as charismatic as their UCLA or UCSB counterparts. It is possibly the most prestigious public universtiy degree obtainable within the United States and the University is structured to discover more than edify.

UC Berkeley is ultra liberal, and UC Berkeley students are either nerds, potheads, or ugly.

Asians are studious and antisocial. MCB majors suck. English majors are egoists. History majors wear glasses. If you're in a band called TNT, you're probably a douchebag. UC Berkeley is full of hippies.

UC Berkeley has always been associated with the 1960s and the student activism of that era. The typical image of the Berkeley student is a glasses-wearing, studious, and socially inept Asian student.

Berkeley has, in the eyes of most, retained its image from the Free Speech Movement of the 60s as a hotbed of political dissent and extreme social liberalism, populated by those who define themselves by in what manner they defy the norm. Balancing out these perceived eccentricities, however, is a respect for the academic excellence that Berkeley, as the best public school in the nation and the second (or fourth, depending on who you ask) best school in the world, is said to have. Berkeley students are either very smart or very crazy-- or both.

UC Berkeley is often thought of as a liberal school with lots of hippies. Stereotypically, the students are nerdy and unattractive. People also say there are a lot of asian students.

we're all asian. and nerds. or at least closet nerds.

Inevitably, people over 30 say, "Hey, Berzerkeley! So you're voting for Nader?" when I say I went to UC Berkeley. People of all ages think that campus is overrun with dirty hippies with long hair, fleas, and a fervent desire for the Man to shed blood.

Before I went to Cal, I heard that it was filled with studious, intellectual, nerdy grunge kids. Even the frat boy and sorority girls weren't supposed to escape this stereotype; although, in their case, studious was supposed to connote ugliness. Berkeley goggles - the infamous invisible accessory that any Berkeley student must wear in order to preserve their sexual desire.

Some stereotypes are that Berkeley is an extremely liberal place where everyone is very politically active.

It's difficult to pinpoint stereotypes of UC Berkeley students because the school is so huge - you are bound to encounter many kinds of people, most of whom won't fit into some mold of what you might expect to see in Berkeley. I loved meeting new people every year - whether it was through courses, extracurriculars, or other friends. I don't think it is even makes sense for me to go into stereotypes of students because I don't really think they exist.

Majority are Asian and super competitive.

1) Crazy driven Asian pre-meds. 2) Crazy hippies.

Within the UC Berkeley community, there seems to be a two way stereotype -- that berkeley students who are science/engineering are intense, overzealous and antisocial, and that humanities majors tend to be apathetic slackers who just want to party. At other colleges I've visited I've definitely picked up on the feeling that berkeley students are "too good" for other schools, and not that smart anyway, though they believe they are. In the larger world, Berkeley students are seen as intelligent, but super-liberal and football oriented. I can't think of many emails from my relatives in Iowa that didn't include several lines about how hurt I must have been at the loss of the Golden Bears to some other team.

Berkeley is known for its smart, free-spirited, strong-willed student population. Berkeley is known for its student protests, co-ops, and general hippie atmosphere. Personally, I think this is too much of a generalization. The thing about Berkeley is that it allows each student to decide how to define themselves. And yes, some of them choose to be hippies. Perhaps it is because of the large student body, but I feel that Berkeley allows for people to self-actualize. There are opportunities for every possible interest in the form of classes, clubs, organiztions, and teams. Classes are competitive, meaning students have to work their butt off just to get a B. I always say, "B for Berkeley." However, tough classes aside, Berkeley is a center of activity. You will never be bored.