University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

Don't be afraid to take chances and try new things (which won't hurt you). You only go to college once.

When I think of my first semester attending Cal, I remember feeling stupid for the first time in my life. My whole academic career until college consisted of me having the reputation of "the smart one". And I felt that crashing down around me the more people I met at Cal. In high school, I was at the top of my class. Suddenly everyone I was meeting was at the top of their classes too. I almost felt like I had lost my identity. I found myself having to define myself by something other than my grades. It wasn't until my second semester that I began to get involved with other activities and really began to find my place at Cal. The feeling of being a tiny fish in a huge pond slowly began to diminish as I discovered other interests and skills. If I could go back and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to get involved with extracurricular activities earlier in my college career. After all, college is not just about doing well academically but also being given the opportunity to discover other interests and pursue new passions.

It's very important to remember that apply to college shouldn't be just about what the most prestigious university is or about the SAT scores you get. It's about choosing what is most convenient, affordable, and also most suitable to you as an individual. Try not to focus too much on the brand name and choose a school that you think suits you best, whether because it has the major you're interested in or even if it's just because it's close to home. Once you let go of all those expectations, you will be much happier and the pressure will be off. It is very likely you will end up where you need to be, just work hard and make sure to relax every once in a while. College is an amazing time and it should not be terrifying and anxiety inducing applying to one. You will make the most of where ever you end up and you will have a great time.

Stop listening to what other people say. Not for one second am I suggesting that you become an self-righteous know-it-all; I am, however, pleading that you imbibe a large, large dose of self-reliance. Too Emerson for you? Deal with it. You've spent the last three years grappling for every bit of advice from any person willing to dispense an opinion (read: everyone), and the time to stop basing action on everony's opinoin but your own has all but arrived. You joined sports and clubs because ?it?ll look good on your college application.? Take tap ?dancing! Spend time with your younger brother who?ll also be going away to college before you know it! Volunteer at the horse rehabilitation center! Restart ice-skating! Do what you love and keep the fear of uncertainty from paralyzing you from volitionally going through each day. In college there will be plenty of people waiting to tear you down. Learn to be your own person and purposefully make your own choices or others will happily decide for you. Trust me, do this one thing and college will be the time of YOUR life.

College is like an endless summer camp. Pack lightly: the tiny dorm rooms are not a myth! Choose classes wisely: they will become your life. You have all the time in the world to study, and you should use that time wisely. But this will be true no matter where you go. The most important thing you need to do as a senior is choose your school wisely. Visit and tour all the school you apply to, and apply to many. You don't want to be limited in choices come spring. Choose the school right for you, not the school your family or friends like most. Look at what school has a strong program for the major you'd like, is in a pleasant location, and not too far or too close to home. When you make your decision, stick to it and do not regret your decision. It is best to love your University because it becomes your home and your life and that means it should be enjoyable. You are building your future, and it will be the time of your life.

You may seem to know the world, its workings and its limitations, but remember to be humble, because you do not know everything. All you know and have learned (no matter how progressive and forward-thinking it may be) will (and should) be challenged. Do not limit yourself to your expectations of what you should be doing, because it is our belief in who we can be, rather than who we should be, that will guide us. Keeping an open mind, learn from all the people you will encounter, whether they support you or oppose you, because truly, every single person has something to teach you. Be patient and kind and remind yourself of why you do what you do. I know that is a hard question to answer, and it is one that I cannot completely address, but I think it has to do with bettering yourself, empowering and uplifiting people around you, and knowing that changing the world starts with yourself, at home, with your friends, your community, and then expands. You have already changed the world, so keep working, fighting, and most importantly, loving.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a senior, I would tell myself to be comfortable with my own self-doubt. Everyone is in the process of finding themselves at college, and rushing this process is fruitless. Looking back, the path of self-realization was far more important than the end result. The path itself created who I am today, and it drives everything from the career that I have chosen to the values I hold. College opened me up to countless perspectives and experiences that are vastly different from my own, but all the while remain with me today. The most important aspect of my education was the diversity of my college. The transition from an isolated town to a large, liberal city was not an easy one, but it was essential in enabling me to work with people of many different backgrounds and to have a larger understanding of the world around me. Attending UC Berkeley humbled me with the reminder that I am only one of billions of people in this world, and at the same time empowered me with the knowledge of the potential impact that I can have on others.

I would give myself the following advice: do your very best in your classwork or in whether you put your mind to, do not listen to the naysayers saying that you can't do the college thing, respect others and yourself, and most importantly, never give up, no matter what.

Choose good friends and hold on to them. Care for others and be generous with your time, efforts, money, and thought. All else is subordinate and life will have pleasant surprises if you follow through with this.

Making the choice of going to college was an easy one for me since i had planned to continue my educational career since my sophmore year at high school. However, i always assumed that college was going to be just like high scholl except with a higheer degree of dificulty. Although this was true, there were other things about college life that i still wished i would have known. This is why if could go back in time and tsalk to myself about completing this transition there would be many tips and advice given. For one, dorm life is not as fun as it sounds. One must be prepared to encounter different types of people and also be aware that you cant react the way you would in highs chool. You have to be mature and responsible. Another factor would be finances. Save up money for yourself this way you dont feel as if you are in need or desperate for extra cash. Lastly, be prepared for a culture shock. The demographics in college are not the same as the demographics at high school. You will feel out of place, but all you have to do is find your niche.

The best piece of advice I would give myself is having an open-mind. I came from a high school surrounded with peers that were judgmental. At times, it prevented me from being myself. Coming to college, I have brought with me beliefs and ideals that I kept from high school, which I thought would help me gain friends and find the right ones. But after my first year of college at UC Berkeley, I have learned so much that I can say I have become a different person. Liberal. Tolerant. Willing to adapt. College taught me how to study hard, but still have fun. The meaning of friendship has shifted to something totally meaningful. It taught me how to be open about my sexual ortientation. Being a political activist. Being eco-friendly. Being a party-goer. Being open-minded alllows you to be willing to change, and to be willing to learn who you truly are. Thinking of college as a place for partying, having fun, committing to multiple extracurricular activities, and taking classes that interest you will truly change your perspective on life. It will let you realize what your priorities are, and learn from your mistakes.

If I could advise myself when I was a high school senior, I would tell myself to become more involved in high school student organizations. While in high school, I was involved to a small extent in some student organizations: I was a member of a debating club called the Junior Statesmen of America since the end of my sophomore year, and I became a member of Key Club in the middle of my senior year. However, when I came to Berkeley, I joined five student groups and I became a Co-Representative for my residence hall in the UC Berkeley Residence Hall Assembly. Because I had little experience in student groups from high school, I feel that my transition to Berkeley was suboptimal: it was difficult for me to balance my academic goals with my extracurricular life. Therefore, my advice to myself as a senior in high school would be to prepare for Berkeley by joining and becoming involved in more high school student groups. Specifically, I feel like my experience as an RHA Co-Representative was lacking because I had no experience in student government, so I would advise myself to join student government and Model UN.

Knowing what I know now, If i could go back in time, I would tell my high school senior self to spend more time rehabilitating my leg. I had surgery on my right leg as a result of me having had cancer-osteosarcoma (bone cancer) to be exact. There are a lot of hills and stairs at my college. My leg gets me tired easily when i'm going from class to class or a campus event. I also would tell myself to go to a little more social, instead of just staying in the room all the time.

Do not allow your previous experiences to define who you will become. College and high school are completely different playing fields and because of that, you must come into college with a refreshed view and an open mind. That said, prepare yourself, as a senior, to experience new things by starting now. The importance of stepping out of your comfort zone cannot be described in two hundred words. It cannot be described in a lifetime to advice - even from one's future self. Consistenly remind yourself that academics and the thirst for education is most important but also know that education and intellectual enlightenment can be acheived outside of the classroom. Learn from your new experiences. And be ready to learn more after.

It might be cliche, but I will say that college isn't going to be what you are expecting. Who else can you believe if not yourself? So trust me when I say this, you have to try hard and put yourself out there in college. Be part of more things, clubs, groups, whatever. You will have the time, you just have to manage time better. Less repetitiveness, more new things. If you want to achieve your goals in college, you are going to have to do this. It won't be easy, and you will have to change. Don't procrastinate and do your work. Secondly, cherish your friends you have now. You may think a new start in college may chip away at old friendships and bring upon new ones, but no, it will bring new ones, but you should keep your ties with the old ones. You may feel rigid at the moment, but being away for so long from your family and old friends, you will come to miss them and come to appreciate the moments you spend with them during your vacations. So, build upon your current friendships and make new ones in college.

For so much of my senior year, I worried. I worried that everyone at my college would be smarter than me; that everyone would be harder-working, more attractive, more motivated. I worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the academic pace, that I'd gain a freshman 50, that I'd make no friends. In fact, I was so worried, that when I first started Cal, I stuck to my room and books and working out. It wasn't until a couple of months later when I realized that I hadn't made friends. Because Berkeley is a big school, I had to take the intiative. I had to go to club meetings and commit to events and to socialize with people. I wish I could tell my year-younger self to not worry so much. I got into my top college, classes were easily manageable, and I didn't even gain a freshman 15. I just wish I had made the commitment to make more friends and get out of my shell. I'm going to make a bigger effort this semester, but it would have easier to have done it before.

Being in college, I have came to realize that the four years of atteding an university is truly a priviledge that will broaden my horizons. I would urge myself to be appreciative of the precious college years , to be courageous to take the road less traveled, to be open to diversity and be humble to learn. To never be afraid to take a challenging class or get to know a stranger. To always expose myself to different cultures and ideas. College is a place where I will encouter many failures, be that as it may, in the mist of every failure there will be wisdom and growth. My GPA can barely reflect my accomplishments in college -so do not dwell in the misery of that first C but look at the A+ I got in learning to live on my own. I may not always be the most popular one, but be genuine and respectful to everyone and I will be awarded with a few life-long friends. Lastly, I would enourage myself to cultivate in knowledge and truth so that I may never become angry or fearful of what is unknown and also, to never settle for anything less.

I know you are running over in your head what college will be like. But trust me when I say that it is like nothing you've dreamt before. It's better. There will be endless parties, for one. And oh! the football games! You will not want to miss those. I will restrain from spoiling it all. But the professors - the way they speak, the way they teach - makes your curious, makes you not want to stop listening, makes you re-think the world you thought you knew. But everything has its price and college's is that you cannot drink all of it in at once. You must remember what means most to you. Your time and thus life is in your hands. Use it well - live each moment with no regrets through the art of balance. Pinpoint what's important, do it, and then go play. And believe me when I say that college is never short on play. Learn like you've never learned before. For college will nurture your mind to realize your dreams. So remember, discipline yourself to prioritize, then balance out by soaking college in. After all, you have four years to enjoy.

Do not take everything so seriously. College does require a lot of work, but you need to make sure to maintain a balance between school and fun.

I would tell myself to take more math classes at community college (since I'm not a very strong math student.) I would also tell myself to stop worrying so much and just take each challenge as it comes. College isn't scary. I would tell myself that I can handle anything Berkeley throws at me; it isn't going to set you up to fail! Study hard and concentrate on school while having fun!