University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

If I could go back in time and give myself advise about college I would definitely start with telling myself to be prepared to live in a completely different living situation. You no longer have your mom around to tell you when to eat, what to eat, when to shower, when to go to bed, all that stuff mom's always take care of. But now that you are on your own, you really have to be prepared for everything. I got sick, and there was no mom to baby me, I had to take care of myself. So, I did what my mom would have done and nursed myself back to health. It is all about growing up and you just have to trust that you know what you are doing and what you are doing is best for you. Don't stay up too late, don't go to too many parties, don't beat yourself up about your new classes (because they are harder and different) but enjoy yourself and have fun. There is no college to look forward to after college, so don't stress the small stuff and be the best you you can be.

if i were to go back and speak to my self as a high school senior i would tell my self, relax. If ones goes into college with their head on straight, takes one thing at a time, and takes healthy breaks, they are going to do great. someone told me to really seperate times were you are working very hard and other times were you are really having fun. the thing that i always did was sit at my desk as if i was doing work but then get distracted and go on the internet, which isnt that fun or relaxing, and it isnt getting work done. it is very imporant to take breaks, get out of your chair, and out of your dorm room. excersising is esspecially very important, it keeps you healthy and feeling good. by being active and getting out of your room you will increase the amount of productivity.

I would travel back and tell me to believe in myself more. After I found out I got into Berkeley, I wondered if I had truly worked hard enough in high school to deserve it. I immediately thought my acceptance was a glitch in their system. This is how I felt all through the end of senior year. I remember coming up here for orientation in the summer after high school graduation. I told a boy in my orientation group how nervous I was to come up here, and how unsure I was of making it into Berkeley. This boy then proceeded to tell me to have some faith in myself, that I am obviously smart, and a hard worker, and if I were to continue to work as hard as I did through high school, that I could make it anywhere. I wish that I could have known that everything would be fine in college.

?Katey, the most important piece of advice you need for college is: don?t be afraid. Don?t be afraid to meet people, anyone. They?ll all be in the same situation as you are. Making a whole new group of friends is hard. It will take adjusting. It?s not like high school, but it can be even better if you?re willing to take that first step in meeting and getting to know others. Trust me, it will keep you sane when the work load is astronomical. Don?t be afraid to talk to professors either. I know it can be intimidating, especially with the five-hundred person lectures, but the professors know more about the subject than anyone. After all, they are teaching it. They?re the perfect resource to use, or even just get to know! Don?t be afraid to join a club, even if you don?t know anyone. The whole point is to meet people and do what you love with them. It will definitely build strong relationships. The fear of change is deep, but don?t let it effect you too much. Work hard, play hard and you'll do just fine."

I would tell myself to enjoy my youth a little more and not stress out about little things. I would tell myself that I hadn't even understood the meaning of stress until I came to college and started taking tests worth 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of your final grade. I would tell myself to really cherish those friends and classmates that I got to see on a daily basis. I would make myself understand that college is not just an escape from high school, and that without a definite plan I could end up lost in the tide of people who don't know what they want to do with their lives. I would tell myself to try harder in my scholarship hunting so that I don't leave my parents in debt by the end of college. I would explain that life is not all about how many goals you can achieve, how many internships you can land, or how many degrees you can decorate yourself with. I would tell myself to follow Shakespeare's axiom to "love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

Considering, I am a transfer student and I chose to attend a Junior College after my senior year and later transfered to UC Berkeley, I guess my junior year felt like most freshmen feel their first year. I would tell myself that it will be scary being in a completely new environment and being away from home for the first time. However, through time you will learn to love this place and if you can get through this you can get through anything. Also, I would tell myself never to forget why I am going to college in the first place, to better myself and receive a highly recognized education. It will also be a time where you will get pushed mentally but it is to improve yourself, never will you be able to experience so many different ways of thinking and people again. Lastly, be as openminded as you possibly can, you will be surprised what you will discover about yourself and humanity as well. College is like the best rollercoaster you will get on, it will be scary and fun at times, but in the end you will just want to get back on.

The transition into college can be one that is exhilerating and yet frightening. Going to college means that you receive more freedom, opportunities to make new friends, and essentially have the time of your life while you finally get to start working towards your career. Before entering this transition, I wish that I was more prepared for some of the challenges I faced such as leaving your friends, making new friends, and doing well in a competitive school. I think one of the hardest obstacles I faced was having to leave my all friends and make new ones. It was hard to constently be extroverted and open myself to new faces. Not having my normal support from friends was exceptionally hard. On top of everything, school was suprisingly over-competitive. Receiving lower grades was discouraging and overall made the transition process harder. I wish somebody had told me to be prepared to have awkward friendships for a while and expect the new grading to be challenging. You're not the only person who will experience this! Awkward friendships WILL transform into the ones like you had in high school and never be afraid to ask professors and classmates for help!

Hey I know you! You are me from high school, but you most likely believe I am crazy. I know you are adamant about getting into the perfect college for yourself, so I am going to give you a few pointers as an experienced you from the future. Don't ask questions because it will only waste time. I am a student at UC Berkeley. You will need to know a lot of information about this school in order to suceed. Stop worrying about what others, especially your peers, think. It truly does not matter in the least. You need to be self-motivated and driven in order to survive in a town like Berkeley. You will need to come out of your comfort zone and talk to random strangers, who you will find out later are actually Cal students and have a lot of advice for you. You will also need to be completely involved in your school; do not think that you can make visits home all the time because they typically just distract you from school and your extra activities. Well my time here is over and I must go back to the future. Take my advice!

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give all the advice possible from my own experiences during my first semester at UC Berkeley. First of all, I would tell myself the importance of learning to take care of one self in college. No one is telling you when to eat or what to eat. It is up to us to make sure we eat properly and have balanced meals in order to stay healthy and not get sick. I would also tell myself to manage my time better. It is so crucial in college, it is not fun pulling an all-nighter because you delayed writing your 8 page paper, and then not being able to fully function the next day. It is important to allocate your time wisely and not leave everything to last minute. The most important piece of advice I can give myself is that it is alright if you are no longer the best and failing is not the end of the world but a learning experience and as long as you seek out help like tutoring everything will workout for the best.

There is one thing you must do and that is to study as if there was no tomorrow. Studying will be the one and only thing that you must do at college besides eating and sleeeping right. Going to the gym is also essential since the "Freshman 15" is not a myth, by the way, weight lifting is good and all but if you do not run then you will still get a belly. Get involved with as many organizations as possible as long as they pertain to your major or interests, but looking around and trying new things also helps since you might find that you do not love art as much as you do marketing (that is just an example). Also, do not limit yourself to your race get some diversity in your life and who knows you might that certain someone. In addition, take it easy sometimes and take a nap here and there since the night owls on your floor might not allow you to sleep during the night. Overall, if you eat, sleep, exercise and study everything will be fine.