University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

Going back to talk to myself would be a huge advantage. I would firstly tell myself to just read more scholarly articles. Maybe the first semester of college would not have been so difficult if I was more familiar with college-level vocabulary. Plus, reading faster could only be an advantage. I would spend less time reading tediously if I could read a bit faster. I would also remind myself to focus on my work. It is hard to read long, and sometimes repetitively boring articles without drifting off, but it is not impossible! I would tell myself that if I daze out, I would only be prolonging the torture. I will still have to read it all, so I might as well get it done promptly. I would also encourage myself to take more community college classes to broaden my knowledge about different subjects. In high school, I had a lot of free time, which could have been used more resourcefully. I know I had anxiety about college, so the last thing I would tell myself is that I will succeed. It?s easy to succeed if one focuses and tries. Yes, Berkeley is challenging, but not impossible.

I would tell myself not to be nervous about about being on mind and just to stay focus.

Don't worry too much about being alone, there is so much diversity in the people that you meet and they are quite genuine and realistic about life. Balancing your time is very important because you use up your time in a way that allows you to get everything done and you will spend less time worrying about everything and getting stressed out. It also allows you to avoid procrastinating and it definitely draws the lines between the important priorities and the extra-curriculars that are not as prevalent. Do not be afraid to get help with your classes, especially if tutoring is offered or there are review sessions. Attend anything and everything that can help you succeed in your classes! Avoid skipping lectures and make an effort to study with your classmates. Take advantage of what your school has to offer to get the most out of your college. Don't be afraid to try something new just for the experience.

Dear Joanna, I wanted to let you know that you're doing great. You studied hard and though you missed being a valedictorian by a smidge and didn't get the high SAT scores you wanted, don't stress. In college, you're going to have fun and freedom. You're going to learn so much about your chosen career path and yourself everyday. Going to college really is a new beginning. You'll take what you've learned from high school clubs and apply it to college clubs and though there will be differences, you'll gain experience and get to talk to people older and more experienced than you, learning from and becoming friends with them. So don't worry about college because, like everyone told me, college is what you make of it. You are going to love it. Remember to study hard because college is a blessing and opportunity for you to invest in your future. Luckily, networking and making friends is vital to staying happy in college. Granted college is stressful but you'll be surrounded with people just like you to share your problems and your giggles with. Love you and good luck!

Drop everything you've learned about about life and the social norms that come with it in high school; life at Berkeley will not reflect life at a middle-class, suburban high school. Don't be afraid of what seems scary and different, but embrace it as a collection of new opportunities to enrich your knowledge of the world and what you can do to help make it better. Those homeless men begging on the street? Talk to them. Get to know their stories; they're much more like you than you think. Get involved in the homeless clinic; you'll see that your life is intertwined with theirs and it will be much richer if you welcome them into it. Discover your roots and the person you would have been had you lived instead in inner-city Oakland; get involved with the community around you, especially the youth. To summarize, embrace new experiences even if they aren't exactly what you had planned for yourself. You can't predict what college life will be like but you can take action when and where you decide it's necessary -- just follow your heart and instincts.

College is supposed to be "the best time of your life." But what does that mean? To some people, it means the time to party hard and make decisions that you might regret in the morning but are fun in the meantime, the time to shed the chains of parental control that have been holding you down and "live" in the form of public drunkenness and random hook-ups. But that's only what it means to some people. Buried deep, deep inside of you, you know that that's not what "living" means to you. Yes, the freedom to get crunk at frat parties to crappy autotune hip hop does sound fun now, but dig a little deeper and you'll discover what you really find to be fun, and just as important, meaningful--to you. College is a time to discover who you are, not who you thought you were or who your friends want you to be. It is the time to figure out what "living" means to you. Further down the line you'll see that college doesn't change people; rather, it helps them to see who they truly are. Who are you?

Past-me, do not concede or compromise with the pressures outside of yourself. Choose the right school , the one that will give you the education and resources you need and that will take you to where you want to be in the future. The 'you' years from now should be 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} yourself, and not merely the expectations of other people. Don't be afraid to assert yourself in what you want, because if you're not living life for yourself, then you aren't living at all. On a lighter note, you should definitely take into account the environment of the school you're going to attend. If you're not very athletic, don't choose a school that's been built on a system of hills. The environment is a vital factor on how great your enjoyment of the next four years will be, and also affects how you will live your life at your college. Lastly, enjoy college, and don't stay inside playing guitar or video games. Go out and have fun, make lasting friendships, join clubs, participate in fun events, get involved, and I promise you'll have a blast.

CHRISTINDARAVY SAVONG!!! College is hard because you seriously need to be RESPONSIBLE and ORGANIZED. Since I have the chance to talk to you, or me again, I will tell you what I would have done. One, do not be lazy! Remember when I said I was going to volunteer at the hospital, but was too lazy to organize my academic schedule? Yeah, I regret it because now I don't know if I want to be a Physican, or maybe a Pastry Chef. Confused with which path to go? That I am. Basically, I want you to expand your knowledge and experience with different and possible career choices. So go volunteer at different places and be commited and make connections by keeping contact with your supervisors. Also, get a part time job. You are going to work for almost of your life, might as well start now. By having a vigorous academic schedule adjusted to volunteering and a part time job, you will learn how to become a responsible and organized person. Most importantly, you will become a more confident person who trusts your own decisions. I want you, or us to be passionate with our career.

Study hard and don't procrastinate. You may be at the top of the pyramid in high school but at this university you'll be at the bottom. However, there's more to life than your studies. Make time for the things that will last like strong relationships with those around you.

While academics is the most important thing to focus on, widen your gaze. Don't be afraid of the professors, take advantage of the office hours that they specifically set aside for students. The professors are interesting people with experiences that can be relevant to your life and current research programs that can not only suppliment your knowledge in the field, but will make your resume seem all the more appealing. Take advantage of social events, friends you meet in college can be the backbone of your contacts later in life, and can be great partners to share the academic experience with.