<p>This website gave me a lot of help. I thought I'd come back and give some advice. I'll answer any questions you guys have.</p>
<p>some basic info:
2 year CCC transfer
poli sci major
live in campus housing (I don't recommend it at Cal)
doing well, academically and socially</p>
<p>I am also a pol sci major. What is your GPA? what do you think about double majoring? Did you get any research positions? Honors thesis?</p>
<p>And also, how was Cal compared to CC pol sci classes-wise? Did your GPA drop?</p>
<p>Thanks for doing this. I’ll just ask the general questions.</p>
<p>[ul]
[<em>]How much harder is Cal than CCC?
[</em>]How many units are you currently taking at Cal?
[<em>]How many units did you average at CCC?
[</em>]How did you feel about Cal the first two weeks you were there? I know that most students move in 1 week before schools starts, right? What did you do during that week before class started and that first week of class? Did you walk around a lot? Go to SF?
[li]Did you live with other transfers? How were they like?[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>This is all my personal experience and you might have a completely different experience than me. A lot of this is stuff I wish somebody had told me so I feel a duty to pass it on. Also, this is all from a male’s perspective and might be exclusive to UC Berkeley.</p>
<p>I was PM’ed asking why I don’t recommend living in dorms.
The environment is very structured. I am an independent person. So having an RA is just a hassle. You have to swipe your ID to get in the building, then get your ID swiped by a security person, swipe to use the elevator, unlock the door to your apartment, and then unlock the door to get to your room (all which lock automatically). All visitors must be checked in. Packages can only be picked up during certain hours and they make you wait hours after its been delivered so they can process it. I would rather have the flexibility, simplicity, and liberalism of my own place.</p>
<p>I decided to live in campus housing because I wanted to meet people which was a big fear of mine coming in. The dorms have helped me meet a few cool people, but in general the transfer/upper division dorms are very quiet. Simply put, a lot of people are anti-social. Some of my friends who came here as freshmen met their best friends in the dorms, but the whole experience is a roll of the dice. </p>
<p>I know people who lived in dorms at other colleges, loved it, and think its part of the college experience. But understand your paying a premium for things like an RA and floor events. Making a lot of friends is less likely because there are so many anti-social people. However, it is very clean, quiet, and safe. If you want that, or get some dope financial aid that pays for it, or you’re a freshmen, then go for it. I’d rather have found an apartment.</p>
<p>What is your GPA?
3.7 transferred with a 3.8</p>
<p>what do you think about double majoring?
Anything that gets you into your career path of choice but I wouldn’t waste time on a class I hate just to double major. Get and internship, do research, or join a club. Experience is important when it comes to cover letters and resumes.</p>
<p>Did you get any research positions? Honors thesis?
I haven’t but it’s a good idea if you’re interested in grad school or being a professor.</p>
<p>And also, how was Cal compared to CC pol sci classes-wise?
I haven’t taken any lower-division poli sci classes but the upper-divs are pretty difficult. Finals are more important. They can be 45% of your grade and cumulative. It’s usually like 2 expansive essay questions and 5-7 short answers. There’s also more reading and thus more material you’re expected to know. It’s important to know how to read an poli sci essay, its different than a biology textbook. There’s an methodology to the writing and if you read every word, you’re doing it wrong.</p>
<p>Did your GPA drop?
Little, but mostly because I did mad extra-curriculars last semester.</p>
<p>How much harder is Cal than CCC?
Harder, but if you get admitted, then you have all ability you need to do as well as you want.</p>
<p>How many units are you currently taking at Cal?
15</p>
<p>How many units did you average at CCC?
between 14 and 18</p>
<p>How did you feel about Cal the first two weeks you were there? I know that most students move in 1 week before schools starts, right? What did you do during that week before class started and that first week of class? Did you walk around a lot? Go to SF?
The week before school starts in the fall is called welcome week and is a ton of fun. There are seminars you can sign up for, clubs tabling, and Caltopia. There are also open frat parties and a lot of people get their rage on.</p>
<p>Did you live with other transfers? How were they like?
Most transfers are super chill mostly around the 21-23 range. No one can tell the difference between a transfer and non-transfer unless you tell them. Meet people in clubs, organizations and classes. Get involved, have fun. I thought fraternities were super lame (which is true for a lot of them) but I found one that fits me and it has been the best decision for me so far. Looking back, most of my fears about meeting people as a transfer were largely irrational. College is probably the easiest place to meet people if you have social skills.</p>