<p>Is the grade deflation worth going to Cal? Would you be better to just go to UCLA if you want to go to med school as a math major?</p>
<p>The student body blows, even in student orgs where you meet people and know who they are and they know you at the end of the day those connections are just as superficial as the first day you met them. The people I meet from other schools just seem so much happier and enthusiastic about life and it makes me question why it isn’t like that here. While the academics are great, I think the social life here just pales in comparison to other schools…</p>
<p>I should also add that many people who are unhappy here would probably be equally unhappy at any other school. Since you don’t actually attend any other school but Berkeley, you have no way of judging what the experience is like at another school. Also, real, deep connections with people take time to form - if you just meet someone from a student organization and don’t see him or her too often, of course your relationship will be rather superficial. You can’t expect to “click” with everybody you meet - some people are just more compatible for friendship than others.</p>
<p>but doesn’t it seem pretty strange that–out of all the colleges i’ve looked at (which includes a lot, let me tell ya!!)–berkeley is the only one where many people seem to be really unhappy and is the only one where people have cited general unfriendliness, lack of meaningful friendships, etc? :-/ can it really just be coincidence? i kinda doubt it.</p>
<p>I love Berkeley and so do 99% of my friends. The thing is that some people will come, act like a loner and never try to make friends, get bitter about being lonely and end up blaming the school and people here. If that’s not the reason then they are mad because they aren’t doing as well as they hoped and take it out on the school or people. Sure many people (especially science/engineer) complain about the cutthroat attitude, but seriously get over it. That is why Berkeley is highly regarded, since it isn’t a cake walk that anybody can handle. Btw the only school I notice people having an unpleasant time at is UCSD.</p>
<p>You aren’t gonna make friends if you spend 24/7 in your room studying!!! People that have many friends and succeed socially at Cal make a large effort to meet people, join clubs and be engaging.</p>
<p>is the dmv fun?
r any state run agencies fun?
why expext the government schools to be any different?</p>
<p>Yeah since private schools like Bob Jones University are sooooo much fun!</p>
<p>dmv:)
take a number and wait in line…just like trying to get a class or walk in to a class room<br>
dmv</p>
<p>u could rationalize all the dmv realities 25 years ago when it was actually cheap. but now at 30k plus and rising, please…</p>
<p>Whitecadillac, the opinions you got are just opinions, and you shouldn’t take them so seriously in my opinion. Myself plus several others I know are extremely happy with Berkeley and wouldn’t want to give up our experience here at all. The people I know in classes have been extremely friendly, and I know several professors who’re warm and put tons of effort into the students. And to be very honest, there are courses taught at Berkeley that you are simply not going to get in many other “top” universities, with only some notable exceptions. I find the weather and environment refreshing too.</p>
<p>If you are in an overcrowded major, that’s a problem, but I’ve never had problems getting my classes. I’ve in fact felt bad that on many occasions I had close to the first day of telebears available, and could have gotten by with the last day available and still found spots in whatever I would like to attend. </p>
<p>What you do need to do is state your goals a little more clearly. Saying “Berkeley is a cold, unfair place” is rather like saying “the world is an unfair place” – with pun fully intended, what on earth does that even mean, and which part of the earth are we talking about?</p>
<p>If you’re going to be a premed and want a relaxed school atmosphere, certainly don’t aim for Berkeley. But many majors, while very intellectually challenging, don’t have a competitive, unfriendly culture.</p>
<p>What the hell? I didn’t even realize people disliked Berkeley this much. Wow…The people I know (undergrads, grads, and professors) love Cal. I mean, between my peers, we exclaim “****ing Berkeley…” after a poor midterm, but that sentiment is said with a certain endearment. Honestly, I wanted to go to a school that could kick my ass just so I am challenged enough to perform beyond my limits. </p>
<p>The city of Berkeley itself could be better… but that’s what Northside is for.</p>
<p>What is with this general discontentment? Go to a bar, hit up some friends, and enjoy yourselves.</p>
<p>“And to be very honest, there are courses taught at Berkeley that you are simply not going to get in many other “top” universities, with only some notable exceptions.”</p>
<p>out of curiosity, could you name some of these? are you talking about the decal classes by any chance? (which do sound interesting.)</p>
<p>“I find the weather and environment refreshing too.”</p>
<p>but wouldn’t that be true of almost any cali uni pretty much? there are certainly cali uni’s that are arguably as good as berkeley (depending on what you seek there and all) that have nicer/more refreshing environments too, since almost everyone agrees that the city of berkeley itself isn’t too nice. </p>
<p>“If you are in an overcrowded major, that’s a problem, but I’ve never had problems getting my classes. I’ve in fact felt bad that on many occasions I had close to the first day of telebears available, and could have gotten by with the last day available and still found spots in whatever I would like to attend.”</p>
<p>that’s good to know, but why do you think you can get classes you want while many can’t? is it really just your major that determines that?</p>
<p>and ok maybe berkeley isn’t really terrible for everyone and some people obviously enjoy it. but berkeley doesn’t offer anything in particular that i’m looking for (major-wise i could go to several different schools and take similar classes, etc) and combined with many of the negative things the majority of people have said (yes i know it varies from individual experience to individual experience but sometimes you gotta trust the majority), i just don’t see what reason i’d have at this point to choose berkeley (if i got in) over ucla (if i got in), uc davis, claremont colleges, etc.</p>
<p>remember that the members of this CC forum are only a small representative group of berkeley students. Not all students share the same feelings as the ones who have posted here. In the end, it all comes down to what you make of it.</p>
<p>This isn’t something out of the blue. Berkeley is consistently ranked as the university with the most depression among graduate students.</p>
<p>Whitecadillac, my overall message is that I think you need to get more into the specifics of these schools. The UC schools are not all the same in terms of the education they provide, to the point where you can just look at environment. I gave the example of certain courses simply not being offered in certain schools, and it’s a true statement given I have examples from my own specialty in mathematics. My discussions here may be highly specialized. If you would like them anyway as an example, it’ll be best if you PM me, and I can spell you out a lot. </p>
<p>Also, as I said, many whom I know like the Berkeley environment a ton. There are absolutely things you will simply not find at the other UC schools. Conversely, there may be things at LA you cannot find here (I can give you examples of that in terms of math department again, but this should extend beyond). </p>
<p>If you’re not interested in all these specifics, and are convinced the Berkeley environment isn’t for you, then you should go ahead and make other schools your top priority, but you’re making it sound more like tautology than it is. If you mean “majority” as in, the majority on this forum, I’d rethink that. If you’ve surveyed several Berkeley students in your major and had conversations with them, then I think you may have a case to make that you have done enough research.</p>
<p>I can get all my classes because they aren’t overcrowded and since I had senior standing since frosh year. Simple as that. Again, getting too much into detail as to why should be done over PM, because this will be rather specialized. But the general message is that it depends on class standing (determined by how many units you transfer in, plus how many you take in Berkeley), major, along with interest within a major.</p>
<p>Also, in regard to weather and environment, I was really contrasting with other good schools outside of California. Being a California resident, I even say that I have found Berkeley weather more pleasant than most anywhere else I have been in California. This climate, together with a nice campus, along with the (truly world class) level of academics going on in the departments make Berkeley really special. You should also consider Stanford, of course, because I find many of the virtues of that school similar. These schools are so good at so many things, and in California too. </p>
<p>As for the other UC schools, well, see my discussion above: look deeply into the specifics.</p>
<p>well the thing about courses/majors is that, out of ucla, davis, and berkeley, berkeley does have the least courses (within my major choices) that i find interesting. ucla has a much better film major (which i would most likely try to get into if i went there) and davis’ american studies major looks a lot more interesting to me than berkeley’s. the only other major besides film and american studies that i can see myself pretty happy with is english but i’d prefer the other two. so i mean, if berkeley offered me a lot more than the other two schools, maybe i’d settle for an english major. but if i like the other two schools’ environment/atmosphere better (judging from this forum, but believe me, i WILL visit berkeley myself before really deciding) AND they offer better majors for me personally, i just don’t see why i’d choose berkeley. i can kinda understand it if someone is dead-set on a particular major that berkeley just completely, utterly outshines ucla and davis in OR they greatly prefer the environment of berkeley and can also major in something they really like [even if ucla or davis has a better major in that field], but that obviously isn’t the case for me.</p>
<p>Sure, if you’re interested in majors that are better done at other schools, you are probably making a good move in making the other schools more of a priority. I know that UCLA has a very sought after film program. </p>
<p>The reason I was bringing up any concerns was that in a prior post (I didn’t read them all, so maybe there was more in others), your reasoning was stated along the lines of the schools all being roughly “good schools,” and then that the consensus on CC is its environment is not so great, which would be committing the sins of believing a miniscule sample size, plus underdoing research into programs. </p>
<p>The reasons you gave in your last post are good ones, assuming your assessment of American Studies and Film are correct.</p>