Ask questions about Cal Berkeley here!

<p>so i'm gonna be in a unit 1 triple. i was happy about this at first, since it's a unit, and units are supposedly social and all...but then i read some of the posts on this thread haha. so are triples really that bad? is there a desk for each of the three room inhabitants?</p>

<p>also, are there places such as libraries or computer labs that have computers which can be used 24/7? i'm not sure what my computer situation is at the moment...i'm coming from the east coast and have way too much luggage to bring a laptop or computer with me to cali...i was going to have one delivered to my dorm during welcome week, but i don't know what i would do with it when i take all my luggage back home for the summer</p>

<p>sorry, one more question...you're not allowed to stay in the residence halls during winter break, but you are allowed to stay during thanksgiving and spring breaks, correct? and why does the housing contract say that when you leave your belongings in your dorm when you leave during winter break, you are doing so at your own risk...does a lot of stuff typically get stolen during this time? (wouldn't you just lock your dorm room and everything in it would be safe)</p>

<p>About the Unit 1 triple: yeah....it's pretty cramped. You have no room to store anything, because most (if not all) of those triples aren't actually triples, just converted doubles. The southside units (1, 2, 3) are pretty social because there are ~30 people per floor and you have access to the entire building once you're in, so you can make friends on any floor. Each inhabitant will have a desk and a bed, but there's really no room for much else.</p>

<p>About computer clusters: yep, there are plenty of those around - many of the libraries have computers for you to use, but they won't be open 24/7. If you're in Unit 1, the Academic Center downstairs also has its own fairly large computer cluster (plus lots academic support staff and other cool things), and that's open until fairly late - I think midnight or 1 AM. If you're in a triple, I'd recommend a laptop - space is a valuable commodity in those rooms.</p>

<p>As for leaving your stuff in your room over breaks, I haven't personally heard any stories about stuff being stolen - it's pretty secure. But yes, you are doing it at your own risk, meaning if you should decide to leave stuff and it's gone when you return from break, the school will not claim responsibility.</p>

<p>and what about printers in a Unit 1 triple? do people usually share, or do they each have their own on their desk? pros and cons? thanks!</p>

<p>thanks for that, tastyb33f!</p>

<p>to tastyb33f, t viscittitude, and everyone else! thanks for being so helpful!!!</p>

<p>jcalt: It all depends on what setup you decide to have with your roommates. For the past 2 years, my roommates and I have been just fine with sharing one printer (which interestingly enough has always been MY printer). The agreement was simply that they would supply the paper while I supply the ink and the printer itself. I've seen some people use only their own as well as shared. Some people don't even have printers in their rooms - they just use the Academic Center printers. You get 250 pages for $5 (at least, that's what it was last year), so it's actually a pretty nice deal - no need to spend ridiculous amounts of money for ink replacement. So yeah, there's really no trend - just talk it out with your future roommates.</p>

<p>I was looking at the undergraduate admission and I was wondering if; If I didn't take a visual/performing arts class would my admission be void? or would I have to change my schedule to take a one of those type of classes?</p>

<p>i came in as a proposed public health major but my current status says that i'm undeclared. is this a mistake or is this because public health is a capped major? and also, how difficult is it to get into the public health major?</p>

<p>What happens if I don't take an R&C course my first semester at Cal? They're all full 'cept for the crazy hard/boring English courses.</p>

<p>And... I lost my little blue note-taking book from CalSO - so how does AP credit affect R&C/HSS/all that crazy series and upper division requirements? BTW, I'm in the CoE.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I was looking at the undergraduate admission and I was wondering if; If I didn't take a visual/performing arts class would my admission be void? or would I have to change my schedule to take a one of those type of classes?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Did you get in already or are you applying next year? If you're applying next year, I -think- you have to take it. You could call admissions to make sure.</p>

<p>
[quote]
i came in as a proposed public health major but my current status says that i'm undeclared. is this a mistake or is this because public health is a capped major? and also, how difficult is it to get into the public health major?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Everyone who's admitted into L&S is undeclared, so what major you put down in your app...doesn't matter at all. You are "public health intended" but really, Berkeley sees you as undeclared until you declare a major. Public health is capped, unfortunately. I'm not sure how hard it is to get in, but I don't think it's as popular as some other capped majors (cough psychology/economics) so I'd imagine you need a 3.0-ish.</p>

<p>
[quote]
What happens if I don't take an R&C course my first semester at Cal? They're all full 'cept for the crazy hard/boring English courses.</p>

<p>And... I lost my little blue note-taking book from CalSO - so how does AP credit affect R&C/HSS/all that crazy series and upper division requirements? BTW, I'm in the CoE.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Doesn't matter that much...English classes fill up fast. Just make sure to sign up for one during your phase I next semester.</p>

<p>As for AP credit...I think this is how it goes:</p>

<p>4/5 on AP Language or 4 on AP Lit: passes you out of R&C 1st part
5 on AP lit: passes you out of R&C both parts
5 on AP Calculus BC: passes you out of Math 1A and Math 1B
5 on AP Comp Sci: passes you out of CS61A
5 on AP Physics C, Mech: passes you out of Physics 7A
5 on AP Chemistry: passes you out of Chem 1A
5 on AP Bio: passes you out of Bio 1A/1B</p>

<p>APs don't pass you out of any upper div courses.</p>

<p>Thank you so much, vicissitudes.</p>

<p>My pleasure. :)</p>

<p>This is a question for everyone that already accepted their financial aid package: After you signed the MPN, completed the loan counseling entrance session, and accepted your aid on BearFacts, did you get any sort of a confirmation that everything was completed? All I saw was a list with all of my loans, and it said that they were still "pending" or something...</p>

<p>yah it'll be fine, the loan comes in on the 20th of august or something, there's always a lag, but once you sign off on everything it works itself out.</p>

<p>as for textbooks, do we need them the first day of class?</p>

<p>No, many people do not have textbooks by the first day.</p>

<p>would you recommend getting the books early? how fast do they run out?</p>

<p>also... approximatedly how much time does the move-in at a unit double take?</p>

<p>eh, i wouldnt worry about textbooks that much just yet, but if you want to be on the safe side, you can pre-order them online and then pick them up when school starts
move-in time may depend on how much stuff you bring with you and how efficient your RHAs are...there are always really long lines to check out carts so it may take a while since everyone is anxious to get settled in...my move-in took about an hour but that was when hardly anyone was there...so yours might take longer, not entirely certain</p>

<p>ok, my question: phase two is today for me....i need to know what are some courses that will satisfy the second half of R&C that doesn't require too much work or isn't too challenging? and possible which professors?</p>

<p>How did you get into Cal?</p>