<p>briguy: For small classes (ie. < 30) of course theres gonna be personal attention. For large classes however, it will depend on the professor. some profs really care and allow some time to meet up with them (Office Hours are the only personal time in this case). additionally, GSIs, who you'll be closer to, serve as the intermediate to the professor.</p>
<p>briguy - I'm a 2nd year molecular and cell biology major, and I can tell you from personal experience that class sizes are a pain. For the first month, chem 3a was over-enrolled so students had to come to class by 8:05am (even though the prof. wouldn't show up until 8:15) to get a seat in Pimentel. After the first midterm, the seating cleared up because some people dropped the class.</p>
<p>This time around, I couldn't even get into my chem 3b lab because they reduced the class size and increased the waiting list. Right now, my roommate is something like #125 on the waitlist and there are only 2 more weeks before school starts. Scheduling has really gone to the dogs at Berkeley since I started.</p>
<p>jonas, average age for a freshmen would probably be 18-19, most people entering are straight from high school.</p>
<p>Hey IAMABEAR, the schedule you choose not only depend on if you like math or not, but what your major is. For example if you plan on switching majors from Psychology (does not require that you take Math 1A or Math 16A etc) to Mathematics major, then it'll be harder cause you'll end up taking double the classes. Another example would be switching from a Pre-Haas student to a Mathematics major. Haas doesn't require that you take Math 1A or Math 1B but if you want to major in Mathematics you have to take Math 1A and Math 1B not Math 16A and Math 16B.</p>
<p>But if your intended major does not have Math 1A & 1B as a requirement why take them? They are much harder than you think, unless you took AP Calculus AB in high school and thought it was easy =) </p>
<p>GooD luck</p>
<p>hi. i had two quick questions:
a) where can i find voluneteering opportunites in/near campus during summer session in berkeley?
b) what is the best/most recommended economics course in berkeley and why?</p>
<p>Hello, I am a prospective Cal student. I have a question about the girls/party scene at Berkeley. I am the party type, one who enjoys drinking/socializing with hot girls. But I have heard that the girls at Berkeley are ugly, and parties are lame. If I go to Berkeley, will I still be able to enjoy a fun filled college experience with hot girls/ hookups and w/e or will I have to downgrade significantly? I read somewhere that the Greek scene is the place to go, if so then how easy is it to get a bid, and will the Greek social scene be good enough to provide a good atmosphere to meet attractive women? </p>
<p>I also read somewhere that there are more attractive guys than attractive girls at Berkeley. Is this true? If so, by how much?</p>
<p>I don't mean to be condescending or w/e but college is an important decision and I want to make the right choice.</p>
<p>Thanks a million.</p>
<p>^ lol i also want to know</p>
<p>This may be the wrong place/ forum to post this, but I've looked all over and I thought I'd give it a shot anyway.</p>
<p>I'm an Australian who's applied to a graduate program (with the aim of getting a PhD) at UC Berkeley (for Fall '09). I honestly don't know what my chances are- the American system is so different to the Australian system (I have an honours degree- I don't exactly know what that means there, but not what it means here- and expect to meet the requirements for a masters in July). But I'm on summer holidays right now (as I say, I'm in Australia), and have little to do (I work, and I'm desperately saving, but it's hardly enough to keep my mind occupied).</p>
<p>I'm spending my (ample) spare time preparing to go- it would be stupid to assume I haven't gotten in and not be prepared (besides, I've had almost nothing to do since I handed in my application in early December, and will have almost nothing to do until uni goes back in March). I'm doing my best researching online (Rocking up to check it out isn't an option- it's a 15 hour flight to LA from Sydney, and more to get to San Francisco), but I feel like I'm missing something. I'm also struck by the cultural difference, which somehow I missed even though I was raised on American television. I was wondering if I could ask some questions of someone actually at Berkeley (as opposed to typing "college" and whatever it is I'm trying to find out into Google).</p>
<p>(Although I've written "lifestyle" in the title, I don't care much about the party scene. I want to go to Berkeley because it's the right place for me academically.)</p>
<ol>
<li> What's the standard level of dress? When I was an undergraduate, most of my tutors (=GSIs) wore t-shirt and jeans, often torn and fit to be used as rags, frankly. As a postgraduate (=graduate), most of my classmates wear suits and work attire (I generally don't, but I don't come straight from a full time job). I think those are the two extremes. What's it like at Berkeley? (I don't want to change who I am, but I don't want to be completely out of place, either) Do graduate students dress differently to the undergraduates?</li>
<li> What's it like living on campus? "Moving to college" is not something that's common in Australia (perhaps 10% of the students at my university live on campus, and about 60%- including me- live with their parents). Do you know anything about International House? (I think I want to stay on campus in my first year, partly because I'd be moving out of home to the other side of the world and I don't know what to expect, and for the security)</li>
<li> As a related note, could anyone give me some guidance as to what one needs when living in "dorms"? (Apologies if I'm using the wrong terminology) I've looked up packing lists (just googled "college packing lists"), but I tend to think that they're not realistic when they say things like "curling iron", which I don't own living at home.</li>
<li> As another related note, when International House say "no cooking in rooms", does that mean no food preparation at all? Or just no microwaves/ stoves? (I drink tea, and I make it the British way. Even here, I wouldn't buy it like I'd buy coffee. The US doesn't seem to have a tea drinking culture- I suspect it'd be even worse there. I also think it'd be worthwhile making sandwiches for lunch- I'm going to be on a ridiculously tight budget).</li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry for such a long post, I suppose I'm just anxious about leaving home and leaving my parents and friends over 10 000 km away (about 7400 miles from Sydney to San Francisco, according to Google- and from here, San Francisco and Berkeley are close enough).</p>
<p>And thank you for this thread, I've been reading through it and have found parts of it quite informative.</p>
<p>ranganz - the party scene isn't bad, considering it's Berkeley, not exactly a party school. On any given weekend there will be frat parties and maybe a few co-op parties. They are pretty fun and people do hookup. As for the girls, let's be honest with ourselves here. The attractive ones are not a majority. But this is true for just about any school. On the whole, I would say...you might have to downgrade a bit, not significantly. But finding a few attractive girls at any given party isn't too hard. It's also about how much game you have (and that's true at most places).</p>
<p>With the Greek scene...I don't think it's too hard to get a bid. You mostly want to join a frat because if you're not in one and you don't have "connections" it might be hard to get into frat parties.</p>
<p>As for the "more attractive guys than gals" comment I have a lot of female friends who would sorely disagree.</p>
<p>australian:</p>
<ol>
<li>It's pretty casual, no one walks around in a suit and tie (well, maybe some of the professors). There's no set rule and at Berkeley it's okay to be weird, as long as it's not too weird.</li>
<li>International House is pretty close to campus. It has a cafe and (I think?) a library downstairs. There are a lot of graduate students, international students, and some undergrads, so it's pretty diverse. People who have lived there usually enjoyed their stay. The other housing options for graduate students are much farther away from campus so that's a plus.</li>
<li>It's pretty basic for the most part, and anticipating what you will be doing and what you'll need. If you need to do laundry, might want to get a hamper, and so on. There is a thread in College Life about this too: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/82285-z-what-bring-college.html</a></li>
<li>I'm sure making tea or sandwiches is fine.</li>
</ol>
<p>australian:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Berkeley is, in general, a casual town. Students walking around downtown are almost always in jeans and sweatshirts or whatever the season-appropriate equivalent happens to be at the time. Most students I see in business attire are, well, business students. The rest of the population varies according to personal taste. The only consistently dressed group (aside from students) is the professors. 90% of them wear business casual. You wouldn't stand out if you dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and you would only stand out a little if you dressed in suit and tie.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't know International House personally, but living on campus is a unique group living situation. If you're someone who's lived at home up until now, it might be a bit of a culture shock for you. Graduate students have a bit of a different situation in the dorms because they're afforded more spacious and quiet quarters, but living in a community situation requires some adjustment, particularly if you end up sharing a room. There are plenty of stories about it -- good and bad -- so I think you <em>should</em> take some time and read up on others' experiences.</p></li>
<li><p>Basically everything you think you'd need to be comfortable in your bedroom minus the desk, chairs (though some people prefer having their own chairs), curtains and bed (but including the linens). International House might come with different things, so check to be sure. You also need your study materials, be they books or notebooks or pens or your computer and printer, and access to your bathroom materials (keeping in mind that bathrooms in a dorming situation are almost always shared or communal). </p></li>
<li><p>The restriction is generally on heat-making devices, with the occasional exception for microwaves. Again, I don't know IHouse, so check with them -- they're usually explicit somewhere because they really don't want the fire hazard. You might have some difficulty making tea in your room, but if you can make do with allowed appliances -- almost NEVER a hot plate, but occasionally a microwave or allowance for a water kettle -- then you should be fine. It's not anti-food-prep, it's anti-fire-hazard. :P</p></li>
</ol>
<p>ahh, thanks vicissitudes. This sounds like a perfect scene, as it wont be too overwhelming (so I can focus on studies), but at the same time, I can still have a fun, fulfilling social life with parties/hookups/pretty girls. And ruling a small scene sounds a lot better than being average in a large one, IMO.</p>
<p>Overall, thanks for the comments.</p>
<p>Thank you, undecided and vicissitudes, that's really helpful. I'll definitely be sending off some emails to whoever I can if I hear that I get in (it's an anxious wait, and I've only applied to one place), but that's a really good guide to begin with (I think I'm a bit of a control freak). And it's nice to know I won't have to invest in a tonne of makeup and stiletto heels, like some of the girls around here!</p>
<p>Hello, I am a prospective student and I was just wondering what the math+physics double-major program at Berkeley is like. I also wanted to dip my feet into some other interesting but unrelated fields. I think I can handle a pretty rigorous course load, but I really know nothing about Berkeley classes and what's doable vs. what's not. Any insight will be much appreciated!</p>
<p>Math and physics are both tough majors, especially physics. Many people come to Berkeley wanting to double-major, and my advice is: don't do it. The ones who want to double-major and can do it, don't ask other people if they can handle it or not. Berkeley is much tougher than high school, and most incoming freshmen don't realize this, and take on more than they can handle. The other question you have to ask yourself is: maybe you can handle the workload, but do you really want to? Do you really want to sacrifice a social life, clubs/ECs, leisure/sleep? Many students did in high school, and once they get into college and there is less pressure to do well, they choose to not work as hard. And who can blame them? Why double-major when you can single major and do (usually) just as well?</p>
<p>Take a class or two in math and physics if you would like, but I would seriously consider against a double-major.</p>
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>Can anyone explain to me how enrollment for each module is done? I know that there is a limited number of spaces, and that some people get waitlisted. Does registration open at a particular time, and it is just a race between students? Does registration open for UCB students, and exchange students at the same time? I might get an offer from Berkeley, to study there for an academic year (fall semester of 2009 + spring semester of 2010), and I was wondering if I would be in a disadvantage, compared to students who are doing their entire major there.</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for the help!</p>
<p>There is a two-phase system for registration with specific phase I and phase II times alloted to each student for their first stab at registering for that upcoming semester. During the first phase, you pick your most urgent courses up to a max of 10 units (undergrad) plus a PE and then in phase II you fill the remainder of your schedule. This ensures that certain classes are not completely taken by those with the earlier timeslots.</p>
<p>Time slots are assigned by a formula that includes class rank, thus seniors have earlier slots than juniors in general. There is some randomness or at least there are unknown factors at play as the time assigned is not easily predictable or sometimes comprehensible. </p>
<p>Incoming students are given early phase times but often have to attend an orientation session that includes counseling before they are given an advisor code that permits the registration for their first semester of classes.</p>
<p>Summer is different, in that it is a free-for-all which began this morning at 7AM for all current Cal students; non-students will be able to race for the remaining seats starting on February 17th. </p>
<p>Once you have reached your timeslot for a phase, you can then add, change or drop classes for the remainder of the phase at designated hours of the day. When the next phase starts, you are again blocked until your alloted time for that phase. Finally, there is a period after phase II ends and extending into the semester itself, called the adjustment period, where you can also add, change or drop classes. After all, when a person clears a waitlist into a class they really want, they may drop their space in the class you are patiently awaiting. There is often about a 10% churn, but those that get their desired classes confirmed during their phase I and II timeslots rest easier than those that wait and wonder. </p>
<p>For more on this - Tele-BEARS</a> Information & Instructions - Office Of The Registrar</p>
<p>Thank you very much, rider730!</p>
<p>This might sound a bit random, but do top students get some kind of awards at the end of the year? Just interested.</p>
<p>Also could anybody comment on this workload? Each semester is 16 credit units. Should I take additional subjects, or will these be enough to keep me occupied?</p>
<p>Fall 2009:</p>
<p>MCB 130 and 130L
MCB 150 and 150L</p>
<p>Spring 2010:</p>
<p>MCB 110L and 141
MCB 140 and 140L</p>
<p>Are the Biology courses and Chemistry courses at Cal extremely cut-throat, even for people who take IB/AP in high school?</p>
<p>Also, I heard that you have to take general chem before you take biology at Cal. Is it true?</p>
<p>If so, how is it possible for people to transfer out of Cal if other colleges require biology and chemistry at the same time.</p>