<p>This might be fueled a bit by finals anxiety, but my sentiment has remained the same for over a year. I have been here three semesters and still think I should have gone to UCLA (or elsewhere had I applied). The tuition is through the roof, the buildings are falling apart, the class sizes are managed so horribly that you end up registering to be on the waitlist for all the classes you need to graduate, the campus atmosphere is pretentious and the off-campus atmosphere is dirty and rape-y. The only saving grace of this school is its academics: the professors ARE AMAZING, and for this reason I have been able to tolerate this hellhole. However, it is not challenging. After 3 semesters I still have a 4.0 - Not that I'm complaining (about that aspect at least) but it is definitely much less demanding than community college. I have never visited other UCs etc, but judging exclusively on Berkeley's qualities alone, I would advise against anyone going here if they have the choice. </p>
<p>Not in it to argue, just thought I'd throw out an honest opinion.</p>
<p>My major is English, with additional concentrations in Linguistics and Latin, so I can’t really speak to the non-humanities environments. I say pretentious but perhaps closed-minded might be a more accurate description. It’s extremely liberal, like - extremely liberal - which in my experience means that any opinions or humor that would be considered edgy anywhere else is just frowned upon here generally. Basically as a humanities major I can say that in discussions, people don’t really aim to discuss, they aim to just express mutual appreciation for one another’s political views and corner out anyone who disagrees, which sort of undermines the purpose of discussion in my book. But then again, I don’t actually have a book so it’s your call.</p>
<p>I’m a technical major and I have never experienced any hint of anything politically related in any of my classes. I don’t really think its necessary to tell everyone that Berkeley is awful and to turn away because of your own experience.</p>
<p>So I’ll agree, Berkeley (in general) is, dilapidated, but the university is old and while I too hate the grimmy-ness of many of the buildings, I think its not as important, as you said, as the professors and many of the great gsi’s - that should be more important. The area around campus… yes, it sucks, but I think its mostly safe if you have a basic awareness of your surroundings - I guess this is moslty for females. </p>
<p>Also, if you decide to take a <em>more</em> serious major, you’ll find that many of the classes are not as easy as you may think. I know that sounds pretentious, and I acknowledge that its a very flawed view, but thats what honestly what I think. </p>
<p>Also, yeah, Berkeley is liberal. I guess I can’t really comment on class discussions as I have yet to take such a course, but I mean, talking to students, most dont seem hell bent on getting you on their side - they’re pretty adamant and upfront about their veiws, but they dont try to shove it down your throat (too much…)</p>
<p>If you go to college expecting it to be just like your dreams, you’re gonna have a bad time.</p>
<p>^ Occupy movement lives, gender and race are completely socially-constructed concepts, and no one’s opinion is wrong unless it can be construed as supporting capitalist agenda. </p>
<p>Oh, but as to Kandi’s comment, political things are actually the very least of my concerns with this campus. Mainly it’s that the buildings are dilapidated inside and out: <em>we shouldn’t have to individually go around the building and find chairs for our classrooms at the start of lecture EVERY DAY but we do, and most of the time the desks are broken anyway</em>. </p>
<p>Even as a kid who grew up in foster care, intermittently homeless and otherwise on unimaginably meager funds for even living let alone education, I DO NOT expect that when I’m paying upwards of 10k per year on tuition and fees we have to deal with no chalk (not to mention the persistence of chalkboards over whiteboards in the first place - In over a year of spread-out classes I have yet to see a whiteboard at this campus) and buildings that are kept with the foundational respect of a 1940’s mental hospital.</p>
<p>I’ll agree with you on that, the chalkboards thing annoyed the hell out me too. I actually made a post on my facebook some time back “Ok, White Elephant in the room: We still use chalk at this school - and lets be honest, chalk is from dinosaurs times.” I like whiteboards too, but I remember a gsi complaining about how in the chem office hours room they “dont have chalk” and after that I realized that there is some weird affinity in this school for chalk, the people love it. And like I said, I agree, the foundation sucks, like when you sit in lecture hall, ready to take notes and, son of a *****, the desk is broken: initiate rage. Maybe its just me, but I’ve gotten used to it, these are just things you have to deal with, like avoiding hop ons when driving a staircase car. But I don’t think these are good enough to avoid what I believe I’m gaining by being here. Honestly, I may just be defending Berkeley because I too am paying quite a bit to be here, and have some cognitive dissonance or whatevs going on. </p>
<p>Here’s the takeaway: When you’re visiting Berkley, dont pay attention the the guides, they are showing you the best buildings, like the god-damn rotating lecture platform in Pimentel, which people take photos of for some reason (seriosly, its a lecture hall), the VLSB which looks pretty damn chill etc. The worst building I’ve been in is probably Dwinelle for lectures, although I’m sure there are worse - go check that out. Sit in a chair for a few minutes, and get a feel for it. The chairs there are horrible, graffitied, and there is like, no ventilation, and the chalk boards are pretty much never cleaned. After you have a lecture in Dwinelle, the rest of your day is great, so if you can “stand” that, I think the rest of UCB is not that bad.</p>
<p>Gender and race aren’t socially constructed?</p>
<p>PS
Agree with OP. Only slightly harder than CC. Buildings suck. Getting robbed/raped is a very real possibility. Students are pretentious and generally anti-social unless you agree with them 100%.
Classes are too big. The place is a dump.</p>
<p>I definitely am more suited for a different type of school. Smaller classes, more one on one time with professors. Oh well too late now.</p>
<p>It is interesting all the negatives are coming from transfer CC students…!!! </p>
<p>OP - If 10K is expensive, what about 50K for privates? Maybe you should have gone to a Cal state from your CC…the Cal State campuses are pretty…</p>
<p>Maybe you didn’t choose a college based on your fit…I know plenty of people who do NOT think like you and are quite happy at Cal.</p>
<p>Getting robbed/raped? Dont see any news about that recently. I think you need to get out of your suburban “bubble”. Sorry it was a shock to you.</p>
<p>On the other hand, everyone knows what’s happening at USC !!</p>
<p>I went to CC in San Diego and I thought the professors there created a more liberal wank-fest than Berkeley profs. I was actually very surprised at how little the students are opinionated here. Besides the obvious Occupy crowds, most students I interact with are so focused on studying and their prospective careers that there is very little political dialog. I am also an Anthropology major, and as much flack as Anthro majors get for being liberal minded, the discipline really has very little use for partisan ideology. Political ideology is something good to study, or “good to think”, but detracts from the science when embodied. I could see humanities having more leeway with a political slant.</p>
<p>In contrast, I absolutely love it here. The buildings are a little more run down, but if anything that fuels my passion for standing up for public education and against defunding. Berkeley is world famous in my subject, and included in journals and text books around the world. The decline of the university is heartbreaking to me. But I grew up in Massachusetts, and the house I grew up in is 200+ years older than the oldest building on campus (South Hall is the oldest BTW), so the “old” factor doesn’t affect me. “Old” for someone from Massachusetts is 1600s-1700s. </p>
<p>I also think Berkeley is 1000x safer than most places I have been in the USA. I have traveled to at least 38 states, and Berkeley certainly is not that bad. Like anywhere you go, just pay attention and don’t be stupid and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>I think this post is very important, especially for newly admitted students. Do not go to Berkeley if you do not feel it. Prestige doesn’t mean ****. Go where you are the happiest and will thrive the best. I love it here, and it was the best fit for me. The OP perhaps should have chosen different or visited more schools. New admits should take this post very seriously and make sure they are choosing the school that is best for them, not the biggest name.</p>
<p>Berkeley needs to be renovated. It’s a relic. </p>
<p>I have a hypothesis. If you open up fast food on campus and on parts of north and south side, then everything wrong with Berkeley would be fixed. Open up malls and let the corporations take over and clean up the city.</p>
<p>Also, I cannot speak for the English department, but the Anthropology department is extremely rigorous. The reading load is enormous and consists of mostly published articles under intense scholarly debate and I have been pushed to do my own research every semester thus far. In the end, professors tend to be forgiving when it comes to final grades, but I have never worked this hard in my life. The workload for me is triple what it was at CC, but I am learning so much so fast that it is incredible. </p>
<p>I did 40 pages of original research my 1st semester here, and this semester I did 12 weeks of fieldwork and filtered it down into a 20-page mini paper. I am starting my senior honors thesis this summer/fall, and will include 6 months of field work, analysis and research, and finally be turned in as a 100-page mini dissertation. </p>
<p>My friends in Engineering work around the clock but they love it. The trick is to love what you are doing, because then it doesn’t seem like work (as much).</p>
<p>Do you all realize how much renovation is actually going on at Berkeley? Since I’ve been here they have fixed up the Campanile and Sather gate, built 2 huge new bioscience/nuclear energy buildings - Li Ka Shing is gorgeous and the Helios building looks almost done. Stadium is getting completely renovated and will be done by next semester. They’re tearing down Campbell Hall right now and completely replacing it. And I have heard about plans to rebuild Evans. Oh and built a completely new dorm that is also opening next semester.</p>
<p>Tolman will be also closing next semester for retrofit along with Eshleman hall and we’ll have a new location for Career center. I think the Hearst Greek Theatre is also being retrofitted. </p>
<p>There is constant renovation going on around here.</p>