Important questions for Internationals students.

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<ol>
<li>Cellphones:</li>
</ol>

<p>I will be needing a cell phone and want to sign up with Cingular (att). Verizon would be my second choice, but i dont want verizon. Now, could someone please tell me where the nearest company is located and stuff like that. </p>

<ol>
<li>Textbooks:</li>
</ol>

<p>Where is the best place to get textbooks. In highschool, buying from school was a great rip off and I wonder if that is the case with Berkeley? I need to know a reliable place for text books because I would need to have them all arrive in time for classes.</p>

<ol>
<li>Internet:</li>
</ol>

<p>someone explain me this.</p>

<p>--
4. Lastly, can you guys tell me how to save money on campus. Sometimes when I go to a new place, I realized after a year I spent money that I didn't have to. (eg. buying gym membership when no one checked to see if you were a member, buying at a campus store when the cvs few blocks away was much cheaper).</p>

<p>tnx</p>

2

<p>1) There’s an AT&T branch on 2180 Shattuck. I’ve heard that AT&T has the best signals, so I guess go for that. I’m sure there are more branches around too.</p>

<p>2) I would suggest Amazon, or get whatever you can from your home country (but make sure it’s the same edition, etc). Use the ISBN number to verify it. However some texts can only be bought at Cal because they are customised editions (also, the readers are specific to the course and can only be bought at school). Try asking around to find seniors and buy yours second-hand if you are so inclined. Amazon has next-day shipping options available.</p>

<p>3) I don’t know what you mean, maybe you can explain yourself? Internet in dorms? Around campus? Price/reliability/LAN/wireless/what?</p>

<p>4) Sorry I can’t tell you much about this, except that I’ve heard that sometimes you don’t really need the textbook to get over the course so keep off from buying it until a couple weeks/days in, you might save some money there.</p>

3

<p>3) I mean like is wireless internet provided for free on campus? do i need a password?</p>

4

<p>another question is food?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Is the standard enough?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there a way to cut cost on food?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there a way for me to cook?</p></li>
<li><p>Are there opportunities to get a free meal?</p></li>
</ol>

5

<p>Do we need to bring seasonal clothing for berkeley?</p>

6

<p>That is a lot of questions hahaha. I’ll do my best.</p>

<p>1) I would recommend Verizon cuz they have the best reception in berkeley, but AT&T is fine too. There’s a branch in downtown berkeley.</p>

<p>2) Amazon is a possibility, but they usually aren’t that much cheaper than at the student store.</p>

<p>3) In the dorms, you need a 25ft cable and you get ethernet which is INSANELY fast (fastest in the world I think?). Outside, there is wireless everywhere on campus called “AirBears.”</p>

<p>4) To be honest, there’s not really too many places in berkeley where you will be tempted to spend frivolously. You’ll get most of your household needs at Walgreens near campus and a gym membership is $10 per semester (you definitely cannot get in without it). Just don’t eat out too much :)</p>

<p>5) Dorm food is eh. Sometimes good sometimes bad. You eventually learn to deal with it. Even if you don’t, hey, you still gotta use those meal points somehow. If the food is gross, you can go to Bear Market or the Golden Bear Cafe and buy frozen stuff and heat it up.</p>

<p>6) Best way to cut costs is to not eat out too often, simple.</p>

<p>7) In the dorms, cooking is not really feasible. The ground floor will have a small kitchenette thing, but nobody ever uses it (except for events).</p>

<p>8) YES. Most clubs have a meet and greet thing near the beginning of each semester and those always have food. But seriously, you have HELLA meal points, so again, it’s not a problem.</p>

<p>9) Absolutely. Especially cold weather clothing. NorCal is really cold during the wintertime. Make sure you have an umbrella and a warm jacket. </p>

<p>Hope this helps :)</p>

7

<p>tnx mate.</p>

<p>touching on number 9,</p>

<p>i live in boston, and it gets real cold. since it doesnt snow in san fran and rarely goes below 50F, i think a thin rain jacket should be enough? </p>

<p>do i need gloves, and thick jackets, and hats, and scarfs and all that none sense??</p>

<p>Also,
do you recommend bringing dress shirts and pants, ties and other formal attire?</p>

8

<p>It definitely goes below 50F, at night and mornings of course.
You just won’t be able to build snowmen.
Rain/wind is common and a pain in the arce so prepare for that during the rainy season.
One thick jacket should be enough (not a snow jacket but something to keep you warm in case you need it).</p>

<p>Formal attire is purely optional, if you have space, why not.</p>

9

<p>easyasabc - we do get a rare couple of days a year when the overnight low will dip below the 32 degree fahrenheit level. In fact, we did have snowflakes touching the ground in 1972 and then again for a few minutes sometime in the late 1990s but not sure of the specific year. </p>

<p>I know friends who live in the northeast who will wear just a polo shirt out in 40 degree weather when that is the first ‘warm’ day near the end of a long cold winter, but Californians have thin skin. Out here, people wear a jacket when it is in the low 60s. They bundle up if it is 50 and complain bitterly if it is any lower. Tolerance of heat and humidity is also limited, thus you will hear complaints about heat and humidity at levels that would seem springlike in hotter climates. </p>

<p>Very broadly and not completely true, but you can consider the climate to have two seasons. From about October to April it is coldish (average temps in the 50s day and overnight 40s) and rains about every third day on average, but sometimes in many-day streaks. From May to September there is no rain and it is upper 60s to low 80s daytime, overnight 50s. The hills are green all winter since the temps are mild enough for plants to live and the rain is nurturing. The hills are brown all summer because of the lack of rain. The color scheme is the reverse of what you know from Boston. Finally, it is an area of microclimates - big swings when driving only a few miles. The weather forecasts on television might say that it will be 60s-70s-80s tomorrow - 60s at the coast, 70s a bit inland including Berkeley and 80s a bit further inland. You can be in 80 degree weather at Cal, take Bart to San Francisco where it might be 70 and then head to the Pacific coast side of the city where it is 62. You learn to use layers to adjust if you are driving around. Drive three hours and you may leave 75 at Cal and be skiing in the mountains.</p>