<p>I am a simple man and this virtual social networking world of mine just takes too much of my time; I mean can't a simple email do the same in terms of keeping in touch with my good ol contacts?</p>
<p>Absolutely unacceptable. How else are your friends and one-time acquaintances supposed to stalk the hell out of you and figure out what you're doing and who you're talking to every second of the day? Of COURSE Facebook is a necessity in college.</p>
<p>All kidding aside, no, facebook is not really a necessity for college. I feel like at this point, facebook has gone off track from its original purpose of keeping friends at different colleges in touch, which I felt was a very good cause. Now, it's just another billionaire social networking site, and the addition of Applications has really made it gone downhill. It's dumb. However, do know that there are people out there who will think "this guy isn't on facebook? What's wrong with him?" As sad as that is to say, I only know that's true because I've heard it for myself. Granted, it was from a drunk sorority girl, but still.</p>
<p>lol tastyb33f, what would i do without your guidance!!</p>
<p>just get it. it helps people remember you and meet up and stuff</p>
<p>i second misterreach, just get it.</p>
<p>Stay the course, Shah, don't give in. BE A MAN. DO THE RIGHT THING. (+5 extra credit for naming source of reference)</p>
<p>i was pretty against facebook too but as it comes closer to the time that we start school... the forums and ucberkeley groups have really helped with any questions and meeting people on our floor =p</p>
<p>No - facebook is definitely NOT a requirement for college. It may be nice, but there are definitely many people without one. You can never go wrong with communicating and keeping in-touch the old-fashioned way.</p>
<p>Don't get one unless you really actually want one. Though I have to say, it has really made handling my social life much easier.</p>
<p>Actually, Shah, they do have a point about the academic uses of Facebook. For example, every semester there is a Bio1A facebook group where people in the group will share the pictures that they took in class (specimens, dissections, etc) or post questions that the prof said will definitely be on the exam. See, we're not all cutthroat pre-med ******bag sharks here :)</p>
<p>Edit: THEY CENSORED D-BAG?</p>
<p>tastyb33f - Russell Peters!!!
Can we get him to come to Berk?...</p>
<p>@tastyb33f</p>
<p>Russell Peters owns.</p>
<p>Owned you Go Bears!
Got the +5 EC first..</p>
<p>Guess I'm too late...whatever, school hasn't started yet so extra credit doesn't mean much.</p>
<p>Lol that funny Indian Canadain...</p>
<p>Facebook helps a lot, though it is not necessary.</p>
<p>Russel Peters, as an Indian-American, I loathe that man. He uses so many stereotypes that aren't even true </p>
<p>e.g. in one sketch he depicts Sri Lankan Tamils as the majority of Sri Lankans and juxtaposes Tamil stereotypes over all Sri Lankans, despite the Sinhalese' greater affinity with central and north Indians.</p>
<p>^Sorta agreed, he's not really that versatile a comic. His jokes are kinda recycled. But the first time around...boy, that stuff was funny. I kinda like his East Asian jokes, but yeah, he gets a lot of the stereotypes wrong and some of them make zero sense.</p>
<p>But he's Canadian, so I'll let it go.</p>
<p>Jk?</p>
<p>Facebook is not necessary at all, according to the actions of my brother and his girlfriend. They both went to Berkeley for undergrad, and they now both go to Berkeley as grad students, and they did perfectly fine when they decided to ditch Facebook. </p>
<p>It may be different for you though, if you have trouble keeping tabs on social events if you don't participate in clubs, or if you adore pictures of other people's antics to death :P</p>
<p>I think it generally depends on the relative value you put on social life vis-a-vis academic success. The main thing you need with it is discipline.</p>
<p>Discipline yourself or else "stalker" will live up to his/her name.</p>
<p>It takes up all of five minutes a day if you facebook for utility. For example, I use it to</p>
<p>1) contact people whose phone numbers I do not have</p>
<p>2) occasionally check up on people I haven't talked to in a while without being intrusive</p>
<p>3) browse school events (and see what events friends are going to)</p>
<p>4) remember birthdays</p>
<p>5) remember my own favorite movies/songs/books/etc. </p>
<p>6) find people taking the same classes</p>
<p>There's a lot of organizational benefits in having something like facebook. We can also live reasonably without using the internet, but at this point, I don't see any reason to deny yourself useful utilities.</p>