Looking for some advice/answers as an incoming transfer

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

<p>I'm an incoming fall transfer looking for some advice/answers. I'm planning on majoring in Media Studies and the last prerequisite I need to take in order to declare it is Media Studies 10.</p>

<p>However, my community college does not have a transfer contract with Cal and so our own version of the class is not articulated with the college. I can get a waiver and I did contact the senior faculty advisor about it but it's been about two weeks since I contacted and e-mailed her the stuff she asked for in regards to the waiver. I even left a voice mail message on Monday and an e-mail inquiring about the status of my waiver with no response back so far.</p>

<p>I can't really sign up for any Media Studies class without this waiver, and I’m screwed if I don’t get it since my second phase of Tele-Bears is coming up soon and I really want to get this mess cleared up. And since I’m a transfer, I can’t even sign up for the class online if I don’t get the waiver—I’d have to petition into it. Is it typical for students to have a hard time reaching faculty members or am I just not trying hard enough?</p>

<p>Another thing I'm wondering about is dorm life. I've decided to live in a residence hall rather than the transfer apartments (which for some reason is cheaper than the dorms, regardless of a meal plan) and the college has placed my in a triple room at Unit 2. Is there anything special about Unit 2? Are people stuffed like sardines in a triple? How did some of you cope with living away from home? Do they treat transfers nicely? I heard stories about Cal students who were freshman having a strong dislike for transfer students and can sometimes be downright abusive towards them. I hope that's not true and that my leg was being pulled.</p>

<p>The last thing I had a question about was parking. Yes I know residence hall students don’t get a parking pass, but I read on the Living at Cal website that there’s a storage parking lot students can use. And beyond that small mention, I couldn’t really find any more information about. Does the mystical storage lot even exists, and if so, can where can I sign up for it?</p>

<p>The main reason I’m asking about it is that, when a holiday or semester break comes, I want to drive home (I live in Orange County). I don’t really want to pack up my things and lug them to the nearest airport, which is apparently in Oakland, and I really don’t want to have one of my parents drive all the way up to Berkeley just to drive me back down home. And if Berkeley doesn’t have a storage parking lot, is there anybody that at least used a storage parking lot before or rented a space and if so, do you have any suggestions about looking for one? I know Craigslist has a listing for parking but it’s a bit too late in the game to look for a decent one.</p>

<p>I know this post is a long read but any and all help is much appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Anyone? Hopefully I didn’t scare you away with that long post.</p>

3

<p>I can’t help you with the scheduling questions, and I know very few people with cars in Berkeley so I know nothing about a storage parking lot, but as far as dorm life goes… I lived in Unit 1, which is basically a copy of Unit 2 but closer to campus by a block. My floor was mostly freshmen but had 6 transfer students. My floor had a big group of us that became close friends, and it was mixed, junior transfers and freshmen. Two of the transfers never really socialized with us but I don’t think it was because of the age difference; they just chose to hang out with people of their cultural background almost exclusively. None of us harbored hostile attitudes toward transfers… Honestly, I enjoyed being friends with some older people my first year. Just socialize with freshmen on your floor and treat them like you would someone your age; since transfers and first-years are both new to Cal, they end up having a lot in common.</p>

<p>Oh and, yeah, triples are tiny and I often compared it to living in a shoebox. But, you get used to it, and after a year you’re free. Just don’t bring too much useless crap (one of my roommates brought a desktop computer she never used, ate up so much of her space).</p>

4

<p>Well, I don’t think the age difference would be a problem for me.</p>