<p>Hi</p>
<p>I would like some information about the music and spanish programs at UCB. It'd be awesome if someone enrolled in these programs can give me an idea of what I'll be encountering (I've heard UCB is pretty intense but just for certain majors).</p>
<p>I'm a transfer student,</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>I only know about music so I can only respond to that. if you are going into music, you should already know a fair share of music theory, especially as a transfer student, otherwise you have to start from the bottom and this can take a long time. Also, the music program at Cal is focused more on composing and theory. Unfortunately, if you’re looking to major in a certain instrument, I’d suggest looking into another school because Berkeley doesn’t have programs in which you can major in an instrument. Lastly, in terms of difficulty, if you’re good at music theory and can BS your way through papers you will be OK.</p>
<p>The Spanish program is great. Professors are absorbed in their research topics. I took Spanish in high school and continued with Spanish 25 at Berkeley freshman year. Spanish 25 is a prereq for the major/minor and is very manageable - there are essays, group projects, and comprehensive exams, but that’s normal in any language class. I enjoyed reading the literature and articles about the literature.</p>
<p>You should brush up on your oral comprehension beforehand, as half or more of the students in that program are native speakers. Participate, participate, participate. The curve for most Spanish classes is really generous, with a majority getting As. People in the department are also pretty chill.</p>
<p>^ And Word Reference will be your best friend for any kind of literary analysis.</p>