<p>Ever since I have been accepted to Cal, I've been hearing a lot of horror stories about how tough and competitive it is, and it's really been freaking me out. I feel as if I am not capable enough to succeed there, and that I won't ever have the time to sit down to relax. </p>
<p>I've been working really hard in high school, but I'm not as smart or prepared as some people tell me I am. It feels as if I've been babied by the majority of my teachers. My brother recently graduated from the same college with a double major and a really high GPA from EECS, but I am NOTHING compared to him. </p>
<p>Is there any source of comfort for an incoming freshman like me? Please and thank you!</p>
<p>Well… If it makes you feel better there a lot of incoming freshmen like you that feel exactly the same way. I, for instance, have no idea what I’m doing or even what my freshman schedule is going to look like! And I’m sure there are many others like us that are lacking confidence. But stay strong! Chances are that if you got in, you’re just as prepared to go to Cal as any of us. :)</p>
<p>It might depend on your major. Some majors have much higher average GPAs, for example, than others. I assume you’re implying that GPA is correlated to competitiveness.</p>
<p>Nenolam, it’s nice to know that there are those out there who are just as nervous as I am. </p>
<p>I will be majoring in Cognitive Science with a plan to go into UX design, so I will have to take a few computer classes here and there. The average GPA for my major is the same as that for EECS, but it’s probably because some students like to double major (due to the flexibility of CogSci).</p>
<p>Seriously, this is like, your fifth thread freaking out over school. Stop worrying so much. Panicking will only make school more stressful. You got in, that means Cal thinks you’re good enough, that you’ll be able to keep up. You’re just as capable of keeping up as the rest of the incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>If you’re this worried about school, stop spending time freaking out about how classes’ll be and find something productive to do. Maybe you can read ahead in some of your course material, you’ll either realize that you have nothing to worry about or you’ll be familiar with your readings when classes start. Or, go brush up on your math skills, work through practice problems or look ahead at upcoming material. Obviously you don’t need to do this, school is for learning after all, but sitting here worrying is just going to make you sick. Find something to take your mind off of school, or put yourself at ease with it, or something.</p>
<p>Also, if you do get here and still find yourself struggling, there are plenty of places to find help, if you’re willing to ask for it. Office hours, free tutoring, etc can really help with tough classes. For basic CS classes, you’ll always be able to find someone to help you, whether it’s GSIs, classmates, or HKN. If you want to succeed, work hard and you’ll be okay.</p>
<p>There is definitely no need to worry so much. Cal accepted you so you are good enough. They don’t accept anyone they don’t think will do fine. If you put in the work, you will do fine, it’s as simple as that. You don’t need to prepare yourself by reading over course material or anything like that. They wouldn’t make classes where you need to do that; that’d be silly. Don’t let the intimidation get to you. I feel as if everyone in my classes are smarter than me, as if they have some hidden genius. But the truth is there will be people smarter than you and dumber. Even smart people have to put in the work to learn. The only exception is the rare case with super geniuses with like a photographic memory. So just put in the amount of work YOU need to understand the material. You’ll know when you understand the topics well enough or not.</p>
<p>In all seriousness, Cal if definitely a hard place to be at times. If you aren’t the most competitive person, it may not be the best school for you. They demand a lot of you at UCB, itt takes a lot of work to get an A (even in the liberal arts).</p>
<p>Do something to get your classes organized now. Look up your major requirements, pick some classes to take 1st semester, and make them into a schedule. Once you find one that works look up the teachers and readings and try to buy the books cheap on Amazon Take fewer units the first semester (but not too many fewer; you don’t want to spoil yourself or stack up units to take in the future). Most likely you’ll find it to be a piece of cake…</p>
<p>As long as you DON’T freak out; and take advantage of all of the assistance Cal has to offer, you will do just fine.</p>
<p>The math courses are not easy. But keep in mind, Cal helps you work through this. First, at the dorms, they have tutoring classes – find out where they are, when they are and ATTEND them. Also, consider going to the best secret on campus: The Student Learning Center (aka SLC). You can take “shadow” classes there for or not for credit:</p>
<p>They have excellent tutors and help you succeed. Plus, individual tutoring with an appointment.</p>
<p>All of this is part of your student package. You don’t have to pay extra for it. They show you tricks, and with stuff that you just don’t get, they will work with you on specific issues.</p>
<p>It’s up to you to take advantage of all of these freebies and manage your time.</p>
<p>And don’t forget to take time off and just have FUN. You need to blow off steam. Find some cool on campus activity – Could be singing, dancing, Rally Committee, sports watching – just get out of the academic side and enjoy some of the social. With DeCal classes, you can even learn to play the Carillon in the Campanile:</p>
<p>The problem with reading all these sites is that those who have negative experiences with this university are much more likely to voice their concerns than those that are perfectly content with it. Reading those kinds of threads will only add to the anxiety that you have right now. </p>
<p>Don’t think that Cal is full of people like your brother. Sure, it is a tough school and you will need to put in a lot of work to succeed. You will meet people who put in less effort than you in classes but receive higher grades, and vice versa. But like others have said, you’re perfectly capable of doing just fine here as long as you put in the effort to do so.</p>
<p>don’t worry about it. its honestly how much effort you put into your studies and what your priorities are. when i came in this fall, i didnt know what i was doing. i was too focused on pledging and experiencing college life/independence. as a result my gpa suffered and i got a 3.04 (c+ in math 1a a- in chem 1a). but this semester i turned everything around and will hopefully get all a’s (including math 1b and chem3a) because of how i have oriented my priorities. It’s okay if you mess up a bit once you get here, but as long as you long what you can do to correct it then you’ll be fine ^.^ trust me. i know from my experiences. you’ll be scared a bit but its that fear that builds you up. it did that to me. im in control of my life better now because of coming to uc berkeley.</p>
<p>You need to be the exact opposite of what you’re describing. Look forward to the challenge and adapt quickly. Go to all the classes and office hours. The #1 trait you need at Berkeley is resilience. </p>
<p>The #2 trait is adaptability. Find what works for you and stick to it. #3 is to stay healthy. </p>
<p>In the end, you wont regret going to Berkeley.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all of the advice, you guys! I will definitely take them into account when I start school in the fall. And sorry I keep posting the same topic repeatedly. I honestly didn’t realize that I was doing so when I was posting. </p>
<p>I am thinking about frequenting the SLC and joining a few interesting DeCals/seminars here and there. Hopefully I can meet a few friends that way since I will be living off-campus. In a way, I’m kind of relieved that I won’t be having to deal with annoying roommates. Takes off a bunch of stress already.</p>
Take fewer units the first semester (but not too many fewer; you don’t want to spoil yourself or stack up units to take in the future). Most likely you’ll find it to be a piece of cake…</p>