<p>Hello all! This is my first time creating a post on CC, but I´ve decided that I need help quite desperately. </p>
<p>I am currently a sophomore at Emory University, but am seriously considering transferring to UC Berkeley (I have already been accepted). By an amazing twist of fate, both schools will be free for me to attend. The main reason I want to transfer is because I want to get out of Georgia. I was born and raised in Atlanta, and am really tired of the Georgia scene. </p>
<p>I´ve looked up a few pros and cons, and it seems as if Berkeley has larger class sizes, less personal contact with professors, and is generally considered better as a grad school. Though I know I´d be much happier anywhere outside of Georgia (believe me, my dislike runs deep), I could survive two more years at Emory if I had to. Would anyone care to give their experience as an undergrad at Berkeley/any advice at all?</p>
<p>Since you will be transferring as a junior, you are likely to find mostly smaller classes in your major, unless your major is very popular (e.g. molecular and cell biology, psychology). The largest classes are typically found at the introductory level of each subject. You can use the [Home</a> Page - Online Schedule Of Classes](<a href=“http://schedule.berkeley.edu%5DHome”>http://schedule.berkeley.edu) to look up class sizes.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a large school with a lot of hustle and bustle. Coming from GA, you will probably love the change of scenery and change of pace, plus all there is to do in the SF Bay Area.</p>
<p>Some class sizes are larger, but mostly lower division. Wheeler Hall can hold 760 students. But when you have a class like that, it is broken down into small discussion groups. Also, all professors are required to hold office hours. I’ve been able to meet and spend time with every one of my professors. </p>
<p>75% of Berkeley classes have 30 or less students, and 85% have 50 or less students. </p>
<p>I recommend making a visit to campus if you can. That is really the only way you will be able to know if this is where you want to be. (There is a thread right now by a girl who hated coming here. Read that.) Berkeley is not for everyone, but I love it here. </p>
<p>I have been to Georgia many times, and the East Bay is a huge difference. That can be really exciting if you are open to that experience, but can be very damaging to your academic career if you will not be able to adjust.</p>
<p>Being devil’s advocate. Berkeley is an awesome school. But at the same time off campus it is a little sketchy, lots of homeless and crime. I had a friend get mugged her junior year around campus. At night it’s not the safest neighborhood. Then again it is extremely urban. Since you stated it was free, I will not bring up the astronomical housing costs. My brother in laws apartment off campus, literally looked like a crackden. It was one block away from campus he shared a room and it was still $600-700 dollars, not including utilities. Just to show you how bloated the rent is. He was on the cheaper side too.</p>
<p>But overall he had a fantastic experience and will be graduating this Saturday. My son won Berkeley, Pioneers in Engineering competition with his high school. The program thrown by the engineering honor society was top notch. Tons of big name people from Boeing, Qualcom, HP showed up. It was exciting and amazing at the same time. The open house specifically for engineering was extremely professional, and I think could have convinced most high school kids engineering is the best major ever. So beyond costs and location its amazing. With amazing faculty and students.</p>
<p>Great school ,but it will be culture shock . So many homeless people ,a lot dirtier and unsafe to walk around at night alone . Lots of excitement but it could be a tough adjustment .</p>
<p>For comparison, the crime mapping web sites show that Emory is in a lower crime area of Atlanta, but not that far from a higher crime area.</p>
<p>I would vote for California any day compared to Georgia. With the war on women in some of the states including Georgia, you will be much better off in California, particularly bay area.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for the advice! It’s giving me a lot of insight into Berkeley. In terms of location, the biggest problems seem to be the housing (which, thank god, I won’t have to worry about. santookie, that apartment sounds frightening) and the surrounding crime. Luckily, I grew up in a rough neighborhood, so I won’t experience too much of a shock. I’ve always been able to adapt pretty easily, so I don’t think the differences between the east coast and the the east bay will scare me too badly. Overall, Berkeley sounds as if it offers an amazing undergraduate experience, which I have yet to receive at Emory (it’s an amazing school, but in Georgia, and I need a change). So…go bears!</p>
<p>Good decision, curlygirl3! One cannot expect the environment to be rosy all the time, in fact it gives a perspective to life and why one must try to do well in college to escape that possibility. To some, Cal is too liberal, but all the progress in the world have come from liberal outlook, not bigoted ones.</p>
<p>get out of georgia asap. congrats on Berkeley. best public school in the world! you can live in San Francisco and commute via BART if you don’t like the east bay. cheers.</p>
<p>^ As much as I love Cal, it definitely is not the best public school in the world as Cambridge and Oxford are both publics.</p>