Hi, I am planning to take Summer Session at Berkeley as a visiting US student. Which housing would you recommend for me? I prefer a place that is not too far from classes (walkable) and not too expensive.
also a dining hall would be nice since i am not interested in cooking there
Try here: http://summer.berkeley.edu/student-services/student-housing
Dorms and Co-ops are probably the most popular choices.
Dorms are kinda expensive. It comes with a meal plan which you can use at dining halls all around campus, and the food is pretty good for a school dining hall. It also comes with an RA, security monitors, whatever dorm events they host, fast internet, etc.
Coops are cheap, student run housing. They’re known for being very social. I think you have to do some weekly chores while you’re living there (it keeps the cost low), and you get 24/7 kitchen access. So, pretty much the opposite of dorms.
Or you can find an apartment if those options don’t appeal to you, a lot of students are gone during the summer. Of course, if you go that route you’ll need to choose between cooking or eating out (lots of good choices nearby). You might be able to purchase a non-resident meal plan for the dining hall, I’m not sure if it’s an option for summer, but it’s usually cheaper to eat out every day than it is to buy the meal plan.
Thank you!