<p>This is from an incoming freshmen who got in as a pure math major. I thought I wanted to do math until I actually visited Berkeley for three days. Berkeley’s math is not something you can relax on. I am hoping to get into another math related subject because pure math is for those who are talented, patient, and hard working. I find it weird how the math major’s acceptance rate is up in the 30 percents though. </p>
<p>Like many other people said, it is not really about solving a problem anymore, it is about proving it. Berkeley’s professors expect you to understand the subject in a totally different way that consists of a lot of logical thinking. It is not just memorizing the derivatives of the trig functions but understanding why they match each other. Math is something that is very easy to grade on. You either get it right or wrong. The professors may seem nice but they have their own things to do than hold undergraduates’ hands. I am simply sharing my opinion. I suggest you discuss this with a 4th year or graduated math major.</p>