I finished my first year at Berkeley recently and needless to say, I did not like my experience.
I finished by first semester with a 3.77, but I hated feeling like a small fish in a big pond, and I don’t think finals went well.
JK, I know they did not go well. This semester went into finals with one B and the rest A’s and I’m pretty sure my grades dropped by at least 1/3 after. Rip being premed and rip my GPA. I wonder if being depressed and borderline suicidal affected my final exam performance, or whether I was unprepared, or both.
My roommate situation was terrible and my closest friend ditched me for her boyfriend.
I realize that the roommates and friend are not unique to Berkeley but the academic situation (deflation, rigor) stressed me out so much that by the end of the semester I wanted to commit suicide and a friend reported me as a student of concern. I smiled no more than 5 times a week and felt dead every single day inside, and always stressed. If I did well on something I was sure that I would bomb the next thing, and it was just endless anxiety.
Anyway I am looking to transfer and was wondering whether you guys could suggest for me any small schools that are much less rigorous than Berkeley and are located in SoCal so I can just leave with a 4 year degree, take the required premed classes and go to medical school without wanting to die so often.
If I don’t transfer, I think something drastic needs to be done mental-health wise. I’m seeing a therapist soon and have discussed this with my parents.
I think you could look at public options as well as the privates, but for now, consider Chapman, Loyola Marymount, St Mary’s, the Clairemonts, etc.
You may want to consider the CSU’s; they do have good programs.
In the meantime, use the counseling services at the school and please go to the tutors.
Going to the tutors doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. It means that you are mentally preparing for the next test.
You’ll meet like-minded students, who also may be having a rough time, but who expect to succeed.
My dd had a rough start but joined clubs and met med students at Davis who all advised her to go to the tutors. Students who did, performed well.
You’re not alone. People will support you if you let them.
I don’t have any answers, just some observations based on your posts on CC.
You are too hard on yourself. You need to learn to love yourself & to respect yourself. Counseling, therapy & self help psychology books should help.
You experienced a lot of growing pains during your first year of college. This happens to a lot of students, but, in your case, it is elevated because you seem to be somewhat introverted & a bit of a loner. Which is fine, but your self image needs to improve. Practice thinking positive thoughts. Exercise. Research “foods that fight depression”.
Both you & your parents focus too much on medical school. You need to give yourself permission to study what you truly enjoy. You need to accept that you are not perfect (nobody is), and that perfection is not a healthy nor a mature goal.
Ask your therapist how to deal with stress in a healthy manner.
Also, consider taking a lighter course load. Use the extra time created by taking a lighter course load to exercise or to work part time on campus in a position that requires frequent contact with others.
Apply as a transfer student to at least one school closer to home & with more frequent sunshine.
@emvic8100: I hope that you are well. Please do not obsess over grades & GPA. Although you certainly are capable of becoming a doctor, if you want a less stressful path without medical school debt, consider becoming a physician’s assistant or a nurse (I read that you were accepted to Fullerton’s nursing program).
Life is full of choices & adventures. Be flexible. You are a serious student & will do well as a doctor or in any other field or profession that you choose to pursue. You do not need to know all the answers now.
@Publisher Eh, I’m doing okay. I feel pretty directionless now because I’m not sure whether I’ll ever get the mental fortitude to go back to Berkeley, and although grades have not come out for last semester, it was not good.
It’s very hard not to obsess over grades and GPA because the median GPA for an MD school is 3.7 and for DO it’s a 3.5.
Why do you think I’m a bit of a loner?
And sure perfectionism isn’t a healthy goal, but I know people who have graduated with 3.99’s even in the hard sciences and to see that you’re not at that level is not a good feeling
I’ll think about being a PA or nurse but right now I’d like to become a doctor
As for judging yourself in comparison to other’s strengths or success, this is primarily a maturity issue.
If an obsession with grades & GPA leads one to unhealthy thoughts, then better coping skills are needed.
I think that you will be very successful once you get to a more comfortable environment & learn to focus on your assets & accomplishments rather than on imagined shortcomings.
Did not mean to upset you. You posted that you had issues with your roommate & with your best friend & that you had intimacy issues.
Maturity issue because you don’t appreciate yourself for your abilities & accomplishments. Complaining about earning a 3.77 GPA in your first semester at Berkeley when taking difficult courses is not a real deficiency.
Yes, I read that you will soon be seeing a therapist. He/she should address coping skills.
Your posts repeatedly complain about the environment at UC-Berkeley & that you want to transfer to a better (more comfortable) school environment (closer to home & with more sunshine).
No worries, you didn’t upset me. And yeah retrospectively I guess I didn’t do too badly my first semester but this last semester was a huge L lmao.
The physical environment at Berkeley isn’t that great (trash, hobos, Telegraph smells like urine, crime) but that didn’t bother me as much as the academic environment. There was a lot of pressure and competitiveness and I just felt quite incapable and inadequate.
Apply to one or two or a few schools which offer a more attractive environment based on your preferences. If accepted as a transfer student, then evaluate your options including a return to Berkeley.
You are going to do well wherever you attend college.
What about transferring to Davis? I’ve met some pre-med transfers from CC when I’ve attended a transferring event there. While Davis is not a breeze for bio majors, I’ve met one guy who got accepted to both Cal and Davis, but decided to attend Davis to avoid grade deflation and other issues. Although I’m attending Cal this fall, I love the atmosphere at Davis because people don’t seem overly competitive.
Good luck.
@lkjhgfdsa77756 I don’t know what I’d do besides that. Medicine’s really the only thing that’s ever drawn me. I also thought of becoming a therapist or teacher but I feel like I could do better than that…not that therapists or teachers are bad or like not worthy.
@emvic8100 : You mentioned Southern California. Have you considered transferring to a lower tier UC like UC Riverside (less stressful than top UC’s)? UCR has its own medical school which opened around 2013. You might want to visit the campus. Also, there are other fields in the medical/health areas you might consider. They are dental, pharmacy, optometry, occupational/physical therapy, etc. These areas are very sought after and well respected and they are still competitive to get into, but not as competitive as getting into medical school.