UC Berkeley

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm having trouble deciding where to go to college! And the SIR is due soon! I have narrowed down my list to UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine. I applied undeclared but am leaning toward Neurobiology or Cognitive Science. </p>

<p>I visited those 3 campuses and generally liked them all but still have some questions about Berkeley...</p>

<p>Are the large classes an issue? Does the overcrowded environment interfere with learning?</p>

<p>Is competition fierce? Are people constantly trying to one-up you? Or are people generally nice/helpful?</p>

<p>The tour guide said that there is less "hand-holding" at Cal than at other UCs. Does this mean that they do not provide the resources to help you find and declare your major? </p>

<p>It is necessary to be very loud/vocal at Cal? The majority of students there seemed to be very passionate, confident, and vocal about their opinions. I know there is a strong emphasis on taking a stand on issues and making them known to the public, but if you are a quieter/shyer sort of person, would Cal be a bad environment? Will people harass you if you don't speak a lot?</p>

<p>From the schools I picked (UCB, UCSD, and UCI), which would be the strongest in Cognitive Science/Neurobiology? Should I consider other schools for this area of study, like UCD? </p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it a lot. :)</p>

2

<p>I'm sure all the UCs have problems of class size. Not just Berkeley. I heard some UCs even have worse problems with this than at Cal.</p>

3

<p>As the above poster said, you're going to have large classes at all the UC's so it's not just Cal. If you're shy and don't speak up a lot I don't think anyone is going to give you a hard time. With a school of 20,000+ students I'm sure you'd find kids who feel the same way you do.</p>

<p>I have heard the competition is tough, but that's what you get at a Top 25 school. It's going to be tough at any of the UC's you're interested in, but Cal will be the worst. Can't comment on your questions about cognitive sciences......</p>

<p>Good luck with your choice--they're all terrific schools!</p>