<p>BK – you cannot afford USC… don’t feel badly about that, 99% of the families in this country cannot afford it either without that 50% scholarship they give out like candy to NMFs. You really have no USC option. Try plugging $75,000 in loans paid back over 10 years into a loan calculator. You’ll be student loan poor for at least ten years after graduation even if you land a great $65,000 per year engineering job.</p>
<p>Here’s what you do to make it better at Berkeley:</p>
<p>1) take your time. Take one fewer class than is normal if necessary. Take an extra year to graduate if necessary…
2) hire a tutor. YOu think that’s expensive? Think again about the $125,000 difference you’ve described between Cal and USC. Use about $10,000 of that for private tutoring if necessary. And grab all the free tutoring you can. This makes it less “sink or swim”.</p>
<p>Freshman research, first semester, no prior experience: possible, but it’s not going to be handed to you. Do some more internet research (and start doing this now, not in August when you arrive on campus): take a look at the profs at Berkeley in the fields you’re interested in. Find out what research projects they’re working on. Find something that grabs you. Read up on it. Read some of the professor’s papers. Look at Cal boards to see if anyone can give you feedback about the prof: are they willing to work with undergrads, or not? Then email the professor, introduce yourself as an incoming freshman, write about how you are interested in X and you notice that the professor is working on X and how you are eager to get involved in a research group. Ask if the professor has any suggestions for how you could prepare yourself for that type of involvement. Repeat with several professors whose work interests you. </p>
<p>You may or may not get some sort of research job your first semester, but you certainly will be able to get one eventually. Your future employer is not going to give a rat’s patootie if you started doing research as a new freshman or as a junior, so you’re not giving up anything there between the two schools. And you’ll be finishing without a massive 6-figure debt hanging over your head. </p>
<p>Also, a public service announcement: if you end up going to football games, remember that you will be rooting for Cal. Not those guys in red and gold. :)</p>
<p>Hah, that’s funny. Futurehold, why did you resurrect a one year old thread???</p>
<p>i was just ■■■■■■■■ cc and saw the question
i did not look at the date
sorry if it screwed up anyone</p>