<p>EDIT: Sorry for the awkward wording of the title. In case you were going to call me on it, thanks, but I already know.</p>
<p>So let's start off by saying: I've heard amazing things about Cal, and I've heard awful things about it. I've heard stuff that makes me want to make it my #1 choice, and stuff that makes me want to throw it off my list entirely. It seems that I can never get an idea of what the truth is either -- probably because there isn't one; with a school this big, everyone has a different opinion.</p>
<p>My #1 concern about UC Berkeley is that I'm afraid that I'm going to find the same problems there as I do at my current high school. I basically hate my current high school, both the academic and social life are horrible fits for me, and even though it's a large school (close to 4000 students) and it's POSSIBLE to find like-minded people, it's still difficult to overcome the "mob mentality" or academic obsession, perfectionism, and perceived inadequacy.</p>
<p>The current things I take issue with at my HS:
- Overly intense, unhealthy fixation on grades (below an A -- including A minus -- is a disappointment)
- Students motivated solely by grades, not by an actual desire to learn (there's no "learning for the sake of learning")
- Academic fixation creates a tense, competitive "pressure cooker" type environment
- Out-of-classroom goals (including a normal social life) are considered to have no value and rather "interfere" with academics/grades
- General unhappiness/stress/pessimism of students</p>
<p>Am I going to find these same problems at Cal?</p>
<p>It depends – you have to be actively looking for people who’re like you, and not part of the stressing out mob. This is harder to do, of course, if all your buddies are premeds or something. There are high achievers at any such large, top research school who’ll do it all for the intellectual thrill. Major in a pure science, and you’ll find lots of these kinds of people around.</p>
<p>My D’s experience this year as a freshman includes none of those things. Grades remain important–you don’t get into Cal thinking otherwise–but I’m hearing about ball games, parties, trips into SF, to other campuses, to roommate’s home, a dance contest, group dinners at favorite restaurants. D is enjoying some classes and grinding through others, taking some for interest, some for interest/fulfilling req’s, and some soley to fulfill requirements.</p>
<p>I think if you take part in the things you enjoy or want to try, you’ll find others doing the same.</p>
<p>In addition to the previous suggestions (which are very good), it depends on your major.</p>
<p>You spend a lot of time in classes and working on homework. If you are pre-med, that means being constantly bombarded with the “perfection-or-bust” mentality you’re afraid of. Similar for business, engineering and any of the impacted majors in L&S.</p>
<p>There’s a way to escape it – mostly by surrounding your non-academic life with the kinds of people you really want to be with, doing the things you really want to do – but it will be harder.</p>
<p>I think that at any college you are going to find overachieving, perfectionist-type students who study hard and compete with other A students. The key is to find a group of friends that fit your personality, whom you like to hang around and study with.</p>
<p>To drbash: High school has taught me that there’s a HUGE difference between caring about grades and caring about education. While they aren’t mutually exclusive by any means, the existence of one is certainly not contingent on the other.</p>
<p>One of the main reasons Berkeley is one of my top schools is that there is a balance. The school is rigorous, the students motivated, but it’s near San Fran so you can always change your atmosphere and mindset easily. Even if you just spend a couple hours cruising with your friends in the city (leaving plenty of time for work) you’ll probably find yourself relaxed and your competitive edge gone.</p>
<p>it all depends on what you want to major in as some stated before. you want to go pre-med/science/engineering? you’re gonna need to study hard and get a legit gpa and when you think you are studying hard, there’s probably a student out there studying even harder then you and maybe getting a lot more out of his/her study sesh. other majors not as difficult so you’ll get more time to hang around. i mean, i know some kids who write 4-5 page papers a few hours before the due date and still manage a B+ on it. huge university like this, you’re bound to find a variety of different people.</p>
<p>my high school was super overachieving too, but most of the people at Cal are really relaxed/social. Only a few classes like pre-business classes are super competitive. You’ll probably like it here a lot :)</p>
<p>Is it possible to have fun (having a few hours each week to relax) as an engineering major at Berkeley? I saw Batman lumping premed and engineering as a group and I can’t help but wonder if it’s 90% stress and work and 10% play.</p>
<p>@JteH: I’m currently an engineering major and so far I’ve had plenty of time to do other things besides stress and study. Yes, there is a significant time commitment for classes, but I’ve also got a decent amount of free time as well. Not sure if I’m a special case, but the balance has worked out in my favor so far.</p>
<p>I’m currently an EECS major at Cal taking extra courses with intent to declare a simultaneous degree in Pure Mathematics. I took 12 units last semester and am taking 16 units this semester.</p>
<p>My impression of Cal so far is nothing like you’ve described. Sure, people care about grades, but because of how grading works here, people complain about the difference between B+ and C- instead of A and A-. Like most colleges, people do have a good time. There’s lots to do around campus, and most people like breaks from the work when they have the time to do so. Nobody seems to talk about GPA - it’s usually about courseload.</p>
<p>Personally, I get around 10-20hr/wk of free time. It’s great. :)</p>
<p>I think the best way to escape the stress of school will be going to the rugby games to cheer me on when i hopefully will be on the team next year!!!</p>
From what I have seen, a lot of people actually let loose when coming to Cal - it’s just no longer feasible for people to obsess over grades when they no longer have any way of obtaining 4.0’s through whining/playing the system/etc. A lot of people who worked very hard and “stressed” to get a 4.0 in high school now get much lower than 4.0 and are very happy with what they get. Of course some will still stress a lot about grades and it is very competitive, but it’s not really a pronounced problem anymore.</p>
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I’ll admit at some point there are sacrifices to make to get a grade. I never had a problem understanding the theory behind math in high school, but in math here I have to skip understanding some of the underlying ideas and settle with just knowing the process because I don’t have enough time/willpower to know every detail in a fast paced class like math. And there are people who just float on by, just trying to pass each class. But I’ve personally found that there is a significantly higher percentage of people who are genuinely interested in learning than there were in high school. Everyone gets to choose their own classes. People get to take classes with world renowned professors. It’s an amazing opportunity and most people at least try to make the most out of it.</p>
<p>
First, see my previous point on grades. Secondly, the problem that I actually see is that people try to become superficially involved in TOO MANY clubs because they think it’ll look good on their resume. But there aren’t too many of those kinds of people (because in reality the most beneficial thing both for a resume and for personal well being is to become very involved in a handful of activities that you’re genuinely interested in). I will reiterate that Berkeley is very competitive, and for some people (re: engineers, premeds, etc) it can be very hard. But each person has a lot of leeway in what their experience means to them.</p>
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All I’m going to say is that if you’re happy, you will be surrounded by people who are also happy. Pessimistic seclusionists will hole themselves up in their room or in their library and are rarely seen. It’s their own decision and it has no effect on your life here.</p>