#spring admit

[studylikesophia]

Just enrolled in one summer and one fall course.  Still going to be taking Spanish between my official graduation from my current college and spring admission to Cal. 

[myberkeleyadventure]

How's spring move in? Does everyone come back on the fourteenth or is it more spread out over the next few days? Only twelve more days omg.

Spring move-in was great! I’m not sure if everyone has the same move in day (14th… aka when the dorms reopen) but I feel like they do. If you need to move-in another day, let the housing office know. But I remember last year when I moved in, there were also two other spring admits on my floor moving in like me! There were no other spring admits moving onto our floor, so chances are good everybody moves in on the 14th unless they ask for other days for some reason. That’s what I think anyway. :)Check out the Move-In FAQs here:

When you move in on the 14th, the dorms will likely be pretty empty (besides you and a few other people moving in as well) because school doesn’t start until the 19th. I remember feeling both like “Wow this is nice. I can explore the building without judgement and be able to ease in.” but also like “Ok this is getting lonely. When are my floormates coming?! And my roommates?? I wanna meet them!”Here are some tips I have for you:

Definitely check out my blog archive here and read the posts in January! I had some posts about how to prepare for your first day of school, transitioning and tips, packing process, my first official day at Berkeley when my parents left me, etc. I think it will be helpful for you. :) It’d be too much for me to summarize the points here haha.

When your floormates move in, definitely be smiley and nice and open to making new friends. If they invite you to eat lunch with them at the dining commons or to go out and party or any social hangout (going to see a movie, etc), I would recommend you to say yes. Even if you’re not into the party scene now (like I was), it’s a good way to be with people you’re familiar with and to scope out and see if the party scene is your thing or not. The first time I went to a party, I was very not into the party scene and took the chance to just observe and see what happens at a party. I was completely sober. I think going was good because now I knew what happens at parties and not to have false impressions. A lot of my floormmates would initially invite me to hang out (mostly at parties) but I would say no since I was not into partying. I should’ve been like “No, it’s okay” and then ask if they want to get lunch sometime instead. That way, it’s not a flat out “no”. Idk if I’m making sense haha.

Don’t have high expectations. Don’t expect that you and your roommates will be best friends. Don’t expect that you’ll love your floormates. Your close friends don’t have to be the people you live with, although it’s nice if they are. Sometimes I feel like people are hyped up and expect their floor and their roommates to be super awesome and for everyone to gel well and for it to be a huge family. But it’s not always like that. I’ve had friends who live in quiet, awkward floors and they’ll hang out with other floors where they have friends there. And stuff like that. Don’t have high expectations and just be grateful for any small thing.

Try to go to as many Spring Admit Welcome socials that CalSo organizes! Even though it is a little awkward to introduce yourself and go to these social events, it really helps. I’ve met quite a few handfuls of people there and a few of them are my closest friends here at Cal. :)It’s nice because you guys will already have one thing in common: being a spring admit. Then you’ll find more similarities, maybe you guys live in the same area (transportation buddies??), or same major (study buddies!), or have the same interests, or live in the same dorm. It’s just great!

Hope move-in day goes splendidly well for you. I’m excited for you! Whoo hoo! Go Bears. :)

[myberkeleyadventure]

Attending Community College in the Fall: Reasons Why It Ruled

Okay, maybe not "ruled" but you get the gist!

Attending a CC was great because not only did I fulfill 5 of the 7 course breadth requirements and half of the Reading and Composition requirement, but it exposed me to a different environment. A lot of the students were single moms, veterans, middle-aged people, and more. They weren't just freshly graduated from high school. In this sense, it was really eye-opening! (I hate to sound like I'm stuck in my own little bubble, but it's true--the entire semester was a cool experience!)

Also, my time at the CC was really stress-free and easy. Many classes offered extra credit, dropping the lowest test score, etc. Even classes that did not offer these things were still really manageable if you tried. Often times, I felt a little stifled because of how easy classes were. And yes, I know, I'm a UC Berkeley student at a community college--Duh, it would be easy. But still! I had more time to hang out with friends, catch up on all of my TV shows (haha I have a lot..), and in general, just chillax (do people still use this word? whatevs). Cranking out a lot of my GEs + easy, stress-free environment? Awesome. And by the way, I never had classes on Fridays, so I had 3 day weekends... every week. With this said though, I'm ready to hit the ground running when I'm at Berkeley. I've had my fun and now I'm ready to do work!

An added bonus of having taken 19 units at the CC is that I've bettered my telebears registration time. I've done the calculations and with my AP units, CC units, and my first Berkeley semester's units, I'll be a junior standing when I register for Fall 2015 courses. Isn't that awesome?! That means I have an earlier appointment time than many of my peers, and thus a better chance of securing the classes I want, at the times I want.

Plus, another bonus of having taken a lot of classes at the CC is that the rest of my course load is lower. I've done my 4 year plan, and even with a minor, all of my semesters' unit count is between 13-15 units! I've checked it over many times out of disbelief (13-15 units? That's how much a freshman starts out with!) but I can't find a mistake. I'll bring this up with my advisor just to be sure, but wow! That means I can devote more time to extracurriculars!

And even when I did have FOMO, I have a handful of friends already at Berkeley and they would always be willing to share their experiences with me. I've also seen snapchats, pictures, etc of their experiences too so it's like I'm vicariously living through them. (Which is slightly sad... But it's only until I'm up at Berkeley myself! Which is pretty soon!)

That's all I have for my CC recap. So glad it's over and super excited that I'm starting Berkeley next month!

[myberkeleyadventure]

Community College Reflection

Being a spring admit was awesome. Initially, I was thinking it was horrible and that I was missing out, especially because I was going through the community college and not FPF route. I mean, I wouldn’t even BE in the city of Berkeley until the spring semester. Luckily though, I’ve tossed away that mindset pretty early on and enjoyed my semester at the CC and had a pleasant time.

I’ve made countless memories that would not have happened, had I been at Berkeley this fall. I’ve had spontaneous late night adventures with my high school friends, gone to amazing music concerts, went to tapings of shows in Hollywood/ LA, laughed until my stomach hurt, and more. In short, I had a fun, stress-free college semester. Would that have happened at Berkeley? I’m actually not sure. I feel like I’d be stressing over getting good grades.

The extra 3.5 months also allowed me to further plan out my years at Berkeley. I’ve researched possible organizations to join, potential professors, different career routes, other majors, you name it. I’ve also been made aware of other cool things to look out for, based off what I’ve read on the UC Berkeley Facebook groups. These include neat resources to use, cool eating places, etc. I feel like I won’t be such a clueless freshman when I arrive in January! I also plan on asking my Berkeley friends questions about their experience.

Now that I’ve had my share of fun and have researched much about Berkeley, I’m definitely ready to buckle down and start my Berkeley semester with a bang.

To a great first semester at Berkeley!

P.S. I'll be writing another post that will be more or less, another reflection but one that is more reasons-based (on why attending a CC in the fall was great).

[myberkeleyadventure]

I'm a Happy Camper

I’m really content with my UC Berkeley status right now. Here’s why:

My high school transcript is finally “Received – Final”! I’ve been logging onto myberkeleyapplication and checking the status so often that I was taken aback that its status was finally updated.

I got my housing offer! Receiving the email made me feel so happy! I was so worried I’d have to find off-campus housing and miss out on an integral part of the college experience. Personally, this was one of the foremost things that was making me worried and probably one of the biggest ‘cons’ of being a spring admit. Not being guaranteed housing for your first semester at Berkeley is a scary thought! (Shout out to Res Hall: You guys are seriously the best. You all are so friendly, responsive, and just awesome human beings.)

Awesome CalSO Experience – Seriously, I had such a great time during CalSO. I would highly recommend going! I met a lot of people and everyone was really nice. CalSO leaders were spirited, funny, kind, and just really welcoming. Loved it!

Registered For My Classes – I registered for phase I of my classes at CalSO and my phase II is coming up. Having registered for classes makes the whole college experience seem so real. Before, it was just kind of like “Yeah, I’m going to be at Berkeley later.” But now “later” is coming up sooner that I would’ve thought! Time is really flying by.

Right now, I’m probably experiencing what most people felt in the summer before they started college. I’m so bubbly and excited for it all to begin.

[myberkeleyadventure]

October Update

It's October! Not much has been really happening so here's a brief update:

Still doing great in college. My grades are good and I'm happy. Unfortunately, my GPA won't transfer over to Berkeley but my units do! I've taken care of many general education requirements here so I'm grateful for that.

I'm so over community college and really want to be at Berkeley. But I know I should savor this time because the rigor is easier here and I get to enjoy the comforts of being at home.

CalSO is next month! Whoo hooo! So excited for this. I seriously can't wait for CalSO (although I don't want to expect too much because then I might be disappointed haha!). Hopefully I'll get to meet my ROOMMATES there and make new friends!*

Just wanted to add a little tidbit: 

I haven't really put effort into making new friends at my CC. I'm friendly with my classmates but I don't want to be friends with them, if that makes sense. Mostly because I don't feel the need to, since I don't think I'll keep in contact with them after I leave and because I already have my high school friends. I've also noticed that this is the general consensus here with many CC students-- that they don't actively try to make new friends. My teacher commented on this and the class told her that:

They're only here for 2 years (ideally) and don't feel the need to, since they will transfer away anyway. After all, each class is only one semester here. So unless you make friends in the class, you likely won't see them again, especially because there are hundreds of classes here and everyone is at their own pace.

It's community college and basically, they're only here for the classes, not to socialize. After their last class, many students leave right away! They don't hang out or anything.

So it's not just me!

*My housing assignment, if any, comes out this month! Hopefully I get a housing assignment! Spring admits aren't guaranteed housing for the spring semester, but are guaranteed housing for next year.

[myberkeleyadventure]

Update: Week 3

It's been almost a month of college! So far, life is good. I haven't had any major tests, only quizzes and stuff. In all honesty, college is a lot easier than I expected. Perhaps this is because it's community college and I was so used to my AP classes in high school.

I came in thinking that it was probably better to take the same course again, to get a better understanding. Plus, college material would probably be different than high school material. For example, I took AP Art History in high school but decided to take Art History as a course here. I figured it'd be better to be over-prepared than under-prepared right? But I find myself constantly struggling to be intrigued by the class. The material is interesting in itself, but it's hard to make myself interested in learning it again. I feel stifled.

Could I have skipped the class and gone onto a harder Art History course? Not sure. I did send the registrar a copy of my official AP scores, which allowed me to skip English 100.

The same goes with my World Geography class in college. 

Anyway, life is good! My job at the college bookstore has ended-- it was only meant to be temporary for the fall rush. I'm debating whether or not to pursue other job choices as well.

Can't wait until November, when I have my Berkeley CalSO (basically, their orientation)! 

Update: I just checked and you can't 'skip' out of those classes. You can just take other geography or art history courses. It's not like English, where you level up each time and there's actually a 'ladder' process.

[myberkeleyadventure]

Recap: First Day of College!

What I Thought It’d Be Like:

Frustration- Free: I already knew where all of my classes were and walked a mock-route beforehand. I also researched the professors well and was prepared with my materials (textbooks, paper, writing utensils, everything).

Awkward: I’m gonna assume that the first day of class will be a little awkward, as new students are adjusting to college. I suspect teachers will be very nice and trying to put their best foot forward (but who wouldn’t?) I’m gonna predict that there are pre-assigned seats as well (I don’t mind).

None to Little Homework: I don’t think teachers will assign much, if any, homework, especially because most people won’t have their textbooks.

A Variety of People: In my high school, because I was in the “AP- niche” I suppose, I was surrounded with other like-minded people. I think I will be exposed to many different people here, which is exciting and a teeny bit nerve-wracking at the same time.

Smokers Everywhere: When I was taking my summer class, there were smokers everywhere. It was disgusting. Everywhere I walked, I had to inhale the repulsive smoke, even in spots that were “Smoke- Free”.

Parking & Traffic Will Be Horrible: Stick morning traffic with teen drivers and it’ll be a horrible mess. I also read online and many people complained about parking— Not that there wasn’t spots, but that all the ‘good’ spots are taken early on and that they had to walk. OMG THE STRUGGLE. /sarcasm. My classes start later so I’m hoping the traffic will die down and that parking won’t be as bad.

What It Turned Out to Be Like:

Relatively Stress- Free: Surprisingly, my first day of college ran really smoothly with hardly any hiccups. Because I knew where my classes were and also my college campus, I found myself largely relieved and not worrying. In fact, after my first class, a stranger asked me where the math lecture halls were! Maybe I exuded confidence or just was calm about my first day.

Not Really Awkward: Yes, teachers were nice and friendly but there really was no awkwardness. My classmates and I were friendly to each other but we aren’t necessarily friends if you know what I mean; no awkwardness. Okay maybe a bit when people introduce themselves to you but that’s it. And also when teachers try to get you to laugh. In my lecture class, seats were assigned. In my smaller classes, seats were not.

Little Homework: My entire week’s homework was fairly light. In fact, it was mostly understanding the syllabus.

Parking Wasn’t So Bad Either: I arrived fairly early and had to park in one of the farther lots but it was definitely not as hectic and congested as I thought! Out of a 5, with 1 being the lowest, the congestion I experienced was a 2.