Dear ILC community,
Finishing the first half of my second year
at UC Berkeley was a very difficult but at the same time a very rewarding
experience. It was completely different from my previous year at Cal and it
allowed me to grow so much more. For one, I was neither living in the dorms nor
did I have a meal plan. Also, since the previous year I dedicated myself solely
to my academics and did not participate in many extracurricular activities.
This fall semester I decided to get more involved like I had been in high
school. Additionally, I ended up changing my future career goals and even my
major.
This semester I lived in an apartment off
campus. Depending on the college you attend the availability of off campus
housing might be different but my main advice is to start looking as early as
possible. I found my apartment through the UC Berkeley FB Housing group but I
do know craigslist and the listing of local apartments that UC Berkeley offers online
are also really useful. When it comes to housing you really have to make sure
to do the right paperwork, check out the place and area it is located in, meet
your roommates, and also set house/apartment rules. Live with people you know
you will able to get work done and if not find places nearby that you can go to.
Another part of being off campus and off a meal plan is to find and explore the
local grocery stores. Having a healthy diet is one way that you can make sure
to be ready for class and your other obligations.
The best part of being in school for me has
always been doing community service having to do with the things I am learning
in class. I noted that this semester having more things to do allowed me to
balance my coursework a lot better. Sometimes just being busy all the time
gives you really little chances to slack off. I think when considering what and
how many extracurricular activities to do in college the most important things to
take into account are your interest in the subject and your time availability.
I suggest mapping out a weekly schedule, first placing your classes and then
finding things you can do in your spare time that fit that schedule. It’s
important to not forget that your primary role in your college community is as
a student and you shouldn’t neglect your academics for other activities. It
might seem really easy and without any consequence missing a lecture or
discussion that isn’t mandatory, but every single one of these is coming out of
your tuition and you never know when your professor might present material
that’s critical to your grade or make changes to the course. Furthermore, using a weekly schedule of
the times for every meeting or event plus all your homework and class times is essential.
I could not have survived this semester without my planner. When you have a lot
going on there isn’t really any way for you to remember every single thing on
your own. I definitely suggest that even if you are not taking a large course
load or doing other activities on the side you keep a planner or some sort of
schedule to help you navigate each week of your quarter/semester.
Moreover, like I mentioned previously, this
semester I definitely made a lot of changes to both my educational and career
goals. I entered UC Berkeley in the Fall of 2011 as intended Psychology Pre-med
and I left this semester as an intended double major in Social Welfare and
Gender & Women Studies looking towards pursuing a career in Education. My
changes are because being in college has allowed to explore different fields
and I feel a greater passion towards my new choices in major than I ever did
for psychology. When it comes to being Pre-med I think it is critical to really
want it. Not only are the classes difficult but they are very time consuming
not that education isn’t but personally I rather be in an education class than
in a Pre-med requirement. Though I did sacrifice some things for others I feel that
now I am looking more at what I want and what I am passionate about than
expectations. I think there is nothing wrong with either the psychology or
health field, but the person I am now is much more passionate about education.
I think deep down I always knew, I just hadn’t realized it. Therefore, my
advice to any incoming college student is to keep your options open and try
different fields. You shouldn’t restraint yourself to any field of study but
you should take advantage of the fact you are in college and most colleges have
many different types of classes. Explore any topic you are curious about
because that only enriches your college experience and your personal knowledge.
You might find fields that don’t appeal to you in any way but unless you take
the chance to explore them you will never know.
Don’t feel intimidated by the idea of
starting college and making it through. College is hard but it’s doable as long
as you reach out for help when you need it and you stay on top of things.
Concentrate on finishing high school, learning new things each day, and
ultimately preparing for your future.
Hope everyone has a great holiday break
GO BEARS!
Selene Calderon
Richmond High School ‘11
UC Berkeley ‘15
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