I absolutely have no idea why, I study and go to class I could’ve def done better but jeez I’ve never gotten this low of a grade and there’s no way of coming back they said all my responses were “incoherent” and didn’t respond the prompts that’s it… this is why berkeley makes me wanna sh0ot myself I have an office hours appt this week my anxiety is through the roof any advice? This is a humanities class not even stem I’m already doing 3 classes this summer bruhhhh I have to retake this shii or my gpa is done and I can’t do my minor 😻

Hi everyone,

I’m currently deciding between UC Berkeley (admitted to L&S) as a French Major and being admitted to Bocconi in Europe (a very reputable business school with a strong pipeline to companies like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan). Given that I have French nationality along with being admitted to a business program there, going back to Europe would make sense, especially for a clear-cut business path. Berkeley, of course, still offers potential with Haas, which obviously has more upside.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about life at Berkeley, especially regarding workload, social scene, and the general student experience.

A bit about me: I grew up in France and in a French environment for the majority of my life before switching to the American curriculum. I’ve taken (what I would consider) a pretty rigorous course load my junior year, including APUSH, AP Pre-Calculus, AP Lang, IB French, AP Micro & Macro, and IB Bio. I earned mostly A’s and B’s, but honestly, junior year was very tough for me, and I didn’t enjoy it much. Seeing how much more challenging Berkeley is reputed to be, I’m concerned about balancing academics with having a fulfilling college experience.

My expectation was that I would have to “work hard, play hard.” Bocconi is also challenging, but it seems like Berkeley is on a completely different level. Ideally, I’d still have that balance — enjoying college life, partying, socializing, while also working hard academically. My concern is that at Berkeley, not only is the workload extreme, but the social scene seems less accessible. For example, some parties are heavily tied to Greek life, which, from what I got, is impossible to participate in without hazing, and I really don’t want to take part in that.

I’m also mindful of mental health — I don’t want to get depressed or struggle so much that I’d feel like I might need to transfer out because the workload is overwhelming.

Overall, Berkeley seems very appealing with its resources and opportunities, which is why i can't just make up my mind and go with Bocconi. But I’d really appreciate hearing from current students or recent grads about:

⁠Managing workload and stress

• ⁠Social life outside Greek life and hazing

• ⁠How realistic is it to balance academics and a fulfilling personal life(given that I plan to transfer to an econ major and apply for mbas later)

• ⁠Diversity and finding communities as a French international student

Thanks in advance! Any perspective is much appreciated.

Hey everyone! My dream career is in wealth management and I plan on majoring in economics. I should mention that I got a 60k merit scholarship at CMC whereas at Berkeley I would be paying in full. I would love to know your reasoning as well. Thank you!

That midterm 2 score was ahhh but Cs get degrees right?

Wrongfully terminated in June 2025 following a retaliatory Performance Improvement Plan issued days after reporting security policy violations and after requesting ADA accommodations for ADHD. Despite a documented pattern of systemic onboarding failures, missing/wrong/misleading documentation, nonfunctional IT infrastructure outsourced to third-party contractors, and management gaslighting corroborated by multiple colleagues. Reflects a broader pattern at large tech companies like Microsoft of using performance management processes to gaslight employees or rationalize failures of AI tooling to systematically reduce US headcount.

Freshman in Energy Engineering. I'm interested in ML, AI/AI Data Centers, Batteries, and Chip design. Gonna pursue a minor in EECS/CS/DS or a double major in one of them. Curious as to where you all are now? The career engagement survey doesn't tell me much and I'm feeling shaky abt what this major can do for me, so I might honestly switch to Industrial Engineering or MechE and pursue those interests. From my understanding, it seems energy engineering grads typically work in renewables or petroleum, and I'm not too excited about any of that stuff. More interested in EE fields, but GPA is too low for EECS.

Option 2 is grad school, and I'd like to study Electrical Engineering in grad school, which I'm sure is possible. However, my GPA is once again too low (I feel like) to get into anything competitive

Any advice/words of wisdom from people who might have any?

I am a transfer student waiting to hear back but i am wondering how much of an impact the prestige and location of UC Berkeley and the EECS program actually make if i want to land a SWE internship during my time at the university

I'm just looking for good Cantonese food in Berkeley. Any recommendations?

I was accepted to the MSSE. I got a bachelors in a science field a few years ago and have been working as a research associate in biotech, hoping to pivot into a computational role and get off the bench.

I was wondering if there are any current or former students that could share their experience and paths after the degree. I’ve not been able to find much at all online.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m part of an international relations club and we’re hoping to connect with someone from Albania 🇦🇱

We’re looking for two things:

1. Recommendations for a great, authentic Albanian restaurant (preferably in the Bay Area, but open to suggestions anywhere!)

2. Someone who might be interested in visiting our club (in person or virtually) to share insights about Albanian culture, history, and current affairs

This would be a casual and friendly conversation nothing too formal. We just want to learn directly from someone with real experience and perspective.

If you’re Albanian or know someone who might be interested, please comment or send me a message. We’d really appreciate it!

Thank you!

incoming freshman thinking about taking

physics 5a, 89, 77, and a breadth

is that too much for first semester, if so what would you change? has anybody done this before would love to hear ur feedbacks

(got 4s and 5s on every ap physics and calculus in hs + dual enrollment calc 3)

Anyone here currently taking MEDIAST112 - Media Theories and Processes and just think the GSIs are HORRIBLE?? They've gotten into verbal altercations with the students multiple times... They just do everything possible to punish and penalize a classroom full of 2nd semester seniors. Ridiculous.

Hello! I was recently admitted to both under L&S. I'm a prospective Neuroscience major hoping to attend grad school/doctoral school after. I want to become a neurosurgeon in the long run.

As for what I want in a college I want an abundance of opportunities doing research, shadowing, working/volunteering in hospitals, and publishing. I want to know my professor, attend office hours, and get assistance. I want lots of clubs relating to pre-med, neuroscience, STEM, psychology, criminal justice, and clubs where I get to travel. I also want a school with a study abroad opportunity but where I would be able to complete my credits for the GCE major. I also want a place with a good social life and a tight-knit community. I want to make friends and have people I can share resources with and vice versa.

I also want to know the dorm/housing situation for each. Please let me know how each school applies to each based on your experiences.

Also if there are any specific programs each school has specifically for my major feel free to comment.

Hey Dear Bears,

I have recently got accepted as a visiting student to UC Berkeley. And I am in dire need of support in terms of adjustment to the new place.

I have TONS of questions.

But I will start with Housing. I have been looking through housing options in Berkeley. It’s quite overwhelming. I was recommended I-House from my advisors. But I am fine with the options that are closest to campus with walking. Any suggestions other-than I-House at a Reasonable cost?

Also, how much does external small fees cost like let’s say laundry, flex dollars, miscellaneous, any fees that is not listed on the website, but annoyingly feels a lot during the semester. If you can approximate those fees (excluding tuition, room - board), it will help me plan better financially. Also, open to hear about overall cost of attendance if i am having 12 academic units.

Now, Real Adjustment Questions: Culturally, Academically, and Anything an outsider would better off knowing prior to coming to UCB. For context, I am an international student at a small US college (1600students), and UCB is hugely different from where I am. I am a rising senior math major.

I greatly appreciate anything you can share with me to be prepared. Please, don’t be overwhelmed with my questions. I am not urging to get all answers in a single comment from a single person. Answer anything you can. Thank you all in advance))

Hi 👋 I’m a prospective student coming from ccc transfer. I’m wondering if there are any ECM majors out there and what your experience was like in this major?

I have a lot of questions and am curious how it is in Berkeley.

How were the courses, were they hands on or purely theoretical. How is the grading system … how were your professors? Were they passionate about this field.

What kind of opportunities have you gotten from this major that you found from Berkeley? What clubs were there. (Do you have to pay a cost? Is it hard to get into clubs?)

If you were a transfer how was it adjusting to Berkeley academics within this major?

If it’s possible we could direct message to talk more about your experiences.

Also where can I locate the courses offered/roadmap for the 2026-2027 year for Ecosystem management and forestry majors. I’ve only been able to find a Google document form but that doesn’t seem right or official.