WRITTEN BY JOSELVIN GALEAS (PEACE TUTOR AND ADVISOR)

As a high-school student, I was not sure what to expect from college. I was certain about a few things: I wanted to be pre-med, I wanted to study biology, and I wanted to continue to perfect my Spanish.

Before starting my first semester, I had heard from different folks—Cal alumni, Cal students, and relatives and friends of those who attended Cal— that Berkeley was a challenging and rigorous school. I also heard that Berkeley does “not hold your hand.”As a result, I felt very excited to start in the fall (regardless of what people said), so I could experience Berkeley with my own eyes! It was not until I actually started and underwent my first semester that I understood what “challenging”, “rigorous”, and “no hand-holding” implied.

My goal in writing this article is to share with you pieces of my experience as an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. I will elaborate on some meaningful moments of when I learned a lot, both about myself and about school.

Let’s take a look at my Freshman & Sophomore Years:

When I came to Cal, I knew I wanted to major in something biology-related, given I really enjoyed biology in high school. I, however, never anticipated just how many biology-related majors existed on campus; within the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) department alone, you have the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology emphasis, the Cell and Developmental Biology emphasis, the Genetics, Genomics and Developmental Biology emphasis, the Immunology and Pathogenesis emphasis, and lastly, the Neurobiology emphasis.

Side note: Berkeley also has many different biology-related emphases and majors in the College of Letters and Science (like MCB and Integrative Biology), the College of Natural Resources (e.g. Genetics & Plant Biology Major, Toxicology Major), the College of Chemistry (e.g. Chemical Biology Major), the School of Public Health, and the College of Engineering (e.g. Bioengineering Major). Who knew there existed so many different biology-related majors?

Freshman & Sophomore year, I took the general lower-division courses (e.g. Chemistry 1A/3A/3B, Math 1A/1B, English R1A/B, Biology 1B) and kept an open mind to what the different majors from the different colleges listed above offered.

Side note: If you are curious to learn about different majors, don’t feel shy about walking into the advising department of your discipline of interest. Don’t limit yourself to speaking with only one advisor or one peer advisor- speak to multiple individuals to get multiple varied points of view.

My central focus during my early career at Cal was learning how to study in college— which to many of us means studying differently than how we studied in high school. For example, in high school, I was quite the lone-wolf when it came to studying (and I was successful at studying this way). However, in college I realized that I studied much more efficiently in groups, where I had the opportunity to see others’ perspectives on the same topics. After getting my first Chemistry 1A (Introductory General Chemistry) midterm back, I realized that only studying alone was not working for me.

Side note: When studying with friends, the most valuable question I ask each person is, “how do you interpret this question?” Listening to a different perspective has been crucial in my ability to master a subject.

A key observation I noticed my first year is that each individual studies differently (this makes sense, right? I realized that I was very much an auditory learner, whereas some of my friends were more visual, or intrapersonal, or kinaesthetic learners). The fact that each person has a different way of studying means there is no one single “correct” way to study.

For example, when it came to studying mechanisms in organic chemistry, some students made flashcards while others solely used the assigned textbook. Several students relied only on their lecture notes or YouTube videos to master the material. Many used the Student Learning Center/PEACE as resources or even made their own study groups. Others, used a combination of all of these study techniques.

A study technique that works for one student may not necessarily work for another. For example, when it came to memorizing specific chemical reagents in Orgo (“Orgo” is short for Organic Chemistry), some of my friends would rewrite their notes multiple times-something that did not necessarily work for me. Instead, I created flashcards on Quizlet.

Side note: In college I learned that time is valuable and limited and that efficiency is of utmost importance. My favorite part about having Quizlet on my phone was that if I got stuck in a long line (e.g. waiting to get a Burrito Bowl from Chipotle), I could study my flashcards! A 30 minute wait to order food would turn into a 30 minute study session.

I used the Student Learning Center a lot, especially for organic chemistry. I would attend their biweekly study groups in the evenings and their drop-in hours during the mornings and early afternoons.

Long story short, I absolutely fell in love with organic chemistry, so much so that I became an SLC tutor (and eventually a PEACE tutor my Junior year!)— tutoring organic chemistry 1 and 2, and their respective labs. I also decided to take upper division organic chemistry courses to delve deeper into the world of chemistry (e.g. Chemistry 113, which takes a deeper look into Qualitative Molecular Orbital Theory).

Interestingly enough, my high school or first-semester self would not have expected I would develop such a passion for chemistry. After taking Chemistry 1A (Introductory General Chemistry), I thought I would not like or be good at any field of chemistry (much less organic chemistry). In fact, there were also times when I thought I was not even good enough to be pre-med.

Side note: Persistence has helped me go far as a student and as a human being. Retrospectively, I think of how silly that “I’m not good enough” mindset is. Instead of thinking negatively, which can consume quite a lot of energy, I think about the positive things I can get done and do them (energy well spent)! I learned to throw nonsensical thoughts out of the door.

I learned that all disciplines, such as Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, <Insert Discipline Here>, have many different areas of study, and that by exploring these different areas of study, you might come across something you greatly enjoy.

Looking back from the perspective of a senior, I realize that certain aspects of organic chemistry have strengthened my intuition and understanding of concepts I did not understand from Introductory General Chemistry.

Let’s delve into my Junior and Senior Years:

Great, so by the time I was a junior I became an absolute college-master* who knew exactly how to study every and any subject like a complete professional…. Nope.

*“master” as in one who has complete mastery over a subject or discipline, in this case, masterful at navigating all things college-related

Even though I was a junior, I was taking different classes, and as a result, I found myself having to study differently. I remember feeling quite scared and anxious at first; it made no sense to me at the time that I had to study differently from how I was used to doing in Freshman and Sophomore year.

But, I practiced overcoming this anxiety and learned to develop new study techniques. With permission from my professors, I recorded lectures, which helped me tremendously when it came to revisiting my notes. Listening to recordings allowed me to catch gaps in my notes and in my understanding.

Side note: Professors have a lot of material to teach us and with limited time. Many professors speak and move very quickly, so learning to write down and paraphrase what you perceive to be important is a powerful skill to practice.

Furthermore, I would study with friends on Sunday nights for 3-4 hours– we all made a commitment to do our best to meet every Sunday. These study sessions were an amazing opportunity to ask each other questions and to take turns teaching each other the material.

In terms of extracurricular activities, I would attend meetings from one of the clubs I joined, Chicanos and Latinos in Health Education (CHE), in addition to the training and work I was doing for the SLC and PEACE.

Although I could only attend a few of CHE’s meetings, I did my best to interact with many of my fellow classmates; I have made wonderful friendships as a result.

In addition to making great friends in CHE, I was exposed to amazing professionals (every week there is a guest lecturer, many of whom are Cal alumni who are now practicing scientists and physicians). Being able to listen to such inspiring individuals has and continues to motivate me— especially on those slow or tiresome days where I just want to sleep and do nothing else.

Side note: Treat yourself! If one day you feel tired and exhausted, take that day off to recuperate. This is one of the greatest lessons I learned as a college-student: to listen to my body’s needs.

Also, thanks to a friend I met in CHE, I heard of the amazing program that is the Undergraduate Research Internship (URI), a UC Berkeley, UCSF, Kaiser program that allows Berkeley students to do medical research in the summer. I got into URI the summer of 2017, and it was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had.

It was during this internship, where I had the opportunity to work in a biochemistry-genetics lab as well as shadow different physicians, that I gained so much confidence towards my pursuing a career in medicine and in research.

Side note: There is a beauty in building relationships with people you meet. Freshman and sophomore year I was focused mostly on academics (and that is something I am happy about, it is something that I needed at the time). But, I sure am happy that I decided to practice stepping out of my comfort zone more and more as my time in college progressed.

It is also thanks to a great friendship that I found out about the synthetic chemistry lab I am currently working in at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab.

The second semester my junior year I joined the Biology Scholars Program (BSP), an excellent program (and community), where you get to work with classmates who are in similar classes and receive advising from amazing advisors.

Also part of the program are two classes taught by BSP’s founder, Dr. John Matsui. These two classes, “Studying in the Biological Sciences” and “Public Engagement in Science” have opened my eyes a great deal in terms of how and why academics are taught at Cal, and how and why academics are taught in our country.

I took both of these eye-opening classes my Senior year of college— as you can see, it’s never too late to learn something new.

Side note: The knowledge I learned from these classes is brilliant to have. But, I can imagine and see how powerful having this knowledge would have been had I heard of and applied to BSP my freshman year.

At BSP I have also attended events where great professionals and students have spoken about their professional careers and paths to said careers. I have also had the honor of being on a BSP panel, where I have spoken about my life as a student and scientist.

Side note: Believe it or not, you ARE a scientist. Have you ever been curious about something and have wondered how that something works? Have you explained how something that fascinates you works to a parent, friend, or loved one? Guess what, you are not “just a student.” You are a professional and a scientist who is growing and learning.

Lastly, one of the greatest decisions I have made in college was joining PEACE! If you don’t already know, PEACE stands for “Peers Espousing Amiability, Cooperation, and Education.” One of the many great things about PEACE is that we interact with brilliant students one-on-one.Tutors are so dedicated to staying up to date with the material and making sure we have the proper resources to help our students out. Also, tutoring is 100% free.

Final Remarks:

During my time at Cal, I found out what was meant by Cal is “challenging” and “rigorous” and “ there is no hand-holding.”

Challenging and rigorous allude to the fact that professors expect you to master the material. To master the material does not simply mean studying for long hours. To master the material means studying efficiently and intelligently (asking a Professor, Instructor, and a fellow classmate for help when you need it) and dedicating time to practicing and reviewing the material.

For example, mastering the material to me meant downloading Quizlet on my phone, and dedicating more than a few Friday evenings to working and studying.

“No hand-holding” means there is no person next you at all times who will tell you what classes to take, what clubs to join, what your schedule should be, or when to go to office hours. Instead, it is your responsibility to plan out your schedule with class times properly— in a way such that you can make it to office hours, for example. It is one’s duty to ask guidance from multiple advisors and fellow peers and for one to get in touch with professors regarding potential research opportunities.

Side note: There are many advisors on campus. It is important to realize that we have different types of advisors whose knowledge is generally limited to their department. For example, if you have questions regarding your major requirements, it is most appropriate to seek out your major advisor and not your college advisor (who knows more about school policy and school requirements). I once had a meeting with a Letters and Science advisor who gave me very incorrect information regarding requirements for my Spanish Literature Minor. If I had not visited the undergraduate advisor from the Spanish Department, it would have been a costly mistake for me in terms of time!

I remember feeling especially burnt-out my first two years: stressing about the material being taught, exams, grades (always thinking about “the curve” for the class, the standard deviation, and mean for an exam).

Sure, a certain amount of stress is good and being aware of these statistical figures is good— but it is not good to let these stresses and figures dictate your life.

My senior year especially, I learned to focus more on enjoying and appreciating the subjects I was learning (even though I did not like some of the material being covered).

I learned when to stop myself and say, “it’s 10 in the evening, I am tired, and could use some rest…. I will wake up early and refreshed.”

I learned that it’s better for me to get some cereal and watch an hour of Netflix when feeling tired, than worrying for 3 hours about all of the work I have to get done (and getting no work done during this worrisome period).

Knowing myself more and knowing what works for me (not what works for a classmate) has helped me greatly in terms of life and in terms of academics.

In the end I decided to major in MCB with an emphasis in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minor in Spanish Literature. Now, thanks to my experience in the SLC, PEACE, CHE, URI, BSP, and other wonderful spaces, I am inspired to pursue a career in medicine and research.

I feel honored to share some of my experiences with you— I hope this entry can help or assist anyone who is reading. I certainly learned a lot, perhaps I can share more in the future!

TLDR

I found my unique way of studying, met some great people that helped me open big doors, and learned to enjoy what I was doing.