WRITTEN BY YASMEEN MARDI (PEACE TUTOR AND ADVISOR)

I would say my time at Berkeley has been very fulfilling and a bit unorthodox. When I was at the ripe old age of 18, I transferred to Berkeley from a small community college in my hometown as an Integrative Biology major. From that time, I made some great friends, tried a ton of new things, and have been yelled at by random people on the streets more than I’d like to, but overall it’s been a good time.

Berkeley is a notoriously rigorous and competitive school (especially if you’re like me and you’re a pre-med student RIP). It’s often seen as being cutthroat where people will step on others in order to reach the top, which I do think is true to some extent. In my experience  I constantly felt like I wasn’t doing enough compared to everyone else and that I was falling behind.

Additionally, when I came here, I was a pretty young junior transfer trying to fit in with the big kids. As a transfer, it’s definitely hard to get your bearings here at this school. We’re supposed to fit 4 years of experiences into a measly 2 years, which is a feat on its own. It’s also no secret that transfers are one of the most unnoticed and undermined groups on campus despite making up 20% of the student body. Most transfers are still struggling just to get more on-campus housing opportunities. Likewise, since we come in as juniors, most clubs, research opportunities, and other on-campus activities tend to exclude us because of our lack of experience and the fact that we’ll only be here for 2 years or so. 

Despite not painting the best picture, there is a ton of hope. I personally believe that Berkeley has allowed me to get out of my shell and grow not only as a person, but as an academic. I honestly couldn’t see myself going to a different school. Now, since my time here is almost up, I think it would be good to impart some of my wisdom that I acquired while attending this university. I’m definitely not going to tell you what to do, but I’ll give you some tips to make your life a little easier while here. Additionally, my tips will work for anyone and everyone, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a first year, third year, transfer, or whatever. Without further ado, here is my advice on how to succeed while at UC Berkeley:

1. Remember, life in general is a MARATHON not a race. 

Personally, I believe that this is THE most important thing I can tell you. Like I said before, when I first started going here, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough compared to my peers who were volunteering, doing research, scribing, shadowing doctors, and were presidents of multiple clubs all at the same time – but really, that is all relative. You don’t need to do a ton of extracurricular activities to feel like you belong or have enough experience. Just find one that you’re actually passionate about, and it’ll make your life a lot less stressful and more fulfilling.

1. Try new things and find out what you’re passionate about 

While at Berkeley, I tried to figure out things that I enjoyed and discovered that I loved teaching (obviously that’s why I’m a tutor in PEACE and a UGSI). This is the time for you to discover what you like. If you’ve always wanted to learn about genetics, then go take a genetics course! If you’re intrigued by ethnic studies, then go sign up for an ethnic studies class! If you want to try teaching a class you love, apply to be a UGSI or TA! If you love helping people, then find a club that focuses on serving others! The possibilities are endless, and you’ll never know what you like until you try things out.

1. Actually talk to your GSIs like real people, and not only to ask for help.

This is the most underrated tip I can give you, honestly. GSI’s are people too, you know. It doesn’t hurt to ask them about their day or what their research is on or what their hobbies are. A lot of my GSIs have become my friends because I take the time to talk to them like I would my friends. Plus, when you foster that relationship, they’ll be a lot more willing to help you out when you need it or give you some good advice.

1. Just go to discussion. 

Yeah they might be annoying and take up time out of your day, but they are really helpful. This is the time where you basically get 1 on 1 support from your GSI and peers and you can ask those questions you were afraid to ask in lecture. Also, if you’re lucky, your GSI might have really good tips on what to study for the midterms.

1. Send that email, and send another one if they don’t get back to you. 

This is especially important if you’re interested in research. Look up professors and their labs and figure out which ones you’d be the most interested in. Berkeley is a research school, so labs will be everywhere and most are willing to take on more undergraduate researchers. If you’re a transfer and want to get into research, try URAP during your first semester or just keep cold-emailing a ton of professors. One will get back to you. Also, if they haven’t responded in a few weeks, just email them again. They get a lot of emails every day and might’ve missed it. 

1. Labs will be one of your most favorite and least favorite classes.

This might only be pretty STEM specific, but labs are really the best classes here. In Integrative Biology, we even have field labs! So if you’re into seeing animals up close and in the wild, then go check them out. Yeah, you might have hard midterms, but there are so many great people you can meet. I met all of my best friends in labs, and it’s a really good way to learn in a more kinesthetic way, which is great if you’re like me and learn better by doing. 

1. Take advantage of all the resources offered.

I mean you’re already doing pretty well if you’re reading this because you discovered PEACE. If you want some tutoring for a class you’re having a hard time with, find clubs like PEACE or go to the SLC and get help. If you’re like me and the first one in your family to pursue certain careers, try the career center and talk to the advisers there to get an idea of what you need to do. If you feel like school is getting a little too intense, go try talking to a counselor at the Tang center. Help is always available if you need it.

1. If you’re confused, go to office hours from the beginning and don’t wait until the last minute.

Professors are the ones writing the exam (with help from the GSIs sometimes) so if you’re confused then go get some help from the experts. They’re often very willing to help students and will explain topics you need clarification on. If you wait too long, then you’ll just be even more confused and hate everything. 

1. Treat yo self sometimes and have fun.

Grades are important, that’s a given, but you shouldn’t hate your life and only study all day every day. You’ll end up burning out if you do that. Go try a new restaurant that you’ve always wanted to, go get boba with your friends, attend some cool on campus talks that you’re interested it, or do whatever else will make you happy. It’s just as important to be happy as it is to work hard. 

Overall, I hope all my tips can help you out while in Berkeley. Again, you shouldn’t feel obligated to follow everything I’m telling you to a tee, but I think it can give you a little more insight and structure to help you navigate through your time here and maybe make life a little more manageable.