Academic

Is Skipping Class a Good Idea?

Written by Josh Weinstein (PEACE Advisor) It’s 6:57 AM, on a cool, October morning. The birds are chirping, and the sun is rising from its slumber. ALL OF A SUDDEN, your alarm clock goes off, and you’re awaken from your blissful sleep. You look at the time, and simply can’t get the gusto in you to...

The Unknown Assumptions behind an MCB Mindset

Written by Billal Ahmed (PEACE Advisor) To be honest learning a shit ton of MCB is more about thinking in a certain mindset than knowing a set of material, though there is obviously important material to be understood. I gained a lot of my MCB perspective/insight from a) taking MCB C100A and b) working in...

An Insight into Different Science Majors

Written by Samantha Wong (PEACE Advisor) When I first came to Cal as an intended MCB (Molecular and Cellular Biology) major, I wasn’t surprised to see that many of my classmates and floormates in the dorm were MCB majors too. In fact, many of my floormates were MCB, EECS, CS, engineering, or humanities majors....

Summer Courses and Online Courses: How Do They Work?

Written by Jade Liu (PEACE Advisor) Hi everybody! Since I’ve been receiving a number of questions about summer courses and online courses over the last couple of days, I suppose it’s time to post a blog about it now. Hopefully this will help guide you through your decisions. Berkeley Summer Sessions offers a variety of...

Freshman-Friendly General Interest Courses

Written by Jade Liu (PEACE Advisor) Given the number of questions on this topic, I have decided to start a blog on categories of freshman-friendly general interest courses. I hope this blog is of some help.Freshman Seminars Freshman seminars are classes designed to give freshmen an opportunity to interact with faculty in a small...

Lectures, Discussions, and Labs

Dorothy Tu and Jade Liu (PEACE Advisors) In answer to some of your questions regarding lecture, discussion, and lab, I have decided to create this blog. Some of it is copied from a previous post written by Dorothy Tu with edits to include my own voice and organization. The difference between lecture, discussion, and lab:...

Fulfilling Breadths Without Even Trying

Written by Jade Liu (PEACE Advisor) I’ve been seeing a lot of questions like: Should I add another breadth? What are some interesting classes to take for breadths? Or ugh…I didn’t come to Cal to take history.But breadths aren’t necessarily just another requirement to fit into your schedule. In high school, you were subject...

ALL ABOUT R&C

WRITTEN BY JADE LIU (PEACE Advisor) About the Reading & Composition RequirementR&C is considered a college requirement managed at the college-level. However, ALL colleges require R&C. This is a two semester sequence that MUST be taken for a letter grade. Ideally, you would begin with an “A” course and continue with a “B” course....

FRESHMEN-FRIENDLY GENERAL INTEREST COURSES

WRITTEN BY JADE LIU (PEACE Advisor) Given the number of questions on this topic, I have decided to start a blog on categories of freshman-friendly general interest courses. I hope this blog is of some help.Freshman Seminars Freshman seminars are classes designed to give freshmen an opportunity to interact with faculty in a small...

HOW DO WAITLISTS WORK FOR BERKELEY CLASSES? 

WRITTEN BY JADE LIU (PEACE Advisor) I just received a handy departmental email from one of the CNR staff members who seems to be temporarily handling administrative matters in the department of nutritional sciences and toxicology while the department is hiring a new major adviser. But the content of the email is super well...