University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

studious

There are different stereotypes for students I've heard during the span of my time with Berkeley. I've heard them all: hippies, stoners, super smart, liberal, et cetera. I would have to say that this stereotype is not accurate, for Berkeley students come from all over the world to be at this university. There is no trait that we all share with the exception that we have all worked hard to be here and are generally intelligent. Some people stop working hard once they get into this school, but most continue to work at peak levels.

The stereotype Berkeley student is up-tight, a studyholic, a leftist communist hippy, and someone who is extremely political. 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Berkeley students are of ethnic minorities. Most Berkeley students spend their free time playing computer games or other nerdy activities.

Berkeley goes beyond just "stereotypes" - the name has become practically synonymous with liberal hippie activists. And, to be fair, this isn't always untrue. Berkeley as a city is one of the last true bastions of hippies in the country. On any given day, you can find someone selling vegan food on campus or asking you to sign a petition. But the way I see it, Berkeley students are just generally passionate about things. The Berkeley College Republicans are just as present as the Cal Democrats, the ethnic groups, the frats, the sports teams, and everyone else. With a school as big as Berkeley, you can meet every type of person imaginable.

A common stereotype of Berkeley students is that they are engineering and tech Asian nerds that study all the time and don't have any fun. This stereotype is quite inaccurate. Cal has a diverse range of students from all sorts of backgrounds that study a wide range of humanities and sciences. Although Cal's engineering program is highly ranked, there is a lot more to the campus and the students studying engineering also have a wide range of interests.

liberal hippies who smoke a lot. (NOT TRUE!!) but there is a BUTTload of parties.

People say that there are a lot of Asians here. And a lot of hippie liberals that protest all the time. I would say, yes there are quite a few Asians here -- I don't see why people make such a big deal about this. There are still other races represented so if you're worried about finding a niche, don't worry -- Berkeley has a club for almost everything. Hippie liberals? We do have a lot of liberal minded people here and a lot of people who are activists. Of course we do! Free Speech Movement! But at the same time we have a strong Republican Club so again, don't worry there's all sorts of people here. Just because you aren't a certain political standpoint doesn't mean you will be ostracized or anything. But you will be talked to by people with strong opinions. Just smile and nod. :)

I have heard that Berkeley kids are really intense in terms of studying and making good grades. This is definitely true for a lot of students. Hippies is still a stereotype, especially in conservative cities outside of California.

Because of the movements and protests that happened on the UC Berkeley campus in the 1960's, the students at Berkeley are usually stereotyped as being hyper-liberal, weed smoking, hippies. While the intense hippie liberal stereotype does hold true to some extent, Berkeley is also known for it's extensive Greek community and surplus of science and engineering nerds.