University of California-Berkeley Top Questions

The advice I would give myself would be to keep up the good work and to not get discouraged. College is a great place to be--there is so much more opportunity to learn and to focus on what is is you are interested in when you are there. I guess I wouldn't tell myself anything different than I actually had told myself back when I was still in high school. I knew college would be more fun and hold more potential for me. I also knew it would be harder. I guess if anything, I would tell myself that everything I was anticipating for was true! But I would not have wanted to tell myself much more than that, because had I, my experiences may have been different than they were. It is not good to know everything about what it is you are "getting yourself into" so to speak, it takes away all the fun and adventure. And that is what college is to me--an adventure. And at that, it is one that I plan to continue until I get from it what I am going to obtain--music knowledge and degrees.

My biggest piece of advice to any incoming freshman, but especially for myself as a freshman, is don't be afraid of hard work! For many freshmen entering highly-ranked universities, such as myself at the University of California, Berkeley, high school came pretty easily. There is a fairly common mindset among freshman at Berkeley that you are much more intelligent than your classmates, and in my experience, the faster a student frees him- or herself from that mindset, the more successful that student will be. College will be hard, no matter how smart you are. Professors are experts in their fields for a reason, and you should expect to be challenged every time you step into a classroom. Don't let that be disheartening, though. Make an effort to stand out! Work hard and truly understand and love what you're learning, and you will be able to be very successful, even in classes with hundreds of students. But don't expect to cruise by on your natural intelligence. Work for it!

I would tell myself to be more proactive not only at studying and pursuing good grades but also becoming involved in campus activities such as research, academic organizations, volunteer, internships, etc. I also wished that I had done more research before entering my campus, such as how to get more grants/scholarships, which professors are more welcoming to students and which are not; as well as making more graduate student friends in campus. I would also have consulted other ex-students, alumnis and post undergrads at this campus to ask them how campus life is, how competitive school is, academic satisfaction, happiness and social life, etc.

Don't just apply to schools that are in your comfort zone. I know you think you want to apply to schools that are small and student-oriented. I know you think you want to stay in California, close to your family. But that isn't actually what you want. You want to go far away and meet people from different backgrounds and be in a part of the country with a different culture! You want to go to a big school, be a small fish in a big pond, and be continuously inspired and motivated by all the amazing people around you! Bigger schools have more clubs, more new people to meet, more scenes to try. They have cooler concerts and speakers come through. College is the time to challenge you comfort zone. Don't let your fears hold you back. If you do end up attending that small, private liberal arts institution that's an hour away from home, you're going to be miserable for two years and then transfer to a big public school that you'll wish you had had more time to love.

As a first generation college student, applying to college was a very daunting and stressful task. My wheels were constantly turning about how to earn a better ACT score, how to edit my essays, and which colleges to apply to. Even once my applications had been submitted, I questioned my decisions and worried about the results. When letters of acceptance began to arrive in my mailbox, I was surprised to find that I had been accepted to every university that I applied to, with the exception of one. Yet, I decided not to attend any of the universities that were initially at the top of the list. Once I found out that I had been accepted to UC Berkeley, my parents were ecstatic. They insisted we attend “Cal Day,” even though I was not particularly interested. However, the second I stepped foot on the campus I knew that Cal was the place for me. Therefore, I would tell my high school self that at the end of the day you do not choose what college you go to, a college will choose you. Ultimately, keep your eyes open to all possibilities because you never know where life will take you.

Attend office hours even if you’re feeling comfortable with homework. See if there are any seminars reserved for freshmen. Look into clubs that cover stem cells and neuroscience. Explore your artsy side by joining the Cal Literature and Arts Magazine. Indicate that you’re thinking about applying for music camps even if you think your teacher has other plans. Try working out bedtime arrangements with your roommate earlier in the semester rather than suffering in silence for several months. Look up volunteering opportunities over the weekend. Use Sticky Notes to keep track of applications. Create daily to-do lists. Exercise whenever the occasion arises. Select the unlimited access dining plan. Set up a schedule before classes begin with Google Calendar.

Entering college and immersing myself in a distinct social, physical, and academic environment was more difficult than I expected. I yearned for stability, for the comforts of home, for something that did not force me to rediscover myself, or possibly discover myself for the first time. When I first moved to Berkeley, I barraged myself with self-judgment. Early in the year, the young men living down the hall from me in the dorms posted a quiz on their door (marked 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}) with a post-it note that said, “That’s right, we set the curve!” My brain was riddled with doubt. Was a smart enough to be here? Social enough? Driven enough?I would tell the high-school version of myself to celebrate the present moment and celebrate myself. I did not go to Berkeley to compare myself to others, or to pine away for some antiquated, stable version of myself. I went to Berkeley to learn how to adapt to a unique environment, and to become a stronger person. I would encourage my high-school self to embrace herself in the present, accept the things she cannot control, and channel the fearlessness that I now know she possesses.

Dear Past Self, You don't know everything. I know that because you've lived abroad for four years you are open minded and accepting of other cultures and ideas. But you haven't even started to hear about them. When you get to Berkeley, you'll see what I mean. Just wait until you meet your classmates. You won't be the smartest, you won't be the best at everything, you'll make mistakes, and you know what? That's ok - that's good. It's going to give you a new sense of understanding, modesty, and appreciation for others and what you can learn from them. It's going to make you grateful for an involved academic community. You're going to learn things in university that force you to grow up, that force your mind to broaden even more. Let them. You don't know everything now, and you won't know everything four years from now. But you're going to know more, and that's what growing up is about: always learning more. So don't worry about not knowing everything. Just worry about knowing the best you can. Keep learning. Love, Future You

I would tell myself to appreciate my family more. The distance has made me realize how much they mean to me and how much they do for me. I tell myself to spend more time with them and be nicer to them even when my sisters fustrate me. I would also tell myself to save more money because being in the bay area is really important. Last, but not least, I would tell myself to believe in myself because I didn't really believe in myself when I was in high school and that really limited the classes I took and the colleges I applied to. If I could go back I would make myself apply to many schools such as Stanford, Columbia, USC and all those colleges that I probably could have gotten into but didn't apply to because I didn't believe in myself.

I wish I had known how to ask my teachers/instructors for help when I needed it. Because I was always a bit of a workaholic, I always seemed to take on a lot of work, but I was always stubborn when it came to asking for help. Being at a large university where no one is going to hold your hand, I would tell myself to ask teachers and instructors for help and to learn to make it a habit when it came to college. I feel like I have done better in classes where I have attended my professors' office hours and asked questions about class and the material. I would have told myself to be more open to asking questions about things I didn't understand, and to continue this habit into college because I remember being intimidated to go talk to my professors my first year.