While crossing the legendary Berkeley campus, once the fulcrum of 1960s student activism, you will likely pass the Cal Dykes' information table, at least one a cappella group and some very passionate socialists before you reach the student union. The great thing about "Cal"--as the University of California at Berkeley is called--is that there's a niche for just about everyone, and if you don't find one that suits you, you can always make up one of your own.
The hustle and bustle and the giant lecture halls can sometimes be overwhelming. Biweekly sessions with 25 other hapless freshmen don't necessarily make up for the lack of individual academic attention and fact that you share your dorm complex with a whopping 1,000 others. Yes, Berkeley has specialized "centers" and libraries for every imaginable academic field, not to mention lists and lists of classes to choose from. But because of the school's size and breadth, sometimes it's hard to know what is out there for you to take advantage of. (This can also be true of the school's dating scene.)
However, a motivated, independent, aggressive student can argue her way into tight classes and navigate the nearby metropolis: San Francisco. One semester, she might take a Female Sexuality DeCal (Democratic Education at Cal, student-designed and student-taught courses for credit), only to find herself facilitating it the next. She could run for student government, join the Cal Jazz Ensemble or debate her world-famous professor during his office hours. And she may just fall so in love with the diverse, exciting Bay Area that she decides, as I have, to settle here after graduation.
author: Emily Teplin graduated: 2002 major: English and History campus activities: Trying to sneak into the music library of the campus radio station from: Los Angeles, USA native language: English
