Add your own advice
If you have a short personal comment or some advice to share about your experience as a member of the commuter population at Cal, we'd love to add yours here! Contact Tina Jung at commuter@berkeley.edu for more info.
Tirumari
Commuter experiences at Cal
Riding on BART was fairly uneventful, and it took me the entire semester to even make friends with fellow Cal commuters. I studied on-campus all the time; since I could make very few study sessions, I made sure to make up for it by studying by myself (in retrospect, maybe not the best plan). I did stop by the Student Learning Center, but I suppose I should have taken advantage of the resources available on this campus more than I did since being a commuter limited my ability to just randomly walk into someone's room and ask if he or she wanted to study.
If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have really tried to get involved. I always had the problem of explaining to people that I actually lived at home, and unfortunately, couldn't partake in evening activities. Orinda's a suburban community, and the bus system ends fairly early, so I couldn't really get to club meetings and whatnot. Not being involved on campus made me feel even less like a Berkeley student, and more like a temporary one. So, if you get nothing else from what I've written; please, get involved at Cal!
—Tirumari
Lives in Orinda with his family
Tiffany on BART
I suppose I would describe my first semester as a whirlwind of just about everything. Looking back at it, I would have definitely shortened my work hours which ate into my studying time. Overall, I started learning important college lessons: time-management, making new friends, developing study habits, ways to have fun, and of course, intellectual enrichment in the classrooms.
As the semester began, I received a part-time job in Millbrae: in fact, I started working there before classes began. Working 20 hours a week with a 15 unit course load, I basically had a six-day workweek and Sunday to catch up with schoolwork. Come to think of it, I would not recommend that schedule for a first semester freshman because instead of a gradual introduction to college, it was a horrendous jump into a fire pit of midterms, sales orders, and papers with no time to breathe.
However, I adapted to the schedule and managed, or tried, to balance work and fun. I did a majority of my studying on BART (completing readings as I was taking mostly humanities classes) while finding leisure during the weekend evenings. As far as leisure in Berkeley went, I learned most of the spots (say, for studying or eating) from upper classmen or sometimes, just by a chance discovery on my own.
—Tiffany
From Los Angeles, CA
Lives in Berkeley in an off-campus apartment
Marcell
I was born and raised in San Francisco, California, and my transition to the college experience was extremely difficult. Although I was still living at home with my family I felt as if I wasn't getting the full college experience. As I came to Cal I could immediately see that I wasn't going to have someone hold me by the hand and tell me what to do; I was on my own.
My first semester at Cal was an experience that I will never forget. Although I was shaken by midterms, finals, and all the pressure of work, I was able to meet new people and have fun also. One thing that I would have definitely changed or done differently my first semester was not to underestimate the courses. I would also take more time to study more efficiently than try to cram everything in two days before the test. I would have loved to live on campus so that I would not have missed many of the midterm reviews that are offered by the GSIs late at night, but other than that I really love Cal and will never regret my decision to attend this great institution.
—
Marcell
Lives in San Francisco with his family
Daniel
As an out of state student, I had a lot of doubts about coming to Cal. I had decided to live in a co-op because it is cheaper than dorms, and I thought it would be more interesting. I didn't know anything about the different co-ops when I signed a contract to live in a very large house called Casa Zimbabwe. I ended up living in a situation that was definitely the Berkeley everybody has heard of—pretty wild. I learned that checking out a potential living situation is key before deciding to live somewhere. Fortunately, I got over it and was able to stick it out. I found a small group of friends that really helped me adjust. I developed a little family away from home, and that was great. I also really liked my classes. All in all I enjoyed my first semester at Cal, and I was able to rid myself of all my doubts about coming here and going so far from home. I even moved to a smaller co-op that was a much better fit for me
in the spring semester!
—Daniel
From Pensacola, FL
Lives in Berkeley in a Co-op
Jen, transfer student
My first semester at Cal was like a dream come true. Ever since 2000, when I left Argentina, I had wanted to be a Cal student. Just like everything you want with almost painful desire, my first time on campus was one filled with lots of anxiety and high expectations. Whereas my confidence was unmovable when I arrived, I was soon humbled by the size of the campus and the copious number of people that populated it. Moreover, being away from my family, even though it wasn't the first time, was a larger source of anxiety. I was here to start anew, literally, since I had no friends or even acquaintances in Berkeley.
Slowly, and very courageously, I started meeting people on campus. Many of then were classmates that happened to sit next to me, people who were tabling or even flyering on Sproul. In time, I learned how to navigate the campus, ceased to get lost and started feeling like I belonged. Even though these circumstances helped me feel like I belonged, there was still another hurdle: I am a transfer student, and as such, I often felt at a disadvantage when compared to other juniors who had been here since freshman year. I realized throughout the semester that not only was I suited to be successful at Cal but also that I had a considerable advantage over other students due to my age and background.
Halfway through the semester, I discovered a great support mechanism in the Jewish community center on campus. Hillel provided a second home for me while away from my family, and facilitated relationships that will remain in my memory throughout the rest of my life.
All the support I received from the various realms of my newly acquired life helped me ease through the anxiety laden transition I was finally getting closure on. Today, I am proud to say I have no doubts I belong at Cal and feel well prepared to succeed and inspire other people to conquer the transition process. Even though it might have seemed scary at first, coming to Berkeley has definitely been the most rewarding experience I can remember.
—Jen
From Buenos Aires, Argentina
Lives in Berkeley in an off-campus studio
Add your own advice
If you have a short personal comment or some advice to share about your experience as a member of the commuter population at Cal, we'd love to add yours here! Contact Tina Jung at commuter@berkeley.edu for more info.
