When I walked back from class this evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see little kids dressed up in their costumes and walking around with their parents, and I had totally forgotten that the dorms were hosting a trick-or-treating event for little kids from neighborhoods near the UC Berkeley area today!
So why do trick-or-treating at the dorms? Basically, the dorms at the UC Berkeley campus provide a safe place for kids to trick-or-treat, and the kids can walk around and get candy from the various floors of the buildings. Some of the students living in the dorms volunteer to dress up and lead the kids up and down the hallways while others offer to give out candy. Unfortunately, I couldn't help out because I had evening classes, but I was able to see the kids parading around in their costumes, and it was so heartwarming to see the kids laughing and smiling, and to see the enthusiasm and energy that the student volunteers had!
I think it's soooo awesome how UC Berkeley gets students involved with the surrounding community, and how easy it is for students to participate and volunteer in such activities without having to leave campus! =)
It was so cute to see all the little kids walking down the hallway, but I think the best moment was when one of the kids said that my floor was the scariest because there was a Justin Bieber poster on my floormate's door!
Friday
Hello There!
Good evening prospective and current Golden Bears!
I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Jenn, and I am a 3rd-year, junior transfer, majoring in Peace and Conflict
Studies with a focus on Global Governance. What all that means is that my
experience at Cal is unique.
As a transfer, I have already got the hang of going to college. I attended
a "junior" college in Orange County, Southern California, before being
accepted to Cal. The admissions process is different, the moving process
is different, everything is different! For me, it was the perfect
transition. Unlike many of these wonderful freshman I genuinely admire, I
didn't know what I wanted to do right after high school. Going to a junior
college allowed me to learn the culture and gain college experience. So here
I am, at one of the best schools in the world! I never saw this coming.
I am also 22, and quite used to a bit of independence, so I am one of the
many students who live off-campus. I started attending classes during
summer session C (an 8-week session of condensed classes), a little over a
month after my acceptance. Finding a place to live was quite a challenge!
I worked with the Berkeley U-Loop page, roommate websites, and many other
sources for finding roommates and housing. What it came down to was
Craigslist. If you are ever trying to find a place to live, consider using
Craigslist. KNOW Craigslist. You can find inexpensive furniture around town,
and even some free furniture. It's also where I found a place to live. I
didn't have to fly up from Southern California to meet with any landlords
or sign any stacks of papers. So it worked out great for me.
Finally, I'd like to discuss my major. Peace and Conflict Studies, or
PACS, is a major that a lot of Cal students I meet don't even know about.
The name is pretty self explanatory, but in a nutshell, we read policy
reports, theories about war and peace, and many firsthand experiences of
diplomats and peacemakers who have been working with the major conflicts
of our time. I am currently working on a conflict analysis report on
Turkey, which will be my final paper for one of my classes. I chose the
Global Governance focus because it concentrates more on the movement towards an
international community, international law, and the international
authority of the United Nations System. I do really miss the hard
sciences, and, I hate to admit, even math. But I know that what I am
studying is so important, and I am utterly passionate about it.
Stay tuned for next time when I talk about the wonderful Berkeley Farmer's
Market, and some other off-campus gems you must not miss!
Thursday
On my way to class...
Here are a few photos that I took with my cellphone...This is what I see every time I walk to my chemistry study group session!
~Walking to class under a "tunnel" of trees...
~Strawberry Creek runs throughout the campus (the gentle sound of rushing water is very calming and de-stressing!)
~I'm not sure if you can see the person on the bottom right corner of the photo, but this shows how tall the trees are!!!
Hope this gives you a better picture (no pun intended) of the nature side of the UC Berkeley campus!
~Walking to class under a "tunnel" of trees...
~Strawberry Creek runs throughout the campus (the gentle sound of rushing water is very calming and de-stressing!)
~I'm not sure if you can see the person on the bottom right corner of the photo, but this shows how tall the trees are!!!
Hope this gives you a better picture (no pun intended) of the nature side of the UC Berkeley campus!
Wednesday
Berkeley: A Freshman's First Impressions
Hey everyone!
W00! My very first post on this blog! I am SOOOO excited to share about my experiences here at Cal (another name we have for UC Berkeley), and I can't wait to talk about all the cool things that have been happening so far.
I realize that prospective students are in the midst of trying to complete their college applications since deadlines are coming up soon (yikes!), so I think it would be helpful to give some insight on life at Cal...from a current freshman's perspective. So let's get started! =]
1. Food--I never have to worry about getting sick of the food at the dining commons (the food there isn't bad either!) because there are so many different places to eat! If I ever have a craving for burritos/tacos, hot dogs, Chinese food, sushi, Korean bbq, bubble tea, crepes, bagels, soup, fruit smoothies, paninis, sub sandwiches, frozen yogurt, or the like, I know where to go because UC Berkeley's got it all! And the greatest thing is that the majority of these places are within a 5-minute walking distance! There are also a variety of restaurants that are accessible via the AC Transit bus system (which is free to Cal students!).
2. Walking to classes is like taking a nature walk--There's nothing better than walking to class early in the morning and hearing the sound of running water from Strawberry Creek (which runs through a large area of campus) or seeing the sun peek through the tree tops as it rises. What can I say? The campus is aesthetically pleasing, even if you aren't the biggest nature fan. And did I mention that I have a perfect view of the San Francisco bridge from my dorm room??? Watching the sun set over the Bay Area is breathtaking!
3. Diversity--The student body is so diverse that there are student groups for every activity possible, and it's not hard to find people who share the same interests. On my floor alone, there are a handful of out-of-state and international students from all different backgrounds. And despite the differences, everyone here at Cal is open and tolerant to other beliefs and points of view, so it's okay to share your ideas and opinions on pretty much anything!
4. There's always something new to learn!--Even though I got a 5 on my AP Chemistry exam, I decided to take the course again when I got to Cal, and I am still learning new stuff every day! The great thing about my Chemistry professor is that she knows that some students already have a background in chemistry already, so she makes sure to incorporate new material while teaching the basic concepts so that no one gets bored.
5. Studying--There are so many places to study, whether it be the dorm room, the lounges in your residential hall, the libraries, cafes, or even on campus itself. I've seen people studying on the grass, on benches, and even in trees! The cool thing about studying at Cal is that you can study wherever you feel most comfortable and productive.
Well, there you have it, folks--a freshman's first impressions of UC Berkeley. =] I'm hoping to make a "part 2" of this post that'll go more in depth about college life, but until then,
GO BEARS!!!
W00! My very first post on this blog! I am SOOOO excited to share about my experiences here at Cal (another name we have for UC Berkeley), and I can't wait to talk about all the cool things that have been happening so far.
I realize that prospective students are in the midst of trying to complete their college applications since deadlines are coming up soon (yikes!), so I think it would be helpful to give some insight on life at Cal...from a current freshman's perspective. So let's get started! =]
1. Food--I never have to worry about getting sick of the food at the dining commons (the food there isn't bad either!) because there are so many different places to eat! If I ever have a craving for burritos/tacos, hot dogs, Chinese food, sushi, Korean bbq, bubble tea, crepes, bagels, soup, fruit smoothies, paninis, sub sandwiches, frozen yogurt, or the like, I know where to go because UC Berkeley's got it all! And the greatest thing is that the majority of these places are within a 5-minute walking distance! There are also a variety of restaurants that are accessible via the AC Transit bus system (which is free to Cal students!).
2. Walking to classes is like taking a nature walk--There's nothing better than walking to class early in the morning and hearing the sound of running water from Strawberry Creek (which runs through a large area of campus) or seeing the sun peek through the tree tops as it rises. What can I say? The campus is aesthetically pleasing, even if you aren't the biggest nature fan. And did I mention that I have a perfect view of the San Francisco bridge from my dorm room??? Watching the sun set over the Bay Area is breathtaking!
3. Diversity--The student body is so diverse that there are student groups for every activity possible, and it's not hard to find people who share the same interests. On my floor alone, there are a handful of out-of-state and international students from all different backgrounds. And despite the differences, everyone here at Cal is open and tolerant to other beliefs and points of view, so it's okay to share your ideas and opinions on pretty much anything!
4. There's always something new to learn!--Even though I got a 5 on my AP Chemistry exam, I decided to take the course again when I got to Cal, and I am still learning new stuff every day! The great thing about my Chemistry professor is that she knows that some students already have a background in chemistry already, so she makes sure to incorporate new material while teaching the basic concepts so that no one gets bored.
5. Studying--There are so many places to study, whether it be the dorm room, the lounges in your residential hall, the libraries, cafes, or even on campus itself. I've seen people studying on the grass, on benches, and even in trees! The cool thing about studying at Cal is that you can study wherever you feel most comfortable and productive.
Well, there you have it, folks--a freshman's first impressions of UC Berkeley. =] I'm hoping to make a "part 2" of this post that'll go more in depth about college life, but until then,
GO BEARS!!!
Thursday
Midterms!!!!
Hi guys:) I'm so happy to blog again, and I'm so glad I'm almost done with midterms. Midterm season is in full swing here at Cal; everything definitely becomes more hectic during this time. I could not tell you how many cups of coffee I manage to consume during my midterm weeks...not healthy. So my topic for this blog will be about the ways that I cope with stress and midterm weeks here at Cal.
1) Instead of studying with music on and my cellphone nearby, I tried studying without any distraction. In a matter of days I noticed I was able to better master my studies and spend less time studying because I was focused, so I didn't have to re-study the material. This being the first of my few tips to cope with midterm week: FOCUS.
This concludes my midterm tips for all of you:). Just to reiterate them 1)FOCUS 2)STAY IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY 3)TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND MIND and 4)STAY POSITIVE.
I love Berkeley. I am so happy I chose Cal, and this environment has definitely proven to challenge me everyday. My classes this semester are Physics 8B (electricity and magnetism), Chemistry 3B (organic chemistry), yoga, and R1B (an English class). While I'm only taking 13.5 units this semester, taking two science classes that both have labs definitely puts a lot of things on my plate. While I mentioned that coffee helps me during these times of need, I don't recommend resorting to caffeine entirely. I recently discovered yoga here at Cal, and it basically changed my life.
As a former cross-country runner and current snowboarder, I cannot explain in words how the practice of Ashtanga revealed to me how inflexible and weak I am. When I signed up for the class I thought that the class would be more of a meditative/stretching sort of class, and that turned out to be most definitely far from the truth. However, I became obsessed with becoming better at yoga and learning not only its physical practices but the message of yoga. I probably will never be able to forget the phrase my yoga instructor tells the class everyday: "Let each day be a day of mindful living." At first, the saying didn't really register with me. It seems a little odd to be living and not being fully aware of what you're doing. In time, though, when I truly thought about what the phrase meant and tried to apply it to my life, not only did I better myself as a person, but midterm week just became that much easier for me.
As a former cross-country runner and current snowboarder, I cannot explain in words how the practice of Ashtanga revealed to me how inflexible and weak I am. When I signed up for the class I thought that the class would be more of a meditative/stretching sort of class, and that turned out to be most definitely far from the truth. However, I became obsessed with becoming better at yoga and learning not only its physical practices but the message of yoga. I probably will never be able to forget the phrase my yoga instructor tells the class everyday: "Let each day be a day of mindful living." At first, the saying didn't really register with me. It seems a little odd to be living and not being fully aware of what you're doing. In time, though, when I truly thought about what the phrase meant and tried to apply it to my life, not only did I better myself as a person, but midterm week just became that much easier for me.
1) Instead of studying with music on and my cellphone nearby, I tried studying without any distraction. In a matter of days I noticed I was able to better master my studies and spend less time studying because I was focused, so I didn't have to re-study the material. This being the first of my few tips to cope with midterm week: FOCUS.
2) When I felt like I was becoming overwhelmed by a subject, I switched to another. Even though it's not the same as taking a break, switching to another subject is refreshing and helps to stave off that "burnt out" feeling. If you really need to take a break, though, take yourself away from your work for a few hours and come back. It's better to study focused for 4 hours than to study halfheartedly for 10 hours. This being my second tip for midterm week: COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR BODY.
3) Caffeine does work miracles when needed, but the best way to stay focused, fresh, and at the top of your game is to get sleep, eat healthily, and exercise. I'm sure this sounds cliche because everyone says it, but having yoga before a Physics lecture and eating cottage cheese instead of that brownie has definitely made me feel more awake, focused, and calm. Drinking caffeine a lot and eating junk food to take the place of sleep can not only make you jittery (and therefore, break your focus), but it's also horrible for your body and its effects are short-term. This being the conclusion of my 3rd piece of advice: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT AND DO.
4) Midterm week gets stressful. It's understandable to start feeling inadequate, alone, and feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster. I have been there; we all have. The best advice I have for you is from a quote of Gandhi that I now try to live by and that was actually relayed to me by my yoga instructor: "Keep your beliefs positive because your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny."
This concludes my midterm tips for all of you:). Just to reiterate them 1)FOCUS 2)STAY IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY 3)TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND MIND and 4)STAY POSITIVE.
P.S. TRY YOGA!!!:)
GO BEARS!
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