First-year takeaways from the academic world of UC Berkeley
If you can find the academic strategies that work for you, UC Berkeley will start to feel like home in no time. When I walked on campus for my first day of classes at UC Berkeley, I was nervous, to say the least. The Campanile looked more daunting than ever as I passed by it on my way to my first lecture, with a screenshot of my class schedule in hand and a map of the campus at the ready.
Transitioning to college academics comes with lots of questions, and stepping into the world of office hours, RRR week, and discussion sections is certainly a large adjustment. Here is my advice for your first year at UC Berkeley!
Office hours are as helpful as everyone says
During my senior year of high school, all of my teachers told me that their biggest piece of advice for college students was to go to office hours. At that point, I had no idea what those were — I was used to simply being able to ask my teachers questions at any point during class, or stop by their classroom throughout the day if something came up.
However, things work a little differently in college. Professors set up office hours — a designated time for students to bring up any questions or insights with them. Office hours are held outside of lecture hours or discussion sections, usually in the morning or afternoon, and for a limited time each week. Throughout my first year, I utilized office hours to discuss lecture content that I found unclear, and it was helpful to be able to chat with my professors in a one-on-one setting. This was particularly valuable ahead of midterms, finals, or paper deadlines. Office hours helped me gain a better understanding of what my professors were looking for, and this is a great way to increase your chances of succeeding on an exam.
For my larger, lower-division prerequisite classes, I also found it valuable to attend office hours hosted by my GSIs (graduate student instructors, who lead discussion sections). For my English classes, my GSIs were helpful in breaking down the content from lectures and providing me with writing tips for specific assignments.
Even though it might seem daunting to approach your professors one-on-one, office hours are normally really casual and provide a great environment for asking questions. Getting to know your professors also lays a strong, positive foundation for building connections down the road. I highly recommend you go to office hours throughout your first year!
Self-discipline becomes necessary
The biggest difference that I noticed when transitioning to college academics was how crucial self-discipline becomes. In college, assignments, papers, and tests don’t come with as much guidance as they did in high school. This makes it up to you to delegate your time to ensure that you complete everything by the deadline!
Personally, I find it helpful to create mini-deadlines for myself. For example, if I am writing a paper, I plan to have an outline done by a certain day, a rough draft done a week later, and schedule time to meet with my professor if I have any questions. This gives me a clear plan for how to submit my final draft in time, and limits my ability to procrastinate, putting my mind at ease.
The same goes for studying ahead of a test. Luckily, before finals, students have a whole week without classes to prepare for exams, known as “Dead Week” (Reading/Review/Recitation, or RRR, week). But during midterms season, it can be tricky to balance studying for a test amidst a busy schedule of class, work, and anything else that fills your day. I would recommend breaking up your review of lecture content into sections, going over a few key concepts each day rather than the entirety of the exam content in one night. That way, you won’t find yourself stumbling into Doe Library with an energy drink at 11 p.m. the night before your 9 a.m. midterm…
Readings, readings, and more readings!
Meet bCal, your new best friend
bCal is a Google Calendar linked to your Berkeley email, and you’ll use it all the time. It’s no secret that Berkeley students are absurdly busy. This campus is constantly filled with bustling energy between exams, professional development opportunities, and club events. I quickly learned that for me, a clear mind comes from an organized schedule. Being able to see my week laid out gives me an idea of where my breaks are, when I need to be in class, and what club meetings are coming up that week.
Every student has their unique system to stay organized and keep on top of their schedule. Personally, I like to use my bCal to mark when important assignments are due, giving me a visual reminder ahead of the deadline. As soon as I get notified about an event, an assignment, an obligation, a call — it goes on my bCal. In fact, my friends and I have a running joke that whenever one of us suggests that we hang out, we say to “send the bCal invite.”
Take notes: Pen and paper? Google Docs? Notability?
If you look around during your lecture, I guarantee that you will see at least three different ways that people are taking notes. Between pen and paper, digitally writing on an iPad, typing on a laptop, or some alternate method, everybody has a different strategy for lecture notes.
For myself, I found that I prefer to use my laptop to take notes during lectures. Typing is the most efficient way I can record content quickly, and I prioritize getting information down over having my notes be very polished. That way, when I’m looking over my notes and studying, I can go back with a pen and paper to write down the key points or themes from each lecture, pulling from the wealth of information on my laptop.
However, everybody will develop their own strategy. Paper and pen are beneficial in how they eliminate the distractions on an electronic device (I have had to learn not to check my email or texts throughout lecture), and some professors may have a strict no-device policy. Or, you could settle somewhere in between with an iPad, which some of my friends use to mimic the sensation of writing notes down without having to carry around multiple notebooks. Overall, the best method is the one most accessible and effective for you!
Some of my study essentials, including my laptop, notebooks, pens, and earbuds.
Romanticize your study sessions
It’s hard to motivate yourself to study if you aren’t making the experience enjoyable! I learned that the environment I am working in has a huge influence on how productive and fulfilled I feel after studying.
There are many ways that I spruced up my study sessions throughout my first year. As somebody who loves a fun drink, I enjoyed checking out different coffee shops over the weekends. Some of my favorites throughout the year were Victory Point Cafe and Qahwa Time. The environment of a cafe is my favorite place to work — I love how there is lots of natural light, chill music, and often other people working there as well.
A latte always brightens up my study sessions.
On sunny days, I would bring my study materials outside. This was particularly enjoyable on days that I had a lot of reading to complete, as I could lounge on a picnic blanket with my sunglasses and books. I found that this helped alleviate my stress while I was studying as well — it was literally a breath of fresh air. Just because you need to lock in, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the sunshine!
UC Berkeley has no shortage of study spots, so I would recommend having some fun checking out different areas and seeing what kind of environment you prefer!
You’re not the only one who is confused!
Another big adjustment for me was the size of my classes at UC Berkeley. Most of my high school classes had more than 30 students, so walking into a 200-person lecture hall was quite the change of pace. Not only is it impossible to get to know every one of your fellow students, the professor might not even know your name for the first portion of the semester! I remember having moments throughout my first semester where I would look around at the hundreds of faces around me, listen to what the professor was saying, and think, “I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t get it.”
What I found to help with this is deceivingly simple: talk to the person sitting next to you. I know this sounds obvious, but by doing this, I realized that many of my peers shared the same confusion or questions that I had. Chances are, if you’re confused about something, the person next to you is too — or if not, they can help you understand what is going on!
You deserve to be here (and you deserve a break)!
“Imposter syndrome” is a term that I heard tossed around before I came to college, but I disregarded it as just another first-year myth. However, after my first week of college-level classes, I found myself feeling like maybe I wasn’t cut out for the academic world of UC Berkeley. The transition from high school to college can feel overwhelming, and it’s important to remind yourself that you have worked hard and deserve to be in these classrooms with your peers.
As you adjust to college classes, it is just as important to remind yourself to take a break — something that I wish I had learned sooner. You are a human being before you are a student, and taking care of yourself is a precursor to academic success. Even if the transition feels difficult at first, you can do it!
Shae Cogswell, Class of 2029, is majoring in English.
Want more?
- Prepare for the upcoming academic year with Reva’s back-to-school checklist.
- Learn about study groups and how to make the most of your study sessions with peers.
- Need advice on building a course schedule? Here’s a guide to help you navigate choosing classes.