Lloyd Williams
UC Berkeley
"..joining a sorority or fraternity while you're at Berkeley..will let you experience a major part of US college life, which most international students miss out on, and it will give you some great friends I'm sure."
Tell us a bit about Berkeley
Berkeley is a wonderful and diverse area. The campus is beautiful and worth visiting just for tourism’s sake. San Francisco is great too, and the whole bay area is beautiful.
Local and San Fran public transport is very good (especially for Californian standards). It's colder than I expected, but we mostly had nice weather. There's always something interesting going on for EVERYone. Local bus transport is free for Cal students and the train (BART) is cheap too. Note: the locals refer to UC Berkeley as Cal.
What was student life like at UC Berkeley?
Berkeley's administration is quite well organised, though they have some inconvenient practices at times for students (eg: in terms of paying for things).
The workload is intense, especially if you want to take grad courses. Each of my subjects had weekly homework that contributes significantly (20-30%) towards your final mark, so I always had a lot of work to do. Most subjects also have 1 or 2 midsemesters (30%) and a final exam (30%). It didn't stop me from going to Yosemite or Chicago on the weekends though. I sensed that Berkeley has very good standards, as you should expect. I did mathematics and industrial engineering and the lectures were similar to Melbourne Uni's. Berkeley has top lecturers and tutors, and more advanced use of computers and technology with subjects extremely well suited for real world application.
Where did you live and why?
I stayed in International House, I just applied once I got accepted into Cal, it's easy. iHouse is great - great people from everywhere including the USA, so you won't miss out on meeting them. Most other dorms (like Unit 1, 2 or 3) are somewhat dominated by freshmen, which may be a little young for some, but it's up to you.
Once you pay for you accommodation and flights, things are OK especially if your accommodation has a dining plan included. Housing can be as expensive or as (fairly) cheap (student co-ops) as you like. Some student co-ops I hear are good, but you have to do your research, I chose International House for a number of reasons, but it was easier than organising everything myself and it's fantastic. Food is quite cheap and Berkeley has many great places to eat. Accommodation in hostels and hotels is expensive, so unless you camp, weekend trips can be expensive.
Finally, consider joining a sorority or fraternity while you're at Berkeley - you probably can't live there, but you can get membership during rush week (first week of semester), which will let you experience a major part of US college life, which most international students miss out on, and it will give you some great friends I'm sure. Also look at www.calbears.com well in advance if you want to go to football games because tickets sell out fast, especially the student tickets, which are the best and cheapest.
What tips do you have for other students?
Make sure you plan to travel around the US before (you'll be busy during semester) and after (you'll have around 30 to 60 days depending on your visa) you are at Berkeley, because you'll want to stay longer - guaranteed, especially once you make friends. Also, make sure once you get your visa documents (like DS2109 or whatever it's called) that allow you to apply for your visa, then apply asap and schedule an appointment at the US consulate. Also note that you'll need special photographs for your visa application to the US.
How would you sum up your experience?
If you want something completely different to Melbourne then there would be better places, but I loved Berkeley. Locals say Berkeley is not America (USA), so you might consider going somewhere more American, but that's purely up to you - there's nothing bad about Berkeley – and it still IS a part of the USA.
The exchange experience has broadened my perspective on life and made me much more likely to venture overseas again for either study and/or work (or pleasure). It has enhanced my technical knowledge of science and given me contacts in other universities.