UQ Program: BA (Religion; International Relations) /LLB, 4th Year
I studied at UC Berkeley for Semester 2, 2010 and had the most amazing four months of my life! Academically, Berkeley truly challenged me. Studying at Berkeley will change your perception of the world. It forced me to address academic biases that I never knew I held. In turn, it opened me up to a new world of possibilities and challenges. I took four liberal Arts subjects, two from each of my majors: Ancient Greek Religion; Jewish History; Women, Poverty and Globalization; and, Southeast Asian Politics, Culture and Literature. If you are thinking of going to Berkeley, be prepared to work hard. Assessment is constant throughout the semester, starting from day one. At times you’ll get frustrated at the amount of effort required for such a small percentage of your grade. However, despite the quantity of assessment, it is not that difficult to get solid grades at Berkeley and so long as you love what you’re studying - like I did - you’ll come to appreciate the academic rigor.
As much as I enjoyed the academics at Berkeley, my study abroad experience will always be about the amazing people I met and the awesome experiences I had. Unlike UQ, university life in America is thoroughly all-consuming; if you’re a student, you truly are a full-time student – it doesn’t stop once you leave campus. At Berkeley you eat, live and breathe ‘student life’. Immersing myself in college culture was a foreign but thoroughly enjoyable experience. In addition, I stayed at one of the Berkeley Student Co-op houses, Kingman Hall. I can honestly say I have never lived in such an eye-opening and deeply enriching setting. As a Kingmanite I learnt the true meaning of environmental sustainability, food politics and, most importantly, friendship. Depending on where you choose to stay, you are looking to spend an average of $6000AUD in living costs per semester. It’s a steal considering you’re studying at such a highly acclaimed institution.
I can say without a doubt that my experience at Berkeley changed me as a person. It has made me question everything I know about this world and about myself. It has set me on a new life-path, with so many more possibilities for the future. If you’re not ready to change as a person, then Berkeley is not for you. I maintain that the most difficult part of my experience was saying goodbye to the most amazing people I’ve ever met and one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. Be prepared for plenty of tears.
1. Open your mind, stay at a Berkeley Student Co-op. You’ll save money and have an awesome time. I recommend medium-sized one like Kingman, Castro, Wolf or Stebbins. Note that when I say ‘open your mind’, I truly mean it.
2. Know how to study smart, not hard. If you discover early on where you can cut corners and where you have to be thorough you’ll have plenty of time for yoga, meditation and partying.
3. Four words: ‘Yoga to the People’. Try it out! It really does wonders for the mind, body and soul. It’s also a great place to meat scantily clad hotties ;).
4. Get involved in as many extra-curricular activities as you can. Berkeley has just about everything on offer from hurling to renaissance a capella. Most activities start early in fall semester, so keep an eye out when you arrive.
5. Get a Bike. The easiest and most efficient way to get around Berkeley and the surrounding cities is by bike. You’ll save plenty of time getting to class and be able to explore the Berkeley area more. If you stay at a co-op there may be a number of abandoned bikes for your use.