First semester wrap up: thoughts from freshmen

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Is there a better way to experience UC Berkeley than for the first time? Getting lost in Dwinelle, going up to the top of the Campanile, losing yourself on Sproul Plaza among the flyers and tablers … these experiences come to define a UC Berkeley education, and wide-eyed freshmen eagerly take them on. Now that the fall semester is coming to a close, here are some reflective thoughts from freshmen.

Kelly Lee

Courtesy/Kelly Lee

Courtesy/Kelly Lee

Daily Clog: What’s your favorite thing about Berkeley?

Kelly Lee: I love the atmosphere. Most of the people I’ve met have been so inviting and friendly, and it’s easy to meet people with common interests and people who are passionate about those interests, and it’s easier to bond over them.

DC: Have your plans for your major changed during your time here?

KL: Well, I applied music, but that was just to get in, and right now I’m pre-Haas/econ. I don’t think that’ll change, but you never know!

DC: Have you found a community, and if so, where?

KL: Yeah, I have — my church. I’m not sure how it happened so fast, but I’ve made a lot of friends there, and I think it’s actually really changing my perspective on a lot of things.

DC: What’s your biggest takeaway from this semester?

KL: I think I’ve really made a start to my spiritual journey. Wow, that sounds weird, but I think that I had different priorities before coming here and becoming a part of my church, and afterwards … it’s not that I’ve become a different person, but I’ve started to see things differently.

Munashe Mazonde

Courtesy/Eric Liang

Courtesy/Eric Liang

DC: How would you describe your time at Berkeley so far?

Munashe Mazonde: I feel it has been really hard but also extremely exciting. I love the new people I’ve met so far and the whole Berkeley community! Adjusting to the work load has been a struggle, but I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it … even though the semester is over now.

DC: How do you feel about the food?

MM: The food is decent. But it’s definitely better than other schools’, so that’s good! When Crossroads lets you down, Asian Ghetto will save you. Oh, and Late Night always makes up for bad food, so they balance each other out.

DC: How have you liked classes?

MM: The classes have been really hard, but they’ve shown me what I’m capable of. They push me to do the best I possibly can do, and I like that. After all, it’s Cal.

DC: What’s your biggest takeaway from this semester?

MM: My biggest takeaway is that my college experience is what I make of it. There is no handholding. Nothing is going to be handed to me, and I have to seek out opportunities and be the change I want to see.

Jerry Chen

Staff/Desiree Diaz

Staff/Desiree Diaz

DC: What’s your best memory from your time here?

Jerry Chen: I think some of my best memories are finding the kind of people, both those who I live with and others, that I have really gotten to know. This includes people in classes, people in clubs. … Obviously, this answer is kind of cheating, because that includes a ton of moments, but it’s hard to pick a favorite one from so many.

DC: What’s something you’ve learned not to do?

JC: I’ve learned not to panic, I think, is the biggest thing. There’s a lot of things to worry about here, but everything I thought would go wrong didn’t go wrong, and on the other hand, a lot of things I thought would go well didn’t go well. So, yeah, not panicking about things that I think won’t go well and not panicking when things I think will go well don’t.

DC: How have you spent most of your time outside classes?

JC: I’ve done homework, projects, but I spend a lot of time doing clubs and occasionally have time to relax and take a nap. That’s getting more and more rare, though.

DC: What’s your biggest takeaway from this semester?

JC: I guess I learned to be myself and try to find a place to fit in rather than changing personally, because there’s a lot of different clubs and people around here. On one hand, I’m really lucky to find people I get along with, but on the other hand, I know there are lots of people to find.

Shayla Calleros

Courtesy/Eric Liang

Courtesy/Eric Liang

DC: What has caused you the most stress since coming here?

Shayla Calleros: Well, the classes. I knew they were gonna be hard, but they’re a lot more stressful and time-consuming than I’d originally anticipated. They’re just a lot harder than classes I’ve taken in high school.

DC: How have you felt about living on campus?

SC: It’s a really different experience than living at home when in high school, because you get used to your mom making dinner and your parents doing your laundry and everything like that, whereas when you’re living in the dorms, you have to do everything for yourself.

DC: What is a moment when you were proud of going here?

SC: When I went back for Thanksgiving break and my whole family was just very supportive and asking me about how going to Berkeley is.

DC: What’s your biggest takeaway from this semester?

SC: Study more, be more active in the Berkeley community, and branch out more.

Steven Veshkini

Courtesy/Eric Liang

Courtesy/Eric Liang

DC: Has Berkeley met your expectations?

Steven Veshkini: No. I guess I expected more friendly, community-type people, but besides a few people on your floor, it’s not that easy to interact with other people.

DC: Advice for incoming freshmen?

SV: Don’t get cocky, I guess. Don’t skip class, because as much as you think you can figure it out, you probably don’t want to end up skipping class. I did that, and I kind of regret it.

DC: What got you through the times of stress?

SV: Just having good friends. … That’s pretty much enough.

DC: What’s your biggest takeaway from this semester?

SV: I feel like the biggest thing is that you kind of need to have an appreciation for the classes you want to take, because if you’re not interested in what you’re taking, you’re going to do a lot worse than you would if you enjoy the class. It’s harder to get engaged and actually care and keep up with your work and stay focused if you don’t actually like what you’re doing.

Contact Linsha Qi at lqi@dailycal.org.

Read more here: http://www.dailycal.org/2014/12/09/first-semester-wrap-thoughts-freshmen/
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