28 April 2010
It's the Final Countdown!
Enjoy!
Continue reading "It's the Final Countdown!" »
Posted by Leighna Baxter at 1:24 | Permalink
10 March 2010
Class sping '10!
This semester I’m enrolled in 16 units (Chem 3B, 3BL, Physics 8B, Bio 1B and NST 199) and filled to the brim with sciences classes. So far this semester includes the most amount of class work (40 hours/week) since all my classes have labs, I have chem. study groups and NST 199, which is research is about 14 hours of work a week. At first it seemed impossible, but now I think I got the groove of things and it seems actually weird to have a lot of free time and I usually end up wasting it by sleeping or something. So I want to take some time telling about my experience in these classes so far.
Continue reading "Class sping '10!" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 2:26 | Permalink
18 November 2009
And the winner is...
I like this whole system here at Berkeley where the lab wraps up before finals-how neato is that? At community college, we had labs practically to the last day of instruction-so I'd be sitting stressed in a lab coat wishing I could be studying for my lecture-but now I don't have to.
They saved the best lab for PMB 150 for last. It was actually one of the more stressful and confusing ones-but if you think about it, having to identify mutant Arabidopsis' utilizing the information gained during lecture-it's kind of cool. So there was a little contest going on between the three groups-and ours got every one right. Teamwork!
So the prize was...not not having to write up a lab. Bummer. Instead, it was a bunch of roses in a beaker. AND I GOT THE BEAKER!!!!!!! (and most of the roses...)
My major ****ing rocks!

Continue reading "And the winner is..." »
Posted by Josephine Wong at 1:30 | Permalink
13 October 2009
Decisions, Decisions...
So I met with my advisor, Trey, this past Friday. After looking over my DARS report, he told me that I only had 5 more courses to take in order to graduate! The only problem is that I can't decide whether I should graduate early or spread out those 5 classes over the next 3 semesters. Most of the people I've asked said they wouldn't graduate a semester early.
Continue reading "Decisions, Decisions..." »
Posted by Victoria Eng at 0:36 | Permalink
09 October 2009
The Sniffles
In college, being sick really sucks. Chances are there isn't anyone there to make you soup, and do your laundry and make tea for you. You're essentially on your own wallowing in a nest of blankets and used kleenex wondering if it's worth it to get up and find something to eat. I know, it's a pitiful image but it's the truth.

The best (and by that I mean also the cheapest and easiest) cure for sickness is sleep. Sleep also happens to be one of those things college students never have enough of... along with money and time of course, but back to what I was saying. I find that by drinking water, taking a shower and going to bed at 7 pm or whenever is the fastest way to recover. Problem with that is adjusting to the usual 5 hrs of sleep per night after you're well.
Continue reading "The Sniffles" »
Posted by Leighna Baxter at 2:21 | Permalink
09 September 2009
Taking the Long Way Around
This is my first post... and quite appropriately so since I've only recently become a Molecular Toxicology major. So about that... it's a long story. I started at Cal in 2006 as a Chemical Engineering major. After about a year in that major, I decided it wasn't a good fit (I couldn't pass Math 1B even after a few tries) and I really wasn't happy. I searched for another major that would improve my mood and settled on Molecular Toxicology. It took both my sophomore and junior years (summer school included) to work towards meeting the minimum requirements to be eligible for filing a petition to change major. Those two years of college were nuts! At one point I was taking a full course load at Cal, working part time and taking a 5 unit class at night at Laney City College in Oakland!
All the hard work was worth it... after 2 years of working to meet the requirements I finally received notification of my acceptance into the College of Natural Resources as a Molecular Toxicology major! YAY!!! I have a major!!! I can graduate next spring!!! HOORAY!!
What? Graduate in spring 2010? You've only been there 4 years... and you changed your major your senior year?? These are questions probably running through your mind about now... Thanks to the guidance from advisors in both College of Natural Resources and College of Chemistry, and due to endless hours of planning my schedule... and due to my advisors' support, I enrolled in classes for Molecular Toxicology while I was still a Chemical Engineering major on paper. It sounds like a great plan initially and it looks like it's going to work out just fine for me... but it could all horribly backfire. Here's how: by taking classes for molecular toxicology for two years but not actually having that major, if my petition to change major wasn't accepted I would have effectively had lots of course credit that wasn't applicable for any degree and my time at Cal would not have resulted in earning a Bachelor's degree. No pressure, right?
So now enough about that... and a little bit about who I am. I'm a first generation college student raised in a small town in the high desert of Southern California. My mother and I were born in the same hospital, and we both graduated from the same middle school AND the same high school (we even had some of the same teachers). I love the Bay Area, and hopefully will never leave. I'm a campus ambassador for the university which means that I give campus tours out of the Public Affairs office. I have been an active member of UC Rally Committee since my freshman year. That's about me in a nutshell.
On Friday I'm participating in a Strawberry Creek clean up project to help remove invasive species. I'm really looking forward to splashing around in the creek for a few hours.
My class schedule this semester is as follows: PH 162 (Public Health Microbiology), PH 162L (the microbiology lab), MCB 104 (Genetics), IB 117 (Medical Ethnobotany), and two PE classes, Introductory Taekwondo and low intermediate swimming.
There will be additional, fancier blog entries to follow. :)
Continue reading "Taking the Long Way Around" »
Posted by Leighna Baxter at 2:30 | Permalink
26 August 2009
Live Blogging IB 117 Lec - 1st Day
Continue reading "Live Blogging IB 117 Lec - 1st Day" »
Posted by Josephine Wong at 6:14 | Permalink
25 August 2009
Academic tips for succeeding at Cal
1. Do not believe anyone who tries to tell you that a certain class is difficult/impossible. Regardless of whether this person is your best friend, a random stranger, or your professor himself, half the battle is lost if you come into a class expecting a low grade due to the difficulty. No class here is impossible to ace. Don't let anyone discourage you from doing your best. I find that most people who don't do as well are those who expect a class to be difficult and therefore not try as hard. Efforts will pay off in the end, believe in yourself. No class is hard by nature, it's what you make of it.
Continue reading "Academic tips for succeeding at Cal" »
Posted by Jade Liu at 3:53 | Permalink
23 August 2009
The start of school….grrr!
Continue reading "The start of school….grrr!" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 6:44 | Permalink
17 August 2009
Plans for Fall
Continue reading "Plans for Fall" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 7:26 | Permalink
17 August 2009
Class Review!
Continue reading "Class Review!" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 1:26 | Permalink
13 August 2009
Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall
So, tomorrow will be the day of my last final, for French 4. It's so difficult to believe that my first summer spent in Berkeley will so soon be over. This summer has been awesome, and with two French classes, I was able to recover my "skills" after a spring semester without French. I've learned so much within these eight weeks, and I'm infinitely grateful to my instructors for having all the patience to put up with my twenty thousand questions per day as well as many other things. Now, after my experience during Summer Session 2009, I have some advice to give in terms of the classes I took this summer. Perhaps in my next entry, I'll talk about past classes, but I have so much to write just about these few classes that today, I can only focus on these.
Continue reading "Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall" »
Posted by Jade Liu at 2:01 | Permalink
03 July 2009
Life and BART Adventures
Now to my main subject for today, which is BART. I find BART an excellent mode of transportation for those living around the Bay Area and even for those who don't. The downtown Berkeley station is right next to campus (especially close to CNR headquarters), and the trains come so often that I never need to check any schedule. However, it is times like today that made me want to say that whereas BART can be a convenient way to get around, it may not be the most dependable way.class.
Continue reading "Life and BART Adventures" »
Posted by Jade Liu at 0:26 | Permalink
10 June 2009
Summer and Scheduling
This summer, I am taking Anthropology 1, French 4, French 35, Public Health 162A, and PE 1 with a total of 15.5 units, a load equivalent to a fall or spring semester. A part of the reason is that I receive tuition from Stanford University due to my mother's benefits, but another part is that I am genuinely interested in these classes and they are useful at least to some part of my academic plans (the useful part is how I explain things to my mother), which I will reveal later.
Continue reading "Summer and Scheduling" »
Posted by Jade Liu at 3:09 | Permalink
10 June 2009
summer, summer, SUMMER TIME!
Let's jump right into it...
Briefly, I'm an incoming senior this year and ofcourse I'm really excited to graduate! However, that's not what I'm writing about today. I wanna chat with you all about summer sessions. grrr. Although I am a senior this year, this is my first summer here in Berkeley and it's a little stressful. As someone who is a native of Los Angeles, used to clamor and crowds the serene environment here on campus was definitely alarming at first. Never did I think I would walk down Sproul and see virtually no one! I'm taking on eleven units this summer, and although it is below the campus minimum of 13 during the regular fall and spring semesters, it is no cakewalk. Classes are two hours minimum and for the most part, pretty small. I don't know about the rest of you, but I live for large lecture halls filled with people (it seems to make each lecture a little more special), quirky professors that encourage attendance just because they fill each day with a laugh. Also, I have the unfortunate opportunity of class everyday which makes me feel like I'm stuck in a language course; another thing that does not sit well with me is the gravity of the courses, missing a day in summer session is like missing a week and a half. However, I will say, you get the almost impossible luxury of experiencing the one-on-one attention from most classes aaaaaaaaaand you get to meet new students. For those of you who have not given up on your college romance, summer sessions lends the possibility to meet incoming freshman before they are consumed by the larger population in the fall, you also get to meet guest students who are taking classes at Cal for the summer only. I'm running late for class so I'll leave you all with this, summer sessions, from my viewpoint, SUCK! lol BUT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!!
Continue reading "summer, summer, SUMMER TIME!" »
Posted by Jante' Pruitt at 3:49 | Permalink
29 May 2009
Class frustrations with minors!
- NST 110
- NST C112
- NST C114
- NST 120
- NST 121
Continue reading "Class frustrations with minors!" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 2:34 | Permalink
28 May 2009
Grades and O-chem
Continue reading "Grades and O-chem " »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 0:19 | Permalink
23 May 2009
Fall 2009
Chem 3B – So I heard that this is a killer class that challenges those who completed 3A and frankly I am kind of freaked that the guy who wrote the book is teaching the class. I was really considering taking Pederson in the spring, but his class tends to be at 8am and apparently he refuses to post up his notes. Event though I heard Pederson is a better teacher there is no way I can function that early in morning and I can’t really learn if I am sleeping.
Continue reading "Fall 2009" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 3:39 | Permalink
19 May 2009
My ratings of classes I took in Spring 2009
Continue reading "My ratings of classes I took in Spring 2009" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 3:05 | Permalink
27 March 2009
My First Course Recommendation
[Psychology and Economics] is not an easy field to define, but those who sympathize with it tend to share the belief that economists should aspire to making assumptions about humans that are as realistic as possible, and hence that we should develop methods and habits of mind to learn what is psychologically realistic.So if you're looking for an interesting economics course without all the math, definitely have a look at this one. Unfortunately, I don't see it being offered in Fall 2009 (I took it in Fall 2008), but keep your eyes peeled. It may inspire a Senior Thesis, Honors, or other Research Project! The course covers: Reference-Dependent Preferences, Choice over Time, Heuristics and Biases, Behavioral Game Theory, and Social Preferences.
Continue reading "My First Course Recommendation" »
Posted by Juan at 2:34 | Permalink
26 February 2009
Summer school!
Anyways, I decided to take classes here at Berkeley this summer even though I don't really need to. I will take PoliSci 164 (Session A, which starts the week after the last final) and PoliSci 139a (Session D). I personally find it very difficult to bounce back to studying after long breaks (still recovering from winter break 08, sadly). Hopefully my summer classes would keep me busy and prepare me for Fall 09. As far as my college planning goes, it looks like Fall 09 is going to be my hardest semester.
Summer Telebears tip:
Don't be discouraged by waiting lists--talk to the department adviser and ask your chances of getting a class. Most of the time schedule.berkeley won't show the maximum seating until later. For example, when I signed up for PoliSci 164 the schedule says that max is 60 students. But when I visited the PoliSci adviser she showed me that there's actually 90 seating, although it was just set to 60 for the mean time.
Continue reading "Summer school!" »
Posted by John Cortez at 0:09 | Permalink
20 February 2009
Close Call
So basically, I fixed that. :)
The nice thing was that I rushed over to Mulford right after class and asked if I could see her. I didn't even have an appointment, but she saw me right away, printing out contact info and offering her phone to me. Yay for CNR!
I'm still thinking about switching to MoTox from ES, but I overheard a girl talking about that major being slightly impacted ... uh oh! I'm still confused about all of the majors' differences though. It's just that "molecular toxicology" sounds super-intimidating to other people (so I would look smart, haha) when it's not. ;)
Continue reading "Close Call" »
Posted by Katarina Makmuri at 1:39 | Permalink
13 January 2009
I’m sooooo ready to start spring 2009!!!
Continue reading "I’m sooooo ready to start spring 2009!!!" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 1:02 | Permalink
13 December 2008
EEP 100 + Commuting
This class has been one of the most difficult I've taken so far. It had more math than I anticipated. Also I noticed that my math skill has been getting rusty each semester. I would have preferred essays, but I'm not expecting it from any econ class. 50% of the grade comes from 10 problem sets, a 20% midterm, and a 30% final. Midterms and finals are curved, but not the problem sets.
Problem sets can give good grade boost since we usually had at least a week to work on it. However, commuting has finally took a toll on my academic performance. Most study groups happen at night and I have to leave campus by 8pm most of the time; I tried doing some problems sets on my own, but they were too hard and failed.
Continue reading "EEP 100 + Commuting" »
Posted by John Cortez at 4:35 | Permalink
05 December 2008
Chem...that is all I have to say
Continue reading "Chem...that is all I have to say" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 8:07 | Permalink
07 November 2008
Tele-bears is not a perfect world….please don’t mention O-chem
Continue reading "Tele-bears is not a perfect world….please don’t mention O-chem" »
Posted by Fabian Collazo at 0:48 | Permalink
23 April 2008
some tips for incoming freshies :)
I'm an undeclared student, and for the last 2 telebears appointments I've had (fall 07 and spring 08), I've ripped out a lot of hair when the stressful time comes around to choose what classes to take. After a (almost) a full year here at berkeley, I highly recommend you to check out your college advising center.
Continue reading "some tips for incoming freshies :)" »
Posted by Angela Hsu at 8:39 | Permalink
04 April 2008
Schedule Planning
However, you have a variety of courses to choose from for the upper division requirements. For example, I am majoring in Molecular Environmental Biology, and there is the Upper Division Biology Requirement where I am going to take a course from each of the seven categories. In addition, I would have to choose an area of concentration and take another 12 units from a list of approved course.
Continue reading "Schedule Planning" »
Posted by Yang Cao at 1:41 | Permalink
01 April 2008
The GSI myth
Continue reading "The GSI myth" »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 5:57 | Permalink
24 March 2008
Spring Break
Continue reading "Spring Break" »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 8:53 | Permalink
20 March 2008
My day, every day, as an average UC Berkeley student
Wake up late? Rush, run faster, catch a random bus, and make it to class earlier than you usually do.
Get an exam back? Hit the books again and maybe worry some more until you improve your grade, or, alternatively cheer!
Today was one of those fret fret freeze fret fret CHEER!!!! days, which makes it significantly better than average.
Continue reading "My day, every day, as an average UC Berkeley student" »
Posted by Christina at 4:48 | Permalink
18 March 2008
Fall 08 Semester Planning!!!
I've already started planning my schedule and so far, I know I'm definitely going to Chemistry 3B/3BL (this is the second part of organic chemistry) and Biology 1B. Most students take Biology 1B before they take Biology 1A
Continue reading "Fall 08 Semester Planning!!!" »
Posted by Victoria Eng at 3:44 | Permalink
31 January 2008
Thanks, Trey & Dana!
Now, something to know - they're new! And dangit - they know their stuff. But occasionally some paperwork gets lost in transitions like this, so don't be shocked if you need to remind them you've completed a requirement.
For any of you transfer students out there - you're going to want to make super good friends with Trey and Dana. That's because they approve all of your course substitutions. If you've attended another four-year school like me, it can get pretty tricky. Like most upper-division transfer students, I took almost all of my lower-division requirements at another school. That means that Trey and Dana have to work some magic to make each one of those count toward graduation. It can be tricky at times, but worth it to not re-take courses.
Continue reading "Thanks, Trey & Dana!" »
Posted by Christina at 1:57 | Permalink
17 January 2008
Miami University Photos
While I was meeting with faculty, Tom spent his afternoon touring campus and taking photos.
A few highlights.
The Botany & Zoology Building

The Administration Building

The Stadium
Miami Univeristy is small, well-maintained, and filled with beautiful brick buildings.
Continue reading "Miami University Photos" »
Posted by Christina at 9:14 | Permalink
09 January 2008
Less than a week...SIKE, or Psych if you prefer
[edit]
Hmm...it seems that in my haste (from looking at a particular website, and for other reasons which will be touched on shortly) I was under the impression that classes began on Tuesday, January 15th. I feel foolish, very foolish (lmao). It must have been while looking at this (yes, I admit I only glanced at it and then proceeded to close it) that I somehow got the idea that the semester started on the 15th. I mean, it is in bold! And another thing: why the "heck" (substitute appropriate word here, lol) aren't the dates listed on either the schedule, BearFacts, or Tele-BEARS?! I think it'd be helpful having that information available! Anyway, lesson learned though. Next time I will definitely make sure to look for the "instruction Begins" date. Yeah, how about we bold that one instead?! :-P
Continue reading "Less than a week...SIKE, or Psych if you prefer" »
Posted by Juan at 5:32 | Permalink
07 January 2008
Letters from Winter Vacation
Being on semester schedule is unusual. All my other UC friends are on the quarter schedule so their classes start today. This essentially leaves me with more reading and eating time. I wonder if this semester thing is a plot from Berkeley to deliberately isolate itself and its students from the rest of the system. The chess club in my high school did this too and it lead to two things: 1) Unparalleled chess genius-ry - I mean seriously. They'll win even if they give you their queen and let you continually beat them over the head with it. and 2) They danced with only themselves during the school dances.
My search for peace, purpose and good TV reception on CBS continues. I HAVE to watch the Patriots game on Saturday even if it means me wrapping myself in aluminum and sticking my arms out of a 2nd story window.
Continue reading "Letters from Winter Vacation" »
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 6:18 | Permalink
18 November 2007
Time Mgmt
My idea is to separate your to-do list in half: one with priorities and deadlines, and the other with all that small stuff you never get around to doing. When you find your brain fried and in need of a break -- pick up your 2nd to-do list and get a cracking! (PS. TeleBEARS phase II is coming… Don’t forget!!!)
Continue reading "Time Mgmt" »
Posted by Tay Feder at 3:42 | Permalink
04 October 2007
Orly?
What is my life like? I know you all want to know. You want to know what is it like to be Jonathan. I know that in your dreams you walk down a lonely beach and look down to the horizon all the dolphins and crying seagulls and you ask yourself in the very bottom of your heart, You know what, I wish I knew what Jonathan's life is like. Well your greatest dreams are about to be fulfilled! You are about to know what my life is like.
So in the morning I wake up for my 8 o'clock class at around 7:45. I somehow manage to change into some decent clothes and then I stumble out onto campus like that squirrel who got into the bottle of Jack Daniels. Then I go to class. I listen to the lecture and then I go home. I eat. I sleep again. I do homework and I study.
So I bet you are asking yourself, so Jonathan what do you do that makes you happy? Your life seems so bleak! Well let me explain to you what makes me happy. It's the little things that makes me happy. I like it when I go home and I see that someone's taken out the trash. I like it when I catch the street lights going my way. I like it when I meet someone and they're already waiting for me instead of me waiting for them. I LOVE it when I walk down the street in socks I just washed. I think I enjoy all the little things in life but my friends say I'm just easy to please.
What are my plans for this semester? This semester I am applying to Haas. Then maybe next year I shall study abroad. Haha. My friend said that once and it realized to me something funny. Study ... a ... broad! I thought it was hilarious. My friend thought I was a weirdo. Aish, maybe I am kinda out of there. Ah! Poppycock! Alright. Jonathan has class. Jonathan will talk and write again down the line. Jonathan knows that y'all will wait for Jonathan right? Jonathan happy.
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 2:03 | Permalink
04 October 2007
What? We've been in school for six weeks?
Now to the breakdown of things
My courses.
SO, I am taking two public policy classes: the introductory class and a negotiations class, a class on environmental justice, an agroecology class, and an education class on literacy: individual and societal development. Classes alone are keeping me quite busy with the hands on work, service-learning components, and all the readings. I am actually on campus on Thursdays from 9:30am to 9pm, it's a good thing I have breaks inbetween classes or I don't know how i would survive.
Through PASS, Pilipino Academic Student Services, I serve as the assistant director of internal affairs, which in normal people's words would simply mean that I am in charge the behind the scenes component of the organization and also have the privilege of running the internship program and facilitating the Asian American Studies field studies course. This is a lot of fun because I get to hold my own meetings and work with Cal students towards understanding educational policies, developing leadership skills, and talking about topics that shape students today. At our last meeting this past Tuesday we went a little bit into the the Dream Act and current issues/stories in the media that point to inequality, assumptions, and racism/intolerance/discrimination that still exist in the world today. This included CNN footage about English in the United States, comments from Tom Tancredo (a presidential hopeful), and a comment on Desperate Housewives when Teri Hatcher's character had been told some news by a doctor and replied:
“Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines?”
It was a good discussion and will continue into our next meeting. :)
I am also tutoring at the first bilingual Tagalog-English after-school program in San Francisco at the Filipino Education Center with students ranging in age from kindergarten to middle school. The students are so adorable and so intelligent, they have a lot of potential, hopefully we can help them realize it! Then there's the YMCA, where I work and coach. Right now I'm only teaching two classes. One is a Parent/Child 3/4 year old soccer class and the other is a 4/5/6 year old soccer class. I can probably tell you more about this in another entry. They're adorable too! The best part is that even though our miniature soccer goals are 5-10times the size of some of these kids they always impress you with their power kicks, dribbling, and goals.
Yes Life has been pretty busy, but so much fun! I'm definitely loving it.
Continue reading "What? We've been in school for six weeks?" »
Posted by Nikki Fernandez at 1:06 | Permalink
26 September 2007
Riding to San Francisco
So what's been up with my life? I took an internship in San Francisco. This means that every Monday and Friday I have to take the BART to SF. This usually takes 22 minutes and usually I end up just staring out the window because the people inside glare back at me and they aren't anything to really look at anyways. If I were sitting in a trainful of America's Next Top Models, maybe I can think differently. Until then, yeah not really.
What bothers me about riding to San Francisco all the time? First the cost. It costs me 3.25 one way between the great City and Berkeley. It adds up, dude. I can go buy an iPod Touch with that cash and I do want an iPod Touch sooo badly. Also, what bothers me is that the world seems to take the train at the same time so there are never any seats. This bothers me less because standing burns calories but my legs are old and my butt never misses a chance to plant its face somewhere.
How is class? Somewhat fun. I am taking an interesting addition this semester: Play writing. This means that I have to write a whole bunch of plays and submit them to criticism from 15 people, including my instructor - Mel Gordon - who is a funny guy but he pulls no punches. I haven't written my first script to be presented as of yet, so I have no idea what's coming. I hope ...
Continue reading "Riding to San Francisco" »
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 0:57 | Permalink
21 September 2007
Moorea Program Details
I'll answer the 2nd question first:
You find out about cool study abroad opportunities like this one while attending CNR's Welcome Week new student orientation. Someone in the CNR staff mentioned the program, and I thought, "I need to look into that."
Now for that 1st question:
I'm here in Moorea through a class offered under the course title ESPM 107 and IB 158. It's a semester of research in French Polynesia, 13 units of coursework that can typically count as the bulk of your elective units. Check out the past semester of blogs under "Tina" in the categories, to find a few more entries that give background on the program and a couple different tours of the Gump Research Station.
In the meantime, here are some more photos....
Continue reading "Moorea Program Details" »
Posted by Christina at 2:27 | Permalink
20 September 2007
Hmm...it's not Friday?
The one thing I’m not used to, though, is Friday classes! I’m a junior transfer so I’m not sure what the “norm” is here at Cal, but for me, at least this semester, it’s having classes (2 of ‘em) MWF. I had been so used to MW and TTH classes; I haven’t had a class on Friday in over 2 years. This semester I have a 5 day week…which is a little too close to a “real life” schedule for my taste.
Oh well, it’s not too bad, I like being on campus. So for all you prospective students from a CCC, Friday is now a “work day” :-P
Anyway, I have a Stats test tomorrow…so I should end this.
Ok there, I’m done.
Continue reading "Hmm...it's not Friday?" »
Posted by Juan at 0:45 | Permalink
18 September 2007
First few days in Moorea
Before we left for the island, we had a few weeks of class where we learned what to expect from the island. During those few weeks, we did preliminary research on potential projects, went on a field trip to the Bodega Marine Lab, took a swimming and snorkeling examination, wrote a paper, and took our midterm. That coursework was mingled in with hunting down supplies, getting our visas, and all the other hassle that comes along with making sure we can leave the country safely.
Coming up on Moorea by boat, from Tahiti

Now that we're on the island, we've had a great time.
Monday we went on a tour of the island. Dr.Jerry Lipps and Dr. Carol Hickman gave us a geological tour of Moorea, from the estuaries, to the basalt mountains and the coral reefs. Beautiful!

Today we visited one of the Motus of Moorea. They're tiny coral islands off the coast of Moorea. Since the motu we visited was isolated from tourism, we were able to see how very close the fish would come to the shore -within feet, all happy and healthy. On the way there, we stopped to snorkel with domesticated stingrays, little sharks, and fish along the small barrier reef that surrounds the island. We also caught glimpse of a humpback wale from the boat on the way back to the station. Goodness - what a good day.
Continue reading "First few days in Moorea" »
Posted by Christina at 3:59 | Permalink
18 September 2007
Second year, twice as much fun!
So that's the 411 on my semester in a nuttshell. Hope you are having fun!
Continue reading "Second year, twice as much fun!" »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 5:35 | Permalink
16 September 2007
courses courses courses...
So tomorrow marks my third week of class, and my fourth week here as a berkeley student. I have finally figured out my way through campus and can figure out the way to all my classes (except I always get lost on the way out of dwinelle! that is one confusing building...)
Looking at my schedule, I think it's fair to say that I'm pretty content with the courses I am taking:
1. Elementary Italian
2. PE: Stretch, Strength, and Alignment
3. P Chemistry
4. Nutrition 10
5. Astronomy 10
6. MCB Decal course
7. What would your life be as a babylonian student?
Continue reading "courses courses courses..." »
Posted by Angela Hsu at 1:20 | Permalink
14 September 2007
AOI...yes all CRS majors will have to face this
Continue reading "AOI...yes all CRS majors will have to face this" »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 0:06 | Permalink
08 September 2007
Scheduling Nightmare
Since I'm premed (forgot to mention this in my first post...), I have to take a year of math. So, of course, I opted for the easier calculus course: Math 16. Then...
The Nightmare:
On the second day of school, I freaked out because my friend told me that premeds are supposed to take Math 1, not Math 16. So....I sent an email to the Plant and Microbial Biology advisor Marjorie Ensor, asking if Math 16 fulfilled the math requirement for premeds...but,
Continue reading "Scheduling Nightmare" »
Posted by Victoria Eng at 2:30 | Permalink
06 September 2007
When Bio 1B gets together with Chem 3A...
First, since I wake up about the same time every morning, there is no need to adjust the alarm several times throughout the week. I have one of those alarm clock radios, where the hour is in 12-hour format. So when setting my alarm, it is easy to mess up with the AM and PM. And I remember last year, I often set the alarm to 9PM when I needed it to be at 9AM.
Second, because of my 8AM classes, I have to go to bed before midnight so that I don’t wake up in a cranky mood. Yay! No more staying up late at night for me, which in turn requires better time management in the daytime.
Oh, at last, one highlight from my Chem 3A professor: “For those of you who are interested in videotaping or film-making, you may want to consider making a film out of this class and naming it ‘The Berkeley OC – organic chemistry at Berkeley’ ”.
Continue reading "When Bio 1B gets together with Chem 3A..." »
Posted by Yang Cao at 3:34 | Permalink
06 September 2007
Canceled Classes in Japan
Continue reading "Canceled Classes in Japan" »
Posted by K. Lee at 0:58 | Permalink
05 September 2007
DeCal
Decal classes are nice ways to round out a schedule and take your mind off mind bending academic loads and because decals are only 1-2 units pass fail they can help you meet Cal’s semester minimum of 13 units. Three academic classes and one decal makes for a manageable and non-psycho semester. Learn more at http://www.decal.org/
Posted by Eric Thurston at 4:16 | Permalink
04 September 2007
My First...
I'll begin with the compulsory 'first post' type information.
My name is Juan and I was conceived on...hmm, not one of my best ice breakers lol.
My name IS Juan though and I'm a Junior Transfer to CNR at Berkeley. It's taken me a while to set everything up (it was actually Eva's fault, j/k ;-)) but I'm real glad to be here! A week has gone by already and life at Cal has been fast paced...even now, I should be reading for Stats20 and EEP100, but I'm here instead! ;-) It's been fun and challenging so far and I'm looking forward to the next 15 weeks (I'm sure that tune will change at around week 10 maybe, lol).
Well, I don't have much time to write a whole lot, but will certainly be back to ramble on a bit more! Go BEARS, Go CNR, and definitely...GO EEP!
Continue reading "My First..." »
Posted by Juan at 2:52 | Permalink
04 September 2007
First week is over...15? more to go...
Didn't expect: how nice everyone was, getting my car keyed (very crappy), how truly comfortable the CNR couches are, 25 page term paper, everyone talks in acronyms ( I even almost abbreviated many phrases in typing this), getting into a class being number 56 on the waitlist, CNR really does a "smaller" feel to it, and how much I miss my dog. Now let's recap what I've learned...
Continue reading "First week is over...15? more to go..." »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 2:58 | Permalink
19 August 2007
Moved in...yay!
Continue reading "Moved in...yay!" »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 3:09 | Permalink
14 August 2007
Response to interest in CRS
Continue reading "Response to interest in CRS" »
Posted by Marissa Ponder at 1:54 | Permalink
12 August 2007
No Need for Spinach. I got Enough Irony in my Veins.
In the same way I began my two weeks at Berkeley summer session, so thus I end my Berkeley summer session - with nobody living in the dorms. Everyone seemed to be Session D or something like that and they all filed out on Friday. This means that I can now walk around the place in a bathrobe with alot less apprehension, but unfortunately I still cannot find the light switch for the fixtures in the halls. They make for terrible shocks in early morning "draining the lizard" runs.
I have a week left before I take my Chinese final and then move out of the dorms right into the apartment that I have been slowly moving things into for the past three weeks. I won't be home for Welcome Week - as Lilo from Lilo and Stich always says, "Ohana means family." So I will be Ohaning for a well deserved week. I pray to everyone and everything necessary to get through this course with an A.
This coming semester is going to be a beauty. I have no class on Monday or Friday. Whatsoever. Isn't that amazing? I have 17 units (pending URAP) and yet no class on Monday/Friday and not on a single wait list. Life is good.
Continue reading "No Need for Spinach. I got Enough Irony in my Veins. " »
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 1:35 | Permalink
08 August 2007
Good News!!!
I just found out that I am no longer waitlisted for Chem 3A, even though I was still No. 104 on the waitlist yesterday. The department increases the enrollment limit from 480 to 625.
Here is some advice from Christina (another blogger for Fresh Faces) and Irene (GPB Peer Advisor) about signing up for classes. Oh, big thanks to both you for your comments to my previous entry.
Here are the classes that you should not try to wait until Phase II to sign up for:
Chem 3A & Chem 3AL
Chem 3B & Chem 3BL
Bio 1A & Bio 1AL
Bio 1B
R1A & R1B: They are filled up very quickly since the English/R&C requirement is one of the university general requirements. Plus the small class size, you probably won’t have a chance unless you are within the top 5 on the wait list.
If you want to take those lower-division science classes, but absolutely have to devote some of your precious 10.5 units to other classes in Phase I, at least sign up for the lab if it has separate lab components. Lecture is almost always guaranteed when you sign up in Phase II, even though you might be waitlisted.
Oh, Bio 1A & Bio 1AL maybe an exception. From what I read from the note at schedule.berkeley.edu, it says that students must enroll in both 1A and 1AL at the same time. If you enroll in only 1A or 1AL during Tele-BEARS Phase I, you will be dropped at the start of Phase II (unless exempt). Enrollment only in 1A or 1AL does not guarantee enrollment in the other part of the course.
Continue reading "Good News!!!" »
Posted by Yang Cao at 3:06 | Permalink
06 August 2007
Schedule, Schedule and Schedule
I do not intend to complain since
1). I know my Phase II appointment is late
2). People will drop classes during the first few weeks
3). I was able to enroll in Biology 1B, English R1A and Chemistry 3AL(the lab part) during Phase I
3). Maybe I should just have a 3-course workload for Fall 2007
But I am still a bit annoyed and frustrated…
Continue reading "Schedule, Schedule and Schedule" »
Posted by Yang Cao at 4:38 | Permalink
04 August 2007
So long summer days!
Continue reading "So long summer days!" »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 1:17 | Permalink
31 July 2007
Are social sciences more difficult than natural sciences (as disciplines…)?
I would say social sciences are more complex to study because you deal with human beings, which gives rise to special problems. Abortion, evolution, Darwinism, genetic engineering, capitalism, Marxism, culture, human rights, et cetera, are all huge topics and involve a lot of thinking. Natural sciences are much more rigorous, as they follow the scientific method. It still makes you think deeply, about the world around you, and how things operate. However, the thinking is much more abstract.
By the way, there are currently changes in the way we distinguish between the natural and social sciences. Mathematical modeling is often applied to the social sciences - without forcing them to be reduced to more “fundamental” natural sciences.
Indeed, both sciences are very interesting and I think they are complementary instead of arguable over "harder". Pick the one you like best to study.
Continue reading "Are social sciences more difficult than natural sciences (as disciplines…)? " »
Posted by Yang Cao at 5:13 | Permalink
17 July 2007
Bleh Examness
"I have not graded enough of the exams to give a decent interpretation of the scores, but I will say this: I wrote this exam with an intended mean of 50%. If the class as a whole scores around there, I'll be happy. If the class averages better than 50%, I will make the next two exams more difficult. If the class averages worse, I will not change the difficulty of the remaining exams."
In other words, he set it up so that at least half of the students would leave the exam saying, "I failed!!! What do I do now!!?!"
So, we'll see. I still think I failed. Time to study the new stuff and eat a peanut butter & honey sandwich.
Continue reading "Bleh Examness" »
Posted by Christina at 1:40 | Permalink
13 July 2007
Oh dear

"Why did someone write something on the board in Chinese?"
Posted by Christina at 9:26 | Permalink
12 July 2007
First Week is Almost Done
Homework has been quite heavy and tiring. I have not taken Japanese in four years, so I'm quite a bit rusty. Wish me the best!
Continue reading "First Week is Almost Done" »
Posted by K. Lee at 8:20 | Permalink
08 July 2007
Yoga
I honor the place in which the entire universe dwells
I honor the light in you, which is of love, of truth, and of faith?( i don't remember)
When you are in that place in you
And I am in that place in me,
We are one.
Namaste.
Yoga derives from different cultures and philosophies. Being able to be open minded allows anyone to experience new ideas and views that enrich one's life. I mean it. You should try it. Take it as a PE class for .5 units!!
Posted by Casey Wang at 7:40 | Permalink
29 June 2007
The Greatness of Summer
Interesting thing about living in the dorms. I went to costco recently and bought a gazebo's worth of canned food. Unfortunately I had no can opener. I thought this was a no problem until I went to the nearest Wal-Greens and tried to purchase a can opener for myself. There was none. I went to many stores since then and have yet to find a single can opener. I was not unpissed. I had to have my can opener mailed in from home. Doesn't that very idea kind of makes you laugh? I had my can opener sent in from Anaheim, it's as if the can opener was some sort of mystical savior device that can feed and redeem you in a single twist. Which of course that it is.
I am taking Chinese 1 which is essentially a 10 week accelerated language course. It's the best one of its type in the world. I cannot think of any other university that offers a one year course in two and a half months. Harvard don't do that and Yale don't do that and Stanford ESPECIALLY don't do that. Nuh uh!
My classmates hail from far and wide. There's a guy from Tufts and a guy from Upenn and a guy from Stanford. Gotta admire the mixing pot. Give the mixing pot props.
I got a trillion stories to tell (most of them highly illegal) but I'm going to have to leave you with just the infamous Can Opener one only. Ha! Keep checking the blogs, mistah!
Continue reading "The Greatness of Summer" »
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 7:47 | Permalink
22 June 2007
Freaking out about chem...and the class hasn't even started!
Continue reading "Freaking out about chem...and the class hasn't even started!" »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 0:03 | Permalink
14 June 2007
Uh, this is going to be a HOT summer..
Continue reading "Uh, this is going to be a HOT summer.." »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 0:51 | Permalink
12 June 2007
Been a While
I am taking a full plate here at Berkeley. I am taking Chinese 1, which is a combination of Chinese 1A and 1B. Brutal set of courses. As we speak I am repeating line after line of chinese characters. I doubt I will get an A in the class. I am honestly freaked out.
And as if my life could not get any harder, I piled on Math 54 and summer URAP research on with that too. Sigh. Woe is me.
I am going to try and keep my lives up with y'all. After all, you read me before, I bet y'all are really interested in what I have been doing right?
Day1: Character writing, pronounciation repeating, chinese
Day2: rinse and repeat
Day3: rinse and repeat
Oh don't worry there are more interesting things around that I am sure will make for wonderful bloggerfluff.
Jonathan ... signing out. May the Fours be with you.
Continue reading "Been a While" »
Posted by Jonathan Yu at 9:28 | Permalink
29 May 2007
Favorite Classes
One of the hardest things was I found was choosing between all the classes. There are so many! So here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order) and if you're lucky even an explanation why:
Continue reading "Favorite Classes" »
Posted by Nikki Fernandez at 9:20 | Permalink
19 May 2007
Microtechnique!




In order from top to bottom: a pollen grain sticking to the stigmatic surface of a Passiflora, Thistle stem cross-section, Iris petals in bud, Melilotus Ovule.
I'm looking forward to this course!
Here's the description of the course:
The Biological Imaging Facility at UC Berkeley offers during the first week of June a one-week workshop in Plant and Animal Microtechnique. The course covers paraffin sectioning and associated techniques using microwave techniques. This class is designed to familiarize the student with up-to-date methods in making microscope slides from specimen material for anatomical and molecular investigations. The more traditional techniques of paraffin embedding and histological staining are also covered. Alternating with laboratory exercises, lectures are presented covering the theoretical aspects of fixation and slide preparation, immunolocalization, and in situ hybridization.
Here's a website that tells you a little more about the course, the photos I mentioned, and general information on the state-of-the-art Biological Imaging Facility here on campus: http://microscopy.berkeley.edu/courses/microtech/index.html
Continue reading "Microtechnique!" »
Posted by Christina at 1:15 | Permalink
19 May 2007
Whirlwind over, new storm on its way

Click on this link to see more of the new photos! http://pmb.berkeley.edu/~specht/labmembers.html
With each semester that I pass all of my courses, I feel a little more worthy of a Berkeley education. The tradition of excellence here at UC Berkeley has messed with my mind since I've arrived on campus, and has made me feel like I'm not intelligent enough to be here. With each passing grade I say, "See, you can do this." With each A grade: "Ha! You can cut it in the scientific world!" My friend Benta and I speak often on our feelings of insignificance in the face of such greatness. One difference, though, she belongs here, and I don't! Just kidding. Well, not really...
Tomorrow I leave for Paris, France. I'll be in the Paris Herbarium for a week with Dr. Specht.

(image from www.myparisnet.com/wp-content/images/JardinDesPlantes000.jpg)
Continue reading "Whirlwind over, new storm on its way" »
Posted by Christina at 9:16 | Permalink
29 April 2007
Fun Forest Field Trips
We were really able to see these agents at work in the forest, so the trip was pretty educational. What I really enjoyed was being able to talk with my fellow students and professors in a more intimate setting. In the classroom, we don't get much opportunities to chat; on the trip we were able to just sit around and hang out. Plus we got to stay over in cabins, which was pretty fun.
Continue reading "Fun Forest Field Trips" »
Posted by Joel Kim at 2:11 | Permalink
27 April 2007
For the Plant Freaks - Courses and Profs
PMB C107 & C 107L: Plant Morphology. This is my favorite course in the major. It teaches you the ins and outs of vascular plants. Be prepared to do a lot of quick drawing in the labs. You're trained to have a critical eye when viewing plant structures. You also learn the general layout of plant lineages. In the lab, we get to look at microscope slides of plant anatomy, living plant samples, and even fossils! Be warned - those upper-division students that came in without a decent understanding of plant descriptive terminology are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material covered in this course. In the Genetics & Plant Biology major, the majority of students have a good background in plant biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics. Take at least one non-biochemistry or non-molecular biology plant course before this one. Meeting with study groups and bringing your questions to the graduate student instructor during office hours are essential to success, no matter your background.
The professor, Dr. Chelsea Specht:

She is perky, incredibly knowledgeable and ready to share what she knows, so don't miss out on a class from her. Sometimes she speaks very fast in lecture! Never miss a lecture, always read background material before coming to class. Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the fast pace.
It's probably a good idea to take some of these before PMB C107:
IB168: Plant Systematics. This course gives you a general understanding of plant families, and just gets you comfortable looking at plants. For the lab, you'll need to learn the main characters of most plant families. For the quizzes, you'll need to look at a plant and know its family. Bring your camera, sketchbook, and colored pencils to lab. Don't think you know how to draw? If you choose to sketch the plants in this course (rather than just taking photos), you'll get the hang of it by the end of the semester, and you'll be better prepared for PMB C107L. You'll enjoy the small class size, individual attention in lab, and the enthusiastic students. Get to know people and form study groups before exams - it helps to exchange notes.
The professor, Dr. Bruce Baldwin:
He's the Curator of the Jepson Herbarium. You want to get to know this man. Find any excuse you can to take a course by him. He is soft-spoken, and incredibly kind. He likes to bring up silly facts and stories about the plants, to make his students laugh. Don't miss a lecture, it all shows up on his multiple-choice exams.
IB 102 & IB 102L: Introduction to California Plant Life. Who wants to leave California without knowing its flora? Here's an excellent course where you'll run into plant-minded people with interests in forestry, ethnobotany, range science, and so forth. These are folks that you won't run into in your other major courses, but you'll have a lot of fun with them on the field trips and in the labs. You're introduced to the plants of California by their habitat, as well as by family. Watch out! There's a lot of plants to know for this course. It focuses on sight-identification of plants by family, genus, and species. You'll learn a little morphology in this course, since you'll need it to navigate the Jepson Manual, the key to California plants.
The professor, Dr. Dean Kelch:

Dean knows his field well. A great speaker, and definitely a big part of what makes this course fun. Watch out when he writes on the board - he doesn't have the best hand-writing. The key to enjoying his course - ask questions!
PMB C102 & C102L: Diversity of Plants and Fungi. I have not taken it, but several of my friends have enjoyed this elective. Here's the course description: "An integrated treatment of the biology and evolution of the major groups in the plant, algal, and fungal kingdoms." My friends say the instructors have a great sense of humor, and make these plants come alive. It's the only introduction you'll get to marine "plants." I haven't had a semester where I could take the course, but a friend gave me their textbook: Diversity of Plants and Fungi by Rudolf Schmid. It's an excellent resource for getting your mind around an upper-division understanding of plants.
Other Great Major Courses:
(These happen to be required.)
PMB 135 & PMB 135L: Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants. Here's a course that threw me for a loop. Make sure that you take all of Organic Chemistry before embarking on this adventure. I didn't, and boy was it a rush. Other students seemed to have an easier time of it than I did. Here's where you learn C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis in detail, including the nitty-gritty of how chloroplasts capture energy. Also covers nutrient deficiencies, a bit on soil and water potential, just how turgor pressure works, and, well... all of the math and chemistry that you'll need to understand when it comes to plants. Watch out for the chalk dust - there's a lot of learning, and neither professor uses power point. This course also has frequent quizzes. Don't miss lectures, they're the most important part.
The Professors,
Dr. Anastasios Melis:

When speaking with other students in Genetics & Plant Biology, his name is the most common when you ask about a favorite professor. A Greek accent, incredible smile, and detailed organization are the most notable aspects of this professor. He outlines his lectures well, and brings even the most challenging concepts to a level that we all can understand. He doesn't like textbooks, so take good notes in class - it's all you have to work off of!
Dr. Norman Terry:

You can see a more current image of him if you watch the first 30 seconds of my "day in the life" video from last semester. Dreamy English accent aside, Dr. Terry is older but he's quick. Organized, and thankfully he works with the course website to give us all of the important notes from his lectures. Sit back and take it all in when he teaches. There's some difficult concepts to master, but he makes it all clear- what you need to know and what you don't.
PMB 150 & 150L: Cellular and Developmental Plant Biology. Interested in cell signaling, or genes that control specific functions? Those are two main topics that this course covers. A couple of my friends tell me that this course is much easier if you have already taken PMB 160 and 160L. Be prepared to write a scientific paper, and be sure to come to class for frequent quizzes. Neither professor believes much in textbooks. Be sure to take good notes, and go through their lectures online before attending each course. They won't stop to explain terminology if you've had a chance to look it up.
The Professors,
Dr. Sheng Luan:

His lecture slides are filled with the information he wants you to know, while his gentle voice fills your ears with analogies and stories to help you remember the challenging concepts. His office hours are worthwhile, and his eyes light up when answering questions. You'll find he offers great advice on graduate schools and other pertinent life topics, as well as the course subject material.
Dr. Renee Sung:
Continue reading "For the Plant Freaks - Courses and Profs" »
Posted by Christina at 8:46 | Permalink
25 April 2007
Summer here I come..
I talked to a CNR advisor about summer school and she helped me a lot. Here is what I found out:
1. You can't take summer school at a UC like UC Davis because they run on a quarter system and UC Berkeley is a semester system so the dates won't line up.
2. In general, you can't take summer school at a State school like Sacramento State University because people don't usually transfer from State schools to UCs so the classes are not transferable (for the most part).
3. You CAN take classes at a community college as long as it is a UC Transferable course and the course you are taking must be equivalent to the UC course you want credit for. You can find what community college courses are equivilant through assist.org
4. The grade will not be counted into your Berkeley GPA but if you are applying to let's say medical school, you must send them ALL college transcripts and they will calculate another GPA. So you still have to take the JC class seriously...bohooo right?
5. YOU are responcible for sending Berkeley the official transcript at the end of the term if you want them to count for units.
8. Classes that satisfy a major requirnment will count towards your major so long as they are transferable/equivelant.
9. If you want to repeat a course you took at Berkeley you MUST repeat it AT Berkeley so if you take the same course (even if it is equivalent) it will not replace the course you want it to.
10. Don't stress. Keep up with the paper work and everything should work out fine.
If you have any questions about this you can contact your CNR advisor.
Hope this helps!
Continue reading "Summer here I come.." »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 7:19 | Permalink
25 April 2007
Mol Tox Progress & Telebears Priority
Well, it has been for the past month or so.
DSP students get super crazy priority- they get theirs on the first day.
Then grad students, upper divs, lower divs.
You priority is determined based on which category you are in (1st year, 2nd year, etc) which is determined by the number of units you have. For example, once you hit 30 units, you're a 2nd year, and once you hit 60, you're a 3rd year. However, there is no difference between having 30 units and have 59 units. Within each category, the actual day and time you get is assigned randomly. Telebears are assigned every 20 min. 9 am, 9:20, 9:40, etc. and you get one hour to complete your telebears.
Good to have great priority.
Continue reading "Mol Tox Progress & Telebears Priority" »
Posted by K. Lee at 4:45 | Permalink
22 March 2007
Morphology

Jose Arevalo, Reihaneh Fakourfar, April Dobbs, Danielle Johnson
Today was also our midterm for Morphology. In preparing for the exam, I realized something this week. CNR offers something that is difficult to find around campus - a community. Our class size for Morphology is small. 20 people. I know all of them. We all know one another. We meet up for study groups, we ask one another questions. When one of us can attend office hours, we pass along the information that we gleen to those in the study groups. It's different in the College of Natural Resources than the other courses I've attended on campus. It's a cooperative feel. The competition that comes along with hundreds of high-pressure students is on the other side of the campus. We're over here, studying microbes, forestry, genetics, and so on... studying what we love, enjoying what we learn, and making friends that walk with us through our journey. We were in classes together last semester, we're together again this semester. We know how to study together, and we're not afraid to help one another understand the difficult concepts. The more we're able to teach one another, the more we're able to enjoy the subject that we're learning. I love this program.
Here are some more photos of us having fun with morphology today.
Reihaneh

Me with a member of the Cycadales.
Continue reading "Morphology" »
Posted by Christina at 9:40 | Permalink
14 February 2007
Classes I'm taking Spring 2007
MCB 102 Survey of the Principles of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
NST C114 Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology
PH 150A Epidemiology (the study of diseases)
UGBA 96 Personal Finances
Chem3BL OChem Lab
Guess which is the fun class....Personal Finances. =) That's the great thing about Molecular Toxicology. There's so much room to explore since our only breadth requirement is 22 units in the Humanities, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Philosophy & Values, or Foreign Language. That covers pretty much everything you would want to study. Actually, it doesn't cover my Personal
Continue reading "Classes I'm taking Spring 2007" »
Posted by K. Lee at 6:14 | Permalink
06 February 2007
Working on Working
This semester I love my classes! Well, they're not always crazy interesting, but I chose them all and got them all and I have fluent GSIs. I'm taking Nutri Sci 10, Chem 3A (organic), Math 54 (linear algebra), Span 25 (literature), and an archeaology seminar. If you haven't noticed, no more environmental economics and policy major. I am hoping to switch to Nutritional Science in CNR, since I've been fascinated by nutrition since sophomore yr of high school and I detest working on making more money. I laugh at myself now, but I was naive. I took EEP thinking I could use it to be a policy-maker or at least understand how the world deals with the environment in the business and political realm. I learned what I wanted- but much more than I asked for.. so many line graphs and economic concepts, not too hard, but just not interesting. I recommend the class, even if it's not my major anymore- if you want to learn why pollution still exists.
As a small note, Cafe 3 opened up this semester! (Unit 3's Dining Commons) And it has a fun ambiance and the best juicy cucumbers. It doesn't match up to Crossroads as far as vegetarian hot food options, but there is a Pho station, tons of fresh fruit, a waffle maker, a sushi bar, good pizza, custom-made omelettes, and daily pastries like at the GBC. They also have great cauliflour- haha..yes I look forward to that more than the pastries. It's fun there meeting more people by chance than at Crossroads since it's smaller and it's right in front of my building, Norton. I can't write up a whole review of all the DCs yet.. I have to visit Foothill and Clark Kerr more.
Continue reading "Working on Working" »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 7:42 | Permalink
23 January 2007
Recommended Class
"This course covers the microeconomics of international trade, and related issues of US trade policy, developing country trade policies, foreign direction investment and multinational corporations. We begin with a brief introduction and then develop a theoretical framework to help us understand (1) why countries trade with each other and what determines trade patterns (2) whether trade is beneficial for a country and (3) how trade affects the distribution of income within a country. We then analyze the effects of commercial policy (ie tariffs) on trade and economic welfare. We conclude with a discussion of recent issues, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), regional trade agreements such as NAFTA, the impact of trade policy on growth, and other current concerns. Since I feel that there is not enough data analysis conducted in most classes, I will supplement the readings and the text with handouts whenever possible. I will expect you to become proficient in reading tables, graphs, and figures. An understanding of basic regression analysis, although helpful, is not required." (Harrison, class website).
I recommend all students who are interested in these issues to take the class. The class is only three hours of lecture and an hour of discussion every week but it doesnt feel like three hours at all. At least for me it didnt. The Professor is really nice and approachable and really knows her stuff. He has had a lot of experience in the field and is always will to talk about in office hours. She also does a really good job of applying the material to what is happenning in the world today.
Continue reading "Recommended Class" »
Posted by Mayra Ceja at 0:17 | Permalink
09 December 2006
A Day in Tina's Busy Life
Continue reading "A Day in Tina's Busy Life" »
Posted by Christina at 2:37 | Permalink
12 October 2006
What is a "jerk"?
Definition 1:
The third derivative of position, the second derivative of velocity, or the first derivative of acceleration.
Definition 2:
Imagine that your friend was driving and you were in his car. Your friend saw the traffic light turned yellow and believed that he could make it. So he stepped on the gas pedal and you experienced a pull forward. Suddenly, the traffic light turned red and your friend had to stepped on the brake. You felt being pushed back and were like "Shoot, what a jerk..."
This is from my math professor when he was trying to explain higher derivatives and how useful they are in kinematics. So I guess the moral of the story is do not be intimidated by the huge lectures and do approach your professor during their office hours. They are very friendly and willing to help.
Continue reading "What is a "jerk"?" »
Posted by Yang Cao at 1:48 | Permalink
15 September 2006
Nothing better than a weekend with your professor in her pajamas

It’s funny how required things never seem like they’ll be much fun. Before I had even walked into 141 Gianinni for the first time, I had already made up my mind: just because the College of Natural Resources mandated that I learn how to environmental problem solve didn’t mean I had to enjoy myself. I secretly prayed I was too far down on the wait-list to get in the course, and not-so-secretly groaned when I discovered that one third of the class was to go on a compulsory field trip – counting for twenty percent of our grade – that weekend. Of course, fate was such that not only did I get into the class (even with a phenomenally large waitlist), but I was also selected for the field trip. I anticipated lots of dry lectures and awkward campfire silence.
Continue reading "Nothing better than a weekend with your professor in her pajamas" »
Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 5:53 | Permalink
11 September 2006
Art Project
Continue reading "Art Project" »
Posted by Christina at 2:05 | Permalink
30 August 2006
post one: in which we get some background, and start some classes
Living off campus some might argue that I'll miss some of the "college experience," but I'm extremely satisfied with my situation. In a quaint little apartment in north Berkeley, not only am I a six minute bike ride away from Cal, but much of what Berkeley has to offer is right outside my door. One thing that I'd recommend to any new Cal student -- explore Berkeley! Yes, the school has more than enough to offer, but there's much more outside its doors as well. From the three farmers markets per week that bring in mostly organic farms, to the fabulous restaurants, and a myriad of earth-friendly events that can be found through the ecology center, there is a true wealth of activities to explore.
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Posted by Rola Abduljabar Rabah at 1:17 | Permalink
29 August 2006
My First day at Cal
Yesterday (Monday, August 28, 2006) was my first official day at Cal. What I mean by “official” is because even though I have been living here since last week, it is the day when instructions begin. I woke up pretty early in the morning since I was kind of afraid that I might need extra time for this very first day. But everything turned out to be ok.
My first class started at 10:00 AM but I arrived there (1 Pimentel) around 9:25 AM, so I was able to oversee the last part of Chemistry 1A lecture where the professor did some “explosion” stuff (Hydrogen gas + Oxygen gas + sparkle, I guess). 1 Pimentel was a really huge lecture hall, and its front stage can be rotated so that the settings for each class would not disturb the other. I encouraged you all to check this out!
Then I was commuting between different buildings since I have back-to-back classes…
Even though most of the lectures I am in are huge and intimidating since you are sitting with hundreds of people, the professors were really trying to make class atmosphere as dynamic as possible.
Or by the way, the Freshman Seminar I am taking is really engaging since there are only 20 students there – allowing a more intimate and approachable environment. It is nice to be such a small class within the context of a public research institute, namely Berkeley.
That is about my first day, and I am really looking forward for my first semester of college life. GO BEARS!!!!
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Posted by Yang Cao at 3:13 | Permalink
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