Favorite Places On and Around Cal
Every so often when I walk to class, I look around me and can’t believe I’m actually here. It’s strange because this is my second year, but it’s just a wonderful feeling to be part of this campus with its history and prestige. The beauty of the campus (although some of my friends in UCLA would argue otherwise) is just incredible, from the seemingly everlasting towering redwoods to the London Plane trees at the Campanile that indicate the changing of seasons.
So where exactly are my favorite places? If I want to study, right now, it’s in the Student Resource Center in 260 Mulford. It has everything I need from a desk and a chair to study in, couches to sleep on (they are really, really nice), and computers for easy access to the Internet and the printer. Otherwise, I can be found in the Bioscience Library in VLSB with nice long tables and good lighting. Random fact, but one of my goals before I leave this campus is to visit every library and study in them. I have yet to find the perfect place to study, but now, those two places suit my purposes.
To relax and just have time to myself, ideally, I would be at the Botanical Garden. I currently volunteer there, so being around plants and working with them just makes me feel wonderful. Something about mixing soils, repotting vines, and twirling the vines around a stake just seems so peaceful and just…not stressful. I don’t have to think about anything and just work with these plants. If I had enough time to myself, I would just walk around the gardens, taking pictures of different plants here and there, and the incredible views and landscapes. Because the garden is on a hill, you can see the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from certain areas. It’s just an incredible place to be.
I just love the campus. One of my roommates loves to sit on the bench at the base of the Campanile and just absorb the surroundings – the music, the trees, the weather…Another one of my roommates really likes Ishi Court, which I believe is a courtyard that is surrounded by Dwinelle Hall. Only find the access to it if you don’t get easily lost. The Reflection Pool next to Memorial Glade is also a great place to be, though with all the construction going on, I don’t think it’s as peaceful as it could be.
Instead of hanging out on campus, my friends and I often spend time outside of campus (when we aren’t in our rooms). We try to sample all the different foods around campus from musts such as the places in the Asian Ghetto to all the different sushi/Japanese restaurants…so many places to go before I graduate! Oh, and the Berkeley Public Library is a great place to check out novels for pleasure reading and lots and lots of CDs – they have a great music collection for the public to check out.
Anyway, if you get a chance, just check out some of these places. Berkeley always seems to surprise me everywhere I go, so if you have any places you would recommend, let me know. I’ll be sure to check it out. :D