February 13, 2010 5:10 PM
Getting Involved
Although I was fortunate to have so many of my high school friends attending UC Berkeley, I believe that an important part of college is meeting new people. One major advantage of going to a large university like UC Berkeley is the many unique individuals you will meet during your four years of your undergraduate education. While it is understandable that academics should be on the top of our priorities because it is what brought us our acceptance to the prestigious Cal; however, it is equally important for us to enjoy our time here. Join a campus organization, try the greek life (rush), participate in research and introduce yourself to your professors! You will never know what you are missing out on until you try. It is important to make friends and form of network of people from all majors and backgrounds.
I remember that during my first two years in Berkeley, the majority of people that I knew were from the dorms since they are the people you see on daily basis. After realizing this, I decided to get more involved with extra-curricular activities such as volunteering. While they were all wonderful experiences, they required me to work off-campus-so a large part of my week would be working with professional and adults. So in the second semester of my sophomore year I decided to apply to a research laboratory through SPUR in order to satisfy my academic hunger but also to meet student my age. When I look back now, I am incredibly glad to have made that decision. Most of close friends in college have been with people I met in my laboratory. It is fascinating for me to hear about topics that my friends are so passionate and motivated about. Through my friends and professors, I have found my niche in Berkeley. It still amazes me as to how much I have matured through my experiences in research-both intellectually and socially.
This semester, to expand my social comfort zone and become more active on on-campus events, I joined a AAA committee. AAA refers to the Asian American Association, quite possibly the biggest and most active club on Berkeley. Although only 2 weeks of school has passed, I have met many new friends and had the most fun on my three years at Cal. Trust me, sometimes life requires us to step out of our comfort zone in order to live it to its fullest. We are young only once in our life so spend your time here to learn lots and have the time of your life, because it is possible to do both well!
Jenny Zhang | Permalink | Comment on this article | Comments (0)
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