I went over to Berkeley with a friend last year and did a summer session there. The content of our course was international trade in session D. The time required for the study was limited for one subject throughout the entire time. The advantage of this undergrade course was that it was at the level of the pre-diploma that had already been passed and so the content was very easy to understand. Registering and enrolling there was very easy and without any problems. So we had enough time to have fun in addition to the lectures that take place three times a week. In that regard, Berkeley and the university have a lot to offer. So we had a great connection to San F. The supporting program on site was just as good, a lot was organized. The only downer, however, was that it was designed for younger people, between 18 and 22. But as mentioned, the support was always good. To conclude, let me say that the wanderlust has grabbed you again and I would very much like to go there again, if time would allow it. Not only have you improved your English well, you have also made many friends from all over the world.
By and large, last summer in Berkeley was a great one.
The support here in Germany was also very good. So we had some problems with the housing that persisted until shortly before departure. But they have still been resolved. Even so, someone was always available to give us advice and support and we were relieved of a lot of administrative stuff.
Conclusion: highly recommended.
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Preparation:
First of all, I would like to thank MicroEDU for the patient and detailed advice ! At the beginning I had a few questions about the different universities and study programs. These were all answered in detail, so that after my application , which turned out to be very easy with the help of MicroEDU, I could travel to my summer session in California in a relaxed manner. Due to time constraints, I only attended one of the summer sessions at UC Berkeley. Nevertheless, there is enough time to get a taste of American academic life and the university.
Check topschoolsintheusa for more about University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Education.
Costs:
Since I only went to Berkeley for one summer session, the costs were comparatively cheaper than a complete semester abroad , but the costs should not be underestimated. The university as well as the accommodation cost a lot, you have to be aware of that!
Campus & everyday student life:
However, I had a lot of fun with the university, the campus and the lectures, which I honestly did not expect before. The campus is quite big and really nice, the lecturers are on the whole very friendly and helpful. But that doesn’t mean that they give away good grades! Doing a summer session at UC Berkeley also means a lot of work. You have to read a lot for the individual lectures, do homework, follow up and prepare, possibly write homework and then of course you have to learn on the exams. It is only important not to underestimate the whole effort, because completely “chilling” is not an option!
Accommodation:
I found out about the various accommodation options on these reports, as well as on the university’s homepage, and decided to go to the International House relatively quicklydecided. I chose a single room. Compared to my German dorm room, it couldn’t keep up here, but it was okay for the time being. You can choose between a normal single room and a premium single room. The premium single room sounds better, but does not contain significantly more equipment: You have a carpet, a higher small table next to the bed and two more standard boards. Most Premium Rooms have a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, but not all. Vacuum cleaners, irons and other utensils can be borrowed. The I-House also offers a library, a large lounge and a gaming room. You get to know people from all over the world very quickly and make new friends very quickly.
Catering:
The food was really good, and better than expected. Sometimes it was even ‘healthy’. You can choose from various dishes at the buffet every day. For breakfast there are various types of bread, toast and of course bagels (but no black bread), jam shops, fruit and hearty dishes, some warm as well as cold. For dinner there were always different salads, pasta with two different sauces and two different pizzas. There were also other dishes and side dishes, always enough vegetarian. It should be noted here that the food is often spicy. So if you don’t like being hot and spicy, the choice could be a bit limited.
Leisure:
In terms of leisure time, the I-House has a lot to offer. But in general, Berkeley is conveniently located for excursions. San Francisco can be reached relatively quickly with the BART, (20 minutes) a subway, or free of charge with the campus bus (about 50 minutes). Other trips can be made to Sausalito, Stanford or south to Monterey. It is a good idea to rent a car over the weekend and explore the area a bit. If you are 25 or older, it is even relatively cheap to rent a car, otherwise the insurance can quickly become very expensive. So at the weekend we always went on excursions, sometimes by car or by plane. From California you can quickly get to other places like Las Vegas and the Grand Canyonreach and for that it is worthwhile and a weekend is enough. If there is a cheap flight from the airport in Oakland, it is much smarter and faster to fly from there and not first drive through San Francisco to the airport.
Berkeley itself is a small town and if you walk away from campus, there are hardly any homeless people on the streets. Bancroft Avenue and the beginning of Telegraf Avenue look terrifying at first, but if you go a little further down these streets, Berkeley can also be quite beautiful. There are many small good bars and restaurants. There are also enough cinemas nearby. And of course it’s not far to San Francisco, so it’s worth going there in the evenings after university.
Conclusion:
I would have loved to stay longer at UC Berkeley because I had a really great time there ! I really got to know dear friends, learned a lot and through the university, which saw American life and lived generally seen a lot, made new experiences and adventures and had!
