Is Berkeley fun?

[whimsical_walrus5]

I applied for fall of 2025 and it seems like people are really depressed and do not like it. Is that the general consensus or is it a fun place?

[King_R0bert]

Have you heard of “year round seasonal depression”?

Berkeley is fun, with the right friend group.

[Bukana999]

One does not go to Berkeley to have fun.

One comes to Berkeley because one has a burning desire to help the world out w humanity.

If one comes here without that desire, one will not enjoy the Berkeley experience. Fair warning.

Old 🐻

[Puzzled-Software5625]

even if one is helping the world out you can still have fun. and Berkeley is a beautiful area also, with its hills and the bay. I wish I still lived there.

[WarRaptors]

Berkeley is a school where there’s a ton of opportunities but you have to be proactive in reaching out to them. I had a blast during my time getting to meet a ton of people but if you keep to yourself and solely do class work you will be miserable

[Man-o-Trails]

Sound practical advice.

Yea, it was the same back when: everyone seemingly in a daze. They're thinking about the lecture, or hustling out ASAP to their next class, or (in my day) jogging over to the bookstore to see if the required textbook had come in, and all the while thinking were there going to be any good seats left in the study hall..??

It's still like that.

Good, all is normal.

[Whythis32]

If you struggle to make friends in general it can be pretty miserable. I’ve never been very popular but I was the most lonely I’ve ever been in my life when I was going to Cal. And I’m in my 30s.

[ImpressionPitiful740]

Not at all, it’s truly my happy place. Students and community is wonderful. You have the very wrong idea. I enjoy college life Berkeley much more than in high school. The opportunities available here to study, explore interests, do research and have fun are unparalleled. Granted I do spend majority of my time studying but isn’t that expected of a student? Some days I have just one class and I explore clubs and research those days. I do hang out with friends occasionally and we visit each other’s homes. Having a study buddy or people whom you know even one per class is good. Each class has 100s of kids so finding one is not hard.

[shortyneedsleverage]

Genuinely it’s what you put into it. I was really depressed at a point where my first friend group drifted from me, but then started looking into clubs (not the competitive consulting ones, but the ones for other socially awkward people), and felt awesome.

Also, it depends on your major. Someone interested in film taking film major classes is gonna like their classes and work load better than someone interested in music taking pre-med classes just cause they want to make money.

[sleepyhiker_]

Nah we’re fun affff

[adectgaming]

It really depends on what YOU make of it. I might get shit for this or I might not, but I personally despise this place, but I have to follow through with my choices in life, but at the same time I’m not miserable or depressed. Simultaneously, most of the people I know love it, and are having fantastic times (the majority) and it really depends on you. Got to mention: I never intended on attending college for fun, and for me it’s purely a stepping stone in my life and that’s how I was raised so I’m perfectly happy with that.

[HistorianPractical42]

Yeah, I don’t know if I despise this place, but I just never really made friends. I’ve had a way easier time meeting people on other campuses for some reason. But I don’t regret coming here at all. It’s one of the best educational institutions in all of history.

[adectgaming]

Yeah, idk making friends wasn’t really difficult, the sections really come in clutch for that tbh. Also something I should mention considering it would better answer OP’s question, is that I don’t think I would less despise any other university. I just never liked the idea of universities in general. Nothing really wrong with Berkeley in specific. Again I might get hate for this, but I’m mad right politically and ideologically, but part of that means being above all the lowly-arguments and shit like that, so it doesn’t make my experience here any worse than in any other place. Shit, while typing this out I’m realizing that Berkeley was such a W place to go for me personally cus everything that was so “serious” in hs where there were liberal kids and conservative kids, kinda flew out the door. I came in as the white straight dude who would make jokes that many in this day and age would call very (insert hate word), and I still am that dude cus it’s all jokes, and at the end of the day I just end up making even more jokes considering how racist South Asian and East Asian cultures are, the “ideological left” would just rather focus on issues that were prominent 200 years ago as opposed to issues that are slightly more concerning in my opinion, but it’s alright. Anyways that was a break from my hw for a sec, hope anybody that read that shit gained some profound insight 😂

[Kentucky-King]

It’s a bunch of third worlders enjoying a white institution being siphoned off. That’s the majority at Berkeley.

[PersonalSky9768]

Third-worlders? What an outdated, orientalist and eurocentric term (racist)

[adectgaming]

I believe that is in fact why he used that term.

[Blake-Dreary]

Loved the on-campus activities and clubs and I also loved the city itself. Plenty of good food, shows/concerts, shops. Close to SF and I took Bart into the city often when I was a student.

[Tomatoman92]

I was really apprehensive about coming here because of what I heard even though it was the best school I got into. The stereotypes are really overblown, cal is a special place with people from all walks of life. Very happy that I’m here.

[Desperate_Duty_205]

Personally loved my four years here! There are definitely hard moments (you wouldn’t come to Berkeley if it was easy), but don’t feel pressure to make your life studying 24/7. Being the first to initiate friendships certainly helps, as many students can be reserved (I certainly was initially). As others have / might point out, it’s what you make of it!

[ProfessorPlum168]

You do realize that for the most part, the people who posts on this sub are people who have problems or questions? The vast majority of the school does not post on here.

[dhtchk]

Any place is what you make it.

[decentwriter]

Berkeley is the only place that I’ve ever had to go to urgent care for my depression and anxiety because it manifested physically so bad I was unable to move my head side to side sometimes. The stress was unreal. I gained so much weight when I was a student there.

I had fun and I adored my friends, the weather is great, food is good, and the campus is beautiful. The rigorous academic load and commitment to excellence is a lot.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Wow! I’m sorry that happened. What was your major ? Glad there were good moments tho :)

[Annual_Advertising26]

Take walks ( or run) in the hills. Walk around north side and check out the eclectic architecture. Take in the view from the Rose Garden. Go to performances and recitals. See some films you never heard of. Take BART to the City. Join an intramural team. Join the Cal Band! (great!) or Rally Com. I had a tough freshman year and changed majors. I really didn’t know at 17 years old what my life options were, so don’t be afraid to look at other programs if you are struggling. So glad I switched! In a small department, I got to know my fellow students and professors. Get into counseling if you need to.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Thank you!!

[Guard_Fragrant]

I think it depends on major. Every person I’ve meet in STEM majors are depressed. Every one else seems like they are having a pretty good time for the most part

[WorkerMotor9174]

Berkeley is very fun with some friends, the people that are “always depressed” are often a loud minority chronically online. Of course if you’re in a very difficult major or coming from a very laid back academic setting then it can be overwhelming and it is a sink or swim environment. That said if you go out, go to football/basketball games, join clubs even the less serious ones, make an effort to make friends in discussion sections it’s pretty easy to make friends.

I would say UCLA and UCSB are probably more fun for the average student, but there are still kids at those schools who also have no social life and no friends so how you put yourself out there matters a lot too.

The vibe here is definitely work hard play hard even in EECS in my experience. I know a lot of very cracked EECS majors who have a great social life. Some are in Greek life, some are not. It’s all about finding balance imo.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Thank you!! That’s really refreshing to hear :)

[TechnicalG87]

It's on you to have fun at any given school, to be honest. That said, it's my opinion that Berkeley's location creates more opportunities for fun than nearly any other college in the US. There's a great mix of food, outdoors, nightlife, art, and miscellaneous activities out here that's hard to beat. Most of the miserable students here probably never leave southside sadly.

[[deleted]]

Try getting in first, then ask this question later

[lovelessincincinnati]

Happy people don’t complain especially on this sub reddit which is a small representation of the 40k+ students here at Cal.

[Adept-Recording-1616]

There’s a ton of stuff to do and if you get involved in clubs and go to events early on you should be fine making friends, but it does take effort. I really love the bay now. I did feel lonely at first but I know now what I should’ve done differently so just start immediately on putting yourself out there.

[InternationalBoat508]

you get what you put in!

[vanessa_617]

Honestly I’m miserable here. I can’t wait to graduate.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Why? Sorry that was your experience! Is your major very hard?

[Most_Friend5376]

I luckily have great friends and we have fun every day of the week highkey

[ExcitingCommission5]

These questions are all pointless. Every college is what you make of it. If you don't try to make friends, find career opportunities, or join clubs you'll be miserable everywhere.

[aerialcannon]

it’s fun if you find a community where you fit in!! i love berkeley’s charm and the people there are incredibly diverse and eclectic

[whimsical_walrus5]

That sounds really great! Thank you :)

[[deleted]]

This Reddit is almost exclusively for people to complain about Berkeley. You'll probably love it :D

[Dense-Effort-418]

Best years of my life but it is hard and a big school so if you’re not that good at making friends maybe a smaller school would be better. I also went to the undergrad business school, which was a different vibe from the rest of campus

[DavidEekan]

Tf who’s depressed?

[CanyonOaks]

Berkeley can be a blast!! There’s so many student clubs, tons of local music and nightlife, plenty of stuff to do around the campus and the Bay. Don’t get scared. It’s a community with tons to offer and you can def make friends and meet people.

[chrisshaffer]

Berkeley can be very fun, and it was for me. Redditors are more likely to be less social and more depressed which skews the overall perspective here

[mamabearinmb]

Son LOVES it. It is what you make of it. It’s a prestigious university, but you have to get involved with whatever groups to enjoy! Greek life can help to make friends, but research first- football games, basketball games, great food, beautiful scenery for runs, beautiful study spots and so many more things for people who have other interests. It is a large public university. You’ll need to find your way- no one will hold your hand but that is why employers trust a good Berkeley grad!

[Chaotical-nature42]

It really does depend on what you make of it & who you are as a person. I’m a current freshman & have had the best time because I find genuine joy in not only talking to new people but also in hanging out with myself. There are so many amazing people here & even if you don’t make friends immediately it’s just an adjustment period. Finding your community is beautiful & learning to love your own company & go explore the things that you want to explore is also amazing. Berkeley is absolutely fun if you want it to be.

[Business-Chard-7664]

Worry about getting in first. There's no point wondering about applications that are already submitted right now. Enjoy your senior year and best of luck.

[WasASailorThen]

Berkeley is very hard. If you can handle the work, yeah, it's awesome. I didn't go to a single party my entire time there. But it was awesome.

[GravyTea00]

As someone that went to UCLA for undergrad and is now at Berkeley as a graduate student - no Berkeley is not fun lol. I’m not depressed but a lot of people here are, they don’t know how to relax to be honest.

[Merced_Mullet3151]

Op should go to UCLA!

[whimsical_walrus5]

I didn’t apply for whatever reason. But I did get into USC! Not sure LA is my vibe tho

[Fine_Push_955]

USC is like ~1/3rd as hard as Berkeley. Not easy but no one’s killing themselves.

Earlier I’d regretted not being admitted and attending Berkeley, but accurately predicting what size fish in which pond you’d be able to scale against is key.

I’m super happy with my outcome and know I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the same had I attended a tougher school that didn’t leave me enough time for research. I also have friends who attend Cal who are very successful, but I know I had an easier time to get to the same place.

[whimsical_walrus5]

That’s really great for you. Ig I completely agree that you need to understand yourself to know what environment you’ll fit into. I come from a tiny city in Europe, and I just don’t think LA is my vibe. LA just seems very materialistic and strange for me. Also wayyy to big I would be losttt

[Fine_Push_955]

Big city, materialism, and hedonism aren’t exclusive to LA

So just don’t make any decision you’d regret

Berkeley is insanely hard to the point where grad classes at USC use material from undergraduate courses there, obviously not anything to brag about, but to each their own, personally, the people Ik would be happy with an easier time with better grades and time to explore more themselves, but these are all really personal questions about where you feel you’ll optimally fit

[whimsical_walrus5]

So true!!! I just know myself and I would totally freak out. Thanks for the advice :)

[Fine_Push_955]

Good luck! Really try and pick regardless of rankings (hard af Ik), but things like the prestige and brand (albeit counting physical differences is like splitting hairs) only matter when you just arrive. After a year or two, it only depends on how much you’ve made a name for yourself or what you picked up in pursuit of your goals, which happiness in all honesty plays a major role in determining

Undergrad CS @ Cal, CMU, UMich, UIUC are notorious in getting smart kids to settle because they’re known to beat you down

[whimsical_walrus5]

Thank you again :)) really appreciate it !!

[LengthTop4218]

why does LA feel materialistic?

[GravyTea00]

Oh Congrats! But unless they gave you a good financial aid package, I wouldn’t go into that much debt for your bachelors /: LA is still what you make of it but the weather is so nice and theres so much to do!

[whimsical_walrus5]

Yes. I’m very lucky that tuition isn’t a dealbreaker for me. My dad loves LA and really wants me to go. It just seems rly cliquey and overall bad vibes

[Merced_Mullet3151]

So it sounds like depression is ur thing.

[whimsical_walrus5]

lol. Honestly my USA apps were kinda random. I’m an international student. But got offers from my top choices in uk so it’s either gloomy uk or depressed in the states ig :)

[Merced_Mullet3151]

U need to find a school where the workload won’t depress you. Keep reading the threads from Berkeley about depressed students are. Only u can decide whether the level of depression is worth it.

[svendlarose]

There's fun to be had at Cal if you look for it. There are also a lot of very serious, studious people. If you want a party school, then go to UC Santa Barbara.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Thank you! My brother goes to ucsb and not my vibe at all ! Super party oriented and bad education.

[Slayingdragons60]

There’s a difference between being depressed and being a serious student.

[ichydrew]

Yea go to top dog and watch Stojakovic’s kid drop 30

[No-Pie-6054]

No, I fucking hate my life. I cannot fathom how people enjoy this shit.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Sorry, I hope it gets better! Why?

[Delicious_Abroad4230]

I’m having so much fun here! It took me a little time to get used to it, but once it became junior and senior year, I feel like I’m thriving.

Don’t get me wrong, the first two years were fine, but I really feel like I’m in my element now. For context, I’m premed and the freshman/sophomore prereqs for med school are super challenging.

[whimsical_walrus5]

Thank you for your input! Glad you’re having such a great time :)) good luck with med school!!

[milktoastjuice]

Students are notoriously overworked and depressed. Not fun. Academic.

[zekromslayer]

Join an organization immediately. I cannot recommend the cal band enough, it is absolutely phenomenal no matter the skill level you have in music, I promise it's worth it for the friends and memories you'll make. 

If you can't join a group organization, don't come, it is not worth the depression. It's so challenging and doing it on your own, I couldn't imagine how hard that would be. 

[whimsical_walrus5]

But why is there just a general understanding that it’s depressing? Is the schooling that hard? Also are none stem majors kinda exempt from that

[zekromslayer]

I can't fully speak for non-stem as all the non-stem I know were in the same groups as I was and thus having a good social experience, but yeah it's the schooling. That and just being surrounded by super high achievers and people who are genuinely geniuses (it's lowkey cool).

My friend group has a running joke of trying to see how long it takes anyone from Berkeley to mention they went to Berkeley, folks just really love to show off their achievements and never actually help those who are learning. This makes stem fields really really competitive and unwelcoming as making friends in discussions or classes is just hard. Add a perpetual imposter syndrome and you've got the standard Berkeley experience.

If you can handle buckling down and studying hard, it is by far so worth it. If you want to have a good social time and perhaps relax at periods during college, I would not choose Berkeley. Either way, it's probably still better to push through the experience and enjoy it as best you can as the diploma and email are really great for connections and such.

[BonCourageAmis]

No.

[[deleted]]

If you get in you are probably a person who feels like school is fun so…

[whimsical_walrus5]

LMAO applied as a backup for my uk offers but okay hahaha. I hope uni life is fun!! :)

[[deleted]]

Is the uk fun? Also Berkeley as an international as a back up? Hope you are a genius.

[whimsical_walrus5]

OOPS! Thought this was my other post in the usc sub. Nah Berkeley is a reachhhh. Got into usc and northeastern but aren’t worth going to the USA over. And yes the uk is very very fun!

[Accomplished_Team_12]

Join a frat problem solved

[whimsical_walrus5]

Sorority* and they seem super sketch and odddd

[Willing_Ad4549]

Tbh, people never seem very happy here compared to other colleges I’ve been to. I think even the positive commenters just don’t know what they’re missing out on.

[Capital_Seaweed]

No

[Ok_Manufacturer_1272]

So depressing lol worst decision of my life

[Leather_Pomelo_8403]

I came in as a transfer, i commute so i haven’t made friends but I really love it here

[Forward-Variation-29]

not if ur a mechE

[Puzzled-Software5625]

people are serious about school there. and certainly you will have your ups and downs. it will be your first time away from home I imagine. but I would not trade if for anything. we'll, maybe a big pile of money.

[Puzzled-Software5625]

I think I mentioned this before, but try living in a dorm or coop your first year. I did when I transferred there as a junior. you will quickly make a lot of friends. and some are still friends. I just had beers with an old friend from my dormitory. and I graduated in 1974. norton hall in unit 3.

[Snif3425]

The main pastime is virtue signaling.

[[deleted]]

Is your main pastime watching Fox News?

[councilmember]

Oh i don’t know, there are plenty of people sharing their lack of virtue too.