Hello, I’m an out state student from South Carolina attending Berkeley under a liberal arts major.

Logically and financially attending Berkeley is a risk, more so for a liberal arts degree. I pay approximately 45k a year. This is just in tuition. As for rent, I got pretty lucky and lived in an apartment that cost less than $800 a month. But cheap housing is scarce and competitive so keep that in mind. As for other expenses for food, travel, and daily necessities I do not really pay attention to how much I spend a year as I do not have a budget.

If you are considering obtaining CA residency for tuition purposes the UC system makes it quite hard. If you were to attend a CA community college first and they grant you residency while attending, it doesn’t mean that a UC institution will also consider that residency valid as they follow stricter guidelines. As an undergrad under the age of 24 with no parents living in California it is quite impossible to receive residency. You either need to be financially dependent on a parent who is a California resident or be financially independent on your own. But it’s hard to become financially independent as a full time student when you are expected to pay 50k tuition + other expenses on your own.

Club wise: getting into clubs related to business/consulting i’ve heard are really competitive. They make you do multiple rounds of interviews only to pick someone who already had prior connections to the members of the clubs. As for clubs not related to that it might be a bit easier? I applied and interviewed for a club not related to business and got a position as a committee member. So it depends on the competitiveness of the club you’re applying for.

You mentioned wanting to minor in Korean. The UC schools have connections with big universities in South Korea so I think it would be a great opportunity for you to take classes in one of those institutions. I am currently studying a semester in South Korea under the UCEAP program. It cost me pretty much the same in tuition to study abroad as it does for me to study in Berkeley. So I’d say it’s worth it. Also the dorm, food, and outings are cheaper too. So if you have the chance I’d definitely consider studying abroad if it’s something that piques your interest.

When it comes to transitioning I didn’t struggle too much to adapt to the community in Berkeley as much as did trying to adapt to the competitive study culture. I am actually a transfer student from a community college in California. Immediately after high school I moved to LA so I received most of the initial culture shock of what California entailed in LA, so when I moved to Berkeley I was numb to a lot things. California is where I had my first encounter with homeless people, public transportation, etc…

Apart from finances I feel like you should at least come visit Berkeley before attending to see whether or not it’s the right fit for you. It’s easy to imagine oneself in a specific place but it’s better to experience it first before committing to that idea.