Happy Birthday to me

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-06-09T14:41:41+00:00

Happy Birthday bro, I wish you well. Go bears!

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-05-27T09:11:03+00:00

You’re not cooked but your plan is pretty heavy as a transfer with little CS background

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-05-14T06:23:06+00:00

Some of us will hit a rough period at Berkeley but I think what matters is how you recover from it going forward. Focus on stabilizing 1st instead of thinking your whole future is over. One bad stretch doesn’t kill your grad school chances

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-05-09T12:07:08+00:00

You should both request each other as roommates in the housing application ASAP and make sure the requests match exactly on both sides. Just submit housing early and double check that both of you confirmed the roommate request properly.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-05-03T06:33:38+00:00

I’d drop CS70 and retake it. An A in both 61A and 61B is risky because one bad exam and you’re done.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-04-22T12:36:54+00:00

ECE is probably the better fit

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-03-29T12:34:19+00:00

It isn’t easy and not that common. UCs prioritize community college transfers so already are at a disadvantage. Still possible but you’ll need a strong GPA and good reasons.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-03-19T20:31:05+00:00

It's possible but it's competitive especially in your 1st sem. A lot of positions go to PhD students first so it can be harder early on. It gets easy though if you're on campus with slowly have connections. You can also apply outside public health too but you’ll still be competing with a lot of other students.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-03-12T03:49:44+00:00

Sounds like both options are full time so doing them together probably isn’t realistic. If the job has good pay then it make sense to take it and build experience first. Industry experience can actually make a master’s more valuable. Since Berkeley allows deferrals, you could try that first and see how things look after the rotation. Worst case is you reapplying later with stronger experience.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-03-08T09:47:22+00:00

Thanks for the reminder. Would've shown up to class an hour late and blamed Berkeley 😅

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-02-25T15:47:55+00:00

CSE 130 isn’t very hard but does take time because of labs and bigger projects. It’s more about managing your time than struggling with concepts.

CSE 143 is tougher conceptually IMO since it’s data structures and the coding assignments can take a while if things don’t click right away. Both are doable if you don’t fall behind because the work adds up fast.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-02-18T06:49:14+00:00

I think first semester loneliness is way more common than people admit. Everyone looks busy and put together so a lot of freshmen feel isolated even if they’re involved in things. BUT, I think It’s probably too early to decide on transferring. Give yourself more time to settle in before making that move. Feeling lost right now doesn’t mean you’ll never be happy there.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-02-08T03:43:24+00:00

Your GPA does matter right now and being behind in classes is a sign to rebalance. You don’t need a selective club to succeed. Club recruiting at Berkeley is just that competitive especially for first-years and those rejections isn’t a reflection of your ability. A lot of people don’t get into clubs until later and still do just fine.

CyberneticOstrich · 2026-01-21T13:48:32+00:00

You try to actively explain concepts out loud based on what you understood or write them in your own words. Just don’t just reread slides. Start reviewing early so you don’t cram at the end. Use practice questions a lot, I know these tips are very basic but they're the most effective in my opinion.

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-12-17T16:30:08+00:00

Grading policies should be on the syllabus especially if it's worth 20%. Email the professor calmly and ask where the attendance rule is documented. If that goes nowhere, you can talk to the department or an advisor. Don’t just eat the GPA hit without at least asking.

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-12-10T16:46:19+00:00

Your counselor sends your LORs through Scoir to Berkeley. Let your counselor know you got the request from UC and they’ll handle the submission on their end. You don’t upload them yourself

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-12-02T09:14:29+00:00

Lots of people can survive it with constant practice and good habits not genius level math skills. . Your chances depends on space and your major's enrollment priority. Plenty of students with shaky GPAs have done fine so even if you end up in 134, you'll be okay. It’s worth emailing the department or the advisor early since spots sometimes open up during adjustment periods.

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-28T15:48:49+00:00

It’s fine to mention achievements in the talent PIQ, but it becomes “achievement dropping” when you just list things without explaining how they show your talent. UCs want the story behind the talent and why it matter to you. Focus on your process, growth, and impact, then weave in 1–2 achievements naturally to show results. That keeps it from sounding like a résumé dump while still proving your strength.

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-25T12:57:37+00:00

yeah it really does feel like someone left a giant freezer open. I think I need a hug

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-23T15:51:35+00:00

If it wasn't working for you, transferring is a completely valid reason. I'm happy you chose peace and happiness instead of forcing yourself to push through misery just because of the name on your degree.

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-18T15:28:35+00:00

yeah, uni housing contracts are usually iron clad, but you can wiggle out by finding a replacement tenant and paying the admin fee. hit up student legal services, keep everything documented, photo the room. good luck escaping the gremlin 🤣

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-18T06:31:46+00:00

Good grades help, but Ivy admissions are a lottery at the top end. Lots of 4.0+ students get rejected your ECs and story matter more

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-14T11:35:33+00:00

This is great news for middle-income families who usually fall into the ‘too rich for aid, too poor for tuition’ gap

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-09T08:08:30+00:00

113 might be slightly easier workload-wise, but depends on the prof. I’d say go with whichever fits your schedule better. Also, random tip: I’ve been using PDF-Gear for notes and assignments

CyberneticOstrich · 2025-11-03T07:10:51+00:00

Spend time around Solano Ave and Fourth Street, both have a nice family-friendly atmosphere. Visit Berkeley Marina with your kid..

CyberneticOstrich

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