Are you a hipster who likes to code? An accomplished ice skater with a strong penchant for biology? A pre-business hopeful who loves French and Burmese food? No matter who you are or where you come from, you are bound to find your niche at UC Berkeley. Dive into our illustrious history of social activism. Learn more about our top-notch STEM programs. Explore the college town and neighboring cities like San Francisco. After only a week here, you’ll realize that Bezerkeley is quite an interesting place to be during your undergraduate years.
Here are some of the many reasons you should SIR to Berkeley ASAP.
1. There is a high chance that your professor is a Nobel laureate.
Berkeley boasts a whopping 91 life-time faculty members, researchers, and graduates who have received the prestigious Nobel Prize. 22 of these winners taught or currently teach at UC Berkeley, while 22 have graduated from UC Berkeley earning at least one degree from the institution. Currently, we are tied with the University of Chicago at #4 in the list of universities affiliated with the most Nobel Laureates – we even have special parking spots for Nobel Laureate faculty. Quite impressive, don’t you think?
We’ve also discovered 16 elements on the Periodic Table. No wonder our Chemistry department is one of the best in the nation and the world!
2. Even the buildings are diverse.
Looking for a building with a museum of zoology and a big skeleton of a T-Rex attached to the ceiling? Maybe you’re looking for a glass-windowed building with state-of-the-art labs dedicated to the biomedical and health sciences? Or, perhaps, you’re looking for a neatly designed music library right next to one of the ugliest buildings on campus (sorry, Wurster). Berkeley has it all. Now, if only Dwinelle Hall weren’t so hard to navigate – every Berkeley student has gotten lost in Dwinelle at least once.
3. The food here is abundant and spectacular… and cheap.
Grab a short stack of lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears at La Note for breakfast, some pad thai at Thai Noodle 2 for lunch, and a scoop of earl gray ice cream at Ici for dessert. The food around Berkeley is diverse and accessible for college students – which means that you don’t always have to go to your dining hall for dinner.
4. Oski.
The collegiate mascot DILF. What would Berkeley be without those black, beady eyes and that bright yellow cardigan? Mmmmm.
5. Our meme page is bangin’.
If you’re into dank memes, then look no further. UC Berkeley Memes For Edgy Teens is the best collegiate meme page on Facebook, and this ranking is 100% uncontested. Sorry, Harvard, Columbia, and UCLA. Our memebers cannot be stopped.
6. Doe Library.
Sure, the East Asian Library is probably one of the sleekest buildings you have ever seen in your lifetime. And, yes, Moffitt’s newly renovated floors will transport your mind to an office at Google. But, Doe Library’s North Reading Room (pictured first) is always where it’s at. However, if Doe is too crowded and your work does not involve any form of technology whatsoever, you can always walk down the stairs to Morrison Library (pictured second), where you can curl up on a couch with a book and a cup of piping hot tea.
7. The town is a unique combination of urban and serene.
Because Berkeley’s sprawling campus flows into the city, you get the best of both worlds. The layout of Cal’s campus creates little pockets of unique environments. While Southside Berkeley is always teeming with people and cars, Northside is quieter and greener.
8. The majestic Campanile.
Every morning, you will always find groups of tourists taking pictures at the Campanile, the ivory tower at the heart of the campus. Surrounded by Joshua trees, the Campanile rings at the beginning of every hour, and it remains an iconic symbol of UC Berkeley’s campus along with the green Sather Gate (also another staple attraction for tour buses).
9. You can spend your meal points at Peet’s Coffee.
As you may or may not know, Peet’s was founded in the city of Berkeley during the 1960s, and you can find one anywhere on campus from the Den to Pat Brown’s to Golden Bear Cafe.
10. Boba tea shops on practically every corner.
The average Cal student's body is made up of 50% caffeine and 50% bubble tea. While ShareTea is the closest to campus, Asha Tea House and Purple Kow serve up some quality milk tea with fresh tapioca pearls. I guarantee that after your four years at Berkeley, you will become a boba connoisseur.
11. Our sassy squirrels.
They even have their own Facebook page: Berkeley Squirrels. These cute, cuddly creatures are fat, fearless, flawless. But, be careful – they steal food with no mercy, and they take no survivors. Not so cute now, are they?
Go Bears!
