Hello, fellow bears! I know that this week might be a little bit stressful, what with you starting school at the #1 public university in the world, but here are some resources that I wish that I had known about when I was a freshman.

1. Residential Tutoring Program:

You might not have known it until right now, but there is free tutoring available Sunday-Thursday at units 1, 2, 3, 4 (foothill), and 5 (Clark Kerr Campus). Located at the Academic Resources center at each of the units, tutoring in math, chemistry, physics, and writing is accessible from 8-10 P.M. I know that sometimes it is hard to ask for help, but the tutors have been in your shoes before and really just want to help you adjust to this amazing school.

2. Door-to-Door Service:

If you should ever find yourself unable to return home safely at the hours of 3-5:30 A.M., then this is the service for you. If you book a door-to-door shuttle in advance (at bearwalk.berkeley.edu) or call (510) 642-9255, a shuttle will pick you up from your location and return you back home or to the destination of your choice. Please don’t make the mistake of walking home alone in the middle of the night. Although Berkeley is an amazing city, it has its fare share of crime. Be smart!

3. UC Berkeley Gender Equity Resource Center:

The Gender Equality Resource Center, or GenEq, is an amazing resource that is committed to making Berkeley a welcoming and inclusive campus to all people. GenEq offers programs and services related to four key topics: women, LGBTQ+, sexual and dating violence, and hate crimes and bias driven incidents. GenEq is located at 202 Cesar Chavez Student Center; come say hello!

If you take anything away from these three resources it should be this: everybody needs help at some point in their life and nobody will judge you for taking advantage of these resources. Berkeley is a tough place to adjust to, and not just for academic reasons. Take care of yourself and realize that if you ask for help, chances are that people will be more than willing to aid you in any way that they can.