With the end of the year approaching us next month, Caliber talked to students all over campus to see how Berkeley has changed them for the better or worse.
“It’s made me a deeper thinker. Its nice to have all the ignorant people from high school not around anymore. On the other hand its made me a bit bitter towards the super Bay Area types who are overly conscious of everything. I think people were more accepting in LA and less likely to argue with you or criticize you.” Annelise Costreniche, 1st year
“Berkeley has opened my eyes to all the diversity in the world both racially and socioeconomically. Berkeley is very special.” Anjile, 2nd year
“I’ve come out of my shell more. I come from a background with a lot of underrepresented minorities and poor people and coming to a place where I see all these peoples of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds is really inspiring.” Emma, 4th year
“I’m a lot better at communication.” Nicole Kinser, 1st year
“I feel inspired by my friends who have done ridiculous and amazing things.” Kunal Mishra, 1st year
“I’m from a place in Southern California that was really conservative and narrow minded. Berkeley has made me more open to different views. Now I’ve become more willing to listen to different ideas.” Chandler Jarrels, 2nd year
“I’ve definitely been put out of my comfort zone. Being a transfer student I’ve realized my time at community college was worth it. When I was there I thought I was just stuck there and a loser but now I realize how valuable it was. I saved money, made friends and it was easier to transition into Berkeley. Berkeley is not the best with transfer students but overall it’s decent.” Nicholas Murphy
“When I first arrived on campus I felt self-conscious, I didn’t know what I wanted to study and was afraid I wasn’t on the path for a good career. I got here and found that people were so passionate about learning and didn’t give a shit about getting a high paying job. I want to be here because I’m learning things I care about and the job it leads to is not important.” Kacey Mayeda, 1st year
“All of the protests were during finals time when most people were studying. I initially thought we shouldn’t get involved and that studying was more important, but the atmosphere here really made me prioritize differently. In high school it was very grades oriented but now I value life experiences and community and participation in the world. I’ve been getting better at getting involved in campus and going out an experiencing things, like taking trips to San Francisco.” Georgia Peppe, 1st year
“It has made me try new things and not really care what happens.” Eric Smith, 2nd year
“I’ve gotten more tan. I like squirrels more. I started appreciating my mom for doing my laundry.” Charles Yang, 1st year
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