University of California Berkeley - UC Berkeley Speciality : Law
programme: Law

UC Berkeley, or Cal as some call it, is great for the ability to be able to network and with potentially motivated and likeminded people in a small radius. Cal excels in its endless opportunities within its schools, institutions, and clubs. From study abroad opportunities to internships, research, and work study, there is always something to take your mind strictly off of your courses. As a legal studies major, I loved that my courses were primarily taught by professors of law, and almost always other Juris Doctors or Ph.D. graduates. In fact, one of my favorite classes was taught by the Dean of the Law School and one of the most cited and well-known lawyers, Erwin Chemerinsky.

Where UC Berkeley fails is its emphasis on safety as one of the most dangerous campuses in the country, At the time I studies there it was 4th most dangerous campus in the country. This is what promoted me to unsuccessfully run for student body president in the spring of 2023 in an effort to help campus police coordinate with the student government. It’s aims to be inclusive is purely performative, from the students and the institution alike, regardless of one’s race, age, or other protected classes. Their perception of you will follow you around and it will be hard to break that perception once it is formed. This has the effect you being put in a box when it comes to what others believe you should or should not be doing. Regardless of its downfalls I would recommend UC Berkeley to students, but I would also recommend that they try to plan for those 2-4 years as much as possible in the event that Cal is a match.

Berkeley started difficult on an academic front and definitively retained that status. It pushed me personally and professionally, resulting in me building and honing skill sets I could not even dream of obtaining. I met brilliant professors and mentors, inspiring students and colleagues as well as forged friendships that will last forever. Go Bears and Fiat Lux!