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I'm a cali resident, and I've been considering berkeley until I heard horror stories of the quality of life at berkeley. I then began to consider UCLA.

Can anyone comment on the quality of life at either school. (Compare/Contrast life, not academics)

By Nerdboy (Nerdboy) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 01:27 am: Edit

What HORROR STORIES of the quality of life at Berkeley have you heard?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 02:21 am: Edit

UCLA social life rocks; Westwood beats Telegraph Avenue and the Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica) and the beaches are only minutes away.

Berkeley is better if you're into counter-culture adn stuff like that.

By Sirmoreau (Sirmoreau) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 02:43 am: Edit

yeah Counter - Culture, lets go streaking to the quad and protest something!

By Thedad (Thedad) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 12:48 pm: Edit

More like...let's smash shop windows on Telegraph avenue to protest whatever. The shopkeepers have become quite adept at dropping the protective metal grates over their windows in less than 5 minutes from first warning of trouble afoot.

By Bignate (Bignate) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 01:18 pm: Edit

Thedad:
what you said is example of my "horror stories". I hear its just a crazy communist town with nonstop anti-establishment protests...not the cool laid back beach lifestyle of LA.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 01:32 pm: Edit

Oh, I don't know about Communist. There are some conservative blocs these days...it's the middle of the road that appears to be squeezed up there. Theh, too, for some, the Communists are too far to the Right. Cf., some conservatives think Bush is too far to the Left. And so it goes.

By Sac (Sac) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Can't remember the last time I saw a hammer and sickle. As for the window smashing, it does happen every few years, when high school students see an opportunity during a march to grab a few free pairs of Nikes. The bank which once bricked up its windows in the 1970s unbricked them later. In other words, these are some pretty old stereotypes some of you are working with here.

On the other hand, if the idea of going to a campus that has more liberals than conservatives -- and living in a town with its own foreign policy and more than its share of panhandlers on the streets -- doesn't appeal to you, then go to UCLA. It's a great university and you'd probably be happier there.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 03:02 pm: Edit

Friends who are up there say that it's still pretty high on the aggressively politically & culturally obnoxious scale...I don't mean "progressive" as much as "anti-social."

It'll be interesting to get the opinion of one of D's peers from ballet who is going up there.

By Sirmoreau (Sirmoreau) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 03:21 pm: Edit

I live right by Berkeley, i'll assure you it is an entirely different world than the rest of the united states. Berkeley has its share of communists. The entire town protested, when the fire department decided to put some flags on their fire trucks after 9/11. Why they protested? I believe it was something about not being culturally diverse...they probably wanted all the countries flags not just America, besides many people in Berkeley/the Bay Area are anti-america.

***I don't get why people think UCLA is like *right* on the beach. Getting to the beach is hell, mainly because of the traffic. Have you ever experienced LA traffic ..not fun.

By Sac (Sac) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 03:56 pm: Edit

"Anti-social?" Well if you consider war a social activity then I agree with you that there are probably more students who opposed the war in Iraq at Berkeley than at UCLA. There were, however, many students at Berkeley who supported the action in Afghanistan after 9/11.

"The entire town protested...." So hundreds of thousands took to the streets?

Yes, Southern and Northern California are different worlds. If you consider what you hear about Berkeley as "horror stories," I just repeat the suggestion that you choose UCLA. It's a great school and probably would be much more comfortable.

By Nerdboy (Nerdboy) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 05:14 pm: Edit

I live in Santa Moncica, 10 minutes away from UCLA. But I still chose to go to Berkeley.
Santa Monica is a beautiful city, but so is Berkeley probably even more. Beach view? hah, maybe you should come down here for a visit. Your eyes won't see anything but homeless people. They are all over the beach, as well as all over the whole city.
To me, Berkeley looks like Europe. The buildings, restaurants, coffee shops, weather... . It's just a unique experience.
In LA you have to drive everywhere in the horrible traffic. Also since recently, UCLA students can no longer use their UCLA ID's for free rides on Santa Monica buses, which makes them have to drive. The popultation is increasing at a crazy rate.
In Berkeley, there's everything; buses shuttles, Bart (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

By Dschnapps (Dschnapps) on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 06:24 pm: Edit

Nerdboy, I like Berkeley, but if you think the amount of homeless people in Westwood is bad (hahaha) then you haven't spent enough time in Berkeley.

Westwood does not beat Telegraph. Westwood is sunny and pretty wealthy and full of coffee shops, which isn't necessarily bad, but Telegraph is invigorating and gives college students the kind of stimulation they want.

By Disenchancalguy (Disenchancalguy) on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 12:41 pm: Edit

Well, I probably had an odd year, but from my personal experience, this is one of the many things that lead to my disenchantment with UC Berkeley. The apparent lack of social life. Sure, you have the Greek System, but they are under the thumb of the IFC which has heavy pressure from the University to conform to the wants and needs of special interests. (Berkeley is reknowned for being a political campus, now the downside to this, is -everything- is made to be political.) There has been an ongoing moratorium (no alcohol or large parties basically in Fraternity Houses, and absolutely no alcohol or parties hosted by Sororities) that has kept the Row dead for the past year and a half. Furthermore, people mainly went home to continue studying after the Football Games, and very rarely wanted to study together or go out afterwards. A lot of times it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to do anything except sit around, study or smoke pot. So, if you like to spend a lot of time by yourself or engaging in "alternative lifestyles" (there are literally dozens of options), Cal is the place to go. Otherwise, if you are looking for the more stereotypical/conventional college social life, avoid this place at all costs.

...and about the Commies? Some of it is exaggeration, but not by much. Lots of crazy nuts at this place. Including the professors. I had a nasty experience with an instructor (GSI), who took a personal crusade out on me because I am white, male and moderate-conservative. (And yes, Berkeley will clump you into these groups a lot.)

By Calfresh (Calfresh) on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 02:39 am: Edit

I've heard all kinds of stories. I have heard the horror stories but I've also heard that while the greek system hasn't been as active lately there are still a lot of parties. Being an extremely liberal city, a lot of the bars admit underagers. I'll be a freshmen this fall, at orientation I met a lot of people just like me - who wanted to party. I figure I'll connect with others like myself. Bottomline: dont pick a school based on social life. There is enough variety at most large universities that you will find someone like yourself. Your social life, afterall, is based on your friends, not the politics or appearance of the city.

By Lapin (Lapin) on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 05:09 am: Edit

I chose Cal. I live in the Bay Area and I love it; it's temperate (this past December there was hardly any rain, but we have had cold winters in the past) and it's usually not excruciatingly hot for weeks on end. San Francisco, a short freeway trip from Berkeley, is really one of the nicest cities I've ever been to. You should sight-see sometime and see how you like it. I think of it as a breezy, lively port city. The fog can be a downer (though not as much as smog pollution). And there are beaches up here too, they're just a little colder.

While it felt good on campus at UCLA (it's gorgeous), I have always detested the city of Los Angeles. This is totally a personal opinion, but beyond the downtown area I experience much of LA as humid, suburban ghettos. I have fun people watching in LA though, and if you're excited by Hollywood then it's ideal. Have you actually visited the Berkeley campus yet? You can walk along Telegraph and University Av. and see how you like it. Do take a look at the bums, and decide if that produces a horror in you so great that you are compelled to flee the city.

I have had fun on campus. And if you're into keggers, there are plenty of them. The experience you have depends on the friends that you make. The difference between fun at UCLA and fun at Berkeley is almost arbitrary, because your social life will depend entirely upon the people you hook up with. There are thousands of overachievers here, but there are thousands of people like *you* too. Good Luck!

By Sluggbugg (Sluggbugg) on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 03:47 pm: Edit

Bignate, can you give us an example of a "horror story?" I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm a Cal grad and a resident of the Bay Area for 27 years. Are we talking about Cal student life or life around the campus in Berkeley?

All I can add is that you will find some crazies in Berkeley, just like you will at any URBAN campus. The difference, however, is that even the crazies are interesting people. They're not knife-weilding psycopaths. The Bay Area, as a whole, tends to have excellent social services for folks who are really in need. My experience living here is that homeless people are not ignored by the cities and communities. There are enough people around who actually care enough to get involved.

As for crazy profs, it depends on what your definition of "crazy" is. I've met a lot of brilliant, creative, down-to-Earth, fascinating academics at Cal. My husband's company is in Berkeley, and he works with refreshingly smart, compassionate people. Give me a specific example of a horror story you've heard, and let's see if it's just blather or if there is something to it. The most difficult thing about being a student at Cal is feeling isolated as a result of not having a supportive group of friends. The political correctness of Berkeley is a PITA, but you learn to tune out the things that aren't pertinent or interesting to your activities and interests.

I can't comment on dorm life at Cal because I always lived off-campus, but I'd be happy to comment on specifics and either validate or invalidate them from my personal experience.

By Sluggbugg (Sluggbugg) on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 07:27 pm: Edit

P.S. Make that "knife-wielding," one of those "i" before "e" words. I should learn not to post when I'm in a hurry...With all of the nonstop, anti-establishment protest marches around here, I barely have enough time to drink lattés and drive my SUV down the freeway at 70 mph while talking on my cell phone.