Freshman Orientation 2013

Welcome freshmen, to the University of California, Berkeley. Not Berkeley, UC Berkeley.

Walking around Berkeley, you will likely meet a wide host of characters. From classmates to custodians, from city officials to campus administrators, the faces of Berkeley are numerous and varied. Below we have included some of the more prominent figures you are like to see or read about both on campus and around the city of Berkeley.

Berkeley is expensive. The rent is high. The clothing stores are trendy and cost a lot. If you let loose for dinner at a restaurant with homey decor and ethically raised ingredients, you can end up with a bill costing $45 per person. A year after arriving in Berkeley, I changed three things. First, I stopped comparing prices here with those in Houston, my hometown. Second, I started having a budget for the first time in my life. Finally, I started to cook.

In moments of taunting reminiscence, I find myself once again sitting on the Cheese Board median, allotting more mouth time to flirting with this almost-stranger than to devouring the heavenly parmesan pizza sitting between us.

Coming to UC Berkeley, junior Vrinda Agarwal knew she wanted to tackle the issue of women in education.

Here is a timeline of some important events from the last year you might want to know before beginning your first semester at UC Berkeley.