Why I gave up UC Berkeley for USC
People thought I was crazy
You’re probably wondering why on Earth someone would give up UC Berkeley for USC. Well, trust me, you’re definitely not the first person to question my sanity. And I get it. It seems like a nonsensical decision — to give up something “better” for something “worse”. But what do we actually base those judgments on?
Ah, university rankings. We’ve all fallen down that dark hole before. In fact, a US News study reported that two thirds of students considered university rankings “very important” when choosing between colleges. The study revealed 75 percent of Asian students reported university rankings to be the most influential factor when making application decisions — compared to 53 percent of Caucasian students, 54 percent of African-American students, and 45 percent of Hispanic students.
I guess you can say I was one of those 75 percent of Asian students who was drawn to the allure of attending a high-ranking university. It’s human nature to compare and measure success. It’s no surprise, then, that we came up with a system to quantify the value of each university’s curriculum and education. I, too, wasn’t exempt from this mentality, and when my UC Berkeley acceptance letter came, I was thrilled. I didn’t hesitate to pack up my things and board a 17-hour flight to leave my home, Indonesia, for the US.
So what changed? Why did I give up UC Berkeley? The reason is relatively simple. I just didn’t like it there. First of all, Berkeley wasn’t at all what I’d imagined it to be. I hadn’t visited the campus prior to making my decision, and I’d thought it was going to be a quiet, college town. Instead, I learned it was actually pretty dirty, run-down, had a large homeless population, and always smelled of weed. Plus, Berkeley’s weather was bipolar; it could be hot one second and then windy and raining the next.
Berkeley’s also a big university, which made it easy to feel lost and small. And it wasn’t deemed the number one public university for nothing — Berkeley students were intelligent and ambitious. While being surrounded by such bright individuals was inspiring, it also meant it was very competitive and this could often be demotivating.
I’d been accepted as a Pre-Business major, which meant I’d have to re-apply to the Haas School of Business after 2 years. Acceptance to Haas was tough and I had to set myself apart, so although I enjoyed writing, I gave up joining the school newspaper and joined a business club instead. Even though Berkeley was only an hour away from San Francisco, I rarely had the chance to explore the city because I was either too busy or my friends were. My whole life revolved around the campus.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I am in no way saying UC Berkeley is a terrible school or place to live. There are many great things about Berkeley — its quality education, amazing professors, really good Asian food, and definitely its people. I’ve made some amazing friends there. But Berkeley was simply not me.
While I am sure many of you would love Berkeley and thrive in that setting, I couldn’t. I couldn’t thrive in the “study-centric” atmosphere that I felt constricted me to do things I wasn’t interested in just to remain “competitive”. I yearned to explore other interests, to have a chance to just sit and relax, to do things for fun rather than reason. Berkeley didn’t feel like a place I could call home — it felt more like a temporary place I was staying in before returning back to Indonesia. I felt like I was coasting through my university years without truly enjoying it. I wasn’t sad but I wasn’t happy either. I felt empty.
My point is, we are all unique individuals with different personalities and, thus, different needs. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. And while rankings can be an important factor in your university decision, it shouldn’t be your number one priority.
Although Berkeley will always hold a place in my heart, I can say I’m truly happy in Los Angeles. Aside from pursuing my Business degree at USC, I’ve also been able to pursue other interests (and yes, I’m now able to pursue my love for writing and have written for three different publications to date!). So, before you commit your next 4 years to a new place, be sure it’s a place you can be happy in. Don’t be like me, who was so caught up with university rankings that I didn’t think the other factors through. After all, these 4 years are supposed to be the best time of our lives, so make them count!