Vanessa Ngai is our 2024 Carol Phan Memorial College Scholarship recipient and this is Vanessa’s blog entry describing her first semester experiences at U.C. Berkeley.
We wish Vanessa the very best at U.C. Berkeley where she is majoring Computer Science.
Go here to read Vanessa’s winning Scholarship submission.
ORIENTATION
Before school kicks off, for freshmen, there’s orientation! Golden Bear Orientation was a week full of optional activities in small groups, usually grouped by floor. I personally chose to attend as many events as I could. An improv show, silent disco, museum trip, and even a small fair…there was no shortage of things to do. It was an incredible bonding experience to share with the people I will live with for the next year, as well as an opportunity to acclimate to the area. My orientation leaders were really down-to-Earth, and we were able to ask them a lot of questions to prepare us for our time at Berkeley (I particularly appreciated the comprehensive boba rankings for each shop near campus). By the end of orientation, strangers became friends, and I shook off any nerves I had about living away from home.
DORM LIFE
Random roommates, oh, the horror! Or at least, that’s what you might be thinking. As it turns out, I could not be happier with my roommates. We could not be more different: computer science, urban planning, and nutrition. Despite this (or maybe because of this), I find it very easy to get along with them. From time to time, we will have a movie night, exercise together, or share snacks and discuss what we’re watching. This feeling extends to my floormates as well; if anyone were to ask who I feel closest to, I would say my floormates. We eat together, study together, and support each other. The lounge on the ground floor—which has a TV, ping pong table, pool table, and piano—and the study lounge on our floor help facilitate our group shenanigans. While I do dearly miss my partners in crime from back home, I can’t say that I’m lacking friends with my floormates around.
ACADEMICS
For my first semester in college, I wanted to load up on credits while making sure I wasn’t overestimating myself. I took 19 units: Comparative Literature, Data Science, Calculus, Computer Science, Figma, and research. Though I could have skipped the first course in Calculus and Computer Science with my credits, I knew I did not feel strong enough in those subjects, and I’m glad I chose to retake them. Not only did I make friends in those courses that motivated me through the semester, but I also solidified my understanding of the subjects. The material taught in college is definitely different from AP. By choosing not to rush through those subjects, I was able to relax more and focus on my other classes. I really enjoyed my courses: comparative literature explored nuances in sound reflecting sociohistorical movements, data science allowed me to explore other options alongside computer science, computer science inspired me to take on projects on my own, and calculus prepared me for the second course. My other two courses, the research and Figma, were light and posed as relaxing tasks I did in between my other courses (more on this in the next section!).
Check out the game I made for my Computer Science final:
https://github.com/v3emily/Snake-Game.git
EXTRACURRICULARS
So far, the biggest benefit I’ve gained from Berkeley is their DeCals. A DeCal is a course that is under 3 units and is taught by students. Options are vast, from Pokémon, cooking, happiness, photography, virtual reality, and what I chose: Figma. Figma is a free online tool used for design, and its prototyping features make it convenient for website and mobile app design. I had a lot of fun with this course, and it really broadened my horizons to encompass web design. DeCals are a great way to explore different niches in a stress-free way. I plan to pick up more once I have space in my schedule, and I have my eye on the 3D Modeling and Animation course. For my research, I am the artist for a professor’s project through Berkeley’s Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. I make illustrations for a menstrual health presentation for women in Tamil Nadu. My role has a light workload: I attend a weekly Zoom meeting and, if they have work for me, I draw a couple different versions of the prompt in Photoshop and send them to the team for review. I don’t always have work each week, and I am usually able to finish within a day or two. Through this experience, I’ve stopped thinking about all research as something super advanced that I’m underqualified for; I highly encourage everyone to have confidence in themselves and try their best!
Check out the website design I made for my Figma midterm:
FUN
But of course, college isn’t all just studying, and Berkeley has a lot for us to explore outside of class. Groups on campus often have performances of all varieties: plays, concerts, and orchestras. I went with some floormates to see “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812” to cheer on our floormate in the ensemble. The show was amazing, and the students were talented and full of energy.
Berkeley is also close to a variety of activities, and with the public transport (buses are free for students!), you’re never too far from the action. Again, with my floormates, I went to see Rex Orange County in Oakland on November 21st. Fortunately, the bus ride was only 13 minutes away, and it was packed with students.
The concert was great, and I hope to return again with more friends!
Drive Safe! Never Forget
ForCarol: Drive Safe! Never Forget 