In all fifteen years of my life, I had never stepped foot on a college campus such as U.C. Berkeley. I did not imagine to see and to hear most of the facts that I had learned about U.C. Berkeley’s admissions and campus life. Most of the facts that I learned helped open my eyes to what I am supposed to achieve to attend a college such as U.C. Berkeley. The various facts I learned from research had already been somewhat of an eye opener. In addition, a lot of my astonishment came from the whole physical appearance of the large campus. Also, the tour of the campus really helped to the basic concept of what type of college I wanted to attend.
Visiting U.C. Berkeley made me realize and learn so much more than just reading their website. At first, I always heard that only students who had higher than a 4.0 grade point average were accepted, but I learned that they even take those that have a 3.5 grade point average. However, I’m still glad that someone told me that they only accept students with a 4.0 grade point average because it really galvanized me to take honors classes and to take leadership. In addition, I expected to see everyone in class, but instead I saw protesters, students showcasing their clubs, students eating out, and students just outside enjoying the great sun. What I appreciated learning the most was what the application is like from the perspective of current students attending U.C. Berkeley. Our tour guide told us that there are two personal statements in the form of an essay that is also part of the application. Community service is also asked for on the application. A lot of my astonishment also came from the sight of the very large buildings and structures that inhabit the campus. I was also amazed at the fact that the students could just leave the campus whenever they wanted without being surrounded by large fences. In addition, I was not expecting the people that you stay with in the dormitories could also be like the Digital Safari Academy, a family that we can rely on for fun and support. Lastly, the tour guide informed us that there were classes that had 900 students! I really was amazed about that fact because I could hardly imagine a class with fifty students.
Through the visit and the preparation for the visit, I have learned such a variety of useful facts that will be with me for the rest of my life and most importantly, my college life. For one, I really had no idea that jobs and colleges looked for students that have done community service. The college visit has also encouraged me to not just try to survive through high school by passing my classes, but to thrive through high school by trying much more challenging courses and to learn valuable skills while I am still in high school. I really hope to expand all of my skills through school and by means of community service. Hopefully, our Digital Safari Academy family will be able to take more tours of varying colleges and universities in different locations.
