"I Shall Not Pass This Way Again": A Lesson In Having The Gusto To Tackle Oppurtunity

So, I have been here in Berkeley for 5 days and it has been a crash course... I've been having a really good time thus far. People from the Berkeley are very friendly and willing to help. When I had to get out of my cab in order to check into my building, I had far too many bags to carry up into the complex at one time. My driver volunteered to wait on the curb with my things until I was able to come get them. And then, when signing in, one of the students helped me to move all of my stuff into the registration hall until I could get the chance to go see my room.
Once I had moved into my room, I met my RA, who was very kind and cheerful.
Also, I had to go to the UCB campus to get my ID and welcome packet. Its important to have the id here on campus because it is basically your key to everything! (Dining in all of the campus and residential dining facilities and restaurants) a bus pass, your swipe cards to enter your building at night, a bus pass and your library card! So, it is practically an essential to your everyday life. Also, I took a brief tour on my own with a map of certain sights on campus. I was able to find the memorial and main (gardner) library and finally take a picture of the Sather Gate, which is one of the most famous images on the Berkeley campus.
It's a bit of an adjustment going from a campus where I can get to everything in 15-20 minutes and usually a lot less to a campus that it takes 90 minutes just to tour half of!!!! But, I also like the campus because it is beautiful and each of the building house an incredible opportunity.
Another adjustment is going from an all girl school to not only a co-ed school, a co-ed dorm but a co-ed floor in my dorm. It's a little awkward at times, considering all men other than security guards must be off Spelman's campus by 12... But, I think it will be nice to make some male friends here. That can be pretty difficult for me at Spelman because I usually get caught up in all things on Spelman's campus that I don't really take much of an interest in things anywhere else. So, that should work out pretty well.
Another great feature of my housing unit is that they are having a weeks worth of Welcome Activities. (Spring Admissions at Berkeley are quite common. So it's nice being the only new person. And it's nice to get in on all the new people activities.) The first night of activities were a movies and hot chocolate event. We watched Inception which is one of my favorite movies of all time. (Gotta love Leo and Anti-gravity fights!) Also, my RA invited me to dinner with her and a few other people at Crossroads (the eating facility near my unit). So, the first day was pretty good overall.
The second day I went on a tour of the campus and had a great time! I learned a lot of great facts about Berkeley, such as how many elements in the periodic table were discovered by Berkeley. Also, about the participation and rebellion that took place on the campus during the Free Speech Movement of the '60's. Also, I went to meet with the academic advisor for my major today and visited the entire Sociology department. So, I feel like I made quite a success of the time I had on my hands. Then, on Thursday night, two of the residents on my floor invited me to hang out with them for a while. It was my first time taking the city bus anywhere and for a first experience, it was truly not that bad. The prices for fare were the same as a trip on the Marta, which is cool. It's easier to make an adjustment when you can find the similarities between something that you are used to. After we returned to campus, we went to the evening Welcome activity which was Game night at Crossroads. Also, I learned about late night, which is a time in the cafeteria where you can order what they have available and it stays open until about 2am for students with late schedules.
On Friday, I decided to measure the amount of time it would take to get to each of my classes. The lucky part is that it only takes 7 minutes for me to get from my housing unit to the campus. And the farthest I will have to walk for a class is a little under 20 minutes. So, I guess its the equivalent to the stairs in Giles that it takes to get the the Sociology department. :-) Also, I spent time at the days welcome back activity which was going to a pretty famous pizzeria, Zachery's/ This is meant to be deep dish pizza that is better that Chicago. Now, I will not confirm or deny that claim. I don't want anything to do with such controversial statements. Lol. Anyway, there was also a Rockband and Video game night.
These last few days have been so jam packed, I wanted to say as much as I could about them.
The most important thing I have learned about these last few days is never to doubt your own capabilities. If I had listened to all the little voices and doubts that I have about attending a school like UCB, I never would have come on this journey. And I would regret that because I am growing to not only like UCB, but LOVE it. I love that there is so much to do here. There are so many ways to get involved. For instances, there are courses here called DeCal's (Democratic Eduaction and Cal courses). These classes are taught by students on a topic that they find facinating. For instance, there was a course last year on Harry Potter and at the end of the semester, the students were able to have an actual Quidditch match on the lawns of the campus. This semester, the have courses about James Bond, Harry Potter, Female Sexuality, Christian Love and Yoga. The one that I am planning to take... The Sociology of the Twilight Saga! (I am so excited!)
There is so much to do here, I a can hardly wait for the academic year to begin so that I can pounce on all of the chances for inclusion that there are here on campus.
While I am homesick in some ways, missing my friends at Spelman and certainly my family, I am having such a great time discovering The Bay Area that I am able to put those thoughts off and enjoy myself!