A peek inside freshman year at Cal

Nearly four months in, and it feels like I’ve always been at UC Berkeley. My day starts before sunrise, as I join 60 girls in vans heading to crew practice. We get back in time to inhale the last remaining food in the dining halls, shower, and hopefully catch the bus to campus for class. In the afternoon, we usually have an additional practice, often a combo of cardio and weight-lifting.

Later, I eat dinner with teammates and other friends, then head to my room for a combo of homework, Netflix and sleeping (If I don’t get a nap in during the day, it is usually just the sleeping).

I am currently planning on declaring English as my major next semester, and possibly minoring in either Environmental Science Policy and Management, or Gender and Women’s Studies (or both). However I have been told I will probably change my mind a few times, so who knows what path I will end up following. I also have the honor of being a member of the women’s crew team.

Studying at UC Berkeley while training and competing in an NCAA sport doesn’t leave much time for anything, but I definitely have found the time to enjoy the East Bay and this incredible university. Not only am I attending a campus with a notoriously active student body, but during a period of social and political change. From sit-ins and camp-outs of tuition hikes, to protests for the Ayotzinapa students, to the “Black Lives Matter” rallies and later riots, to the growing movement and protests over sexual assault, its prevalence on U.S. college campuses, and the way it is handled by the administration, there is never a dull day on campus.

When all the crazy excitement of Berkeley proves too much, I make my way into the city on BART and either go to Union Square and Market Street to window shop, or head to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

Looking back, I remember touring Cal last year and walking through Sproul Plaza feeding off its energy and activist spirit. I advise any seniors and juniors who are making their college decisions to visit campuses if you can. From my experience, it became very obvious if I liked the school or not by just walking onto campus. If you cannot get to the campus, take advantage of the virtual tours most schools post online. Also, if you know what your interests are regarding a major, look for a school which has strong departments in those correlating fields.

Although less than an hour by car, Berkeley feels worlds away from Sonoma, and I forget how close to home I am. I have run into older friends from home a handful of times, but realistically, with a campus and student body the size of Cal’s, it has been hard to connect with them as often as we planned.

Although I miss my mom’s cooking, my family and friends, UC Berkeley is the best decision I made thus far, and I am so excited to see where it takes me.

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Madeline Cline graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 2014. She currently is a freshman, rowing for UC Berkeley.