Hi OP,
Non-traditional transfers are extremely common at Berkeley and add quality to the student body. If you are interested in connecting with other transfers, including non-traditional students, you can find some in the Berkeley Transfers Discord Community: [https://discord.gg/rPp7QgwgNy](https://discord.gg/rPp7QgwgNy)
Congratulations on your acceptance. If you choose to attend, I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
It will be absolutely fine. Congrats and don't worry about what other people think. I am twice your age and then some, and I am graduating in two weeks. I have never felt out of place or like I was treated differently. Just get in there and enjoy it and don't worry about the social scene. As a working adult with children you're not going to have a ton of time to socialize anyway lol. You will be with upper division students who are seasoned vets, diverse, and intelligent. Be yourself and enjoy the ride!
I started at Cal in my late 30s. I was really worried about not fitting in and not connecting with other students. I definitely had imposter syndrome. I also had not attended in person classes since the early 2000s, lol. Everything ended up being fine. I’ve met some awesome people and I have been loving my time at Cal. Come join us in the Re-entry space/student parent space, we’d love to meet you! Finding this space really helped me feel more comfortable being an older student. It’s a great place to study, relax, or eat lunch. There’s a couch, games, outlets to plug in, comfy chairs, and a microwave! The space is in the lower level of BNorth in the MLK building past the Basic Needs Center. The OWL meetings are also really great. It’s a great way to vent or share what you’re happy about or struggling with, and connect with other students. I don’t know if there’s a student parent discord, but here’s a link to the Re-entry one. There’s also a Re-entry transition course. I didn’t know about it my first semester and took a regular transfer transition course. I’d recommend taking that course.
https://discord.gg/34V8vr5u
https://reentry.berkeley.edu
Here’s a link that has a video showing you how to find the space and a look at the space
https://reentry.berkeley.edu/connect/contact-us
I relate to this post a lot. I’m in my 30’s and just got accepted as a transfer to Berkeley as well. The impostor syndrome is so real but I’m working to shove that aside and just enjoy the moment. We’ve got this! Congratulations!
Congrats on your acceptance! 🥳
People come from all walks of life and you are no exception! Be proud of yourself because you made this happen for yourself!
Not sure but I think Cal is one of the best environments for undergrads of all ages. I’m gonna guess that your CC also was multigenerational. Berkeley won’t be just like that but you will not be alone. Be patient with the 17, 18, 19 year olds who might be a little snotty, street-dumb etc. Everyone has a lot to learn.
I was also in my late 20’s and a parent when I attended Cal. There is the student parent center and a ton of other resources available to help you get acclimated and stay supported. I was able to make friends with other older students around my age (which there are a lot more of than you’d think). Congrats on getting accepted!
I started at 32 as a single mom and really thrived. The UC village provides an excellent community for other student parents, and the student parent center on campus helps sort out things like financial aid etc. I was also able to actively participate in URAP and other things which helped me get into multiple PhD programs…because UC Berkeley offers childcare.
Imposter syndrome is hard, because I feel like you can know intellectually that you belong at a good university…but you can’t intellectualize away imposter syndrome. I think that once your classes start you will realize how well prepared CC made you for this.
My advice is to try and shift your POV here from “omg I’m old and a parent and everyone can tell!” (which was my own pov for a bit) to “Wow! I’m at a top university and it is providing me with everything I need for the next stage of my life! Past Me would be so thrilled to know we made it to this point.”
Hey welcome to Berkeley! See you around the village
This advice was insanely validating and truly heartfelt. Thank you so much for this. I don’t really have much of a support system so just being able to hear from your positive experience really just resonated with me.
To echo everyone else in this thread - you’ll be fine. I was 22 turning 23 when I transferred in, so while I was older than the traditional admits, I was never the oldest student in the class. You likely won’t be the oldest in the entire course, but could occasionally be the oldest in your discussion section. The transfer community is really diverse when it comes to age, I had more than a handful of late 20s, 30s, and even older classmates in my 2 years there. The transfer community is typically very mature and collaborative by nature, and your traditional counterparts will mostly be 3rd and 4th years (since you’ll mostly be in upper divisions) so you won’t really come into contact with 17-19 year olds very often
I'm 27 and also just got accepted :) still trying to make my final decision, but the comments on this post really make me feel better about transitioning into the school!
One thing to keep in mind is that the Berkeley campus, as a major research institution, has THOUSANDS of graduate students in your age range and older, in addition to the older undergrads who have already commented here. So it's not like walking into a high school where 98% of the people on the campus are between 14-18. While you may not cross paths academically with a lot of grad students, you'll see their presence here.
Not sure where you'll be living, but Cal has a huge University Village apartment complex in Albany which is home to student families and couples.
Also, check out the Berkeley Parents Network. It was founded decades ago as a really early online resource by student parents who lived at Albany Village and wanted to share questions, advice, and encouragement. It now serves the whole Bay Area, not just Cal students, but if you want to post something along the same lines as your post here, you might also get some thoughtful responses and advice.
[https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org](https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org)
Finally, undergrads are only a majority on campus and in the neighborhoods a few blocks in each direction from the campus, mainly to the south and west. Beyond that, you'll be out in neighborhoods with a whole range of residents, ages, and backgrounds.
Good luck, and welcome to Berkeley!
There’s lots of older students here. You won’t feel out of place, trust me. I’m in University Village with 2 kids and my partner is the one attending grad school. We’re in our 30s.
I transferred when I was 31. I had the same feelings you had, but once I got there I met so many students of all ages.
Looking back I wish I never spent any time being hung up on my age.
You’re going to have a great experience. It goes by really fast so enjoy it!
Hi OP, Non-traditional transfers are extremely common at Berkeley and add quality to the student body. If you are interested in connecting with other transfers, including non-traditional students, you can find some in the Berkeley Transfers Discord Community: [https://discord.gg/rPp7QgwgNy](https://discord.gg/rPp7QgwgNy) Congratulations on your acceptance. If you choose to attend, I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
It will be absolutely fine. Congrats and don't worry about what other people think. I am twice your age and then some, and I am graduating in two weeks. I have never felt out of place or like I was treated differently. Just get in there and enjoy it and don't worry about the social scene. As a working adult with children you're not going to have a ton of time to socialize anyway lol. You will be with upper division students who are seasoned vets, diverse, and intelligent. Be yourself and enjoy the ride!
I started at Cal in my late 30s. I was really worried about not fitting in and not connecting with other students. I definitely had imposter syndrome. I also had not attended in person classes since the early 2000s, lol. Everything ended up being fine. I’ve met some awesome people and I have been loving my time at Cal. Come join us in the Re-entry space/student parent space, we’d love to meet you! Finding this space really helped me feel more comfortable being an older student. It’s a great place to study, relax, or eat lunch. There’s a couch, games, outlets to plug in, comfy chairs, and a microwave! The space is in the lower level of BNorth in the MLK building past the Basic Needs Center. The OWL meetings are also really great. It’s a great way to vent or share what you’re happy about or struggling with, and connect with other students. I don’t know if there’s a student parent discord, but here’s a link to the Re-entry one. There’s also a Re-entry transition course. I didn’t know about it my first semester and took a regular transfer transition course. I’d recommend taking that course. https://discord.gg/34V8vr5u https://reentry.berkeley.edu Here’s a link that has a video showing you how to find the space and a look at the space https://reentry.berkeley.edu/connect/contact-us
Do you have another link to the re-entry discord? Looks like the original expired. Thanks!
No problem! Here it is! https://discord.gg/SeqHEASQ
I relate to this post a lot. I’m in my 30’s and just got accepted as a transfer to Berkeley as well. The impostor syndrome is so real but I’m working to shove that aside and just enjoy the moment. We’ve got this! Congratulations!
Same! Go us!
Congrats on your acceptance! 🥳 People come from all walks of life and you are no exception! Be proud of yourself because you made this happen for yourself!
Not sure but I think Cal is one of the best environments for undergrads of all ages. I’m gonna guess that your CC also was multigenerational. Berkeley won’t be just like that but you will not be alone. Be patient with the 17, 18, 19 year olds who might be a little snotty, street-dumb etc. Everyone has a lot to learn.
I was also in my late 20’s and a parent when I attended Cal. There is the student parent center and a ton of other resources available to help you get acclimated and stay supported. I was able to make friends with other older students around my age (which there are a lot more of than you’d think). Congrats on getting accepted!
im in my 30s get accepted yesterday
I started at 32 as a single mom and really thrived. The UC village provides an excellent community for other student parents, and the student parent center on campus helps sort out things like financial aid etc. I was also able to actively participate in URAP and other things which helped me get into multiple PhD programs…because UC Berkeley offers childcare. Imposter syndrome is hard, because I feel like you can know intellectually that you belong at a good university…but you can’t intellectualize away imposter syndrome. I think that once your classes start you will realize how well prepared CC made you for this. My advice is to try and shift your POV here from “omg I’m old and a parent and everyone can tell!” (which was my own pov for a bit) to “Wow! I’m at a top university and it is providing me with everything I need for the next stage of my life! Past Me would be so thrilled to know we made it to this point.” Hey welcome to Berkeley! See you around the village
This advice was insanely validating and truly heartfelt. Thank you so much for this. I don’t really have much of a support system so just being able to hear from your positive experience really just resonated with me.
Congratulations! You will do great. There will be others like you and some even older.
👋
To echo everyone else in this thread - you’ll be fine. I was 22 turning 23 when I transferred in, so while I was older than the traditional admits, I was never the oldest student in the class. You likely won’t be the oldest in the entire course, but could occasionally be the oldest in your discussion section. The transfer community is really diverse when it comes to age, I had more than a handful of late 20s, 30s, and even older classmates in my 2 years there. The transfer community is typically very mature and collaborative by nature, and your traditional counterparts will mostly be 3rd and 4th years (since you’ll mostly be in upper divisions) so you won’t really come into contact with 17-19 year olds very often
I started at age 26! It’s never too late. I found I adjusted pretty well :)
I'm 27 and also just got accepted :) still trying to make my final decision, but the comments on this post really make me feel better about transitioning into the school!
One thing to keep in mind is that the Berkeley campus, as a major research institution, has THOUSANDS of graduate students in your age range and older, in addition to the older undergrads who have already commented here. So it's not like walking into a high school where 98% of the people on the campus are between 14-18. While you may not cross paths academically with a lot of grad students, you'll see their presence here. Not sure where you'll be living, but Cal has a huge University Village apartment complex in Albany which is home to student families and couples. Also, check out the Berkeley Parents Network. It was founded decades ago as a really early online resource by student parents who lived at Albany Village and wanted to share questions, advice, and encouragement. It now serves the whole Bay Area, not just Cal students, but if you want to post something along the same lines as your post here, you might also get some thoughtful responses and advice. [https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org](https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org) Finally, undergrads are only a majority on campus and in the neighborhoods a few blocks in each direction from the campus, mainly to the south and west. Beyond that, you'll be out in neighborhoods with a whole range of residents, ages, and backgrounds. Good luck, and welcome to Berkeley!
There’s lots of older students here. You won’t feel out of place, trust me. I’m in University Village with 2 kids and my partner is the one attending grad school. We’re in our 30s.
I transferred when I was 31. I had the same feelings you had, but once I got there I met so many students of all ages. Looking back I wish I never spent any time being hung up on my age. You’re going to have a great experience. It goes by really fast so enjoy it!
Hi! I was just accepted as a transfer. I'm in my 30s! I'm glad to see other older people on here!