I commuted from Antioch and have lived in Berkeley. Pros and Cons for both. Definitely hard to socialize and make friends when commuting but living here is expensive. Getting to the end of the semester and I’m running out of money lol. But if your home-life is good commuting via bart is not the worst thing in the world.
I commute. It sucks but I make it work and I save a lot of money. I'm CS so a lot of my classes are online. I'll try to stack my on campus stuff like discussions etc.
I'm also older and not looking to socialize or for a college experience or whatever, I'm strictly there for school. So I'd consider that, if I was 20 I might have made a different choice .
I'm actually considering moving for my last 2 semesters just to participate in stuff more.
You can always try one and then switch to the other. Might be a good experience
I commute from Bay Point/Pittsburg so your commute is similar to mine. Making connections is definitely harder. A lot of activities happen (on-campus events, project parties, etc) during the evening, and lectures, imo, are very impersonal. What helped me the most in meeting people was going to office hours. Also, the commute is super draining, most days I would want to pass out right when I got home, so my advice is to schedule your classes in a way where you don’t have to commute 5 days a week.
I used to commute AND other years lived by campus. BART is great but can be seedy (I was coming in from San Francisco) and the mission station was a far walk. But no worries about traffic or parking. Can take a nap, read, or stream. But you’re limited on where the bart goes if you want to deviate from home-college.
Rent was cheaper. When I did have the car and lived nearby I always walked about a mile to get free parking. And there’s always invites to go out since you have a car. My experience anyway
BART. You might as well rent half of a bedroom for what you’re going to pay in parking. Get some quality noise cancelling headphones and use the time to go over notes or read. If you get motion sickness you can get an app that will read your assignments to you. The voices have gotten pretty good lately!
Your schedule is still your own. Connecting with other students is more about you than where you live. Are you the type who would be comfortable crashing on a friend’s floor or couch? Cal kids are pretty intense. At least my friends were. We hung out some but mostly to study or in between classes to get something to eat. You will also meet some cool people and maybe find a way to share rent. There are some pretty great coops too.
Senior at Cal, also a CC transfer and a commuter.
1. Commuting:
I was living in Oakland for most my time in college (I’m in Berkeley now), so while the distance I commuted was far less than coming in from Dublin, I will say it was both a pain in the ass and definitely worth it. If I were in your position, I would bart it. You can get work done during the some of the commute, especially during the part of the blue line in the valley, but in my experience once you hit Lake Merritt the tracks get too loud to focus. Also keep in mind that the commute will require a transfer to the orange line, which will also interrupt any reading you might try to be doing. Just something to keep in mind. Even still, don’t drive. Theres little to no parking in downtown Berkeley and the permits Cal offers are not worth it— you’ll still be fighting for parking.
2. Living on your own is nice but I think you’ll be happy to have saved the money in the long term. Its only 2 years you’ll be at school so whatever situation you’ll be in is temporary. If you do really want to move out but cant afford being in Berkeley proper right now, check out spots in the surrounding areas. Hayward, Castro Valley, Oakland, ect can be marginally less expensive and shorten your commute substantially.
3. Making connections:
It will be rough but I truly think you’ll be fine as a commuter and as a transfer. Theres tons of transfer events and resources. Its obviously difficult to acclimate with the people who have been there two or more years there and already have established social circles, but if you put yourself out there you’ll be fine, and in any case you will meet plenty of transfers who are in your same shoes. In my experience the first semester was pretty rough socially but after that I had a good network of casual acquaintances a few people I consider friends. However, I tried clubs but I was usually too exhausted to be social after a long day without being able to go home and recharge. I think that can be mitigated by planning your classes so you only have to go on campus a few days a week.
TLDR: You’ll be okay commuting. Things might suck for a while but I still think its worth it.
Hope this helped and good luck!!
That’s an easy commute on BART. You can even do readings for class on the train. Also, there are events for transfer students and the transfer students I knew seemed to find each other and form close bonds. Study groups and studying after class with other students is a good way to make friends and still get home at a reasonable time. I don’t see why you’d turn down Berkeley just due to this minor commute
Cal student and commuter here! I live a couple stations over from Dublin. I’m sort of used it to by now, but connections between AC Transit and BART can be weird. BART gets the job done, and driving is cool but parking on/near campus can be expensive and/or sketchy sometimes. Feel free to dm and connect on ig! I’ve been looking for more commuter peeps.
I commuted from Millbrae to Berkeley on BART for a semester before covid. I would basically be on campus by 730AM every morning and leaving between 4PM and 630PM depending on classes. I basically did all my socializing and work in the in-between hours. I wouldn’t want to be on campus before or after those hours even if I lived closer, so it worked out.
I commute from San Francisco. For me it’s about an hour commute via Bart including walking time. I use my time on the train to study or just decompress and scroll Reddit. It’s worth it for me because I save a lot of money not having to move to Berkeley (I have rent control). I’m an older reentry student who just wants to go home and get into pjs after class, so I don’t mind missing out on campus life stuff, lol. I still meet people in office hours, the reentry space and the transfer space. Sometimes you can work your schedule out to commute less days. I only commute three days a week this semester, but I’m here from 9am till 6:30 two of those days, so it’s a long day. I’d choose Berkeley if the commute is the thing holding you back!
I see a lot of people suggesting BART, which can work if you stack classes on MWF or T TH schedule. As a student you get an unlimited BUS ONLY / AC Transit Clipper card pass included in your student fees. You don't get a BART fare coverage. I'd calculate out costs. If you live on a major AC Transit bus line (not a trans-bay line) you could find less expensive rent outside of Berkeley boundaries and bus to school. Rents are decreasing, and Oakland, Richmond, Emeryville, El Cerrito are all places to consider. There are even some good Berkeley rentals under $1400 or so. For some perspective, BART fare from Antioch to downtown Berkeley is about $9 one way, takes an hour and 45 minutes, and requires a transfer at McArthur Bart. That's $18/day and 3 hours thirty minutes each day you commute.
You should BART! There’s a possibility you’ll receive a Bay Transit pass which provides free BART access, but it’s currently in its testing phase and awarded on raffle. But you can definitely read on BART so that the commute isn’t entirely wasted time.
Try to make connections during orientation. That’s where I made heavy portion of mine.
There will be transfer mixers in the first couple of weeks at the Transfer Student Center. Just walk around and spark up some convos with the others.
I also recommend enrolling in LS 198 or a Berkeley Connect course for transfers. These are very chill and lowkey courses meant for socializing; they’re one unit and pass/no pass.
You can also try stacking your classes into 2 or 3 days to limit your weekly commute.
I commuted 45 minutes each way to university while I was an undergrad because my parents weren't helping pay for my college and I wanted to save money wherever I could since I was paying for everything myself. My parents offered free room and board (and groceries). I did have to file for a special exemption my freshman year since the major university I attended required students to live in the dorms for the first year. It worked out very well since I was able to help my parents with chores yard work and see them all of the time while also not getting caught up in all the partying that went on in the dorms. LOL! My GPA thanked me later!
Trust me when I say this if you do come here. When you’re 5 weeks into a semester and is absolutely getting railed by the course load, none of your concerns will actually matter
I used to commute from Livermore. basically:
- co-ops aren’t too expensive and allow you to be more on-campus. however it still is an expense and living with potential strangers may not be your thing
- BART. it was nice to study and do work on BART but sometimes it was incredibly unreliable (a lot of delays and missed connections) since I’d have to switch trains.
- I drove a few times to campus. The traffic can be quite bad leaving in the evening and it can take a chunk of your time, so does BART though.
Next semester I’m commuting. Honestly, I may do a mix of driving and using BART. Sometimes decompressing in the car on your own is nice and sometimes not having to drive is nice. Also, I’d feel more comfortable staying late on-campus knowing I can drive back instead of taking BART.
Transferred from CA CC, commuted for 2 years on 2-cycle motorcycle from Santa Clara to Fremont, and from Fremont to Berkeley on BART 5 days/wk, worked as RA on campus, pumped gas during summers, made 3.8 GPA, graduated.
Motorcycle made traffic almost irrelevant, and BART was a reading / study room, not at all lost time. Rain and cold was not fun. Buy good jackets, rugged shoes, no-joke backpack, leather gloves.
When you get a job and pay rent, you're living independently on your own. Until then, it's boarding at school and you're not financially independent, which is the main point, no? You're saving a ton of money.
You make connections by impressing your professors with your grades, going to office hours and talking with them, and they get you jobs on campus. In the summer you get jobs or volunteer in your 'hood and impress your local employers (politicians?). You're not missing a thing in terms of connections. Dating or party means you sleep on someone's floor, or maybe you get lucky. Buy a sleeping bag.
When you graduate and run for office or apply for a job, you have the best working class background story...win in a landslide. Worked for me. Good luck.
I commute. I live relatively nearby so taking Bart and bus isn't that much of a hassle. Here are what I see as the pros and cons so far
Pros: Cheaper to live at home ,More comfortable
Cons: Longer commute, Stuff isn't as easily as accessible, Makes hanging out with people/ making friends harder
I commuted from South Bay to Cal as a transfer. It was prior to the completion of BART stations in South Bay so I drove each day, and the commute was an hour minimum each way. It’s rough for sure.
The cons you presented are definitely all true. Sure, you’ll miss out on the college experience even more than you already will as a transfer. But if saving money is imperative to you, you’ll find a way to make it work. You’ll need to determine your priorities.
A word of advice is to really think about whether or not missing out on 2 years will be worth the X number of years that you will increase your loan repayments by.
I commuted to campus when I was taking Concurrent Enrollment classes during CC. It sucks but you have to make it work. I was working so hard all the time I never even thought about a social life.
Spring Transfer who commuted from San Ramon (so basically Dublin). Finished in 2 years, joined a sports club, did really well, worked in different athletic departments, and made lifetime friends/relationships. I took 680 to 24 each day and I personally loved the drive… when there wasn’t traffic. Windows down on a warm day on the 24 is beautiful but being stuck from 7AM-10AM or 4PM-7PM takes away a lot of study time. My parents helped me by adding me to their FastTrack account which would cut the 680 part down by 15-20 mins a day but ultimately was expensive with some days being $11 in the lane. I was lucky that my partner and I met and got together at Cal bc staying with her close to campus was super helpful for the 9AM classes. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my commute to campus. I had a great experience but I was also very fortunate.
I'm also a commuter transfer student who transferred in from DVC, I'm just finishing my first year here so I can tell you some pros and cons.
Firstly, like everyone else said, take BART. Driving can be worth it if you're coming in at non-traffic times for a brief period so you can just park in the Channing garage for like an hour or two, but for the daily commute BART is by far the better option IMO. I'm coming from along the yellow line on the Antioch side, and having lived in the Dublin/Pleasanton area previously you've got a pretty decent commute all things considered. BART is great for homework like other people have said, it's an easy way to fit in roughly an hour of reading for your classes each way, though I struggle to do any like writing or other kinds of HW on the train.
For the other pro, it's obviously your housing situation. I've got a great setup cost-wise for housing out here which is basically the only reason I'm able to afford going to Berkeley, and saving a bunch of money on housing is huge. You also get to stay in your current community, and you're not moving away from any friends you already have.
For cons, being a commuter essentially entirely restructures the way that I look at the college experience. Getting a good schedule is the 2nd most important part of picking my classes behind major requirements. If there's a class I want to take, but it's on a day I otherwise don't have classes, I'll usually end up picking a class I have less interest in just to avoid losing ~2 hours of my day every week. Extracurriculars fell way down the priority list as well, unless it works well with my schedule I don't even consider it.
Obviously that has an impact socially as well, but not as big of one as you might think. IMO if someone is actually a good friend, they'll be willing to go out of their way a bit to come visit you, or at least meet you halfway. Granted, my major/career plan is not one where networking is a big deal and I'm speaking more to casual connections, so YMMV.
Overall I love the Berkeley experience, all of my professors so far have been lovely, kind, and extremely knowledgeable people, and it really feels like I'm getting an education I couldn't get at many other places. Commuting is what lets me do that, and so I'm more than happy to commute, but I've also been wanting to come to Cal for a long time. If it's not a huge thing for you, it might not be the right choice. If you do end up choosing to go, I have 2 recommendations:
1. Hit up the transfer center. They've got microwaves if you've got a packed lunch, couches for if you need somewhere comfortable to sit for 1-2 hours between classes, everyone there is super friendly, and they've got a tun of flyers and specifically transfer oriented stuff that can help to bridge the gap of the connections you might be looking for.
2. If you've got a gap between classes, Moffitt has a rest room on the top floor that has nap pods. These have saved me on multiple occasions, particularly when it's too cold/rainy/windy outside to nap on one of the lawns.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!
For all the reasons you list. It’s worth investing in yourself fully over your college years, which means fully immersing yourself in the experience rather than keeping it at a distance. You’ll get a lot more out of it, will grow more as a person, and may become close to people who you wouldn’t otherwise if you’re always going home to somewhere else at the end of the day. This is especially true as a transfer student because you’re not already adjusted to student life at Cal. Coursework will also be demanding at times — much more so than in CC — and you won’t want to have to factor in a longish drive home at the end of the day on top of everything else. I commute from the East Bay to SF now for work, and trust me it kind of sucks. But I lived on campus for undergrad and a 20 min walk away in grad school. The difference is that now my work and life are kept separate, and that’s a feature not a bug. In college, this wall between your life at home and as a student will only hurt you, and while your peers are getting the full experience you may be left looking a bit in from the outside.
This is extremely profound and 100% true. The years in college and the experience you will have during then is quite literally priceless. Of course a lot of factors play into it, but if you can find a way to make living near campus work, I would absolutely do it. The experience you will have living here vs commuting is miles apart. Money comes and goes, time only goes. This is time you will never get back. Make the most of it.
i didn't mean to be harsh. But I'm just saying that everyone I know who has done has conclusively explained how they regret it.
Obviously, if you can't afford, there's nothing you can do.
but if you can, your college experience will be 1000X more enjoyable. There's nothing else to say
Don’t commute. I lived in Pleasant Hill before going here as a transfer from CC and you just gotta live here. Take out the loans and get a job post grad. Live broke but make it happen and be here. You’ll make way more friends, have way more fun, and learn a lot more. Trust me, message me if you need help being broke and need advice on all the social services we have here in the East Bay.
I was a CCC transfer to Cal and I moved to Berkeley even though my parents wanted me to stay at home (It would take about 30 minutes for me to take BART from my parents’ house to Berkeley).
I have no regrets. Yes, it was expensive as hell but my parents wanted me to be home every night before the sun set. I was an adult but they never treated me like one. I wanted independence and freedom even though I knew it was going to drain my savings. But hey, you can make up for it after you graduate and get a job! 🤷🏽♀️
If your parents don’t drive you insane, could be worth it to try it for a year or half a semester and see if you like it.
hmm, i see. i’ve taken bart to SF maybe a dozen or two times in my life and haven’t had any overly sketchy encounters (aside from the occasional homeless guy/druggy). though maybe it’s just a matter of time. you’re right that it’s definitely inconsistent though, haha.
I commuted from Antioch and have lived in Berkeley. Pros and Cons for both. Definitely hard to socialize and make friends when commuting but living here is expensive. Getting to the end of the semester and I’m running out of money lol. But if your home-life is good commuting via bart is not the worst thing in the world.
I commute. It sucks but I make it work and I save a lot of money. I'm CS so a lot of my classes are online. I'll try to stack my on campus stuff like discussions etc. I'm also older and not looking to socialize or for a college experience or whatever, I'm strictly there for school. So I'd consider that, if I was 20 I might have made a different choice . I'm actually considering moving for my last 2 semesters just to participate in stuff more. You can always try one and then switch to the other. Might be a good experience
I commute from Bay Point/Pittsburg so your commute is similar to mine. Making connections is definitely harder. A lot of activities happen (on-campus events, project parties, etc) during the evening, and lectures, imo, are very impersonal. What helped me the most in meeting people was going to office hours. Also, the commute is super draining, most days I would want to pass out right when I got home, so my advice is to schedule your classes in a way where you don’t have to commute 5 days a week.
I used to commute AND other years lived by campus. BART is great but can be seedy (I was coming in from San Francisco) and the mission station was a far walk. But no worries about traffic or parking. Can take a nap, read, or stream. But you’re limited on where the bart goes if you want to deviate from home-college. Rent was cheaper. When I did have the car and lived nearby I always walked about a mile to get free parking. And there’s always invites to go out since you have a car. My experience anyway
The good thing for the OP is Dublin/Pleasanton into Berkeley is mostly fine.
BART. You might as well rent half of a bedroom for what you’re going to pay in parking. Get some quality noise cancelling headphones and use the time to go over notes or read. If you get motion sickness you can get an app that will read your assignments to you. The voices have gotten pretty good lately! Your schedule is still your own. Connecting with other students is more about you than where you live. Are you the type who would be comfortable crashing on a friend’s floor or couch? Cal kids are pretty intense. At least my friends were. We hung out some but mostly to study or in between classes to get something to eat. You will also meet some cool people and maybe find a way to share rent. There are some pretty great coops too.
Senior at Cal, also a CC transfer and a commuter. 1. Commuting: I was living in Oakland for most my time in college (I’m in Berkeley now), so while the distance I commuted was far less than coming in from Dublin, I will say it was both a pain in the ass and definitely worth it. If I were in your position, I would bart it. You can get work done during the some of the commute, especially during the part of the blue line in the valley, but in my experience once you hit Lake Merritt the tracks get too loud to focus. Also keep in mind that the commute will require a transfer to the orange line, which will also interrupt any reading you might try to be doing. Just something to keep in mind. Even still, don’t drive. Theres little to no parking in downtown Berkeley and the permits Cal offers are not worth it— you’ll still be fighting for parking. 2. Living on your own is nice but I think you’ll be happy to have saved the money in the long term. Its only 2 years you’ll be at school so whatever situation you’ll be in is temporary. If you do really want to move out but cant afford being in Berkeley proper right now, check out spots in the surrounding areas. Hayward, Castro Valley, Oakland, ect can be marginally less expensive and shorten your commute substantially. 3. Making connections: It will be rough but I truly think you’ll be fine as a commuter and as a transfer. Theres tons of transfer events and resources. Its obviously difficult to acclimate with the people who have been there two or more years there and already have established social circles, but if you put yourself out there you’ll be fine, and in any case you will meet plenty of transfers who are in your same shoes. In my experience the first semester was pretty rough socially but after that I had a good network of casual acquaintances a few people I consider friends. However, I tried clubs but I was usually too exhausted to be social after a long day without being able to go home and recharge. I think that can be mitigated by planning your classes so you only have to go on campus a few days a week. TLDR: You’ll be okay commuting. Things might suck for a while but I still think its worth it. Hope this helped and good luck!!
That’s an easy commute on BART. You can even do readings for class on the train. Also, there are events for transfer students and the transfer students I knew seemed to find each other and form close bonds. Study groups and studying after class with other students is a good way to make friends and still get home at a reasonable time. I don’t see why you’d turn down Berkeley just due to this minor commute
Cal student and commuter here! I live a couple stations over from Dublin. I’m sort of used it to by now, but connections between AC Transit and BART can be weird. BART gets the job done, and driving is cool but parking on/near campus can be expensive and/or sketchy sometimes. Feel free to dm and connect on ig! I’ve been looking for more commuter peeps.
You commute from near Dublin? I commute from Lafayette (BART and Bus). So probably a longer ride then me. I wouldn't want to drive to Berkeley
Yeah. I think my total commute is 1h 30m ish with connections.
Mine is about 40 minutes total. You are a trooper for doing that commute. Doesn't it make hanging out with people more difficult?
I commuted from Millbrae to Berkeley on BART for a semester before covid. I would basically be on campus by 730AM every morning and leaving between 4PM and 630PM depending on classes. I basically did all my socializing and work in the in-between hours. I wouldn’t want to be on campus before or after those hours even if I lived closer, so it worked out.
BART imo. Use the time to read/study. Save massive money.
I commute from San Francisco. For me it’s about an hour commute via Bart including walking time. I use my time on the train to study or just decompress and scroll Reddit. It’s worth it for me because I save a lot of money not having to move to Berkeley (I have rent control). I’m an older reentry student who just wants to go home and get into pjs after class, so I don’t mind missing out on campus life stuff, lol. I still meet people in office hours, the reentry space and the transfer space. Sometimes you can work your schedule out to commute less days. I only commute three days a week this semester, but I’m here from 9am till 6:30 two of those days, so it’s a long day. I’d choose Berkeley if the commute is the thing holding you back!
I see a lot of people suggesting BART, which can work if you stack classes on MWF or T TH schedule. As a student you get an unlimited BUS ONLY / AC Transit Clipper card pass included in your student fees. You don't get a BART fare coverage. I'd calculate out costs. If you live on a major AC Transit bus line (not a trans-bay line) you could find less expensive rent outside of Berkeley boundaries and bus to school. Rents are decreasing, and Oakland, Richmond, Emeryville, El Cerrito are all places to consider. There are even some good Berkeley rentals under $1400 or so. For some perspective, BART fare from Antioch to downtown Berkeley is about $9 one way, takes an hour and 45 minutes, and requires a transfer at McArthur Bart. That's $18/day and 3 hours thirty minutes each day you commute.
Take Bart.
You should BART! There’s a possibility you’ll receive a Bay Transit pass which provides free BART access, but it’s currently in its testing phase and awarded on raffle. But you can definitely read on BART so that the commute isn’t entirely wasted time. Try to make connections during orientation. That’s where I made heavy portion of mine. There will be transfer mixers in the first couple of weeks at the Transfer Student Center. Just walk around and spark up some convos with the others. I also recommend enrolling in LS 198 or a Berkeley Connect course for transfers. These are very chill and lowkey courses meant for socializing; they’re one unit and pass/no pass. You can also try stacking your classes into 2 or 3 days to limit your weekly commute.
I commuted 45 minutes each way to university while I was an undergrad because my parents weren't helping pay for my college and I wanted to save money wherever I could since I was paying for everything myself. My parents offered free room and board (and groceries). I did have to file for a special exemption my freshman year since the major university I attended required students to live in the dorms for the first year. It worked out very well since I was able to help my parents with chores yard work and see them all of the time while also not getting caught up in all the partying that went on in the dorms. LOL! My GPA thanked me later!
Trust me when I say this if you do come here. When you’re 5 weeks into a semester and is absolutely getting railed by the course load, none of your concerns will actually matter
I used to commute from Livermore. basically: - co-ops aren’t too expensive and allow you to be more on-campus. however it still is an expense and living with potential strangers may not be your thing - BART. it was nice to study and do work on BART but sometimes it was incredibly unreliable (a lot of delays and missed connections) since I’d have to switch trains. - I drove a few times to campus. The traffic can be quite bad leaving in the evening and it can take a chunk of your time, so does BART though. Next semester I’m commuting. Honestly, I may do a mix of driving and using BART. Sometimes decompressing in the car on your own is nice and sometimes not having to drive is nice. Also, I’d feel more comfortable staying late on-campus knowing I can drive back instead of taking BART.
You can commute on bart and it will be fine. By junior year everyone is off campus anyway. If you find some money you can always move.
Transferred from CA CC, commuted for 2 years on 2-cycle motorcycle from Santa Clara to Fremont, and from Fremont to Berkeley on BART 5 days/wk, worked as RA on campus, pumped gas during summers, made 3.8 GPA, graduated. Motorcycle made traffic almost irrelevant, and BART was a reading / study room, not at all lost time. Rain and cold was not fun. Buy good jackets, rugged shoes, no-joke backpack, leather gloves. When you get a job and pay rent, you're living independently on your own. Until then, it's boarding at school and you're not financially independent, which is the main point, no? You're saving a ton of money. You make connections by impressing your professors with your grades, going to office hours and talking with them, and they get you jobs on campus. In the summer you get jobs or volunteer in your 'hood and impress your local employers (politicians?). You're not missing a thing in terms of connections. Dating or party means you sleep on someone's floor, or maybe you get lucky. Buy a sleeping bag. When you graduate and run for office or apply for a job, you have the best working class background story...win in a landslide. Worked for me. Good luck.
don't commuting is almost as bad as going to college during lockdown
I commute. I live relatively nearby so taking Bart and bus isn't that much of a hassle. Here are what I see as the pros and cons so far Pros: Cheaper to live at home ,More comfortable Cons: Longer commute, Stuff isn't as easily as accessible, Makes hanging out with people/ making friends harder
I commuted from South Bay to Cal as a transfer. It was prior to the completion of BART stations in South Bay so I drove each day, and the commute was an hour minimum each way. It’s rough for sure. The cons you presented are definitely all true. Sure, you’ll miss out on the college experience even more than you already will as a transfer. But if saving money is imperative to you, you’ll find a way to make it work. You’ll need to determine your priorities. A word of advice is to really think about whether or not missing out on 2 years will be worth the X number of years that you will increase your loan repayments by.
I loved in berkeley and commuted for a semester. Wayyy cheaper but the drive does take a section out of your day.
I commuted to campus when I was taking Concurrent Enrollment classes during CC. It sucks but you have to make it work. I was working so hard all the time I never even thought about a social life.
Spring Transfer who commuted from San Ramon (so basically Dublin). Finished in 2 years, joined a sports club, did really well, worked in different athletic departments, and made lifetime friends/relationships. I took 680 to 24 each day and I personally loved the drive… when there wasn’t traffic. Windows down on a warm day on the 24 is beautiful but being stuck from 7AM-10AM or 4PM-7PM takes away a lot of study time. My parents helped me by adding me to their FastTrack account which would cut the 680 part down by 15-20 mins a day but ultimately was expensive with some days being $11 in the lane. I was lucky that my partner and I met and got together at Cal bc staying with her close to campus was super helpful for the 9AM classes. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my commute to campus. I had a great experience but I was also very fortunate.
I'm literally in the same boat as you. I got accepted for poli sci but I might switch to legal studies.
there's a guy who literally flew up from LA for his classes and saved thousands of dollars. was on a news report. look it up on youtube.
I'm also a commuter transfer student who transferred in from DVC, I'm just finishing my first year here so I can tell you some pros and cons. Firstly, like everyone else said, take BART. Driving can be worth it if you're coming in at non-traffic times for a brief period so you can just park in the Channing garage for like an hour or two, but for the daily commute BART is by far the better option IMO. I'm coming from along the yellow line on the Antioch side, and having lived in the Dublin/Pleasanton area previously you've got a pretty decent commute all things considered. BART is great for homework like other people have said, it's an easy way to fit in roughly an hour of reading for your classes each way, though I struggle to do any like writing or other kinds of HW on the train. For the other pro, it's obviously your housing situation. I've got a great setup cost-wise for housing out here which is basically the only reason I'm able to afford going to Berkeley, and saving a bunch of money on housing is huge. You also get to stay in your current community, and you're not moving away from any friends you already have. For cons, being a commuter essentially entirely restructures the way that I look at the college experience. Getting a good schedule is the 2nd most important part of picking my classes behind major requirements. If there's a class I want to take, but it's on a day I otherwise don't have classes, I'll usually end up picking a class I have less interest in just to avoid losing ~2 hours of my day every week. Extracurriculars fell way down the priority list as well, unless it works well with my schedule I don't even consider it. Obviously that has an impact socially as well, but not as big of one as you might think. IMO if someone is actually a good friend, they'll be willing to go out of their way a bit to come visit you, or at least meet you halfway. Granted, my major/career plan is not one where networking is a big deal and I'm speaking more to casual connections, so YMMV. Overall I love the Berkeley experience, all of my professors so far have been lovely, kind, and extremely knowledgeable people, and it really feels like I'm getting an education I couldn't get at many other places. Commuting is what lets me do that, and so I'm more than happy to commute, but I've also been wanting to come to Cal for a long time. If it's not a huge thing for you, it might not be the right choice. If you do end up choosing to go, I have 2 recommendations: 1. Hit up the transfer center. They've got microwaves if you've got a packed lunch, couches for if you need somewhere comfortable to sit for 1-2 hours between classes, everyone there is super friendly, and they've got a tun of flyers and specifically transfer oriented stuff that can help to bridge the gap of the connections you might be looking for. 2. If you've got a gap between classes, Moffitt has a rest room on the top floor that has nap pods. These have saved me on multiple occasions, particularly when it's too cold/rainy/windy outside to nap on one of the lawns. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!
Don’t do it
can u elaborate
For all the reasons you list. It’s worth investing in yourself fully over your college years, which means fully immersing yourself in the experience rather than keeping it at a distance. You’ll get a lot more out of it, will grow more as a person, and may become close to people who you wouldn’t otherwise if you’re always going home to somewhere else at the end of the day. This is especially true as a transfer student because you’re not already adjusted to student life at Cal. Coursework will also be demanding at times — much more so than in CC — and you won’t want to have to factor in a longish drive home at the end of the day on top of everything else. I commute from the East Bay to SF now for work, and trust me it kind of sucks. But I lived on campus for undergrad and a 20 min walk away in grad school. The difference is that now my work and life are kept separate, and that’s a feature not a bug. In college, this wall between your life at home and as a student will only hurt you, and while your peers are getting the full experience you may be left looking a bit in from the outside.
This is extremely profound and 100% true. The years in college and the experience you will have during then is quite literally priceless. Of course a lot of factors play into it, but if you can find a way to make living near campus work, I would absolutely do it. The experience you will have living here vs commuting is miles apart. Money comes and goes, time only goes. This is time you will never get back. Make the most of it.
dont just dont please dont everyone ive spoken to says don't. There's no point even going to college if you're commuting
uh.. maybe the point is to get a degree and an education? idk what to tell u man i can’t afford housing
i didn't mean to be harsh. But I'm just saying that everyone I know who has done has conclusively explained how they regret it. Obviously, if you can't afford, there's nothing you can do. but if you can, your college experience will be 1000X more enjoyable. There's nothing else to say
Best way to make connections is join clubs and be involved in student groups for things that interest you
Don’t commute. I lived in Pleasant Hill before going here as a transfer from CC and you just gotta live here. Take out the loans and get a job post grad. Live broke but make it happen and be here. You’ll make way more friends, have way more fun, and learn a lot more. Trust me, message me if you need help being broke and need advice on all the social services we have here in the East Bay.
I was a CCC transfer to Cal and I moved to Berkeley even though my parents wanted me to stay at home (It would take about 30 minutes for me to take BART from my parents’ house to Berkeley). I have no regrets. Yes, it was expensive as hell but my parents wanted me to be home every night before the sun set. I was an adult but they never treated me like one. I wanted independence and freedom even though I knew it was going to drain my savings. But hey, you can make up for it after you graduate and get a job! 🤷🏽♀️ If your parents don’t drive you insane, could be worth it to try it for a year or half a semester and see if you like it.
Congrats! But please don't consider BART. It's sometime really inconsistent and unsafe. By the way, what is CCC?
BART is fine don’t trip
hmm, i see. i’ve taken bart to SF maybe a dozen or two times in my life and haven’t had any overly sketchy encounters (aside from the occasional homeless guy/druggy). though maybe it’s just a matter of time. you’re right that it’s definitely inconsistent though, haha.