Results of EECS Transfer Student Survey

N = 26/79 (32.9%)

 

 

The fall 2001 cohort of transfer students to EECS was surveyed at the end of their first semester.  Their answers, comments, and advice for future transfer students appear below.

 

 1. How would you describe your transition to Cal?

 

          Easy = 1

          Not Difficult = 6

          Medium = 5

          Somewhat Difficult = 8

          Very Difficult = 6

 

 2. How helpful was the EECS Transfer Buddy Program?

 

           Very Helpful = 2

           Helpful = 11

           Not Helpful = 6

           Did Not Participate = 7

 

 3. How helpful was the EECS Transfer Reception?

 

           Very helpful = 8

           Helpful = 11

           Not Helpful = 2  

           Did Not Attend = 5

 

 4. What is your assessment of your academic performance this semester?

 

           I performed well = 11

           I performed ok = 11

           I performed poorly = 4

 

 5. What do you know now that you wish you had known before arriving at Berkeley?

 

·        how hard we really have to work and who we are competing with, professor availabilty.

·        The pace is much faster.  Also, it takes some effort to get questions answered. I wish I had asked questions as soon as I did not understand something.

·        That sometimes instructors make killers exams and even if you do poorly on them you can still get an A.

·        I would have liked to know more about libraries, good places to study in general.

·        I wish somebody had described to me detailedly how difficult, how much work, the first semester of EECS would be, and had persuaded me to believe him/her, so that I could have a better beginning.

·        I'm not sure that knowing any particular thing in advance would have helped.

·        I wish I had known that I don't like eecs! You don't really get to do any eecs classes in your lower division at community college, and those that do exist are not comparable to Berkeley's, so you have to wait until you transfer to find out what your major is like. Then you're stuck with it for two years. It will still be a valuable experience, but I think it's going to be a lot more painful than I had hoped! (moral of this story: know what you're getting yourself into)

·        Berkeley has more challenging courses than I thought.

·        Berkeley's humanity courses are tough. I hope I could have completed more non-technical courses before transferring to Berkeley.

·        It is very hard to get an A in every class.

·        I didn't realize that I need to spend much more time in each classes than what I did before.

·        I wish I knew what to expect, what to study or even how to study?  I think getting A's in Community Colleges are so easy that becomes a routine and somehow we forget how to study for real universities.  The resources are very different, the environment is very different and I think the new transfer students should know about that.

·        library opens every week day til 2 am. (I knew it almost two months after school starts. the opening hours' notice in the front door of the main library is really misleading.)  and i didn't except the classes are such large. that's what i didn't quite like it.

·        How to prepare for an exam.

·        Good time preparing.

·        Would rather that I had the option to take CS3 in summer, it would make CS61A much easier.

·        General, the class required longer time to study.

·        i wish i had known more about research opportunities then

·        I wish I knew what the graduation requirements were for EECS so I could have prepared better.

·        By the end of the semester, classes get much harder.  All the class consume too much time

·        There are many things to do besides study and due to the fast pace of the classes, if you neglect them for even a short period of time, it will cost you.

·        I followed the counselor advice and what most transfer students have their first semester schedule as to take CS61a, EE20, EE40 to finish the lower division courses as soon as possible in the first semester. However, I am more toward CS part. The cs division blocks me from registering cs162 this semester, since I haven't taken cs61c. Now I think it might be more appropriate that if I finished cs 61c in the first semester.  

 

 

 6. What else might have helped you during your first semester?

·        Better time management

·        We exchanged thoughts and situations between transfer students, which basically made us aware that other transfers are also suffering so we all felt better and more energized to move forward.

·        Prereading course material.

·        Relaxing enforcement of parking rules during the first week while people are still trying to figure out the system and get their permits would be nice.

·        To adjust here, do not take more than 12 units.

·        Videotaping important engineering courses gives us a chance to review and digest the class materials before we are thrown into total confusion.

·        TA's was the main resource.

·        I tried some help resource, some of them are helpful, some of them are not.

·        I needed a mentor, someone who cared, someone who could show me around and tell me where to go or what to do.  Because of some personal issues I wasn't able to get much help from my buddy but I think that is a great program and should be used by all the new transfer students.  But I'll be careful who to choose to be my mentor! Caring is a big factor!

·        Knowing how to control stress and pressure during the exams

·        I learned a lot.

·        What I really missed is friendly faces. Like I still don t know whom should I talk to if I want to join a research group at call. I have to add that

·        I should have go to ask TA and professor more questions.  I did go to a tutor's office once, but he just couldn't answer any questions I asked that day. So, I never go back. Well, I think this was a mistake.

·        knowing more about the deadlines for dropping and things like that

 

 

 7. Other comments/advice?

 

·        Yes I was disappointed at myself because on two killer exams I perform poorly. And I somewhat give up in the class. But when finals came and I study they way I planed and after I saw how well I perform on finals I realized that it was not as tuff as I thought and if I had not slow the pace down I could have obtain only A's.

·        The first semester is a success  =)

·        I make full use of the SLC services.   They are very helpful.  I had Daniel Ong for CS61A.  I would recommend these help sessions for all transfer students.  The excellent piece of advice that I got at the transfer reception was to take a minimal load my first semester at Cal.  I would make this recommendation to any transfer student, especially if that student is relocating from other parts of California or the US. 

·        All the rumors about Profs not knowing/caring anything about teaching are completely false. I have found the Profs and TAs at Berkeley to be the best that I have ever encountered.

·        I hope more professors will allow their excellent work done in the classroom to be videotaped. Secondly, throughout the last semester, I had difficulty of attending my professors' office hours because of the time conflict with my class schedule; therefore, some questions requiring an authoritative answer or precise explanation had to be held for many days. I hope the university can find a way to solve this problem.

·        i hope the class could be smaller.

·        I like berkeley.

·        Keep smiling and be more friendly, I understand that you guys work hard, but believe me we  have problems too.

·        It is really nice that you and your colleagues are always there helping. Thanks!  I hope that I can know more help resources.

·        It is very nice to have you and your colleagues there, and willing to help all the time.  I am not sure if it's possible, but it would be great for new transfer students to maybe follow the more experienced students around for a day or two before they transfer to UC Berkeley.  Getting a feeling for how is it like to be an student in UCB?  What is been expected from students? How is     it that your time flies by you before you know it? 
A MESSAGE FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS: I think the key to the success in UC Berkeley is to KNOW that you can do it. Believe in yourself. You're here because you've been chosen to be here. Let's face it: you're great. Have some confidence in yourself and don't forget that you're as smart as everybody else. (And it doesn't matter if it doesn't look to you that way in the beginning, Have some faith!) And no matter what, do your best and NEVER give up on what you can do!

1)     don't be afraid to ask for help but remember ask from RIGHT people!

2)     Find a mentor who cares about you and how you do in your classes!

3)     Find at least one best friend, you'll need her/him :)

4)     Have a great time!

5)     OH, and STUDY VERY HARD even if you think is easy!

GOOD LUCK to you guys all!