Author: Lisa Zhou

Guide to Finding Off-Campus Housing in Berkeley

As you may have heard, finding off-campus housing in Berkeley can be kind of crazy. I would know, I’m in the process of that right now. So, if you are wondering where to start, what to expect, or even just get a general overview of the off-campus housing process. This is my general advice and experience for you. Hope you enjoy!

How/When to Start Looking for Housing

Apartment hunting season for the next academic school year typically starts in the Spring semester. So, February-April is high time to apply for housing. I would say it might be safer to start earlier and build some connections with upperclassmen to see what’s available. However, most open houses occur during the “high time” months, so just be flexible. read more

Ranking All the Boba Places in Berkeley

To start, I am not someone with a strong opinion, especially on food and drinks. Everything just kinda blends together, so it’s really hard to impress me. If it’s cold and refreshing then it’s probably a decent boba drink. Why am I ranking drink places if I don’t have strong opinions, you ask? Well, I don’t know honestly. My housemate gave me the idea and promptly ranked everything on the spot, so I was like why not. Besides, I’m also curious as to how this goes. 

Disclaimer: I am only ranking places that I have tried which is, fortunately, a whole lot. Yes, I say boba and not bubble tea, sue me. This list is completely in my opinion, so there may not be a whole lot of critical thinking when it comes to why I like one more than the other. It’s truly just a feeling. In the words of Eugene Lee Yang from the Try Guys, “I’m right, you’re wrong. Shut up.” read more

Participating in a Virtual Summer Internship

I was in the second semester of my sophomore year and had only had two jobs my entire life. Both of those jobs were not part of the fields within my major (Sustainable Environmental Design). I felt like it was finally time to try out something closer to my major and explore what was out there. I was always interested in studying abroad, so I looked into what they had to offer. 

Due to the Covid19 pandemic, many programs were being held virtually or were completely canceled for the time being. But then I remembered a newsletter I saw from my college about a virtual internship program offered at UC Davis and looked into it. After reading through what they had to present, I decided to participate in the Green Technology, Sustainability, and Environment Virtual Internship Program. It seemed to fit my field of work, and besides, I did not have many plans over the summer. What was really nice about this program is that it included both a course and an internship, so I received units while participating in an eight week internship. The paperwork for attending another university’s abroad program was hectic at first, but I got through it after various emails.  read more

Being Home Again

Moving from LA to Berkeley is quite a big distance even though both places are within the same state. California can practically be its own country if it wanted to, but this is beyond my point. Being able to miss someone is not defined by a long distance. All it takes is a moment alone. 

This was something I had realized when I moved to Berkeley to go to college. Now you might be wondering that this blog is going to turn into a movie trope story about being grateful for being with your loved ones. I have to admit, it is part of the story, but not all of it. This is more of a revelation. read more

An Interesting Class to Take For Your American Cultures Requirement

Do you have an interest in food and sustainability? Well, look no further. Food, Culture, and the Environment AC is the class for you. Yes, I realize I sound like an attempt to sell something. But, honestly, it was one of the most eye-opening classes that I have taken since coming to Berkeley. 

During the last school year, I had made so many plans for the summer. One of those things was taking summer courses while working as a UC Ambassador. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I was unable to work on campus anymore, but I could still take summer courses online. By the middle of Spring 2020, I had decided that I wanted to get rid of the American Cultures (AC) course requirement by the university. The name “American Cultures” never really came across as something that was going to be interesting. Rather, it seemed more of a chore to take. So, I had no idea how much I would enjoy Food, Culture, and the Environment AC. read more

LDArch 12 and the Unexpected Appeals of Strawberry Creek

Before Covid-19 decided to run rampant throughout my life, I had made one of the best choices taking Landscape Architecture 12. Now I understand that the title of this class may not seem like “BEST FIRST CLASS EVER”, but trust me when I tell you that it absolutely was. 

Imagine an introductory to environmental science class except you get to meet real people (as guest lecturers) from a variety of backgrounds who are or were working on research or projects that were to make the world a more sustainable place. The passion that these guest lecturers gave off talking about their life’s work was inspirational. It felt like I could actually solve climate change, which I can’t. At least not without help anyway. The point is, I had an amazing experience listening to people trying to save the world. That was a bit of a stretch, I admit. But, when you start hearing about all the possibilities that are out there, nothing seems impossible. read more