Studying abroad at UC Berkeley was probably the most exciting experience I have undertaken during my time at POSTECH. The moment my acceptance email arrived, I was ecstatic. I was definitely looking forward to working on my laptop on Memorial Glade, soaking up the California sun, and visiting Silicon Valley. But getting ready for a semester abroad is less of a smooth algorithm and more of a complex systems engineering problem. Although I was incredibly grateful to be selected by the school through the Premium Outbound program, there were many more challenges awaiting me. Here is the slightly chaotic breakdown of how I prepared to head to Cal.

First of all, going to UC Berkeley isn’t exactly an “exchange program”; it’s a concurrent enrollment program, so I had to submit my application form separately to UC Berkeley. I applied through the BISP program and received an invitation letter after a simple interview process with the coordinator. She gave me suggestions on what classes to take and what extracurricular activities to indulge in, which only built my anticipation. The next step was the visa. I applied for an F-1 visa, and although the process tested my resilience, I finally made it through.

Next, I had to find an apartment. The school program only provides financial support for official invoices from Berkeley, so off-campus housing was basically out of the question. My choice was International House (I-House). It sits at the base of the hills, so the daily uphill hike to get home isn’t easy, but it guarantees a wonderful view of the Bay. Although it costs more than 10,000 USD per semester for a bunk-bed double room (meal plan included), if you are an international student down for diverse cultural experiences, this is the absolute place to be. I was constantly meeting fascinating people and building a global network of friends. One of the things I miss the most after leaving Berkeley is the I-House dining hall and all the positive memories associated with it.

Time to pack. When I pictured California, I imagined an endless summer. Reality check: you can experience all four seasons between a 9:30 A.M. lecture and a 2:00 P.M. lab. I also went on a lot of weekend trips to LA, Vegas, New York, and Boston with my new Berkeley friends, quickly realizing how wildly the climate varies across the U.S. Because I only packed for the beach, I frantically raided Macy’s and Marshalls for winter gear. Lesson learned: do your weather research! On the bright side, the Berkeley Hills and campus pool inspired me to take up daily hiking and swimming to fully embrace the “American college student” lifestyle. If you want to live that dream, definitely pack your hiking boots and a swimsuit.

Choosing classes at Berkeley, especially in the EECS department, is quite an experience. Since concurrent enrollment students cannot apply to full classes, I spent weeks going back and forth with my professors at Berkeley and back home. I ended up choosing CS 61C (Great Ideas in Computer Architecture), an industrial engineering course for seniors (since I was planning on doing a double major), a DeCal course on iOS app development, and a demographics course purely for my academic interest.

Through frantic planning and countless emails, everything came together. I had a great time meeting Oski the Bear, exploring the Bay Area tech scene, and spending time checking out all the different libraries on campus. I hope many Postechians also get to have this great experience. Go PONIX, Go Bears!