Part 3: Random Module

Academic Experience
Student
Items of Special Interest

Academic Experience

We would like to hear more about your perception of being an undergraduate at a research university. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.

Strongly disagreeDisagreeDisagree somewhatAgree somewhatAgreeStrongly agree
UC Berkeley has a strong commitment to undergraduate education 0 1 4 16 69 24
0% 1% 4% 14% 61% 21%
Attending a university with world-class researchers is important to me 1 0 7 17 54 35
1% 0% 6% 15% 47% 31%
The emphasis on research at UC Berkeley detracts from the quality of teaching on this campus 6 20 17 24 33 13
5% 18% 15% 21% 29% 12%

How important to you are the following aspects of being an undergraduate at a research university like UC Berkeley?

Not important at allNot very importantSomewhat importantImportantVery importantEssential
The prestige of this campus/faculty when you apply to grad school 2 3 5 36 44 24
2% 3% 4% 32% 39% 21%
The prestige of this campus when you apply for a job 0 3 8 28 42 33
0% 3% 7% 25% 37% 29%
Having access to a world-class library collection 1 3 17 36 35 21
1% 3% 15% 32% 31% 19%
Being able to attend plays, concerts, lectures, and other cultural events 2 7 11 31 40 23
2% 6% 10% 27% 35% 20%

How do you expect to use the library and library staff while you are at UC Berkeley? (Check all that apply)

To find data and statistical information 70
59%
As a quiet place to study 67
56%
For help in learning to do academic research 61
51%
To find scholarly articles 69
58%
For help in organizing my research 63
53%
As a place to work on group projects 66
56%
For printing, copying and scanning 67
56%
To find books 61
51%
Other (please specify)
[Contact OPA for more information]
2
2%

If you were seeking help in doing library research, which ways would you prefer to communicate? Rank the following in order of preference from 1 (strongest preference) to 6 or from 1 to 7 if you select 'Other' below.

- Individual help at a library reference desk

1 41 39%
2 19 18%
3 17 16%
4 11 11%
5 9 9%
6 5 5%
7 2 2%

- Individual help by appointment

1 18 18%
2 28 27%
3 18 18%
4 16 16%
5 15 15%
6 6 6%
7 2 2%

- Take an hour-long class in library research methods

1 8 8%
2 7 7%
3 11 11%
4 12 12%
5 14 14%
6 44 44%
7 4 4%

- Use a virtual chat widget

1 7 7%
2 11 11%
3 15 15%
4 18 18%
5 30 30%
6 18 18%
7 1 1%

- Email

1 20 19%
2 23 22%
3 22 21%
4 17 16%
5 8 8%
6 12 12%
7 2 2%

- Phone

1 9 9%
2 16 16%
3 19 19%
4 23 23%
5 22 22%
6 11 11%
7 1 1%

- Other [Contact OPA for more information]

1 2 7%
4 4 13%
5 2 7%
6 4 13%
7 18 60%

While attending UC Berkeley, how often would you like to interact with students from a country or state outside of your own in class (e.g., through section discussions, study groups or class projects)?

Never 0 0%
Rarely 1 1%
Occasionally 11 10%
Somewhat often 33 29%
Often 44 39%
Very often 24 21%

How important is it to you to graduate in four years or, if you are a transfer student, in two years?

Not important 1 1%
Not very important 1 1%
Somewhat important 7 6%
Important 19 17%
Very important 36 32%
Essential 50 44%
Not applicable 0 0%

If changes to course availability and other factors made it possible to earn your degree in 3 years, what is the likelihood you would attempt to graduate in 3 years?

Very likely 37 33%
Somewhat likely 31 27%
Neither likely nor unlikely 21 18%
Somewhat unlikely 16 14%
Very unlikely 9 8%

Regarding choice of a major, what advice have you received?

Decide on a major as soon as possibleTake your time; explore optionsNo advice given
From your family 32 70 11
28% 62% 10%
From UC Berkeley advisors 4 81 28
4% 72% 25%
From friends 8 79 25
7% 71% 22%
From fellow UC Berkeley students 15 74 24
13% 66% 21%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors 8 84 21
7% 74% 19%

What do you plan to do about a major?

I have declared a major 7 6%
I will declare a major as soon as possible 65 57%
I plan to take my time and explore options 42 37%

Student Life & Development

Indicate how important each of the following college goals is to you.

Not importantSomewhat importantVery important
Be in a position to give back to my community after finishing my education 5 40 83
4% 31% 65%
Acquire a well-rounded general education 0 20 109
0% 16% 85%
Explore and discover my personal identity 5 17 107
4% 13% 83%
Achieve a high GPA 5 29 95
4% 23% 74%
Form (a) romantic relationship(s) 24 59 46
19% 46% 36%
Establish meaningful friendships 1 13 115
1% 10% 89%
Be in a position to make a lot of money after finishing my education 5 36 86
4% 28% 68%
Explore new ideas 1 29 98
1% 23% 77%
Enjoy my college years before assuming adult responsibilities 5 23 101
4% 18% 78%
Develop an in-depth understanding of a specific field of study 1 16 112
1% 12% 87%
Integrate spirituality into my life 46 45 38
36% 35% 30%
Establish social networks that will help further my career 2 26 100
2% 20% 78%

On the scale from 1 to 6 below, please indicate how concerned you are about each of the following:

Not at all concerned (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)Very concerned (6)
Financing my education at UC Berkeley 20 22 18 15 21 30
16% 18% 14% 12% 17% 24%
Finding affordable housing while I'm a student at UC Berkeley 12 20 11 11 35 36
10% 16% 9% 9% 28% 29%
Getting into my first choice of major 3 7 12 19 28 57
2% 6% 10% 15% 22% 45%
Being able to maintain a high GPA 2 4 8 16 31 64
2% 3% 6% 13% 25% 51%
Getting the academic advising I need 7 8 24 30 29 28
6% 6% 19% 24% 23% 22%
Getting the career and professional advising I need 8 6 23 22 35 31
6% 5% 18% 18% 28% 25%
Getting the psychological counseling I might need 26 26 25 19 16 14
21% 21% 20% 15% 13% 11%
Getting along with my roommate(s) 31 24 17 16 19 19
25% 19% 14% 13% 15% 15%
Being able to balance academic and social activities 3 10 25 17 41 30
2% 8% 20% 14% 33% 24%
Being able to make the kind of friends I want 5 11 18 17 39 36
4% 9% 14% 14% 31% 29%
Being away from family and friends; being 'homesick' 16 33 20 24 18 15
13% 26% 16% 19% 14% 12%
Being able to maintain good health 5 23 17 26 24 31
4% 18% 14% 21% 19% 25%
Being able to cope with expectations of parents and family 19 20 23 16 28 20
15% 16% 18% 13% 22% 16%
Being overwhelmed with all the things I'm expected to do my first semester 6 14 16 26 34 30
5% 11% 13% 21% 27% 24%
Regretting my decision to attend UC Berkeley 44 31 17 12 12 10
35% 25% 14% 10% 10% 8%

Based on your experience and observation, rate the general climate for students at UC Berkeley along the following dimensions:

Campus climate is...

(6) Friendly 33 26%
(5) 55 44%
(4) 30 24%
(3) 6 5%
(2) 2 2%
(1) Hostile 0 0%
(6) Caring 23 18%
(5) 45 36%
(4) 40 32%
(3) 13 10%
(2) 4 3%
(1) Impersonal 0 0%
(6) Intellectual 81 65%
(5) 36 29%
(4) 7 6%
(3) 1 1%
(2) 0 0%
(1) Not intellectual 0 0%
(6) Appreciative of diversity 54 43%
(5) 43 34%
(4) 24 19%
(3) 3 2%
(2) 1 1%
(1) Unappreciative of diversity 0 0%
(6) Safe 16 13%
(5) 32 26%
(4) 35 28%
(3) 24 19%
(2) 14 11%
(1) Dangerous 3 2%
(6) Too hard academically 18 14%
(5) 46 36%
(4) 50 39%
(3) 13 10%
(2) 0 0%
(1) Too easy academically 0 0%
(6) Affordable 6 5%
(5) 20 16%
(4) 35 28%
(3) 29 23%
(2) 27 21%
(1) Not affordable 9 7%

As you start your first semester at UC Berkeley, please rank your concerns in these five general areas. One (1) is first or the area of most concern. (Rank the following from 1 to 5)

- Being successful academically (e.g., understanding material, GPA, getting into the major I want)

1 66 53%
2 29 23%
3 17 14%
4 8 6%
5 5 4%

- Financing my education at UC Berkeley (e.g., money for expenses, being able to work, finding affordable housing)

1 19 15%
2 9 7%
3 11 9%
4 19 15%
5 67 54%

- Making good choices, finding direction for my life (e.g., what I want to do after college, making the right career choice)

1 10 8%
2 25 20%
3 25 20%
4 51 41%
5 14 11%

- Balancing things, finding time for everything (e.g., balancing academic and social life, not being overwhelmed)

1 19 15%
2 32 26%
3 34 27%
4 22 18%
5 18 14%

- Making friends, having a personal life (e.g., not being lonely, having a good relationship)

1 11 9%
2 30 24%
3 38 30%
4 25 20%
5 21 17%

As a beginning UC Berkeley student, how would you rate your competencies below?

Very poorPoorFairGoodVery goodExcellent
Understanding of the complexities of global issues 1 12 26 45 33 9
1% 10% 21% 36% 26% 7%
Ability to apply disciplinary knowledge in a global context 1 6 33 45 30 11
1% 5% 26% 36% 24% 9%
Comfort working with people from other cultures 0 2 6 31 56 29
0% 2% 5% 25% 45% 23%

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Opportunities to develop my leadership skills while at UC Berkeley are important to me.

Strongly disagree 8 6%
Disagree 1 1%
Disagree somewhat 2 2%
Agree somewhat 23 18%
Agree 51 41%
Strongly agree 41 33%

Items of Special Interest

What type of advising do you expect and hope to receive from an advisor? Please rank from 1 to 7, in order of what is personally important to you, assigning a 1 to the option you feel is most important.

- Career and Professional advising

1 21 16%
2 20 16%
3 20 16%
4 28 22%
5 21 16%
6 11 9%
7 8 6%

- Choosing classes

1 31 24%
2 28 22%
3 27 21%
4 12 9%
5 14 11%
6 12 9%
7 6 5%

- Enrichment opportunities (e.g., Study abroad, research)

1 8 6%
2 21 16%
3 19 15%
4 22 17%
5 21 16%
6 21 16%
7 17 13%

- Financial aid and scholarships

1 7 5%
2 18 14%
3 15 12%
4 8 6%
5 14 11%
6 25 19%
7 43 33%

- Understanding Campus Resources

1 11 9%
2 15 12%
3 11 9%
4 23 18%
5 22 17%
6 28 22%
7 19 15%

- Selecting a major

1 34 26%
2 13 10%
3 18 14%
4 15 12%
5 11 9%
6 15 12%
7 24 19%

- Academic Support

1 16 12%
2 14 11%
3 19 15%
4 23 18%
5 29 22%
6 18 14%
7 11 9%

With whom did you consult with when selecting courses for your first semester? Please select all that apply.

- CalSO leader (student CalSO staff) 10
7%
- College advisor in your home College (e.g., Letters & Science, College of Engineering) 52
38%
- Major advisor 11
8%
- Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff (e.g., advising staff working in offices such as the Student Life Advising Services, Bridge, the Berkeley International Office, the Transfer, Reentry, & Student Parent Center) 16
12%
- Faculty member 16
12%
- Another student 42
31%
- Parent, Guardian, or family member 58
43%
- Online (e.g., departmental website, forum, catalog review) 53
39%
- Friend(s) 49
36%
- No one 13
10%
Other
[Contact OPA for more information]
13
9%

Who provided the most useful guidance in the selection of your courses for the current term?

CalSO leader 1 1%
College advisor in your home College (e.g., Letters & Science, College of Engineering) 21 16%
Major advisor 3 2%
Co-curricular Advisors/Student Services Support Staff (e.g., advising staff working in offices such as the Educational Opportunity Program, the Berkeley International Office, the Transfer Center) 3 2%
Faculty member 8 6%
Another student 10 8%
Parent, Guardian, or family member 22 17%
Online (e.g., departmental website, forum, catalog review) 30 23%
Friend(s) 2 2%
No one 22 17%
Other (please specify)
[Contact OPA for more information]
10 8%

How satisfied are you with the amount of individualized guidance you received from the people you consulted with in selecting your courses?

Very dissatisfied 6 5%
Dissatisfied 17 13%
Somewhat dissatisfied 10 8%
Somewhat satisfied 42 32%
Satisfied 43 33%
Very satisfied 14 11%

Since being admitted, have you ever received advice from two different offices or staff members at UC Berkeley that was contradictory or in conflict?

Yes 16 12%
No 116 88%

Please provide a brief explanation of what happened (when you received advice from two different offices or staff members at UC Berkeley that was contradictory or in conflict)

[Contact OPA for more information]

Select the top three factors that most influenced how you selected courses for your first semester.

- First:

Academic Advisor 10 8%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultu 42 32%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement 14 11%
I found the subject generally interesting 43 33%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding 1 1%
Parental desires 2 2%
Prepares me for my major 7 5%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student 4 3%
Reputation of professor 3 2%
The course fit my schedule 4 3%

Second:

Academic Advisor 7 5%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff 2 2%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultu 35 27%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement 26 20%
I found the subject generally interesting 18 14%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding 1 1%
Parental desires 3 2%
Prepares me for my major 9 7%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student 1 1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student 8 6%
Reputation of professor 7 5%
The course fit my schedule 12 9%

Third:

Academic Advisor 9 7%
Co-curricular Advisor/Student Services Support Staff 1 1%
Course(s) fulfilled a general or breadth requirement (e.g., Reading and Composition, American Cultu 19 15%
Course(s) fulfilled a major requirement 10 8%
I found the subject generally interesting 23 18%
I thought/had heard a course was not as rigorous or demanding 7 5%
Parental desires 1 1%
Prepares me for my major 14 11%
Recommendation of another new UC Berkeley student 1 1%
Recommendation of continuing UC Berkeley student 5 4%
Reputation of professor 8 6%
The course fit my schedule 31 24%

What other factors did you consider when setting up your course schedule for the current term?

[Contact OPA for more information]

How satisfied are you with each of the following, based on your experiences with accessing courses for the current semester?

Very dissatisfiedDissatisfiedSomewhat dissatisfiedSomewhat satisfiedSatisfiedVery satisfied
Availability of courses for general education or breadth requirements 4 3 15 36 56 15
3% 2% 12% 28% 43% 12%
Availability of courses to fulfill prerequisite requirements 3 6 7 41 58 13
2% 5% 6% 32% 45% 10%
Ability to get into the lectures or seminars (i.e., primary courses) you wanted 3 4 19 42 53 8
2% 3% 15% 33% 41% 6%
Ability to get into the discussion sections or labs (i.e., secondary courses) you wanted 4 6 15 39 56 9
3% 5% 12% 30% 43% 7%
Variety of courses available 7 6 21 35 42 18
5% 5% 16% 27% 33% 14%
Access to small classes 2 3 11 30 49 33
2% 2% 9% 23% 38% 26%

At UC Berkeley, there are "common-good" courses that are identified as serving the broad student community as well as being critical to students' intellectual development, academic success, and timely graduation. These common-good courses include Reading and Composition (both 1a and 1b), lower division "gateway" courses in Math & Science (Chemistry, Statistics, Math, Physics, and Biology), and Foreign Language Instruction.

As the campus continues to work toward increasing access to these common-good courses, planning for the appropriate number of students who will be enrolling in these courses is essential for proper resource allocation. Thus, we would like to get a sense of whether you, personally, have fulfilled some of these requirements through exams (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) and, if so, if you still plan to enroll in a course at Berkeley that would also fulfill the requirement.

Do you have an exam score in the appropriate subject that, if used, will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading and Composition 1a requirement?

Yes 80 62%
No 40 31%
Don't know 9 7%

Do you have an exam score in the appropriate subject that, if used, will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading and Composition 1b requirement?

Yes 23 18%
No 91 71%
Don't know 15 12%

Will you use your exam score to actually fulfill the Reading & Composition 1a requirement?

Yes 67 84%
No 12 15%
Don't know 1 1%

Will you use your exam score to actually fulfill the Reading & Composition 1b requirement?

Yes 18 78%
No 4 17%
Don't know 1 4%

You indicated that you have an exam score that will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading & Composition 1a requirement, but that you will NOT use this score to fulfill the requirement.

Please share with us the reason(s) why you will not use your exam score to fulfill your R&C 1a requirement and will instead enroll in one of the UCB courses that will fulfill this requirement.

[Contact OPA for more information]

You indicated that you have an exam score that will fulfill your UC Berkeley Reading & Composition 1b requirement, but that you will NOT use this score to fulfill the requirement.

Please share with us the reason(s) why you will not use your exam score to fulfill your R&C 1b requirement and will instead enroll in one of the UCB courses that will fulfill this requirement.

[Contact OPA for more information]

Are you currently enrolled/planning to complete a Reading & Composition 1a course this semester?

Yes 51 40%
No 78 61%

Are you currently enrolled/planning to complete a Reading & Composition 1b course this semester?

Yes 49 38%
No 80 62%

Why did you not enroll in a Reading & Composition 1a course this semester? (Please select the primary reason)

I had a preference for an R&C 1a course in a particular department, but it was already full 2 17%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1a courses offered across the various departments on campus 2 17%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats 0 0%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above 1 8%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead 2 17%
I did not know my AP score 0 0%
I have not yet passed the Analytical Writing Paper Exam (AWPE) 0 0%
I don't know 1 8%
Other, please specify:
[Contact OPA for more information]
4 33%

Why did you not enroll in a Reading & Composition 1b course this semester? (Please select the primary reason)

I have not yet satisfied the first half of the R&C requirement (R&C 1a) 39 62%
I had a preference for an R&C 1b course in a particular department, but it was already full 1 2%
I could not gain access into ANY of the R&C 1b courses offered across the various departments on campus 3 5%
I did not like the times of the remaining courses that had available seats 2 3%
I decided to wait until another semester for reasons not listed above 9 14%
I will be using exam credit (e.g., AP, A-level English, International Baccalaureate Higher Level English Language A1 or A2) instead 1 2%
I did not know my AP score 0 0%
I don't know 2 3%
Other, please specify:
[Contact OPA for more information]
6 10%

You indicated that the primary reason for not enrolling in an R&C course was because you had a preference for an R&C course offered in a particular department and that course was full.

Please share with us which department(s) you were hoping to take an R&C course from and briefly describe why you prefer to take a course from that particular department:

[Contact OPA for more information]

Did you have an AP of 4 or 5 in Math, Chemistry, Biology or Physics?

Yes 70 56%
No 55 44%

Regarding use of AP eligibility, what advice have you received?

Don't AP out; take the entry course at BerkeleyAP out; take a more advanced courseNo advice given
From my family 13 52 63
10% 41% 49%
From UC Berkeley advisors 27 16 82
22% 13% 66%
From friends 16 60 52
13% 47% 41%
From fellow UC Berkeley students 19 36 72
15% 28% 57%
From former teachers, instructors, or counselors 25 39 61
20% 31% 49%

If you could have used your AP scores for course credits, what did/will you do?

Not applicable 0 0%
I am taking all the credit that I can and enrolling in advanced courses 45 43%
I am taking some credit but not all that I could 44 42%
I am taking the entry courses at UC Berkeley instead of the credit 15 14%
Other, please specify: 2 2%