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 disagree	Disagree	Disagree somewhat	Agree somewhat	Agree	Strongly 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 all	Not very important	Somewhat important	Important	Very important	Essential
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 possible	Take your time; explore options	No 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 important	Somewhat important	Very 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 poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Very good	Excellent
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 dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Satisfied	Very 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 Berkeley	AP out; take a more advanced course	No 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	-
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%