Winter is coming. Well, not actually winter, but the end of summer break is quickly approaching, with its ominous threat of class looming in the distance. Not to worry — here are some friendly reminders (and some more here!) of why the end of summer and the start of school are far from the worst things that could happen to you.

1. August and September bring the summer heat — finally. Although May, June and July constitute most of our break from school and are therefore deemed “summer,” the beautiful weather that really should accompany summertime typically makes its appearance in Berkeley beginning in mid-August and lasts through October. While there are certainly warm parts to these earlier months, we’ve all noticed by now that the weather isn’t very sunny majority of the time. But come school time, the gorgeous and highly anticipated sun shall return.

2. School isn’t starting just yet. We understand that the start of August seems to bring with it the cloud of school and the air of urgency of the end of summer. Well, school doesn’t actually start until the very end of August, so there’s plenty of time left to fit in all those summer plans that haven’t quite become reality yet. It can be especially fun if you plan on coming back to Berkeley early and have missed all your favorite places.

3. New classes mean new opportunities. Going back to school doesn’t have to be all bad; it can also bring with it an array of new additions to your life. The start of the semester brings all new classes with some new professors and the possibilities of new friends. Class doesn’t have to be looked at as something that is taking away from the fun aspects of life; rather, they can be seen as something that can add fun opportunities as well.

4. Football! While we understand that not everyone loves football (or really even understands what’s going on), the Cal home games are pretty awesome. Whether it’s the collective excitement at the beginning of every game that results in enthusiastic cheers or the stellar halftime shows put on by the marching band, the games create a sense of school spirit and collective enjoyment that can be extremely hard to come by in a school with more than 35,000 students.

5. Midterms don’t start for a few weeks. Even once school has started again, the time to buckle down and cram before midterms doesn’t surface for at least a few weeks. The start of school can still be filled with exploration and social time after class and on the weekends. Take advantage of the slightly lighter schedule while it lasts.

So while school is drawing near and the end of summer can be seen on the horizon, it does not mean that bad things lie ahead. There is still plenty of summer to be filled and excitement of the new school year to anticipate. And, personally, we can’t wait to have a little more sun around these parts again.

Image Source: ~Wei~ under Creative Commons

Contact Mackenzie Bedford at mbedford@dailycal.org.

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So you’re at the No. 1 public university in the country. Living up to the prestige of our cherished school is probably the most difficult experience you’ve ever had in your life. But despite all the stress — the early morning classes and late night paper-writing — college is a wonderful time, especially at Cal, so appreciate the perks you have here as long as you can.

1. You don’t have to get up nearly as early as you would for a job. We admit that maybe you’re that unlucky student with the 8 a.m. discussion by yourself. But even with that unfortunate class time, you’ll never have classes from 9 to 5 — with no breaks — for five days a week.

2. You know what you’re supposed to do. Write a paper? No problem. Talk to your GSI. Contribute to discussion? Please, you know how to work bSpace. Once you get a job and step into the “real world,” you’ll have to figure new things out all over again.

3. You could just not show up. We’re definitely not recommending this, because we’re sure your professor — and whoever is monitoring your GPA — will notice eventually. But in the short term, you won’t get kicked out if you skip class without telling anyone. Try that with your boss.

4. You have some long breaks between classes or days without class at all. Get a job, and you’ll (hopefully) be working five days a week for at least eight hours a day. While steady paychecks are wonderful, say goodbye to your 3 p.m. nap — unless you somehow find a forward-thinking employer who values your night-owl circadian rhythm.

5. You don’t have to get dressed … not really. We don’t recommend tripping around in your PJs every day of the semester, but school is a time when you might just be able to get away with that. In the working world, it’s really not the best impression to make at a professional job.

There’s plenty of stress to be experienced during the summer, but it isn’t unbearable. College will end at some point, so we might as well enjoy it while we can.

Image source: Kenneth Moyle under Creative Commons

Contact Jessica Rogness at jrogness@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @jessarogness.

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Remember the days when summer signified three months of wonderful nothingness? School was over until August or September, and the warm days stretched on endlessly in front of us, promising way too much relaxation and a whole lot of free time. Alas, by the time we get to college, summers just aren’t the same. The three months become filled with internships, volunteer work, paying jobs and anything else that could be substantially useful to our resumes. So this begs the question: Why add a summer class to that lineup and remove any of the lingering signs of summer? In case you’re weighing your options for next summer (or are just wondering), we’ve come up with some pros and cons:

Pro: The class sizes are usually smaller.While the classes at Berkeley are usually pretty large — typically ranging from about 100 to 600 people, the summer classes are made to accommodate fewer people. Most classes have less than 100 people, and only the basic classes, such as Chem 1A, still fall within a few hundred. The smaller group of students can allow for more engaging discussions that involve the whole class and don’t just consist of a professor orating from the front of a lecture hall. It also means that it is significantly easier to get to know the professor and establish an academic relationship with them.

Con: It can take away that summer feeling. Adding a summer class to your repertoire can stifle even the smallest glint of summertime. Having to attend class in our months off — even if it’s just two or three days a week for a few hours — can make the school year seem never-ending and take away our one time to let our brains take a breather. Summer days don’t seem so carefree when you’re aware that you’ll have to cut activity time short so that you can get to English by 2 p.m.

Pro: It’s a productive use of your time. Just taking one class can serve to lighten the next semester’s course load or remove some of the concerns about graduating on time. It’s commonly used to help complete the requirements of a supplemental minor. It can be especially useful when the prospects of an internship or job are slim and you don’t want to go home to loaf around for three months. Taking a class can be added to a resume just like work experience can.

Con: It can be pretty pricey. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that tuition is any less ridiculous. Just taking one class runs typically upwards of $1,000 — not including the cost of living and eating in Berkeley for the summer.

Pro: It can allow for some intellectual exploration. While during the regular school year, most of us are entirely focused on remaining on our intended paths, the summer allows for some freedom in class choice. It seems our duty as students of a fantastic university to branch outside of our comfort zones and explore the multitude of classes offered to us — and the summer is the perfect time to seize that opportunity.

Whether you’re looking at a class out of necessity or just out of interest to fill one of your summers spent here, the classes can be quite rewarding. It can be used as a time for growth as an intellectual and for the creation useful academic relationships. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a death sentence for your fun in the sun, if you can manage your time correctly.

Image Source: Ken Colwell under Creative Commons

Contact Mackenzie Bedford at mbedford@dailycal.org.

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The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth, a program run through the Center for Young Entrepreneurs at Haas, will add 20 seats for international students as part of its International Berkeley Business Academy for Youth program.

“The way we are thinking about this is we want to give young kids a chance to be exposed to the Berkeley culture and the Berkeley environment,” said professor Teck Ho, director of the Asia Business Center and the faculty sponsor of the international program. “I’m from Asia, and I always think that Berkeley could do a lot more internationally to increase our brand presence and serve our alumni better.”

Ho said the program includes a hands-on team business project, visits to local companies and guest speakers from business-related fields. The additional 20 international students will live in university dorms and take classes with American students at Haas.

The original U.S.-only program, B-BAY, is in its fifth year and will run from July 1 to 12. The all-day program is open to 40 students and is taught by undergraduate and graduate students at Haas, according to the program’s website.

Olive Davis, a director with YEAH, said that students this year have come from across the country and all over the world, with locations including Taiwan, Canada, Utah, Virginia, India and China.

“In this first phase, we’re actually doing Asia and Canada right now, but we’re hoping to go to India and Chile and other places where the university has attracted students,” Davis said.

Although students pay a fee for the program, Ho said accessibility is important.

“We want this program to be accessible to everybody,” Ho said. “Obviously, you have to pay a fee for it, but in the long run, we want to give out scholarships to people who can’t afford it. We are not doing this to make money. It is a good way to energize the alumni and increase our brand presence globally.”

In addition to its summer programs, YEAH offers year-round programs for under-resourced sixth- to 12th-grade Bay Area youth. Proceeds from the summer programs allow the year-round mentorship programs to be offered free of charge to participants.

Mitchell Handler covers academics and administration. Contact him at mhandler@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @mitchellhandler.

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