You’ve taken your first, fortuitous steps through Sproul Plaza; you’ve traipsed hilly terrain with wide eyes and map in hand; you’ve collected numbers from hopeful future friends; you’ve even chanted the Cal fight song. Thanks to CalSO, you’ll have gotten a first taste of your new home for the next four years. But no one person’s CalSO experience is alike, just as no one person’s college experience is either.

This special issue explores what fellow students learned — or wish they’d known earlier — since being in your shoes.  You’ll read about CalSO’s history, tips on making the most of orientation, and multiple perspectives on the program — all meant to help you as you begin your journey at UC Berkeley.

It’s easy to feel shell-shocked by the wave of new information you’re receiving — and, of course, the realization that you’ve finally phased out of high school and into college.  We hope, however, that this special issue you helps make CalSO — and college overall — less of an overwhelming event.

— Kimberly Nielsen, Brenna Smith and Suhauna Hussain