Every year it happens: Sept. 1 comes and goes without the arrival of our coveted Hogwarts acceptance letters — without even so much of a hoot of an owl — and each year it hurts a little more and gets a little more difficult to believe in that childhood magic and wonder that Hogwarts brings. Ned Fulmer of “The Try Guys” recently captured this feeling over Twitter:
Like…where’s MY acceptance letter to Hogwarts
— Ned Fulmer (@nedfulmer) August 28, 2018
For those of us who are (let’s face it) no longer freshmen, this can be especially true — but it doesn’t have to be. We at the Clog want you to get some of that magic back, whether this is your first year at UC Berkeley or your last — and you don’t even have to take the Harry Potter DeCal to do it (though you totally should if you can manage to get in).
Step 1: Remember your acceptance letter.
That feeling when you received your acceptance letter to UC Berkeley… go back to that now. Whether you first held it in your hands or you saw the confetti fall down your computer screen in your admissions portal, go back to that very first elated, totally stunned, magical moment when you first realized you were going to be a Golden Bear. It’s easy to get so bogged down with #adulting and all of the stress that comes with our heavy academic loads as students that we can forget the reason why we were so excited to come to UC Berkeley in the first place. Grab onto that feeling and don’t let go.
Step 2: Get yourself sorted.
Have you picked your major yet? Do you remember how you came to choose that wonderful, stressed-out bunch of UC Berkeley humans you see each semester? If you haven’t yet, maybe this UC Berkeley sorting song can help you at least narrow things down to the college:
Maybe it’s L&S where the brave and the bold show up to game day in their blue and gold,
Or cunning Haassss where those with ambition slither into that next internship ready to win,
Or perhaps the College of Environmental Design, for those who look out for the Earth (and enjoy good Vines),
Or it could be EECS with their wit and their skill — they survive and thrive (and have no chill).
But whatever the house, Golden Bears do best when they study together (and ace every test).
Step 3: Manage mischief.
Maybe you’re the Hermione of the group, and honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that — we all need someone to keep us on task (there’s no way Ron and Harry would’ve finished school without her). But it’s equally important to remember how much Hermione needed them, too. We all need a little bit of adventure in our lives, whether that looks like finding a new favorite coffee shop or actually taking BART into SF instead of studying every moment of every day. You won’t regret the fact that you carved out time for yourself (and your friends), too. What’s the worst that could happen?
Step 4: Defeat Voldemort.
We’re not just talking about Stanfurd (though by all means, go play Quidditch and kick Stanfurd’s butts for us). Voldemort represents a fear that we all have. No, we’re not talking about the fear of death, but rather, the fear to live. What’s holding you back this semester? Audition for that a cappella group or that thing your friends think is kind of (really) embarrassing, go for that internship you’re totally not qualified for, start actually going to the gym this year and stop caring what your muggle peers think. Put your name in the Goblet of Fire this year. Just, uh… don’t get any environmental design students killed, OK?
