Tips

We are getting closer and closer to graduation which makes me very excited! In this blog I wanted to go over some things I learned when I was in college. I wrote about this at the beginning of my blogging career, but I think it’s very important to go over again. These guidelines can save you time and money in your college career. The Career Counselors at Berkeley always go over these things with you but sometimes it’s good to hear it from another student.
TIP 1: Keep track of how many credits you are taking and if you are on track.
As you know, you need to reach a certain amount of credits in order to graduate. When I was a student my maximum credits that I could take without paying extra was 18 credits. One summer I decided to only take 12 credits because it was my first summer in college and I wanted a little bit of a break. Some quarters I chose to only take 15 credits or 16 because I didn’t always want to max out my potential. Eventually what I realized was that because of doing that my graduation date was being moved back. I could have taken more than 18 credits in a quarter after I realized that but it would have cost me a lot more extra. Once you fall back it’s not that easy to get back on track. Lesson in this is to make sure that you are on track with your graduation date. Dont fall behind!

TIP 2: Take advantage of the language tests!
Berkeley College is filled with students with different nationalities, cultures, and languages. Berkeley offers you a test that you can take to eliminate 12 credits from your requirements. I speak Polish so I chose to take this test. You can take the test at the Berkeley campus or you can take it at New York University. The test costs about $300 and it takes 3 hours. After you pass the test you can get up to 12 credits towards your degree. That many credits can be considered a whole quarter! Think of how much money you could be saving by paying for this test instead of paying for a whole quarter. This test is what saved me from having to move my graduation date to a later date.

TIP 3: Get involved!
I cannot stress enough how many opportunities being involved has given me. I was able to travel, meet different types of people, participate in interesting projects and create memories I would not have normally had. College is not just about education, it’s about the experience of meeting people and being exposed to different situations that make you grow stronger. Don’t miss out on your opportunity and experience.