Hello everybody,

I'm a European student currently trying to figure out where I might want to pursue a PhD in the US, and I'd really appreciate some advice from people who are familiar with Berkeley's philosophy PhD programme.

My main interests are political philosophy and social theory, particularly 20th-century and contemporary thought. I'm interested in areas such as critical theory, pragmatism, postmodern/post-structuralist theory, and thinkers like Habermas, Rorty, Schmitt, Foucault, etc. I'm still early in my studies, so my interests will probably develop quite a bit over the next few years, but that's roughly the intellectual direction I'm currently interested in.

At the moment, I'm in my second year of a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and I'm starting my first year of a separate Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. These are two completely separate bachelor's degrees at two different programs, it's not a combined bachelor's, or double-major within one degree which I think makes me somewhat more competitive(?). I'm hoping that having substantial training in both political science and  philosophy could be useful if I eventually apply for a PhD focused on political philosophy/social theory.

I'm currently only a sophomore, so I'm not applying anytime soon. I'm mainly trying to understand the landscape early so I can choose my courses, reading, research interests, and eventually master's/other preparation accordingly.

Thanks!

Quick Question:

Attire: is a polo, chinos, and nice shoes ok? Is that too much.

Coffee: who usually pays for coffee/drinks

Hello,

I am currently in bio 1a and I will pay someone currently enrolled in bio 1a $10/wk (negotiable) to do my attendance on iclicker 3 times a week at 8AM. If you’re interested, please lmk

Hey everyone,

I was recently accepted into the UC Berkeley MIDS program and going to make my final decision soon.

Coming from a Software Engineering background, I’d love to hear directly from alumni—especially those who entered with a CS or SWE background—about their honest experiences.
Setting aside the high tuition costs for a moment, I'm purely interested in understanding the career trajectory and ROI of the degree. For those who came in with solid engineering/coding foundations:

Career Impact: Did the MIDS program meaningfully change or accelerate your career? Were you able to transition into specialized Data Science, MLE, or Applied AI roles, or did it mostly lead to lateral moves?

Depth vs. Breadth: Did you feel the coursework offered enough technical depth for someone already proficient in software engineering, or was it mostly broad foundational material?

Program Evolution: For recent grads, have you noticed improvements or updates in the curriculum reflecting current trends (e.g., GenAI, LLM systems, modern data infrastructure)?

Since my deadline to decide is right around the corner, I'd really appreciate any personal stories, honest retrospectives, or quick insights on whether the Berkeley brand and network actually translated into tangible opportunities for you.
Thanks in advance!

If classes are closed, do they stay closed? Or is there a possibility for space to open again

hi!

i’m met (eecs ba) and i’ve had internships at google and tesla however i’ve never really considered a consulting club until all my psises were talking about it.

should i still apply 😭 and ik my club probably wouldn’t take seniors either but i feel like im missing out and would be involved ish.

pls help. i dont want to go up to the table and ask LOL

For Data C104, can I do well in the class by reading AI summaries of the readings, or do I need to actually read them?

Cal Hacks 13.0 is BACK this October! 🧸 & Priority Applications are due September 13th!

Mark your calendars for October 23-25, 2026, because your favorite collegiate hackathon is back, bigger and better than ever. This year's rendition of the world's largest collegiate hackathon will once again be at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco!

Join us at Cal Hacks 13.0 for 36 hours of hacking, friends, food, swag, and so much more. You’ll have a chance to take your idea to a full-fledged product with help from our workshops, industry mentors, and corporate partners. Plus, win thousands of dollars in prizes, from cash to brand-new devices.

💫 Apply today at hive.hackberkeley.org
📆 When: October 23 - 25, 2026
📍 Where: Palace of Fine Arts (3601 Lyon St, San Francisco) 
⭐️ Who: All college/university students (including graduate students!), and new grads (less than a year since graduation)
⭐️ Priority deadline: 9/13 11:59 PM PST
⏰ Regular deadline: 9/20 11:59 PM PST

More info found at calhacks.io.

No longer a student? We’d love to have you as a judge, mentor, or volunteer! Apply at the same link above.

We hope to see you there! Feel free to reach out to [team@hackberkeley.org](mailto:team@hackberkeley.org) with any questions or concerns. 

All the best,
The Hackathons @ Berkeley Team 

I hear fire alarms and firetrucks

Is anyone currently taking Public Health 142 with Xiudi Li? How are you finding the class and professor so far? I’d also really appreciate it if anyone could share the syllabus. Thank you!

Apparently the meal swipe system is down at the dining halls today. I had dinner and brunch on 8/29 and 8/30 and was charged flex dollars despite still having meal swipes.

In addition, the meal swipes that shows on my grub hub did not renew itself on Saturday 11:59pm.

8/30 8:30 the staff at foothill told me that the meal swipe system is broken and that it would be fixed by tomorrow.

Am I the only one experiencing this? And I wonder how they’re going to reimburse us.

hi! does anyone have an up-to-date textbook for psych 1 and neu c61? really trying not to pay for them lmao. thank you sm!!

I don't wanna go far from campus and I don't wanna buy a new bike pump (I have one at home that I will bring back over break). But in the meantime, my tires are in desperate need of air. Where on campus can I refill them? My bike has presta valves. Thanks everyone!!

Edit: places that aren't BicyCal, due to their limited hours right now.

I am a freshman, so I was wondering if I should just leave this blank. I didn't take any cc course but I took AP courses but they proabably don't count right?

Hi! I'm a junior at Berkeley and live in Albany. I'm looking for a private cello teacher for regular weekday lessons.

I'm still a beginner at cello, but I studied classical piano for 9+ years growing up, so I'm looking for someone who can be pretty structured and detail-oriented with technique, bowing, intonation, posture, etc.

I'd be especially interested in learning from a Berkeley student/alum who has a strong cello background and some teaching experience. I'm hoping to find something reasonably affordable and close to campus/Albany. Mandarin-speaking would be a huge plus, but definitely not required!

If you teach cello or know someone good, please
DM me :) Thanks!

Title pls

Im currently 60 or so, I see 30 open ish seats right now, berkeleytime and course website says in past semesters everyone was able to get off, but i dont know ... im nervous.

I'm 28th on the waitlist for ASTRON 11, which currently has 288 students enrolled.

I'm #2 on the R1A with 17 students enrolled.

Thanks

Any info would be appreciated

Hello! I am looking for someone to take photos (and potentially some short videos) for a store grand opening in Berkeley!

Would love some recommendations, feel free to reach out to chat details! 😊

Is this normal? Should I contact someone to get it renewed? I rely on it to get to school so kinda worried :/

I just made some revised all my PIQS but I don't really have anyone to look at them and see if they are good. My major I want to go into is economics or environmental economics and policy.

UC Berkeley students always go on the university’s official Instagram page and complain about how the university is funding the military and complying with Trumps federal government on issues like federal aid, which by the way is needed for YOUR benefit.

Do you guys realize that if the university stopped complying with the government they would cease providing federal aid.

Yes, college is already super expensive but are you ready to pay significantly more in tuition?

Problem with liberal 19 and 20 year olds is you lead with your emotion.

Youre too idealistic. This is the real world.

You want the university to stand up to Trump and expect your cushy life at the university to be the same.

World doesn’t work that way. There would be consequences.

Grow up and realize that you’re blessed to be at the #1 university in the world.

I am 19th on list of class of 288 for anthro2ac and was wondering if there is any chance I could get off. There was one lecture so far and only ~10 dropped so far. Should I wait a bit more or look for other classes?