10 Things To Do at UC Berkeley

By Anvisha Saxena

1. Go Up the Campanile (Sather Tower)

Built in 1914, the Campanile is 307 feet tall and is the 3rd tallest bell and clock-tower in the world! It is one of Berkeley’s most famous landmarks as it is visible for miles. A short elevator ride allows visitors to go up the tower and enjoy a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Area! The Campanile is indeed taller than the tower at our rival school, Stanford, by 22 feet!

2. Roll Down 4.0 Hill

At UC Berkeley, it is tradition for students to roll down 4.0 Hill at the beginning of each semester in hopes of earning a 4.0 GPA! This area is always green and is a pleasant spot to study outside and enjoy the nice weather.

3. Find the Hidden Bears in South Hall

• South Hall is the oldest building at UC Berkeley and it was built in 1873 in the Napoleon III style. It is the only building left of the original campus! It is a common game to look for hidden bear statues on campus, especially in the architecture at South Hall as the bears are very well incorporated into the building. Can you spot them?

4. Enjoy the architecture of our Libraries

At Cal, we love our libraries! We have 24 stunning libraries on campus, our most famous one being Doe Memorial Library. Fun fact about the libraries is that most of them are interconnected underground so if there is bad weather, students can still go to different libraries and get the resources they need to complete their work! Also, Doe Memorial Library has a sister library called Main Stacks which has 4 levels underground!

5. Relax on Memorial Glade

Memorial Glade is a social area where students usually meet up with friends, hang their hammocks, and relax. If you are lucky, you may get to witness our quidditch team practice (yes you read that right, we have a Harry Potter quidditch team)!

6. Big C Hike

Overlooking the Berkeley Campus, the Big C Hike views are well worth the long, strenuous hike! Located on the edge of campus, this hike has amazing views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge! Near the viewpoint, there is a large yellow ‘C’ for Cal painted on the ground, thus giving this hike its name.

7. Check out Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)

At BAMFA there are spectacular exhibitions ranging from “Beyond Boundaries: Buddhist Art of Gandhara” to “Orbits of Known and Unkown Objects:SFAI Histories/MATRIX 277”. The museum shows many interesting films by local artists and has interactive exhibits great for all walks of life.

8. Get Boba

One of the prominent drinks at UC Berkeley is boba and there over 10 boba places on campus, with more opening up this year! Boba Ninja, Tea Press, Sharetea, Asha Tea House, U-Cha, the list of boba places goes on! If you haven’t tried boba before, beware, you may get addicted!

9. Visit the Berkeley Marina

The Berkeley Marina is a relaxing retreat with endless possibilities! There is boating, bird-watching, parks, and even a Natural Reserve Center. It is great to sit by the calming water and enjoy the sunset!

10. Walk down the Famous Sather Lane

Sather Lane is a major center for activism at Berkeley that famously housed many protests during the Free Speech Movement. The Sather Gate is a prominent structure on campus and it is recognizable in many iconic photos from the Free Speech Movement protests. Pixar’s movie, Monster’s University features the Sather Gate as well as some parts of the campus!

This list is just the tip of the iceberg for things you can do at UC Berkeley! There is always something new and exciting happening on campus! GO BEARS!