Andrew Woo

Hi Mr. Ramsey, I guess the best way to begin is impart the best piece of advice I can offer after completing my first year at UC Berkeley as an intended Political Science focus. The lesson I have for future freshmen is to boldy enroll courses outside of whatever your core field may be, and not be intimidated in taking them for a grade versus pass/no pass. After this past spring semester, I realized that some of the most profound educational experiences as well as professors I met were outside of my major, such as Environmental Economics and City Planning. In both these courses, the professors, graduate student instructors, and fellow classmates all have great insights that taught me a lot about the specifics of other focused majors outside of my own, and whether or not I should pursue them in the future. In addition to the microeconomics and city planning, I ended up decided to pursue a minor in public policy with the Goldman School of Public Policy after taking Prof. Robert Reich's Public Policy C103 Wealth & Poverty course. This course has certainly changed a lot of my views, and made me develop that interest in public policy as a future avenue to broaden my years as hopefully a graduate student. Through these varying course subjects, I am extremely satisfied with what I have been able to achieve this past year. I am currently enrolled in summer courses here at UC Berkeley which include ECON 100B and Music 26AC. So far, the pace of these six to eight week courses have been unforgiving, with every other day being another lecture on often a completely new subject. There are midterms quickly approaching as well as assignments due at the end of the week, leaving little time for myself to really escape the Berkeley campus since this past May. Despite the busy schedule, I will be candid in saying I make sure to maintain pleasurable exercise without formal faclilities, walking and biking to the campus, swimming in a shared pool, and playing sports on the Memorial Glade. I have been able to enjoy my summer while continuing to advance my educational opportunities. So I hope that the future freshmen enjoy their first years at their universities and future institutions as I look forward to reading their own college stories. -Andrew W