Berkeley: the Promised Land

Attending University of California at Berkeley, as a part of my Engineering degree at UQ, has proven to be one of the best decisions I have made personally and academically.

The sheer thrill of Berkeley lies in being in the midst of so much energy and intelligence. It could be exhilarating, intimidating, sometimes even discouraging - but always challenging and never boring.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, Berkeley is really at the forefront of Engineering research. There are 25 Berkeley alumni who have received a Nobel Prize! Therefore, as one would expect, the academic life at Berkeley is invigorating and demanding. This semester, I selected 4 upper-division mechanical engineering classes: Dynamic Systems & Feedback, Mechanical Measurements, Composite Materials, and Intro to Nanotechnology.

All of these classes, many of which are not offered at UQ at all, were taught by renowned professors who have extensive ground-breaking research and publications in their respective specialty. (In fact, walking through the faculty office is like walking through the engineering hall of fame.) Hence, the lectures were certainly insightful, and the material being taught was really the latest and the greatest.

And when you need a bit of a break - San Francisco is right next door to fulfil your social life! Below: the infamous Golden Gate Bridge behind my room mate at International House and myself.

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