Sofia, Bachelors of Journalism ⠂Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM)

I landed in Berkeley with two big suitcases, a crammed hopeful course list, and the classic exchange student mindset: excited, overwhelmed, and wildly underprepared for what was coming. People had told me Berkeley would change my life, but they didn’t warn me it would happen in a thousand small, unpredictable ways.

In the beginning, I was just trying to keep up. I got lost, misread the bus schedule, and stared blankly in class when people referenced things I had never heard of. There’s something humbling about realizing that even after years of learning English, there’s still a whole new language of cultural context you haven’t cracked.

Academically, Berkeley doesn’t play. The readings are long, the discussions are fast-paced, and professors expect you to actually participate like a lot. Back home, It's basically the same only in a whole different language. It took time, but I slowly found comfort in my classes. I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was adapting.

Outside the classroom, life had its own rhythm. I discovered favorite cafés for romanticizing my life while people-watching. I walked the same streets dozens of times and still found something new each day: a protest, a really big line for food or something free, a poetry reading, some live music, or a squirrel doing something weird. Berkeley has a personality, and it's delightfully unpredictable.

There were, of course, moments of homesickness, and cultural disconnects. Times where I missed familiar things, like speaking in my native language, seeing my loved ones, eating my home food, and much more. But I also felt something unexpected: pride. Each time I figured something out on my own, by buying groceries, finding the right bus, or even going on my own the whole day, I was becoming more capable, more independent.

Looking back, this semester was more than just academic. It was about learning how to live somewhere new, discovering new places and people, even a part of myself. I came to Berkeley to study, but I’m leaving with a beautiful story and connections.