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The Heyns Reading Room in Doe Library is one of Cal’s quiet study spots. It is one of UC Berkeley’s most iconic spots for students studying, taking graduation pictures, and reading old archives. / Courtesy of Kahlil Gray
Cal Culture

Golden Bear Love Stories: Academic Edition

From professors to classes to friends, Golden Bears recount their love stories with their majors.

February 5, 2025
by Kerry Wong

Cal offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 100 graduate programs. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the Cal Alumni Association asked our alums to share what sparked their passions and love for their majors. Here is what our Golden Bears had to say.

Self-Determined Problem-Solving

“Struggling through Computer Science 161 projects with friends, [I realized that] I just like making stuff and solving fun problems. Also, the kindness and support from Lecturer Peyrin Kao! I will never forget his understanding and passion for teaching.”

—Helen Zhu

The front entrance of Wheeler Hall
Wheeler Hall is home to UC Berkeley’s English Department and has one of the largest lecture halls on campus. Professors and instructors across various departments often hold classes in Wheeler Hall, and Cal students have access to some of the best and most notable instructors in the country. / Courtesy of Diego Moran

The Community

“I met some of my best friends in Professor Fae and Professor Leong’s classes.”

—Julianne Han

The Challenge

“I majored in philosophy. I loved the way my professors challenged me to be the best writer I could be. The classes were a lot of fun. Challenging, but fun in terms of the great discussions and conversations we had. Go Bears!” 

—Ben Parker

Life-Changing Opportunities

“I worked very hard to get into the University of California at Berkeley. I came up through the California Community Colleges system, as a returning, disabled student. I entered Cal at the age of around 48 years old, after I was severely injured at a US Navy base, working as an electrician/lineman. I didn’t want to give up on life and my goals. Cal was the best and I wanted to be the best. The campus is absolutely gorgeous and the faculty is top-notch. I entered as a psychology major with aspirations of being an attorney. I ended up switching to the legal studies program. What a marvelous experience. The legal studies program at Cal is first-rate. This program is the only one in the US where professors from [the law school] ‘came down’ and taught the undergraduates. This was very special as most of the professors were the people who wrote the textbooks, literally. Go Bears!” 

—Ronald Scott Raider

Trees and benches outside of a pink building in Ishi Court.
With a confusing layout and strange numbering system, Dwinelle Hall, home to departments like Classics and Film Studies, is a maze where new (and old) students can get lost. Ishi Court lies in the heart of Dwinelle Hall as a hidden spot for a break between classes, reading on the benches, and relaxing. / Courtesy of Paulina Nguyen

All the Little Things

“Reading for Political Econ in the hidden pink cloister of Ishi Court!”

—Eder

Incredible Professors

“Professor Elisa Tamarkin! The passion she spoke with about the books we’d read in her classes was infectious and made me fall in love with English. Shoutout to all the English and humanities majors!”

—Suleman Kazmi

New Perspectives

“Political science was the draw for me. It was the draw for the Second World War that was so compelling. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Edward Teller were the physicists that held the secrets of what made the ‘bomb.’ Marrying these events to people had me in the grasp of my major.”

—Brian Smith