Who you meet and talk to have high potential for significant payoff – for example, students with similar academic interests with whom you may form a study group, graduate students with whom you may draw on for graduate school advice or faculty who could potentially be mentors

Explore your new community

• All freshmen are newcomers, so break out of your high school patterns.  Visit Campus Life and Leadership to find student organizations that align with your professional and academic interests or view the UC Berkeley Events Calendar to find campus-wide events.
• Explore campus resources such as Welcome Week, Caltopia, residence halls meetings, and group booths on Sproul Plaza.

READ the materials you receive
You will be receiving materials from various advising services, student advocacy, and student groups on campus.  Read them and make connections to the organizations that can help you.  Do not ignore emails; often publicity on campus is relayed through emails.

Begin visiting your college adviser
Go twice during your first semester, first to confirm your fall class schedule and again to discuss your spring course choices.

Find great study partners to perform well academically

• Join Study Groups at the Student Learning Center to find like-minded, motivated peers who want to collaborate in your first-year classes.  If Study Groups are not offered for your particular class, actively initiate a study group with peers from your class.
• Learn course material better by comparing notes with classmates, discussing readings with your peers, and working with a small group of study partners before exams.

Create a network of solid mentors on the campus made up of knowledgeable upper-division students, graduate students, faculty, alumni, and staff professionals.

• The Student Learning Center is a great place to meet upper-division tutors who have training, experience, and enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring first-year students in their academic disciplines.
• Meet Faculty and Graduate Students during office hours that are doing research and writing in areas of interest to you.
• Familiarize yourself with mentorship programs at the California Alumni Association.
• Visit and create a list of allies and advocates from various student service units like the Career Center, Educational Opportunity Program, the Gender and Equity Center, Financial Aid, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Teaching Library.

Maintain the contacts you make
You will encounter many faculty members, graduate students, official or unofficial mentors, and guest lecturers during your time at UC Berkeley.  Make sure that you make a good impression and keep in touch with them.  They can be instrumental in providing you with further guidance in your path as a graduate student, and may be great sources for future references and letters of recommendation.

Explore the Office of Student Life and the Division of Undergraduate Education
The Office of Student Life and the Division of Undergraduate Education offers many resources and programs for Berkeley undergraduates.

Represent yourself professionally online

• Be aware of how you present yourself on popular social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Linked In or Twitter.  Remember that employers and faculty members also use these programs.
• Make sure that your email account is neutral.  Many use names and initials for user names.