UC Berkeley has a reputation, and if you’re reading this as a student, you already know what I mean. It’s the school of revolutionaries, Nobel laureates, and late-night coders running on espresso shots and sheer willpower. The phrase “Berkeley grind” isn’t a joke – it’s practically a badge of honor. From Haas hopefuls competing for a handful of jobs to CS majors drowning in problem sets, the idea that you have to be in a constant state of motion is ingrained into campus culture.
But how much of this reputation is real, and how much of it is self-imposed? Do Berkeley students actually have to grind 24/7, or is the pressure put on by ourselves? To answer that, let’s break down a typical day of a student here who balances ambition, burnout, and everything in between: me.
It’s 7:00 a.m. and my alarm goes off. The night before I set it with the best of intentions. Maybe I’ll go to the gym or head to Crossroads for a real breakfast. But reality looks more like hitting snooze until I have just enough time to throw on an outfit and rush out the door. If I’m lucky, I’ll grab a meal at GBC. If not, I’ll survive on the granola bar that’s been sitting in my backpack for weeks.
Walking through campus, I see two types of students: the ones who look like they’ve been up since 5 a.m. already fresh from the gym; and the ones who are still half-asleep trudging toward their morning lectures. I’d like to say I fall somewhere in between, but most days I’m in the second category.
Lecture halls are a mixed bag. Some students are hyper-focused with detailed notes while others have mastered the art of looking engaged while secretly watching Netflix. I try to stay attentive, but some days the only thing keeping me awake is the thought of everything else I need to do. Because at Berkeley your day isn’t just about classes, it’s about the next thing.
By noon I’ve already sat through a couple of lectures, skimmed through readings, and responded to emails. But the real challenge of my day is constantly bouncing between subjects. As an Economics and Cognitive Science major, it feels like my brain is split between two different worlds. I love the diversity of the two subjects, but the workload is all too real.
Then there’s club life with committee meetings, networking events, and speaker panels with professionals in business and economics. Clubs at Berkeley are mini careers. More often than not, getting into the clubs themselves requires multi-round interviews and connections upon connections. Sometimes, it’s as if you have to be something more than just a student here. And let’s not forget about the internship races, research assistantships, and volunteering that could “set you apart.” There’s always this undercurrent of anxiety asking: “am I doing enough?”
By mid-afternoon, I try to carve out some breathing room. Some days, that means getting lunch at the Eateries in the Student Union or people watching next to VLSB. Yet, even relaxation can feel strategic here. Self-care is often reframed as another way to be productive. Meditation? A tool to focus better. Going to the gym? A discipline hack. There’s this idea even when you’re resting you should be optimizing something. I’m guilty of this too. I’ll tell myself I’m taking a break, but in the back of my mind I’m already planning out my evening study schedule.
That said, there are students who actively push back against the grind. Some prioritize social life like making time for concerts, house parties, or spontaneous late-night conversations. I try to keep those parts of my life intact by visiting art museums or working on creative projects when I can. The truth is though, it’s hard to fully escape the grind when it’s the default setting here.
By 7 p.m. the libraries are packed. If you walk into common areas, you’ll come across students hunched over their laptops surrounded by piles of notes. Some of them will be there until midnight grinding out problem sets or editing research papers. It’s an inevitable routine. I’ve had nights where I tell myself I’ll just study for an hour, and the next thing I know, it’s been three. And then? Even when I do finish everything there’s always something else like another reading, another email, or another opportunity I should probably apply for.
Of course, not everyone spends their evenings buried in work. Some are out at frat parties, club events, or getting late-night Yogurt Park. There’s a strange duality to Berkeley where on one street: students are cramming for midterms, and on the next: people are dancing until 3 a.m..
Somewhere in between those extremes, I try to find balance. Some nights, I binge a TV series without guilt or FaceTime my friends for hours on end. Other nights, I cave to the pressure and join the rest of the campus in the collective toil.
So, is the Berkeley grind real? Absolutely.
The pressure to constantly be studying, networking, building your resume, and doing something is woven into the fabric of this place. It’s an internal, self-imposed drive to keep up with the people around you. Some students genuinely thrive in this environment and are fueled by ambition and Celsius. Others struggle with burnout. Again, I find my home in the middle. I love learning, I love being involved, but I also know that the grind isn’t sustainable if it comes at the cost of everything else.
Maybe the real question isn’t if the grind is real; it’s if we actually need to embrace it. At the end of the day, success at Berkeley isn’t just surviving, it should be figuring out how to thrive.