We’ve all heard the saying “Brain Like Berkeley,” a lyric that comes from Frank Ocean’s song “Novacane.” It’s a phrase adopted by most, if not all UC Berkeley students, a way students have differentiated themselves from others at different schools. But what does having a “Brain Like Berkeley” really mean? Most would see it as a way to flex their intelligence or perceive UC Berkeley as a prestigious school, which would all seem rational. However, in my time at the school, I adopted a new perspective on this phrase; one that highlights all the faults as to why I have a “Brain Like Berkeley.”
During my first year at UC Berkeley, I found myself looking at this phrase differently because of all the new things I experienced. I envisioned the phrase as a double-edged play on words; one that showcased my intelligence on a surface level, but with deeper thinking, would lead you to question what unique characteristics make a “Brain like Berkeley.”Â
One month into my first semester, I planned to fly back home for a concert at the Kia Forum. Up until that month, I’d only ever flown with my parents in hand, which meant they handled all the check-in, documents, and boarding procedures.
As the day of my flight approached, I was stressed — so much so that I called my dad an hour before the flight, so he could walk me through how to board the plane legally and safely. But, the cherry on top of it all is that I scoured Wikipedia for a step-by-step guide on what to do when I got to the airport. I may know how to board a plane now, but the true lesson at that moment was that my “Brain like Berkeley” didn’t contain flight instructions.Â
There are also more relatable experiences that highlight the common phrase as being special to UC Berkeley students. Like many, I was open to sharing which personal insight questions (PIQs) I chose when I applied to the UCs, as well as how I answered them. What I didn’t expect was to see how similar my peers and I were in discussing our insomnia.
When I was in high school, I got diagnosed with insomnia, which my doctor told me isn’t common in the long term among people my age. This stuck with me and was ultimately why I decided to write about it in one of my PIQs.
Coming to UC Berkeley and finding other students with insomnia was such a surreal “Brain like Berkeley” moment for me. Here I was, thinking I’d be the only person I knew with such a rare disorder, only to attend a college full of insomniacs. So, even though my disorder is rare, it explains why so many UC Berkeley students have “Brains like Berkeley.” We’re forced to think differently because our minds are running on three hours of sleep, a lot of caffeine, and endless thoughts and ideas.Â
A “Brain Like Berkeley” is more than what you can bring to the table — it’s what you can’t bring to the table. Sure, I can work computer-aided design (CAD) and research for days on end, but what good is that if I can’t figure out how to board a plane?