Being a new student at UC Berkeley comes with its many trials and tribulations. You’ve heard it before, and we’ll tell you again: It won’t be easy. But not all firsts involve failure! Some of them are fun and wholesome. We at the Clog have chosen a few of our favorite “firsts” that transfer students here should experience.

Getting lost in a building

You’re not really a new UC Berkeley student unless you’ve gotten horribly mixed up inside one of the labyrinths that dot campus. Whether you choose Dwinelle Hall, Valley Life Sciences Building, Wheeler Hall or Barrows Hall (just to name a few) to get lost in, make sure you climb various stairwells up and down while aimlessly searching for an elevator and making awkward eye contact with professors and other students for the full experience. But you never know — you just may find your new favorite study/nap spot, bathroom or window to watch people from a secluded area.

“Accidentally” climbing up Hearst Avenue

If you can avoid this, then do so. But there’s something magical about arriving at the foot of Hearst Avenue from Oxford Street and realizing you have to climb up that because you don’t know that a better, flatter alternative exists. It’s almost a rite of passage to walk up Hearst Avenue from the bottom, and then you can officially say you’ve braved one of the infamous Berkeley hills.

Being mistaken for a freshman

So maybe you’re one of the transfers who looks a little young for their age. Though it can be annoying to be jumbled up with those sad, sad fools known as freshmen, you yourself are not much less of a sad, sad fool. Sure, you’ve had two years of college experience so far, but you haven’t experienced the “uniqueness” of Berkeley yet! If anything, you’ll probably want to be considered a freshman so you can pretend you have more time before you’re thrust into the cold, cruel world of getting a job and paying bills.

Becoming addicted to boba

While boba isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (haha, see what we did there?), it’s what many students’ lives here revolve around. Not a big fan before? The culture and abundance of boba shops may change that. Congratulations — it’s (hopefully) your first addiction at Berkeley!

Seeing fireworks over Berkeley Marina

This is a sight to behold. If you’re a transfer who tends to stay the summer during the Fourth of July or the winter break during New Year’s Eve, head down to the Berkeley Marina to see some stunning waterfront fireworks. You can get a nice double feature from fireworks across the Bay in San Francisco, too.

Bonding with other transfers when you feel like you’re the only one

Transfer students, unite! While it may feel like you’re the lone transfer in a class, club or other activity, just remember that there were more than 2,000 transfer students who started alongside you this fall. You’re bound to find another student who looks like a junior but who has that signature lost look in their eyes that marks a new student. “You’re a transfer, too? Thank God.”

You have two years to complete these, so get cracking! Oh, and welcome to UC Berkeley.