Meet Berkeley

Name: Berkeley Ramsbottom

Hometown: Austin, TX

Favorite study spot: Spiderhouse

Top Notch School Right in My Backyard

I moved to Lakeway in high school but rarely got to experience Austin. Sure, I came downtown for concerts and things occasionally but never got the full experience. I wanted to attend UT Austin so I could get the Austin experience while not living with my parents. Also, I’m an only child so I wanted to stay pretty close to my parents. It’s great – they’re close when I need them and nonexistent when I don’t.

Getting Paid to Work Out

My favorite experience by far has been becoming an aerobics instructor. I took Texercise classes last semester and randomly enrolled in the Instructor Training Series to just check it out. Come to find out, I ended up loving the training course and auditioning for a job in the spring. I got the job and it’s awesome! It’s allowed me to learn about fitness without having to devote my major to it (I’m horrible at science!). Becoming an aerobics instructor is the most random thing I’ve ever done and has turned out to be the most rewarding.

What I think about . . .

Being a Successful Student

Going to class and doing homework are NOT optional. Attend lectures and do the homework. Keep up and stay on top of everything. Falling behind can have major consequences and leave you way more stressed out than you need to be.

Also, take advantage of the first few months of school when everyone is out to make friends. You have to make the University smaller on your own and joining a small group/club or something will really help. As silly as it sounds, you have to work at it.

Balance

It’s all about balance and moderation. Work hard and play hard and allow adequate time for both. Focusing on just one of those will lead to some bad news. I try to plan my days where I study in little chunks all day, taking breaks every hour or so, and then reward myself by going out with friends that evening. Then, I have the best of both worlds. Also, I’ve found that eating healthy and exercising make a HUGE difference. Making a conscience effort to do those things will really help in the long run.