Engineering 98 is a student-run seminar (DeCal) designed and taught by Berkeley engineering upperclassmen. The course covers everything an incoming engineering student needs to know in a casual class setting. Our goal is to help every incoming engineer gain the wisdom of an upper-division student while making long-lasting connections with upperclassmen and fellow students.
E98 runs only in the Fall semester!
Each section consists of 2-3 instructors and around 20 students - check out our staff to see which section is your best fit!
Feel free to contact us, the E98 Coordinators, at coords@e98.berkeley.edu.
Coordinators: Justin He, Saadhvi Narayanan, Emma Berman
Welcome to E98! We're here to tell you everything we wish we knew as incoming engineering students. E98 is your survival guide to Berkeley Engineering. We'll share our experiences, provide advice, and inform you of strategies and opportunities to help you get the most out of your Cal education—and hopefully your life!
What you can expect from us: As E98 instructors, we're here to be your friends and help you out with whatever issues you might have. Think of us as big brothers and sisters. Questions, concerns, thoughts, whatever—don't be shy to ask us because we were once new to this campus and college too!
What we expect from you: E98 is designed to help you. It's a course that actually helps you with your other classes, and hopefully your life at Cal as well. That said, please take advantage of this time to participate in class, listen to your instructors, interact with your classmates, and get your questions answered sooner rather than later. Never be afraid to voice your concerns in class, as an E98 section is a discussion and not a monologue. We want to get to know you!
Schedule: We meet for one-hour sessions weekly at a time specified by the student's section.
BCourses Website: Click Here!
Be sure to visit the bCourses page for class handouts and general resources, and the E98 page for instructor bios!
Grading: E98 is a 1-unit pass/no pass (P/NP) course. Grading is based on attendance and on homework assignments. Assignments are not graded on a point scale, but marked “acceptable” or “unacceptable” - generally, legitimate attempts to complete the homework are considered “acceptable”.
To pass, a student must:When lecturers or homeworks are missed due to unavoidable circumstances, alternate arrangements can be made at our discretion. Don't be shy! Dealing with unavoidable circumstances is part of the job. The sooner you contact us regarding issues such as these, the better. If something is preventing you from a satisfactory engagement with this course, let us know so we can take the appropriate steps to accommodate you.
E98 Coordinators' contact information: coords@e98.berkeley.edu.
| Week | Topic | Reading | Homework |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Mandatory: Share contact info, schedule hangout and picture | Introductions |
| 2 | Extracurricular Activities and Study Skills |
Attend a general meeting of 2 organizations
Attend an office hour |
Extracurricular Activities and Study Skills |
| 3 | Resumes |
Mandatory: Write/revise resume and bring 2 copies to class next week
Attend the Cal Career Fair on September 12-14 or an infosession |
Resumes |
| 4 | Resumes Critiques and Cover Letters |
Mandatory: Send resume to TBP ProDev at prodev@tbp.berkeley.edu for a critique
Bring 2 copies of a cover letter corresponding to an open job position you're interested in |
Cover Letters |
| 5 | Career Fairs and Berkeley Job Portals | Create Beehive and Handshake accounts | Career Fairs and Berkeley Job Portals |
| 6 | Interviews |
Mandatory: Practice answering interview questions
Consider attending the Fall Internship Fair on October 10 (12 pm to 4 pm) |
Mock Career Fair and Interviews |
| 7 | Class Registration and Life After College | Mandatory: Make a four-year plan for your coursework. | Class Registration and Life After College |
| 8 | Professional Etiquette and LinkedIn | Mandatory: Create a LinkedIn profile and connect with instructors and classmates | Professional Etiquette and LinkedIn |
| 9 | Research at Berkeley and Peer Reviewed Literature | Talk to your GSI about research and see if you're interested. | Research at Berkeley and Peer Reviewed Literature |
| 10 | Communication Skills: Technical Presentations | Mandatory: Prepare for your 3-minute technical presentation | Technical Topics |
| 11 | Technical Presentations | None! | None! |
| 12 | Must-Dos and SYPFTTY | None! | Must-Dos and SYPFTTY |
All times are in Pacific Time. Sections begin the week of September 4
Each section is capped at various number of seats (see individual sections for details) and based on first-come, first-serve basis. Students who register in full sections will be placed on a waitlist.
DeCal registration usually start sometime the week before, the week of, or the week after the Adjustment Period (or in other words plus or minus (+/-) one week), which is normally around the start of a new Semester (August for Fall, January for Spring). This is the general timeframe when ALL DeCals open. Check your CalCentral registration date for the exact date of your Adjustment Period.
Our registration opens when individual sections open. If there's only one E98 DeCal section, that just means the DeCal itself, but not it's individual section, is opened. Please wait for when individual sections open during the time when DeCal registration starts.
When DeCal registrations open, enroll in the DeCal just like any other regular Berkeley class. Find us in the CalCentral enrollment center by setting the Subject as "Engineering" and Course Number "is exactly" and "98". Select from any of our sections as listed above!
Feel free to contact us, the E98 Coordinators, at coords@e98.berkeley.edu.