Gaining New Cultural Understandings
Hi, I’m Huilan Yang and I am majoring in accounting at Shandong University (Jinan, China).
I’ve known about UC Berkeley for a long time, as many of my Shandong classmates attend college there. As the top public university in the U.S., Berkeley has an outstanding reputation for its academic excellence and research strength. In my sophomore year, I learned that my home university offers a visiting program with Berkeley Haas, so I quickly took the TOEFL and applied for—and was accepted into!—the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program (BHGAP) Fall 2024 semester.
Because I also plan to pursue graduate studies abroad, the four-month Berkeley experience not only gave me a deeper understanding of American culture and academic life, but also made my CV more competitive.
When I chose BHGAP, I knew these visits would be a highlight—after all, Silicon Valley is one of the world’s most advanced technology hubs!
My Class Schedule
During the fall semester, I took:
- Ethics and Artificial Intelligence UGBA XB177
- Thriving at Haas and Beyond BUS ADM X419.7
- Climate Change and Business Strategy MBA XB292T
- International Marketing UGBA XB168B
- Business Communications UGBA XB100
- Hiking class through Directed Group Study GEOG XB198
While business certainly involves many hard skills—such as accounting, auditing and financial modeling—I believe people skills are even more critical. During my time at Berkeley, I gained a great deal of experience in this area.
For example, in my AI course, Professor Groth randomly assigned us to project teams, and I had to communicate my ideas in my second language with classmates from Europe and South America, while also adapting to different cultural approaches to teamwork.
In the Business Communication class with Professor Brady, I learned essential speaking skills for business scenarios, such as delivering negative messages to subordinates or consumers, and crafting persuasive speeches within 75 seconds. These courses greatly improved my interpersonal, problem-solving and time-management skills.
At the same time, courses such as International Marketing—which is also part of my undergraduate curriculum—gave me the opportunity to see how American professors approach familiar topics from different perspectives. This significantly broadened my academic and global outlook.
In Thriving at Haas and Beyond, I learned a lot of practical job-search skills, such as how to revise my CV and realized that, unlike in some countries where people include a photo, it’s more common in the U.S. to share a LinkedIn profile instead. I also attended several talks by successful entrepreneurs whose journeys—whether in starting their own businesses or navigating multiple career transitions—deeply inspired me. Their commitment to following their passions reinforced my belief that people should pursue the careers they truly care about and dedicate themselves to them with persistence and determination.
This was followed up with visiting Silicon Valley companies, which left the deepest impression on me. When I chose BHGAP, I knew these visits would be a highlight—after all, Silicon Valley is one of the world’s most advanced technology hubs!
When we visited Apple, a manager shared his career journey, we saw the latest Apple products and then we enjoyed lunch in Silicon Valley. That site visit was an exciting and eye-opening experience for me.
Professors at Berkeley place great importance on interacting with students and often encourage us to raise our hands and share our thoughts. Compared to the more passive roll-call approach at many Chinese universities, I found this teaching style much more effective in promoting independent thinking and active participation.
Connecting With Professors
Professors at Berkeley place great importance on interacting with students and often encourage us to raise our hands and share our thoughts. Compared to the more passive roll-call approach at many Chinese universities, I found this teaching style much more effective in promoting independent thinking and active participation.
Secondly, Berkeley professors frequently ask, “Any questions or thoughts?”—creating space for open-ended imagination and divergent thinking. Sometimes, classmates would bring up brilliant ideas that truly amazed me and it felt like opening the door to a whole new world. This approach also helps shy students feel more comfortable, as they don’t have to wait until after class to speak with the professor. No matter how unusual the question may seem, the professors are always patient and willing to explain.
Finally, the connection between professors and students at Berkeley is very close. We could book office hours to have in-depth conversations, send emails with questions, or even grab a coffee and chat with them on the sunny Haas Courtyard after class. I still remember how, during the first Business Communication class, Professor Brady used a PowerPoint presentation to introduce her family and pets—something that I had never experienced in a Chinese classroom. It left a warm and lasting impression on me.
Honestly, there are so many amazing places I could talk about—I could go on for days! The U.S. truly has an incredible variety of beautiful destinations.
Sightseeing Is a Must!
My friends and I traveled to many places during my time in the U.S.—Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York City, Dallas and more. Let me briefly share three of my favorite experiences.
First, San Diego! We went there in December, right after finals. While Berkeley and San Francisco were entering winter with cloudy skies and rain, San Diego—being further south—was warm and sunny every day. We watched a light show by the beach, visited Balboa Park—which was a filming location for a classic Korean drama—explored Little Italy for local food and toured UC San Diego’s famous Geisel Library, known for its “Inception-like” architecture. Those three days were filled with sunshine and left me with truly wonderful memories.
Second, we took a bus from Las Vegas to Utah to visit Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. Seeing the breathtaking landscapes I had only read about in geography textbooks during middle and high school was absolutely awe-inspiring.
Lastly, Christmas: While many people in China celebrate it as one of the most well-known Western holidays, this was the first time I fully experienced the festive atmosphere in the U.S. Christmas trees started appearing everywhere as early as late November. The week before Christmas, Disneyland in Southern California was decorated in red and green from corner to corner, and New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza on Christmas Eve was packed with people celebrating.
Honestly, there are so many amazing places I could talk about—I could go on for days! The U.S. truly has an incredible variety of beautiful destinations.
But overall, my top five things to do in the Bay Area were:
- Hiking
- Exploring UC Berkeley’s beautiful libraries
- Visiting the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park
- Watching football games
- Spending time by the ocean at Fisherman’s Wharf
My Advice to You
Maintain an open mind. When choosing courses, it’s valuable to explore classes you enjoy rather than limiting yourself strictly taking those that apply to your major. For example, I took a hiking course where three student instructors led us on a professional overnight trek—setting up tents outdoors, filtering drinking water and stargazing. It was a rare and precious experience that I may never have again in my life.
It is important to actively socialize, meet new classmates and friends, and engage in conversations with professors.
Make full use of Berkeley’s abundant resources, such as the state-of-the-art gyms, free food pantry and movie screenings.
