Peer Advising

CogSci Peer Advising will be remote for Fall 2021!

Check out the Peer Advisor Schedule and bios below if you'd like to meet with a peer advisor.

To see a peer advisor, join the virtual drop-in during their shift! 

Drop-in link: https://berkeley.zoom.us/my/cogscipeeradvising

Our peer advisors are a great resource for students looking for guidance on course recommendations, CogSci research and careers, or why to major in Cognitive Science. 

Any further questions can be directed to Piazza. 

After attending Peer Advisor office hours, please fill out this Evaluation Form to let us know how we're doing!

Meet our Peer Advisors:

     Joanne

Hello hello! My name is Joanne and I’m a senior majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology, with minors in Education and Human Rights. I came to Berkeley unsure of which path to take and what to study, but I found that CogSci perfectly encapsulated so many of my interests, as well as some classes I never would’ve thought about taking previously! My favorite classes so far have been Psych 160 (Social Psychology), Psych 150 (Personality Psychology), and Psych C143 (Language Acquisition). My main passion lies in the intersection of psychology and education, tackling various education inequities within the system. I want to work on the advising or counseling level at schools to support students in underserved communities. I have interned at various educational nonprofits, and interned this past summer at a Montessori progressive school, working to develop individualized learning structures for students of various backgrounds. During the school year, you can find me relaxing or studying in boba shops and coffee stores (Asha Tea House and 1951 Coffee Company are some of my favorites!) or working as a BUILD Mentor in the Public Service Center. I love exploring cute shops and cafes, so feel free to drop your recs (or ask me for recs)! Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions about classes, CogSci/Psych at Cal, or just want to chat about anything! 

Major Courses Taken: CogSci 1 (Li), MCB C61 (Presti), CS 61A (DeNero), Data 8 (Adhikari), Phil 3 (Campbell), Math 55 (over summer), CogSci C131 (Collins), Psych 140 (Engelmann), Educ 140AC (Hull & Fogel), Psych 150 (John), Psych 160 (Chen), Psych 114 (Wilbrecht), PbHlth 129 (Jagust), Psych C143 (Srinivasan), CogSci C142 (Reiger)

Current Courses: Psych 133 (Walker), Psych 134 (Fisher)

     Deleree

Hello! :) My name is Deleree (like celery with a d!) and I am a 4th year Cognitive Science and Global Public Health minor. I first came to Berkeley as a pre-med student, then became pre-law, switched to computer science, and now I am back to pre-med! As you can tell, I am super familiar with being undecided about what you want to do with your future career. I think the Cognitive Science major played a huge part in how I was able to test out my interests and figure out my future career in healthcare! My favorite classes so far at Berkeley have been CogSci 170 (Brain Damage with Linda Isaac), Physics 8B, and Bio1B! Around campus I like to hang out with friends and grab boba/good food! Some of my favorite restaurants are Marugame, Feng Cha, and Toss. I also like going to EDM concerts (Porter, Illenium, Odesza, etc…) and sitting on the glade. In regards to extracurriculars at Cal, I started off doing research in the Relationships and Social Cognition Lab (RASCL). Right now I am doing research on cardiac arrest patients at UCSF in the Amorim Lab. I am also working as a coding tutor and I volunteer at Highland Hospital. I also started a student organization called “Project Heal at Berkeley'' that raises funds for eating disorder resources for those who may not have access to treatment. My main future goal as of now is to get into medical school! I am currently studying for the MCAT while finishing up my last medical school prerequisites. Please let me know if you have any questions about the Cognitive Science major or if you just want to talk about being pre-med and Cognitive Science at Cal ~~ <3  

Major Courses Taken: Cognitive Science 1 (Isaac), Math 1A (Balmer), Data 8 (Adhikari), CS70 (Sahai), Philosophy 3, Psych 160 (Summer), Psych 144 (Summer), CogSci 170 (Isaac), MCB61 (Presti), Sociology 150 (Summer), Psych 147 (Kidd)

Current Courses: Ling 100 (Jenks), CogSci 100 (Chan)

     Caira

Hi :) My name is Caira and I am a fourth year majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Linguistics. I applied to Berkeley as a Cognitive Science major, and I fell in love with Cognitive Science because it encompasses all of the subjects I’m interested in into one major. There are so many interesting courses for the major and it’s always hard for me to pick courses every semester. My favorite classes so far are Ling 100 (Intro to Linguistic Science) with Peter Jenks, CogSci 170 (Brain Damage) with Linda Isaac, and Psych 134 (Health Psychology) with Aaron Fisher. On campus, I have experience working as a research assistant at the Social Origins Lab where I researched social reasoning and cooperation among young children. I am passionate about education and healthcare, and currently I am interning at a Biotech company that specializes in cancer treatment. When I’m not studying or working, I enjoy listening to music, community service, watching Netflix, playing tennis, baking, and roller skating. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me about class scheduling, CogSci/Psych/Linguistics, Berkeley, or anything else that comes to your mind!

Major Courses Taken: Data 8, CS61A (Garcia), CogSci 1B (Pageler), Math 55 (Holtz), Psych C61 (Presti), CogSci 170 (Isaac), CogSci C100 (Chan), CogSci 131 (Ramirez), Ling 100 (Jenks), CogSci 180 (Pageler), Social 150 (Powers), Psych 134 (Fisher), Social 167 (Lin)

Current Courses: CogSci 190 (Chan), Psych 133 (Walker), Ling 150 (Bleaman)

     Christina

Heyo! My name is Christina and I’m a fourth year majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology. I came in intending to study MCB but luckily discovered how niche of a major CogSci is after taking CogSci 1 with Paul Li (best class!) and how it encapsulates all of my interests. My absolute favorite CogSci classes so far have been CogSci C100 (Basic Issues in Cognition) with Davina Chan, Psych 150 (Personality Psychology) with Oliver John, and CogSci C126 (Perception) with David Whitney. My career interests include how AI can better assist optometrists during eye exams in detecting eye diseases and translating for foreign patients and am currently on the Pre-Optometry track. On campus, I am a research assistant in the Family and Culture Lab with Professor Qing Zhou studying the effects of bilingual experience on socio-cultural development among young children in the Bay Area. I am a member of CSSA and have loved every second of the tight knit CogSci community, come join your fellow CogSci peers! When I’m not studying, I enjoy being outside and spend most of my time hiking, backpacking, open water swimming, surfing, rollerblading, and chilling on glade! Feel free to hit me up about CogSci/Psych, research, optometry, hiking, or anything at all! Go bears!!

Major Courses Taken: MCB C61 (Presti), CogSci 1 (Li), Data 8 (Sridharan & Sahai), Philos 3 (Lee), CS 61A (over summer), CogSci 170 (Isaac), CogSci C100 (Chan), CogSci 131 (Ramirez), Ling 100 (Jenks), Psych 160 (Gorchoff), Psych 150 (John), CogSci 190 (Chan), Psych 131 (Zhou), Math 55 (Laney College), CogSci C126 (Whitney), Psych 134 (Fisher)

Current Courses: Psych 133 (Walker), Music 108 (Wagner)

     Nandita

Hiya! I’m Nandita, an international student from Oman in the Middle East. I am a Junior majoring in Cognitive Science and Data Science. The Cognitive Science major perfectly complements my interests in neuroscience and has allowed me to get a taste of the various interdisciplinary fields within neuroscience/cognitive science. My favorite class so far has been Cognitive Neuroscience (CogSci 127) with Professor Ivry, since the professor and GSIs went above and beyond to help students *think* like a scientist. On campus, I’m a research assistant at the Cognition and Action Lab and the Idiographic Dynamics Lab, and the lab manager at the Data Science ULAB. When I’m not in classes or doing research, you can find me writing for the Daily Californian’s Blog Department and peer counseling at SSPC. To de-stress, I love cooking Indian food, playing Just Dance with my roommates, watching Bollywood movies and swimming. Feel free to reach out to me about cognitive science, research, navigating Cal as an international student, internship search, the best Indian grocery stores or even just to chat!

Major Courses Taken: MCB C61 (Presti), CogSci 1 (Isaac), Data 8 (Sridharan & Sahai), CS 61A (DeNero), CogSci 127 (Ivry), Psych C143 (Srinivasan), Ling 100 (Lemon), Psych 166AC (Gorchoff), Math 55 (Corteel)

Current Courses: CogSci 131 (Ramirez), CogSci C140 (Gahl), Data 100 (Perez and Wan)

     Xinyue

Hi, my name is Xinyue Wang. I’m a senior majoring in cognitive science and psychology. I chose Cogsci as my preferred major when I applied to Cal because I realized that cognitive science is an interdisciplinary study, and I could have the chance to explore so many interesting fields such as psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, and computer science. My favourite classes so far have been Dr. Isaac’s Brain Damage(COGSCI 170) and Clinical Application in Cognitive Neuroscience (COGSCI 172). Her lectures teach me how academic findings in neuroscience can be translated into medical and clinical application. I also enjoy Cultural Psychology(PSYCH 166) and Prof. Kidd’s Methods in Cognitive Development (PSYCH 147). When I have time, I’d like to grab a boba around the campus, explore some coffee places and restaurants. It has become one of my routines to grab a latte at 1951 Coffee Company in the MLK building. I’ve been a research assistant in Prof. Zhou’s Family and Cultural Lab for a year and a half. But other than academia and research, I’m also a part of Berkeley China Summit for two years in charge of marketing. During my own time, I enjoy cooking and food. I love traveling but I also like spending my whole weekend binge watching movies and TV series.

Major Courses Taken: CogSci 1 (Isaac), Data 8 (Wagner), MCB C61 (Presti), CS 61A (Garcia),  CS 61B (Hilfinger), CS 70 (Sinclair & Song), Phil 25B (Primus), CogSci C100 (Chan), CogSci C131 (Ramirez), CogSci 170(Isaac), CogSci 172 (Isaac), Psych 131 (Zhou), Psych 147 (Kidds), Psych 150 (John), Psych 166AC (Gorchoff).

Current Courses: Psych 133 (Walker); Psych 102 (Theunissen); Ling 100 (Jenks)

     Tarunika

Hey! I’m Tarunika, and I’m a fourth year majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Data Science. I applied to UC Berkeley as a Cog Sci major because I thought that the interdisciplinary nature of the major would give me room to grow and explore my various academic interests beyond broadly psychology and the intersection of social sciences and technology. My favorite classes by far have been CogSci 1 (Introduction to Cognitive Science) with Paul Li, EDUC 140AC (The Art of Making Meaning: Educational Perspectives on Literacy and Learning in a Global World) with Glynda Hull, and PSYCH C143 (Language Acquisition) with Mahesh Srinivasan. My interests in Cognitive Science lie in language acquisition and natural language processing (NLP), specifically in how NLP can be used to analyze different kinds of texts and literature. On campus, I have worked as a research assistant for David Bamman’s LitBank Project, a teacher’s assistant for EDUC 140AC, and a mentee and mentor for the CogSci and Psych ULAB. Outside of academia, I am also a news reporter for the Daily Californian and a staff writer for the Berkeley Fiction Review. When I’m not studying or writing for fun, I am reading, watching Netflix, or hanging out with my friends. I love walking around campus, especially North Side, and checking out cool places to eat around Berkeley. I’m excited to return to Berkeley this year!

Major Courses Taken: CS 61A (DeNero), Data 8 (Adhikari & Fithian), CogSci N1 (Pageler), LINGUIS 100 (Johnson), CogSci 1 (Li), MCB C61 (Priesti), PHILOS 3 (Campbell), CS70 (Roy & Zeydabadi), CogSci C100 (Chan), CogSci C127 (Ivry), Data C100 (Joseph & Perez), EDUC 140AC (Hull), PSYCH C143 (Srinivasan), CS 188 (Qi & Xiaocheng)

Current Courses: PSYCH 133 (Walker), CogSci C140 (Gahl)

     Aiya

Hi! My name is Aiya. I am a fifth year student at Cal! I’m majoring in Cognitive Science and minoring in Public Policy. As I was transferring to Cal I had no idea there was a Cognitive Science major and stumbled upon it during a midlife major change crisis. I am so glad I stumbled upon Cognitive Science and decided to pursue it as a major because it covers a variety of fascinating subjects and includes numerous class options that will never leave you bored. Cog Sci includes 6 different departments that ultimately revolve the human mind. Cog Sci has such diverse career opportunities which was a significant factor in choosing my major.  My favorite classes by far have to be MCB 61 (Brain Mind and Behaviour) with Professor Presti, Cognitive Science 170 (Brain Damage) with Professor Isaac, and Sociology 150 (Social Psychology) with Professor Powers. On campus I am a Transfer Retention Director for MENA-RCC, a photographer for Threads at Cal, a Peer Advocate for Outreach for the Transfer Student Center, an internal member at CSSA and a peer advisor for the Cognitive Science department. I love being outdoors and in nature so my favorite thing to do around campus is have a picnic on the glade or walk around our beautiful campus. I also enjoy getting work done in different libraries on campus so I am looking forward to going back this upcoming Fall. I am fascinated and passionate about technology and hope to have a career in UI/UX design post graduation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to chat about anything mentioned above or anything not mentioned. I'd love to help and support in any way I can!

Major Courses Taken: Math 55 (Corteel), Computer Science 61A (DeNero), MCB 61 (Presti), Psychology 110 (Chan), Cognitive Science 1 (Isaac), Philosophy 3 (Campbell), Linguistics 100 (Hilton), Rhetoric 103A (Udekwu), Sociology 150 (Powers), Sociology 167 (Lin), Cognitive Science 170 (Isaac), Cognitive Science C100 (Chan), Cognitive Science 131 (Ramirez), Psychology 140 (Schmale)

Current Courses: Public Health 129 (Jagust)

Come see our peers if you are interested in...

  • What is Cognitive Science?
  • Which classes for the distribution requirements should I take?
  • Should I take this class at a community college?
  • What can I do with a Cognitive Science major?
  • How do I get into undergraduate research?
  • How do I declare Cognitive Science?
  • How do I apply for admission to the Honors Program?
  • How do I get academic credit for my internship or research?
  • Clubs/Internships: Our peers have specific experience with...

                   Mentoring
                   Community service
                   Mental health
                   Sexual Health Internship (Tang Center)
                   Speech Pathology Internship