Hey everyone! Just got accepted as a transfer to Berkeley Cog Sci and I'm really excited to get started. Would love to hear from people who've been through it, especially other transfers or alumni.
A little context: my goal is to break into UX Research and eventually move toward Product Management. I'm particularly interested in consumer apps and the sports and entertainment space. I'm not a hardcore coder or designer but I have a solid understanding of both worlds — my focus is really on understanding user behavior and how it connects to product growth and engagement.
Some questions I'd love help with:
How are the job and internship prospects coming out of Cog Sci? Especially for UX Research roles in tech — is the degree well regarded by recruiters or do you need to supplement it with a lot of outside experience?
What did you do early on that actually helped you land your first internship? What moved the needle versus what felt productive but didn't really matter?
Which clubs are worth joining for someone going into UX Research or Product? Which ones actually build real skills and network versus just looking good on a resume?
Research opportunities — did anyone manage to get into a lab their first semester? Which labs or professors were actually open to undergrads with no prior research experience?
Is a Data Science minor worth pursuing for a UX Research or PM track? Or is that time better spent building projects and getting hands-on experience?
Any professors you'd recommend reaching out to for research or mentorship in the HCI or human behavior space?
Any advice is really appreciated, especially from people who went the UX or Product route. Thanks so much!