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UC Berkeley | Culture > Digital

BCAL: MY RIDE OR DIE

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Karen Magana Student Contributor, University of California - Berkeley
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If my life were a rom-com, my Google Calendar, or “bCal” for Berkeley students, would absolutely be my love interest that keeps me from spiraling into missed deadlines for midterms and forgotten workout sessions. In between classes, exercise, club meetings, and study dates, bCal is the glue that holds my sanity and schedule together.

bCal doesn’t judge me. It never rolls its eyes when I reschedule my pizza date with my boyfriend for the third time; it just seamlessly moves my plans around with the simple drag-and-drop. The color-coding feature? Lifesaver. I can easily romanticize, and distinguish between the “must attend” events, and “optional ideal” events (like pilates at 7 a.m… we’ll see about that) through the various shades of pink I hand-picked.

Unlike flaky group partners, bCal will continuously remind me of my schedule. Whether it’s a notification 15 minutes before my legal studies lecture, or a full-day alert for a midterm, I can count on it to remind me of any important activities without fail. It’s like a personal assistant, minus the salary. 

From my MacBook to my phone, bCal is always there, ready to remind me of my next move. It syncs amazingly with emails, so all invitations for events magically appear on my calendar. I mean, it’s the closest thing to telepathy. However, I also acknowledge that bCal isn’t just about work; it’s about play as well. Life is more than just due dates. By setting aside time for myself, I can always ensure I won’t burn out, and take some time to enjoy the fast-paced life I’ve built.

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Karen Magana

UC Berkeley '27

Karen is a second year at UC Berkeley majoring in Legal Studies and Political Science.
She is currently a staff writer for the Berkeley chapter and enjoys writing about different topics that come to mind depending on her days. After graduating, she intends to apply to Law School and eventually work as a Corporate Attorney in the future.

Besides academics, Karen enjoys to do hot yoga, take pictures of her pets, go shopping for new clothes & makeup, as well as catch up with friends whenever there is time.