Speaking of appreciating what you have, I was in a meeting the other day to work on improving our US News rankings, and we were talking about the reputation of hospitals and schools. One doctor, an MD PhD, said a great line, "It is better to be from than to be at." He explained that he did his residency at Johns Hopkins and that he really did not think it was that great of a place. However, he admits it has definitely opened doors for him.

I completely agree with him. I did not think it was that great to be at Berkeley. Classes were huge, professors were inaccessable, students were competitive, tests were killer. But it has been great to be from Berkeley. People are impressed, their faces light up, they assume you are smart.

After four years at Berkeley, I was ready to leave, but after two year away, I realize I am thankful that I went there. It has helped me get into a good grad school, get a great job, and, of course, make some great friends, which I will be getting in touch with one of these days!