Out-of-towners
Information
Here’s some important information for those of you who are new to the Bay Area.

Area code: 510. This code serves customers in Alameda and West Contra Costa counties—basically, the East Bay. Berkeley is part of Alameda County. The 415 area code serves San Francisco and Marin counties, and 925 serves East Contra Costa county.

Legal drinking age: 21.

Residency: If you don’t want to pay the extra non-resident tuition in future years, contact the Residence Matters office. You need to begin establishing your intent to become a California resident as soon as you get here (registrar.berkeley.edu/Residency/legalinfo.html; 120 Sproul Hall; 510/642-5990).

Smoking policies
Smoking on campus is prohibited within 20 feet of any facility owned or leased by the University and in all indoor areas and outdoor areas which are used for spectator sports, entertainment, meetings, and dining.

The City of Berkeley prohibits smoking in all public places unless otherwise provided and also in areas customarily used by the general public. This includes bars, theaters, video arcades, pool halls, and public transportation. Smoking is also prohibited in establishments where the owner has posted a non-smoking sign (webserver.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=6236.htm).
Time: Go online to find out the time (www.timeanddate.com).

Weather: Have you heard the quote, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”? Well, the weather here is fairly moderate all year long. On a typical summer day, the fog doesn’t burn off until late morning and rolls back in during the evenings; sometimes you’ll need a sweater. Fall is warm; September and October are our hottest months. We wear shorts until the cold snap in November, and then we get excited when we see a few red and yellow maple leaves. During any given winter month, you’ll need a muffler, shorts, or an umbrella. And in the spring, you’ll get a little bit of everything. For recorded local daily forecasts, check Berkeley’s weather station at weather.berkeley.edu, call the National Weather Service at 831/656-1725, or check nws.noaa.gov.

Voter registration: You can register online or pick up an application at any post office, public library, or fire station, or you can have one mailed to you by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm; 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland; 510/272-6973 or 800/834-6454). This is another good step to take to establish California residency for tuition purposes.

More stuff
Check page 22 for information on earthquakes and page 25 for driver’s licenses or California ID information.