Lecture halls are significant settings in every UC Berkeley student’s routine. Nowhere else on campus will you fall asleep to the drawl of a lecture on 17th century history, visit office hours in a panic or join a sea of laptops displaying the same iClicker check-in screen. Each lecture hall has its own quirks, as does each lecturer that teaches in it. But have you ever wondered what would happen if these iconic halls morphed into the professors who bring them to life?

Wheeler Hall

As a campus legend, this professor is a coveted faculty member, both in their department and on Rate My Professors. It doesn’t matter what subject they’re teaching, their class always fills up instantly. Their style of lecturing is awe-inspiring, not to mention their actual clothing style and their forgiving grading curve. This professor’s dedication is unmatched, and they always make a point to seem interested in what students have to say. You might find them holding office hours at Caffè Strada because everyone wants a chance to talk to them — and to get them to write a letter of recommendation.

Evans Hall

As the old-timer stuck in their ways, this professor is an infamous educator on campus because of their strict policies and old-fashioned style. They’re practically dust and have been teaching here longer than you’ve been alive — everyone is waiting for them to retire. Their syllabus hasn’t changed in 20 years and they have no clue how to use technology, so naturally the GSIs carry the class on their shoulders. This professor’s favorite part of the year is delivering the dreaded final exam, which will probably be the hardest one you’ve ever taken and make you rethink your major. Among the other professors in their department, they have the worst reputation by far.

Li Ka Shing Center

This is the young new professor who’s fresh out of graduate school. It’s their first semester teaching at UC Berkeley, and they pride themself on being “high tech.” They enforce iClicker like an army general and always make maximum use of the projector. They teach classes with hundreds of students but treat it like a seminar, constantly roaming around the room. Nothing discourages this professor more than when no one raises their hand. They try to be relatable and keep up with trends by imitating students’ terminology and slang, but their jokes always fall short. This is the professor most likely to overshare about their life.

Dwinelle Hall

This professor is just here to do their research. No one ever knows what they’re saying and it’s easy to get lost during their lectures, which always feel like long streams of consciousness with no clear ending. After class, they are bombarded with questions but they speak in riddles and never provide answers to any of them. Don’t expect them to explain the assignments in class, respond to emails or file anything in the right place on bCourses. You know nothing about them because they’re constantly skipping class to fly out for research conferences. Don’t expect them to show up for the final.

Physics Building

This is not necessarily a professor, but more like a GSI who doesn’t play around. This is the professor’s right hand student and when they walk into discussion, you have to be locked in and ready to rack up those participation points. This is an instructor who carries through the will of the professor like their life depends on it, and has their own made-up grading scale based on how much they like you. They’re brilliant, but terrifying. You better buckle up, because they grade harsher than any tenured professor.

Just like our professors, UC Berkeley’s lecture halls establish their own unique reputations on campus, so don’t be surprised if one day they abandon their roles as stationary buildings to forge their own faculty.