hello hello
As I am getting ready to start my senior year of college (sad!!), I’m really trying to soak it all in but at the same time prepare myself for the #realworld. And I am reminded of me 4 years ago – a senior in high school getting ready for the transition into college. Honestly, everyone pretty much has the same advice about this stuff but I didn’t listen to that advice and now I wish I had so maybe you will actually listen!
not ready to be the one graduating 🙁
One thing I wish I had known about college was that (at least in engineering) almost every concept you have learned in your classes leading up to this point is going to be valuable in your classes and school activities as well as your jobs and internships. (If you thought you were done with trig and the Pythagorean theorem, you’re wrong!!) Even classes you think might not be related to an engineering major like English or U.S. History are going to come up again. You need skills like ~critical thinking~ and ~communication~ and ~historic knowledge~ in the real world.
side note: guys i met dillon francis this summer!!!!
I also wish I had taken more balanced classes every semester. I ended up kind of frontloading more GEs, general math and science, and writing classes and then taking all engineering classes as an upperclassmen. One of the reasons Viterbi is so great is that you can take engineering classes in your first 2 years (and you will), so don’t try to “get GEs out of the way” in the beginning – embrace them and the balance they will bring to your schedule every semester! Doing this successfully requires some planning so make sure you are thinking about all of the things you want to do in your college career (study abroad, internship, co-op, etc.) when planning out the next 4 years.
other side note: me at a succulent festival this summer
Lastly, I wish I had realized sooner how important it is to make connections with your peers! Not only is having someone to work on your homework with SUPER helpful (they can explain it in different ways, you can help each other understand and go to office hours together if neither of you do, etc.). When it’s time to do a class project, you’ll have your go-to’s! It’s also super awesome to make friends in grades older than you. Shoutout to @500daysofdaze for telling me what classes to take and when, helping me get my AMAZING summer internship, and basically walking me through life!! Making these relationships will not only be helpful when you’re in college, but also establishes your network for post-grad life!
I can’t believe the summer is already almost over and I’m going to be starting my senior year soon 🙁 Hopefully I’ll see some of you seniors on campus this semester!! Check out the ways you can visit on Viterbi’s website here.
