Abby, Civil and Environmental Engineering “I am going to get myself organized and relax. This is the chance to take a short break from college work, so I am going to take advantage of it! I will also be catching up on sleep; the end of the semester is going to be a tough one, so I must power through!”Madi, Chemical Engineering “Over spring break, I am going to set aside some time to work on homework and study, as well as find an apartment to stay in for my internship this summer.”Chelsea, Civil and Environmental Engineering “I will be going to New York to visit construction projects with my graduate program. Going on this trip will help me make connections with corporate companies as prepare for looking for jobs next fall.”
Abby, Civil and Environmental Engineering “Talk to anyone you know at the college and get as much information as you can! The students there actually know what it is like and have little tips to help you out. My biggest one is to ask students now about what classes to take. Also, buy a planner! You will need to be organized in college.”Madi, Chemical Engineering “The summer before I started college I worked a part-time job, took a summer course, and went to the Women in Engineering camp. I felt that all of these things really helped me prepare for college. I have taken summer classes every summer since then to stay ahead in my courses.”Chelsea, Civil and Environmental Engineering “I would recommend taking a couple classes at a local community college to prepare for the format of college classes. Learning in the college setting is much different than in high school, so preparing early would be very helpful.”
Abby, Civil and Environmental Engineering “I thought all scientist wore lab coats and made potions. I definitely had no idea what an engineer did! Now I know that engineering is a very versatile career path and that there are a lot of different jobs that span all of the STEM fields – not just astronauts.”Madi, Chemical Engineering “I thought that a career in science was like wearing a lab coat and doing experiments with explosions and wild things like that. That idea is very different from what I do now! While I have done some work in the lab, the majority of chemical engineering is problem-solving and lots of math and calculations.”Chelsea, Civil and Environmental Engineering “I thought that a career in science or engineering would be wearing lab coats and working in research labs. Comparably, I will not be wearing lab coats, but wearing safety vests and hard hats for my future career in construction management.”
Alayna, Materials Science Engineering “I actually take a similar approach for both: my main form of studying is re-writing my in-class notes and making study sheets, which is effective for both types of classes.”Allisa, Civil Engineering “I’ve found that non-technical classes tend to require more memorization whereas technical classes require more problem-solving. I have made some pretty massive Quizlet sets for some of my general education classes.”Kaiya, chemical engineering “[For technical classes] I focus on why this thing is important, not just plus-and-chug.”
Alayna, Materials Science Engineering “I think as soon as you decide where you’re going to college, it’s important to get a jump-start on course and career planning. Talk to your academic advisor and any current students you may know and think about meaningful ways to use the summer between high school and college. This will help make the transition to college easier.”Allisa, Civil Engineering “Don’t worry too much about making your first year perfect. Some of your best memories may come from having a quirky roommate or living in a dorm that far away from your classes. You’ll learn to appreciate your unique circumstances regardless of how the details work out.”Kaiya, chemical engineering “The biggest piece of advice I can give is to find balance. This will help you succeed academically and mentally.”
Alayna, Materials Science Engineering “Use that negativity as a reason to chase your dreams even more. Success is the best revenge.”Allisa, Civil Engineering “People will always try to find a reason to put you down or underestimate you, but that just makes it even more meaningful when you prove them wrong.”Kaiya, Chemical Engineering “There’s nothing wrong with loving science. Science makes up our entire universe, and wanting to know more about it shows how amazing you are.”
Caitlyn, Mechanical Engineering “When I was younger, my goals were focused on saving up money to buy a new toy or new clothes.”Melissa, Engineering Undeclared “In 5th grade, my goals were focused on involving myself in activities in middle school. I always enjoyed the idea that the work I do now prepares me for my future.”Isha, Mechanical Engineering “I think a big goal of mine in 5th grade was to do well on the ISATs and get my artwork into the Fine Arts Fair. I really wanted to do my best in everything I could, whether that included schoolwork or something for fun. I enjoyed pushing myself and seeing what great things I could create.”
Caitlyn, Mechanical Engineering “My fondest memory was when I finally decided I wanted to attend the University of Illinois. After months stressing about scholarships and hours looking at campuses, I realized it was the best choice for me. It was such a calming yet exciting moment.”Melissa, Engineering Undeclared “My favorite memory from the application process was visiting my prospective schools. It was a great way to see if I felt like I fit in on the campus and if I could see myself at that school for four years.”Isha, Mechanical Engineering “The day I got my University of Illinois acceptance was a Friday. I remember going home from school and being so nervous that I decided to take a nap. I went to sleep and woke up about 20 minutes after the decision came out. I checked, my friend called me, and I started crying because I was so happy. Then I went out to dinner with my family and a friend to celebrate. It was a really happy and positive memory!”
Caitlyn, Mechanical Engineering “I set some goals for myself such as studying without distraction, expanding my technical skills, and spending more time with friends.”Melissa, Engineering Undeclared “Over break, I just relaxed with my family. I think it’s a really good idea to give yourself downtime between semesters. You work so hard that you deserve some relaxing time off.”Isha, Mechanical Engineering “Honestly, I didn’t do as much as I should’ve to prepare. I did look through some old physics notes and get all new notebooks and binders, but I should’ve started doing calc 2 practice problems, and watching YouTube or Khan Academy Python videos.”
Cindy, Civil and Environmental Engineering “My favorite SWE event was actually meeting my mentee from the mentorship program. Talking to her reminded me of my freshmen year and made me think about how much you grow throughout college.”Micki, Electrical Engineering “I enjoyed designing and then implementing a project partnered with the College of Engineering’s Outreach endeavor, where CPS students came to campus as a culminating event for their program. The students were extremely engaged and ask very good questions and we had enough volunteers and time to really force the kids to troubleshoot themselves rather than having us just do the work.”Kaiya, Chemical Engineering “FKO, as it’s so cool to see little face light up when talking about engineering.”
