The weather is finally nice again after it snowed last week. Yes, it snowed. Michigan weather is so unpredictable. I have seen a lot of people taking graduation pictures around campus, and it seems strange to me that some of my friends are graduating. It feels like I have not known them very long, but at the same time it also feels like I have known some of them forever. Even though it is the last week of class, I still have a lot of assignments to finish. Yesterday I had a presentation, and I have some final reports due on Friday. So, I still have a lot of work to do.
Friday is also Design Day, which occurs on the last day of class each semester. This semester is the largest Design Day yet with 198 teams, 882 students, and 55 Michigan-based companies and institutions. I have talked about Design Day in past blog posts, but if you want to read more about this Friday's event, click here.
So after I finish my final assignments and classes, I will be studying for finals, taking exams, and packing up all of my belongings. I am excited for the summer and the chance to get engineering industry experience. Have a nice summer!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Scholarships
There are a variety of scholarship opportunities for MSU College of Engineering students of all class levels. Many students have been awarded major scholarships, including national scholarships and fellowships.
Recently a MSU College of Engineering student was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, which is a prestigious national award for undergraduates studying STEM who are interested in pursuing graduate studies. Rebecca Carlson is a sophomore double-majoring in chemical engineering and Chinese, and is the third MSU College of Engineering student to be awarded the Goldwater Scholarship in two years. She is very involved in undergraduate research, presenting at UURAF (University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum) and doing research in Dr. S. Patrick Walton's lab. For more information about this year's Goldwater Scholars from MSU, click here.
Incoming freshmen do not have to fill out a separate application for scholarships awarded by the College of Engineering. Generally students find out if they get engineering scholarships by mid-April. Some of MSU's incoming freshmen are entering with scholarships they won from the Honors College's Alumni Distinguished Scholarship competition and the National Merit Scholarship Competition. To read more about the incoming freshman engineering class, read the original article here:
Recently a MSU College of Engineering student was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, which is a prestigious national award for undergraduates studying STEM who are interested in pursuing graduate studies. Rebecca Carlson is a sophomore double-majoring in chemical engineering and Chinese, and is the third MSU College of Engineering student to be awarded the Goldwater Scholarship in two years. She is very involved in undergraduate research, presenting at UURAF (University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum) and doing research in Dr. S. Patrick Walton's lab. For more information about this year's Goldwater Scholars from MSU, click here.
Incoming freshmen do not have to fill out a separate application for scholarships awarded by the College of Engineering. Generally students find out if they get engineering scholarships by mid-April. Some of MSU's incoming freshmen are entering with scholarships they won from the Honors College's Alumni Distinguished Scholarship competition and the National Merit Scholarship Competition. To read more about the incoming freshman engineering class, read the original article here:
Current engineering students just have to submit a resume and one-page application online each year to be considered for engineering scholarships. It is seriously one of the easiest applications I have ever filled out and there are no essay questions, so there is no reason NOT to fill out the scholarship application.
There are other scholarships and financial aid offered throughout campus, but it would be best to contact them directly for information or questions. Here are some places to visit if you want more information on scholarships:
Office of Financial Aid: http://www.finaid.msu.edu/
NIFS (National and International Fellowship and Scholarship) Office: https://nifs.msu.edu/
Honors College scholarships: http://honorscollege.msu.edu/scholarships-incoming-freshmen
College of Engineering scholarships: http://www.egr.msu.edu/undergraduate/resources/scholarships
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Engineering Summer Programs
I can't believe that it is already April, the last full month of the semester. I felt like I was getting busier in general, but I didn't realize that it was because the end of the semester was so close. So, that means that summer is nearing, and it's time to think about what to do over the summer.
This summer, I am moving out west to Idaho to do an engineering internship in industry. A lot of companies with local opportunities come to MSU, but I wanted to live somewhere new and try new things. I heard about this position through MySpartanCareer (MSU's online resource for students and alumni to search for jobs), attended a company info session on campus, and interviewed at Spartan Stadium. No, I was not interviewed on the football field. The stadium actually has a branch of career services and a lot of interviews happen there. So, MSU and its career services were instrumental in my internship search.
Last summer I went on the International Corporate Tour of Europe, the summer before that I studied abroad, and the summer before I came to MSU I participated in a MSU Engineering Summer Program. I participated in BEACON, which is no longer offered, but if you would like to read more details about what I did there, you can read my blog post about it here. You can also read about how I spent my summers abroad by reading some of my other past blog posts for the International Corporate Tour and study abroad.
There are engineering summer programs for students of all ages, and they are a great way to have fun while learning about engineering. Many of the programs are for high school students and are residential, which means that student get to live in a dorm on campus and stay overnight. For more program details and information on eligibility and application visit our website.
One of the new residential programs for rising high schools juniors and seniors is the Introduction to Radar for Student Engineers. This programs was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, and instructors from both MIT and MSU will teach students about radars and signal processing. Another residential program is (HSEI), High School Engineering Institute, where students learn about the different types of engineering through hands-on experience while also learning more about MSU. For high school students interested in robotics, there is the Introduction to Robotics Engineering - Residential program. Participants learn about biomimetic robotic fish, manufacturing automation, and nanorobotics.
Check out Flickr to look a more photos from past summer programs!
HSEI Session 1 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648157562739/
HSEI Session 2 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648514144466/
HSEI Session 3 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648580487905/
Introduction to Robotics Engineering 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648562101852/
Once again, here's the link to where you can explore and sign up for summer programs:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/programs
This summer, I am moving out west to Idaho to do an engineering internship in industry. A lot of companies with local opportunities come to MSU, but I wanted to live somewhere new and try new things. I heard about this position through MySpartanCareer (MSU's online resource for students and alumni to search for jobs), attended a company info session on campus, and interviewed at Spartan Stadium. No, I was not interviewed on the football field. The stadium actually has a branch of career services and a lot of interviews happen there. So, MSU and its career services were instrumental in my internship search.
Last summer I went on the International Corporate Tour of Europe, the summer before that I studied abroad, and the summer before I came to MSU I participated in a MSU Engineering Summer Program. I participated in BEACON, which is no longer offered, but if you would like to read more details about what I did there, you can read my blog post about it here. You can also read about how I spent my summers abroad by reading some of my other past blog posts for the International Corporate Tour and study abroad.
There are engineering summer programs for students of all ages, and they are a great way to have fun while learning about engineering. Many of the programs are for high school students and are residential, which means that student get to live in a dorm on campus and stay overnight. For more program details and information on eligibility and application visit our website.
One of the new residential programs for rising high schools juniors and seniors is the Introduction to Radar for Student Engineers. This programs was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, and instructors from both MIT and MSU will teach students about radars and signal processing. Another residential program is (HSEI), High School Engineering Institute, where students learn about the different types of engineering through hands-on experience while also learning more about MSU. For high school students interested in robotics, there is the Introduction to Robotics Engineering - Residential program. Participants learn about biomimetic robotic fish, manufacturing automation, and nanorobotics.
 | ||
| Introduction to Robotics Engineering - Residential (http://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/programs/introduction-robotics-engineering-msu-residential) |
Check out Flickr to look a more photos from past summer programs!
HSEI Session 1 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648157562739/
HSEI Session 2 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648514144466/
HSEI Session 3 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648580487905/
Introduction to Robotics Engineering 2014:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/futurespartanengineers/sets/72157648562101852/
Once again, here's the link to where you can explore and sign up for summer programs:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/programs
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Back from Spring Break
Now that we're back from spring break, it finally feels like spring here at MSU. On Monday the temperature was in the 60s, and right now it is sunny and cool. I spent by spring break home in Brighton and in East Lansing. I know people who went on vacations, alternative spring break (ASB), and the Spring Break Corporate Tour. I went on the International Corporate Tour this summer, which is similar except the spring break tour is only for about a week and visits companies in the Midwest. Since my spring break was not super exciting, I will get you caught up on what I did before spring break.
On the Friday of E-Week (February 27th), I went to the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (ChEMS) Symposium Day. The event was organized by students from AIChE and MSES, and two of the chairs were actually my roommates. Symposium Day took place in the Brody building was free for students who only had to pay a $10 refundable deposit. Chemical engineering classes were cancelled that day because it lasted all morning until mid-afternoon. We had breakfast at the Sparty's in Brody, listened to some industry speakers, ate lunch at the Brody cafeteria, and listened to a keynote speaker. The day concluded with a raffle for prizes.
That night we left for the North-Central Regional Conference for AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers). Our Chem-E car team went to compete in the regional car competition, and a couple other AIChE E-board members went to get some regional updates and support our Chem-E car team. The goal of the competition is to make a car powered by a chemical reaction that starts and stops moving on its own once the initial reaction is started. Last year, Michigan State hosted the conference, and this year it was hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The members of our group who were not part of Chem-E car played Chem-E Jeopardy, accompanied our president to the presidents' meeting, and watched the competition to support our team. During that time, the Chem-E car team presented their poster, went through safety inspections, prepared for the competition, and finally competed. Our team did a great job, and the competition was fun to watch.
After all of the chemical engineering festivities that weekend, I was ready for a relaxing spring break to start the following weekend.
On the Friday of E-Week (February 27th), I went to the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (ChEMS) Symposium Day. The event was organized by students from AIChE and MSES, and two of the chairs were actually my roommates. Symposium Day took place in the Brody building was free for students who only had to pay a $10 refundable deposit. Chemical engineering classes were cancelled that day because it lasted all morning until mid-afternoon. We had breakfast at the Sparty's in Brody, listened to some industry speakers, ate lunch at the Brody cafeteria, and listened to a keynote speaker. The day concluded with a raffle for prizes.
That night we left for the North-Central Regional Conference for AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers). Our Chem-E car team went to compete in the regional car competition, and a couple other AIChE E-board members went to get some regional updates and support our Chem-E car team. The goal of the competition is to make a car powered by a chemical reaction that starts and stops moving on its own once the initial reaction is started. Last year, Michigan State hosted the conference, and this year it was hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The members of our group who were not part of Chem-E car played Chem-E Jeopardy, accompanied our president to the presidents' meeting, and watched the competition to support our team. During that time, the Chem-E car team presented their poster, went through safety inspections, prepared for the competition, and finally competed. Our team did a great job, and the competition was fun to watch.
After all of the chemical engineering festivities that weekend, I was ready for a relaxing spring break to start the following weekend.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Happy E-Week!
Happy Engineers Week, or E-Week for short! E-Week is celebrated across the country and MSU College of Engineering has a lot of events every year in honor of this fantastic holiday. Different groups within the college plan events from Sunday through Saturday.
On Monday, SEC (Student Engineering Council) sponsored free pizza in the EB lobby, so that made my Monday that much better! I did not get there in time to grab a free E-Week t-shirt, but I was able to snag one last night at the Taste of Engineering/O-Night. Some of the advisors and student organizations had tables set up in Wonders, a dorm in South Neighborhood. A lot of the events targeted for underclassmen are hosted in South Neighborhood because that's where the CoRe Experience is located. Even though the location was convenient, it has been so cold outside that not many people want to go outside unless they absolutely have to, even if it is just to go to the dorm next to theirs. I stood by our AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) poster along with our president and talked with underclassmen about chemical engineering and our club. A lot of these student groups are always looking for new members of all class-levels, so we encouraged all the people who stopped by our table to stay in contact with us and attend our meetings.
Tonight is the annual Evening with Industry Banquet, which is hosted by SWE (Society of Women Engineers). I attended the banquet the past two years, so if you want to hear more about my experience, you should read my blog post from last year. This year, the banquet is going to be at the Marriott, which is off-campus but only about two blocks north of the MSU Union.
Tomorrow is Engineering Expo, which is a career fair just for engineers that is hosted in the Engineering Building. I have two classes in the Engineering Building and Anthony Hall (which is connected to the EB) on Thursday afternoons, so it is very convenient to be able to attend between classes without needing to even go outside. Although you are still expected to dress appropriately, the event is a bit more casual and relaxed compared to the Career Gallery in the fall. So, representatives are more understanding of the weather and that students are stopping by between classes.
Friday is the ChEMS (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) Symposium Day. Junior-level CHE classes are cancelled so that students can attend this event. I'll write more about it next week.
Here is a more complete list of the official E-Week events at MSU:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/02/20/e-week-feb-22-28
On Monday, SEC (Student Engineering Council) sponsored free pizza in the EB lobby, so that made my Monday that much better! I did not get there in time to grab a free E-Week t-shirt, but I was able to snag one last night at the Taste of Engineering/O-Night. Some of the advisors and student organizations had tables set up in Wonders, a dorm in South Neighborhood. A lot of the events targeted for underclassmen are hosted in South Neighborhood because that's where the CoRe Experience is located. Even though the location was convenient, it has been so cold outside that not many people want to go outside unless they absolutely have to, even if it is just to go to the dorm next to theirs. I stood by our AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) poster along with our president and talked with underclassmen about chemical engineering and our club. A lot of these student groups are always looking for new members of all class-levels, so we encouraged all the people who stopped by our table to stay in contact with us and attend our meetings.
Tonight is the annual Evening with Industry Banquet, which is hosted by SWE (Society of Women Engineers). I attended the banquet the past two years, so if you want to hear more about my experience, you should read my blog post from last year. This year, the banquet is going to be at the Marriott, which is off-campus but only about two blocks north of the MSU Union.
Tomorrow is Engineering Expo, which is a career fair just for engineers that is hosted in the Engineering Building. I have two classes in the Engineering Building and Anthony Hall (which is connected to the EB) on Thursday afternoons, so it is very convenient to be able to attend between classes without needing to even go outside. Although you are still expected to dress appropriately, the event is a bit more casual and relaxed compared to the Career Gallery in the fall. So, representatives are more understanding of the weather and that students are stopping by between classes.
Friday is the ChEMS (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) Symposium Day. Junior-level CHE classes are cancelled so that students can attend this event. I'll write more about it next week.
Here is a more complete list of the official E-Week events at MSU:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/02/20/e-week-feb-22-28
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Student Support
I really love how supportive the engineering student body is here at MSU. Each engineering major provides its own challenges, and I'm sure most engineering students would agree that the engineering workload is rigorous. That's why it is important to find a group of people who will help you out when you are having problems and encourage you to keep on going.
A recent event organized by an engineering student was "Shoppin' with the Ladies." No, the participants did not go to the mall together. Hosted in the machine shop in the Engineering Building basement, female students learned how to use the machine shop equipment through demonstrations and hands-on experience. Some girls in engineering do not have prior experience with equipment like lathes, band saws, and drill presses before needing to use them for their design classes. With this workshop, hopefully more women will feel knowledgeable and confident on their first and future machine shop projects. The below picture shows Professor Bush and student event organizer Laura Gumpper in the machine shop.
For the full article on "Shoppin' with the Ladies," click here.
For the full article on Phi Sigma Rho from the State News, click here.
I really enjoy being a part of a lot of engineering student organizations. It is nice to come to the meetings, socialize, and eat food with some of my classmates and familiar faces I see around the Engineering Building. For me, getting involved within engineering helped me adjust to college life as a freshman and still benefits me by helping me form a network of encouraging peers.
A recent event organized by an engineering student was "Shoppin' with the Ladies." No, the participants did not go to the mall together. Hosted in the machine shop in the Engineering Building basement, female students learned how to use the machine shop equipment through demonstrations and hands-on experience. Some girls in engineering do not have prior experience with equipment like lathes, band saws, and drill presses before needing to use them for their design classes. With this workshop, hopefully more women will feel knowledgeable and confident on their first and future machine shop projects. The below picture shows Professor Bush and student event organizer Laura Gumpper in the machine shop.
 |
| http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/01/23/machine-shoppin-ladies |
Tammy
Reid Bush and Laura Gumpper are hosting a hands-on opportunity in the
Mechanical Machine Shop on Jan. 28. - See more at:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/01/23/machine-shoppin-ladies#sthash.I4BT8cXk.dpuf
Tammy
Reid Bush and Laura Gumpper are hosting a hands-on opportunity in the
Mechanical Machine Shop on Jan. 28. - See more at:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/01/23/machine-shoppin-ladies#sthash.I4BT8cXk.dpuf
Tammy
Reid Bush and Laura Gumpper are hosting a hands-on opportunity in the
Mechanical Machine Shop on Jan. 28. - See more at:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2015/01/23/machine-shoppin-ladies#sthash.I4BT8cXk.dpuf
Another way that women in engineering support each other is through student organizations. Phi Sigma Rho is a social sorority for women majoring in engineering and engineering technology. The national sorority was established in 1984 and the Michigan State chapter was installed as an official chapter in 2012. I am an active member of the MSU chapter of Phi Sigma Rho and really feel that it has made a positive impact on my time at Michigan State. I love being a part of a strong group of women that are very involved on campus and going through similar experiences as engineering majors.For the full article on Phi Sigma Rho from the State News, click here.
I really enjoy being a part of a lot of engineering student organizations. It is nice to come to the meetings, socialize, and eat food with some of my classmates and familiar faces I see around the Engineering Building. For me, getting involved within engineering helped me adjust to college life as a freshman and still benefits me by helping me form a network of encouraging peers.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Lab classes
This semester I am taking the chemical engineering lab and statistics class. We apply the equations and concepts that we learned in current and previous classes. For example, my group is working on an experiment to calculate some heat transfer coefficients that we learned about last semester in CHE 311, Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer. In addition to heat transfer, some of the other topics that experiments cover are fluid flow, reaction engineering, and separations.
My CHE 316 class has two components: a lab and a lecture. Everyone has the same lecture twice a week where we learn about statistical analysis of experimental data. The class is divided into smaller lab sections that meet at different times twice a week. Students work in groups of 2-3 to run experiments using various chemical engineering equipment. Some of the equipment in the Unit Operations Lab include a mixer, evaporator, and distillation column that spans two stories. If you want some more specific information about the chemical engineering and materials science labs, you can find it here. Pictured below is the bottom of the large distillation apparatus in the CHE 316 Unit Operations Lab in the Engineering Building.
The professors are really approachable and understanding of the fact that this is the fist time that some of us are using equipment like this. But, they also push us to make our own decisions because the most effective way for us to learn is to work through the problems ourselves.
There are a lot of other lab and hands-on classes for the other engineering majors as well. Even in the first engineering class, EGR 100 (which all engineering majors are required to take), students work in groups to build something and solve a problem. One of the projects is designing and programming a Lego robot car to navigate its way through an obstacle course. There are also senior design classes in addition to other laboratory and design classes. In the Michigan State University College of Engineering, there are many opportunities to get hand-on engineering experience in class.
My CHE 316 class has two components: a lab and a lecture. Everyone has the same lecture twice a week where we learn about statistical analysis of experimental data. The class is divided into smaller lab sections that meet at different times twice a week. Students work in groups of 2-3 to run experiments using various chemical engineering equipment. Some of the equipment in the Unit Operations Lab include a mixer, evaporator, and distillation column that spans two stories. If you want some more specific information about the chemical engineering and materials science labs, you can find it here. Pictured below is the bottom of the large distillation apparatus in the CHE 316 Unit Operations Lab in the Engineering Building.
 | |||||
| Source: http://www.chems.msu.edu/academics/facilities |
There are a lot of other lab and hands-on classes for the other engineering majors as well. Even in the first engineering class, EGR 100 (which all engineering majors are required to take), students work in groups to build something and solve a problem. One of the projects is designing and programming a Lego robot car to navigate its way through an obstacle course. There are also senior design classes in addition to other laboratory and design classes. In the Michigan State University College of Engineering, there are many opportunities to get hand-on engineering experience in class.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
DECS
When I had trouble printing out my notes for biochemistry, I went to DECS (Division of Engineering Computing Services). I have visited the DECS office in the past to print out a research poster and for technical support with the office computers. The DECS office is located on the ground floor of the engineering building near the computer labs and lobby and has 3D printers, poster printers, and technical support for students, staff, and faculty.
Engineering students at MSU get an engineering account and access to resources maintained by DECS. So, engineering students can use engineering computers, printers, scanners, software, and email. From the engineering computers, students can access all the engineering
software that they need for their classes. Therefore, you do not have to buy a
special type of computer or software to do classwork. Engineering students also get 600 free prints per semester (which unfortunately do not rollover between semesters) so it is not necessary to have your own printer. Black and white, duplex, color, and poster printing can all be done using the print quota. You can purchase more prints if you need them. Here is some more information about printing.
Computer labs are on all floors of the Engineering Building, some of which are reserved for specific classes and departments while others are open to any engineering student. Some computer labs are open 24 hours a day, except during football games and holidays. There are also ways to remotely access your engineering account from your personal computer at home, but it is not possible to run some of the more intense engineering software.
There are also some engineering labs in Wilson Hall as a part of the CoRe Experience, which are for intro engineering classes (EGR 100, EGR 102) and students. On of the benefits of living in the CoRe Experience is that there are engineering computers and printers in your dorm, so don't have to go to the Engineering Building or even leave the building to do your homework. As the weather gets more intense, avoiding the cold becomes much more alluring!
If you want any more information about DECS, visit their website: http://www.egr.msu.edu/decs/
 |
| Source: http://www.egr.msu.edu/decs/labs |
Computer labs are on all floors of the Engineering Building, some of which are reserved for specific classes and departments while others are open to any engineering student. Some computer labs are open 24 hours a day, except during football games and holidays. There are also ways to remotely access your engineering account from your personal computer at home, but it is not possible to run some of the more intense engineering software.
There are also some engineering labs in Wilson Hall as a part of the CoRe Experience, which are for intro engineering classes (EGR 100, EGR 102) and students. On of the benefits of living in the CoRe Experience is that there are engineering computers and printers in your dorm, so don't have to go to the Engineering Building or even leave the building to do your homework. As the weather gets more intense, avoiding the cold becomes much more alluring!
If you want any more information about DECS, visit their website: http://www.egr.msu.edu/decs/
Monday, December 8, 2014
End of the Semester
This the final week of the semester: exam week. I am ready for the end of the semester, but I know that I will end up missing MSU in about two weeks.
Most of my classmates were super friendly, and I kept on meeting new people throughout the semester from group projects and just by talking to the people in my classes. Chemical engineering students are required to take almost all the same classes, so I know I will see most of my peers in my core classes next semester. It's not like when I was a freshman and took large general classes with people I never saw again. I will miss my professors from this semester because all of them were great and had a good sense of humor, which makes upperclassmen engineering classes much more enjoyable.
Even though I no longer have to go to class, classes are not over because I still have some exams left. I took one this morning at 7:45 and have two later in the week. In most of my classes, the final exam is worth 30-40% of my final grade, which is a large fraction. So, the final has the power to decimate or save my grade in a class. Since finals are so important, here is some advice:
Most of my classmates were super friendly, and I kept on meeting new people throughout the semester from group projects and just by talking to the people in my classes. Chemical engineering students are required to take almost all the same classes, so I know I will see most of my peers in my core classes next semester. It's not like when I was a freshman and took large general classes with people I never saw again. I will miss my professors from this semester because all of them were great and had a good sense of humor, which makes upperclassmen engineering classes much more enjoyable.
Even though I no longer have to go to class, classes are not over because I still have some exams left. I took one this morning at 7:45 and have two later in the week. In most of my classes, the final exam is worth 30-40% of my final grade, which is a large fraction. So, the final has the power to decimate or save my grade in a class. Since finals are so important, here is some advice:
- Make sure you know when and where your final is
- Know your professor's exam policies, such as what material it covers, how it is graded, what you are allowed to bring, what will be provided, etc.
- At MSU if you have more than 2 exams scheduled on one day, you can reschedule some exams so they do not conflict or so you do not have more than 2 on one day. Know your professor's and the University's policy on rescheduling exams
- Read your syllabus and attend the last week of class, because chances are, the above information will be discussed
- It's better to arrive early so that you can get situated and make up for any unanticipated delays
- Study
Friday, December 5, 2014
AIChE National Conference
It has been crazy around here with the Thanksgiving holiday and the last week of classes. You know that it is the last week of class when the Engineering Library and computer labs are constantly full of people working on final papers, group projects, and Design Day projects.
The AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) Annual Student Conference took place from November 14th-16th in Atlanta, Georgia. As Vice President of the MSU AIChE chapter, I went to the conference along with several of our other executive board members. We flew out that Friday and came back late Sunday night, so I only missed one class. Engineering professors here tend to be understanding when students are absent for interviews or professional development events. Our registration would have gained us access to the AIChE Annual Meeting for professionals and academics the following week, but we would have missed way too much class.
As a part of the conference, we attending various sessions focused on running our chapters and professional development. Our chapter hosted the North Central Regional Conference at MSU this past spring. Some of our members who organized the event were asked to give a presentation at the national student conference about hosting a regional conference. Also our chapter earned an "Outstanding Chapter" award, which we accepted during the awards ceremony. I attended sessions on fundraising and planning large events where different chapters discussed their experiences, ideas, and advice. It was interesting seeing how different chapters had different needs and challenges and the ways that the chapters met them.
The teams that won the ChemE car and Jeopardy competitions at the regional conferences competed in the national competitions as part of the conference. There was also a breakfast with a keynote speaker, a student bash, and a recruitment fair that had mostly graduate schools in attendance. The student bash was a casual dance with a photobooth and sundae bar, so I ended up having fun. We also had enough free time to explore the city. Some of our members went to the aquarium and the World of Coke (Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola), and I had dinner with one of my friends who goes to Georgia Tech.
There are so many great professional societies that have chapters here and opportunities for leadership and professional development. Seeing an organization at the national level and what the other student chapters have been doing makes me want to be a more active participant at the local and national level. I got to travel, hang out with friends, and learn more about AIChE, so I had a great weekend.
The AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) Annual Student Conference took place from November 14th-16th in Atlanta, Georgia. As Vice President of the MSU AIChE chapter, I went to the conference along with several of our other executive board members. We flew out that Friday and came back late Sunday night, so I only missed one class. Engineering professors here tend to be understanding when students are absent for interviews or professional development events. Our registration would have gained us access to the AIChE Annual Meeting for professionals and academics the following week, but we would have missed way too much class.
As a part of the conference, we attending various sessions focused on running our chapters and professional development. Our chapter hosted the North Central Regional Conference at MSU this past spring. Some of our members who organized the event were asked to give a presentation at the national student conference about hosting a regional conference. Also our chapter earned an "Outstanding Chapter" award, which we accepted during the awards ceremony. I attended sessions on fundraising and planning large events where different chapters discussed their experiences, ideas, and advice. It was interesting seeing how different chapters had different needs and challenges and the ways that the chapters met them.
The teams that won the ChemE car and Jeopardy competitions at the regional conferences competed in the national competitions as part of the conference. There was also a breakfast with a keynote speaker, a student bash, and a recruitment fair that had mostly graduate schools in attendance. The student bash was a casual dance with a photobooth and sundae bar, so I ended up having fun. We also had enough free time to explore the city. Some of our members went to the aquarium and the World of Coke (Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola), and I had dinner with one of my friends who goes to Georgia Tech.
There are so many great professional societies that have chapters here and opportunities for leadership and professional development. Seeing an organization at the national level and what the other student chapters have been doing makes me want to be a more active participant at the local and national level. I got to travel, hang out with friends, and learn more about AIChE, so I had a great weekend.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Glee Club Concert
Michigan State offers a lot of fun classes for students to take that may not be related to your degree at all. If you only need one or two more credits in a semester to be full time or need general credit, MSU has a lot of options. Some of my friends have taken athletic classes such as yoga, tennis, and even wheelchair basketball!
Tuesday night I had my Women's Glee Club concert. Both the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs as well as the Acafellas (a male a cappella group) performed at the concert in Fairchild Auditorium on campus. There were engineering students in both large ensembles, and I saw some engineering students in the audience. My roommate came to see me perform, and I saw some of my other friends from class and work.
Women's Glee Club is a 1-credit class open to women of all majors. There are no auditions or prerequisites, although many members do have prior experience singing in choirs. Class meets for 80 minute periods on Monday and Wednesday late afternoons. I hate to disappoint anyone, but it is nothing like the television show "Glee." We sing women's choral music in a variety of styles and languages, a lot like other high school and college choirs. Just this semester, we sang songs in English, Latin, Yiddish, Hungarian, and Bulgarian. Michigan State does have a variety of a cappella groups and other ensembles if those are more your style.
There are a lot of events going on around campus, so I would encourage you to look into what the College of Music has scheduled and try to attend some of their concerts if that interests you. Many events are even free or discounted for students. Our Tuesday concert was free for students and located on campus not far from the Engineering Building. I had a lot of fun in Glee Club this semester, and was glad I could fit it into my schedule.
Tuesday night I had my Women's Glee Club concert. Both the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs as well as the Acafellas (a male a cappella group) performed at the concert in Fairchild Auditorium on campus. There were engineering students in both large ensembles, and I saw some engineering students in the audience. My roommate came to see me perform, and I saw some of my other friends from class and work.
Women's Glee Club is a 1-credit class open to women of all majors. There are no auditions or prerequisites, although many members do have prior experience singing in choirs. Class meets for 80 minute periods on Monday and Wednesday late afternoons. I hate to disappoint anyone, but it is nothing like the television show "Glee." We sing women's choral music in a variety of styles and languages, a lot like other high school and college choirs. Just this semester, we sang songs in English, Latin, Yiddish, Hungarian, and Bulgarian. Michigan State does have a variety of a cappella groups and other ensembles if those are more your style.
There are a lot of events going on around campus, so I would encourage you to look into what the College of Music has scheduled and try to attend some of their concerts if that interests you. Many events are even free or discounted for students. Our Tuesday concert was free for students and located on campus not far from the Engineering Building. I had a lot of fun in Glee Club this semester, and was glad I could fit it into my schedule.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Biomedical Engineering and Concentrations
Michigan State University is going to add a new department, the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME). The MSU Bio Engineering Facility has been under construction for a while now and is scheduled to open this summer. Here is the link to the article about the new department for more exciting details:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2014/10/24/department-biomedical-engineering-bme-approved
Currently Michigan State does not offer biomedical engineering as an undergraduate major or minor, but it is offered as a concentration. The biomedical engineering concentration is available for biosystems, electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering majors in addition to materials science and engineering majors. These concentrations are one way students can complete their technical engineering electives requirements. There are many concentrations available, including biochemical, environmental, food science, bioenergy, and manufacturing engineering. You can find the degree requirements and concentrations for the different majors here.
I am doing a biomedical concentration within chemical engineering. I took a class in genetics last year, and next semester I am taking a eukaryotic cell biology class. Right now, I am in a mechanical engineering class focused on fluid flow and heat transfer in the human body. It is like the fluid flow and heat transfer class for my major, except it covers how some of those assumptions and models change when applied to the human body.
One day in class, our professor brought in an infrared (IR) camera. We were discussing the idea of using an IR beam to detect fevers, and therefore illness, in people leaving airplanes. By taking IR pictures of multiple students in class, we saw that everyone had varying surface temperatures, especially in the forehead region where we were focusing our analysis. I have side bangs, so my hair can get in the way of a temperature reading. So, there are limitations to this method of sickness detection.
I think that it is great that MSU is bringing people together from various colleges and disciplines to do collaborative biomedical research. I really enjoy taking classes with professors and students from other departments, especially because engineers work with all kinds of people to get things done.
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2014/10/24/department-biomedical-engineering-bme-approved
Currently Michigan State does not offer biomedical engineering as an undergraduate major or minor, but it is offered as a concentration. The biomedical engineering concentration is available for biosystems, electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering majors in addition to materials science and engineering majors. These concentrations are one way students can complete their technical engineering electives requirements. There are many concentrations available, including biochemical, environmental, food science, bioenergy, and manufacturing engineering. You can find the degree requirements and concentrations for the different majors here.
I am doing a biomedical concentration within chemical engineering. I took a class in genetics last year, and next semester I am taking a eukaryotic cell biology class. Right now, I am in a mechanical engineering class focused on fluid flow and heat transfer in the human body. It is like the fluid flow and heat transfer class for my major, except it covers how some of those assumptions and models change when applied to the human body.
One day in class, our professor brought in an infrared (IR) camera. We were discussing the idea of using an IR beam to detect fevers, and therefore illness, in people leaving airplanes. By taking IR pictures of multiple students in class, we saw that everyone had varying surface temperatures, especially in the forehead region where we were focusing our analysis. I have side bangs, so my hair can get in the way of a temperature reading. So, there are limitations to this method of sickness detection.
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| A picture of me taken by my professor, Dr. Wright, using an infrared camera |
biosystems
engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, materials
science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. - See more at:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2014/10/24/department-biomedical-engineering-bme-approved#sthash.zGyN2IcH.dpuf
biosystems
engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, materials
science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. - See more at:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/news/2014/10/24/department-biomedical-engineering-bme-approved#sthash.zGyN2IcH.dpuf
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Preview Day
On Saturday, October 11th, the largest engineering recruitment event of the year took place in the Engineering Building. Preview Day is an annual event for prospective engineering students and their families to come visit the College of Engineering. Preview Day is always on a Saturday at the end of September or beginning of October when there is not a home football game. Spots fill up fast and it only happens once a year, so make sure to register in advance if you want to attend.
Visitors first attend a welcome session where they get a broad overview of MSU's College of Engineering and the majors offered through the college. Then there are smaller presentations for the different majors that go more in-depth and have panels of current students to answer questions. There are two sessions, so if students are interested in more than one major, they can visit one presentation during the first session and another during the second. After the sessions are over, there is a resource fair where different engineering student organizations and other offices have booths and talk to students. Women in Engineering, the CoRe Experience, Office of Admissions, Office of Financial Aid, and the Honors College all had tables set up with representatives to answer any questions.
During some of the sessions and the resource fair, there were some other events happening. Throughout the day, people from the CoRe experience were giving tours of some dorms and facilities associated with the program. Here is the CoRe Experience's website if you are interested in learning more about CoRe. Tours of some of the mechanical engineering facilities, including the machine shop, were also available. There was also a WIE (Women in Engineering) Luncheon for prospective female students to eat lunch and talk with current women engineering students.
If you want to see more pictures from Preview Day, then you should visit our Flickr page!
After Preview Day, our office (Engineering Recruitment and K-12 Outreach) starts to offer tours of the Engineering Building. Tours start in the afternoon with a presentation that gives an overview of majors and our college, and then a Student Ambassador such as myself leads a tour of the Engineering Building. Visit our Future Engineers website to sign up for tours and register for Preview Day during September and late August. Here is the link to our events calendar where you can directly sign up for tours. Tours fill up fast, so sign up if you are interested! I hope to see you around the Engineering Building.
Visitors first attend a welcome session where they get a broad overview of MSU's College of Engineering and the majors offered through the college. Then there are smaller presentations for the different majors that go more in-depth and have panels of current students to answer questions. There are two sessions, so if students are interested in more than one major, they can visit one presentation during the first session and another during the second. After the sessions are over, there is a resource fair where different engineering student organizations and other offices have booths and talk to students. Women in Engineering, the CoRe Experience, Office of Admissions, Office of Financial Aid, and the Honors College all had tables set up with representatives to answer any questions.
During some of the sessions and the resource fair, there were some other events happening. Throughout the day, people from the CoRe experience were giving tours of some dorms and facilities associated with the program. Here is the CoRe Experience's website if you are interested in learning more about CoRe. Tours of some of the mechanical engineering facilities, including the machine shop, were also available. There was also a WIE (Women in Engineering) Luncheon for prospective female students to eat lunch and talk with current women engineering students.
 | |
| Working Preview Day with some of my fellow Student Ambassadors! Left to right: Erin, Nayana, me |
After Preview Day, our office (Engineering Recruitment and K-12 Outreach) starts to offer tours of the Engineering Building. Tours start in the afternoon with a presentation that gives an overview of majors and our college, and then a Student Ambassador such as myself leads a tour of the Engineering Building. Visit our Future Engineers website to sign up for tours and register for Preview Day during September and late August. Here is the link to our events calendar where you can directly sign up for tours. Tours fill up fast, so sign up if you are interested! I hope to see you around the Engineering Building.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Career Fair Tips
As I typed this, I was wearing a suit for my interview later. Over the past year, I have interviewed with a few companies that I met at Pre-Gallery, Career Gallery, and Engineering Expo.
Here a some of the tips that I learned during my time at Michigan State:
I was looking at my older blog post from a year ago, and a lot of the advice I would give students now and a year ago is the same. Even as I get older, I still find all of these tips just as important, if not more important.
Here a some of the tips that I learned during my time at Michigan State:
- Try to get as much interaction with companies that interest you as much as possible. This year when I spoke to the representative from Dow Chemical, he said that he remembered me from last year. Many of the same recruiters return every year and save old resumes. Also attend engineering student organization meetings, info sessions, resume critiques, mock interviews, and/or any other events that companies are hosting.
- You are not too young to attend any of the career fairs. I have gone to all of the career fairs since my freshman year. The first time I went to an event, I only talked to a couple people and felt pretty overwhelmed. Now I am much more comfortable attending these events, especially as I am looking for an opportunity this summer. Also, a lot of companies hand out some really cool free stuff, including full-sized products.
- Go to the career events even if you are not looking for an opportunity within the next year. I have some friends that already have internships or other opportunities lined up for this summer, but went to career fairs to network with companies and inquire about future opportunities. Just make sure that you are professional, clear with recruiters that you are not available, and do not accept an interview for a job that you never intend to accept.
- Visit the booths for smaller companies and/or with smaller lines. While I was waiting in a long line for a large company last year, I talked with some representatives at a small booth. I probably would not have stopped there, but I actually heard back from them and got an interview.
- Use the career resources available to you, such as The Center. The Career Services Network at Michigan State offers a lot of great resources to help you with careers. Their website has a lot of helpful articles about resumes, interviews, professional attire, cover letters, etc. The Center is a branch of career services that focuses on engineering located within the Engineering Building right by Sparty's. It is a really convenient place to visit, just try to do so BEFORE the week of Career Gallery because they are very busy.
I was looking at my older blog post from a year ago, and a lot of the advice I would give students now and a year ago is the same. Even as I get older, I still find all of these tips just as important, if not more important.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Upcoming Career Events
The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week, which is good timing for Homecoming this weekend and all of the career events that are happening this upcoming week. In between class, I just walked around campus and picked up an iced chai tea latte at the Starbucks in the Business College. The weather will not stay like this forever, which is why I had to seize the opportunity to enjoy campus.
Next week is Career Gallery, the largest career fair of the year at MSU. Over 300 employers will be looking to hire interns, co-ops, and full-time over the course of two days at the Breslin Center. There is also an event just for engineering internships and co-ops called Pre-Gallery. It takes place in the Engineering Building courtyard and is a good warm-up for the Career Gallery the following day. I have mentioned these events in some of my previous blog posts.
This week, there have been a lot of smaller events leading up to the Career Gallery and Pre-gallery. Companies have been hanging out in the Engineering Building lobby, talking to students, critiquing resumes, giving info sessions, and participating in mock interviews. Various engineering organizations have also been hosting different companies at their meetings to talk about career opportunities.
A few of my classes have really put an emphasis on careers and relating what we learn to industry. In my fluid flow class, two MSU chemical engineering alumni from Dow Corning came in to talk about their careers and how to read P&ID diagrams. In my Chemical Engineering as a Profession class, we had engineers from Marathon, Dow Corning, and General Mills come in to talk about safety in a refinery, professional behavior with potential employers, and different engineering jobs within a plant, respectively. Later in the semester, we are also going to have an etiquette lunch where we learn how to properly act during a professional meal. I know that in the future I will have more industry interaction in class because many senior design projects are real projects from MSU's corporate partners.
I would really encourage students of all ages to attend as many career events as they can. A lot of the same representatives come back to recruit at MSU year after year. I have recognized quite a few recruiters, so chances are some of them may recognize me if I made an impression. When I go to presentations at student engineering organizations, I even recognize some of the speakers as students who have recently graduated. I remember attending meetings with some of these people, and now they are the ones who are talking about their new company. I feel much more comfortable and confident when I speak with representatives I already know.
Also, I have redesigned my blog! I went on a lot of cool trips through MSU, so I decided to use pictures I have taken while in college as the background. Every time I post a new blog entry, I will change the picture to encourage all of you to regularly look at my blog. I also will post a caption at the side that will explain the picture.
Next week is Career Gallery, the largest career fair of the year at MSU. Over 300 employers will be looking to hire interns, co-ops, and full-time over the course of two days at the Breslin Center. There is also an event just for engineering internships and co-ops called Pre-Gallery. It takes place in the Engineering Building courtyard and is a good warm-up for the Career Gallery the following day. I have mentioned these events in some of my previous blog posts.
This week, there have been a lot of smaller events leading up to the Career Gallery and Pre-gallery. Companies have been hanging out in the Engineering Building lobby, talking to students, critiquing resumes, giving info sessions, and participating in mock interviews. Various engineering organizations have also been hosting different companies at their meetings to talk about career opportunities.
A few of my classes have really put an emphasis on careers and relating what we learn to industry. In my fluid flow class, two MSU chemical engineering alumni from Dow Corning came in to talk about their careers and how to read P&ID diagrams. In my Chemical Engineering as a Profession class, we had engineers from Marathon, Dow Corning, and General Mills come in to talk about safety in a refinery, professional behavior with potential employers, and different engineering jobs within a plant, respectively. Later in the semester, we are also going to have an etiquette lunch where we learn how to properly act during a professional meal. I know that in the future I will have more industry interaction in class because many senior design projects are real projects from MSU's corporate partners.
I would really encourage students of all ages to attend as many career events as they can. A lot of the same representatives come back to recruit at MSU year after year. I have recognized quite a few recruiters, so chances are some of them may recognize me if I made an impression. When I go to presentations at student engineering organizations, I even recognize some of the speakers as students who have recently graduated. I remember attending meetings with some of these people, and now they are the ones who are talking about their new company. I feel much more comfortable and confident when I speak with representatives I already know.
Also, I have redesigned my blog! I went on a lot of cool trips through MSU, so I decided to use pictures I have taken while in college as the background. Every time I post a new blog entry, I will change the picture to encourage all of you to regularly look at my blog. I also will post a caption at the side that will explain the picture.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Getting involved
One advantage of Michigan State being such a large university is that
there are a lot of organizations that students can join. Sparticipation is a huge Welcome Week event where students learn about different student organizations by visiting their tables. Normally the rain location is the Breslin Center, but storms were so bad this year that the event was rescheduled for this weekend. The following link has information on Sparticipation 2014 and getting involved at MSU:
http://studentlife.msu.edu/?s=sparticipation
Some of the groups on campus are professional and social Greek organizations. I am an active sister of Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, a national social sorority that is different from other sororities because it is only open to women majoring in engineering. Our chapter was officially installed in December 2012, so we are still very new on the MSU campus.
Last night was our 2nd Rush event for Phi Sigma Rho. We have four nights of recruitment each semester where girls interested in our sorority can come get to know us and what we are all about. Our activity for the night was painting small boxes, and on Monday we did icebreaker activities and painted nails.
I love being involved with Phi Sigma Rho because I continually make new friends, see friendly faces in the Engineering Building, and have a place to go where I can relax and enjoy the bonds of sisterhood with girls who understand what I am going through as an engineering student. We have done a lot of fun sisterhood events together, including pumpkin painting, ice skating, laser tag, and visiting the planetarium.
I personally recommend that students of all ages get involved at MSU. Two things that I did not know about Greek life before I came to college are that all ages, not just freshmen, can join and some groups recruit at the beginning of the spring semester as well as the fall. Other student groups welcome new members of all ages at any time. So, you did not miss your chance to get involved with Greek life or many other groups. It is never too late to get involved!
http://studentlife.msu.edu/?s=sparticipation
Some of the groups on campus are professional and social Greek organizations. I am an active sister of Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, a national social sorority that is different from other sororities because it is only open to women majoring in engineering. Our chapter was officially installed in December 2012, so we are still very new on the MSU campus.
Last night was our 2nd Rush event for Phi Sigma Rho. We have four nights of recruitment each semester where girls interested in our sorority can come get to know us and what we are all about. Our activity for the night was painting small boxes, and on Monday we did icebreaker activities and painted nails.
 |
| All the supplies for our painting boxes, the craft Rush event, for Phi Sigma Rho this semester |
I personally recommend that students of all ages get involved at MSU. Two things that I did not know about Greek life before I came to college are that all ages, not just freshmen, can join and some groups recruit at the beginning of the spring semester as well as the fall. Other student groups welcome new members of all ages at any time. So, you did not miss your chance to get involved with Greek life or many other groups. It is never too late to get involved!
Friday, September 5, 2014
Summer 2014: International Corporate Tour
As I talk to fellow students about their summers, many of them said that they regretted not going abroad. I have already studied abroad and absolutely loved it! If you are not interested in taking classes abroad, MSU has other international opportunities that are not for academic credit.
The main highlight of my summer was traveling across Europe on the International Corporate Tour (ICT). The ICT is put on by the Lear Corporation Career Services Center, which is located in the Eppley Center attached to the Business College Complex. The goal of the trips is for freshman and sophomores in business and engineering to be exposed to different places and types of careers in industry. In addition to the ICT Europe trip, there is also an ICT China trip.
We started off the trip by spending a few days in London. We stayed at the beautiful Regent's University in Regent's Park. Some other MSU study abroad programs are housed at Regent's, so we ran into some other MSU students just finishing a study abroad in London.
Next, we flew to Germany and spent about 2 days in the Cologne area. Some participants brought an MSU flag for pictures which attracted some
alumni. In front of the famous Cologne Cathedral, we ran into some girls who
had just graduated from MSU who were traveling around Europe. Go Green!
We stopped in Luxembourg next for about 3 days. I thought that Luxembourg city was very beautiful and different from any place I had ever been.
From Luxembourg City, we spent an entire day driving to Geneva, Switzerland. So, if you are not a fan of long bus rides, another one of MSU's learning abroad experiences might be better for you.
Next we traveled to Turin, Italy, and visited Diageo while we were there. The site was a historic winery, so we got to see a mini museum of glasses, a hand-dug wine cellar, and old spices and distillation apparatuses that were historically used to make beverages. This was one of my favorite site visits because I learned about the history of the site and region in addition to touring their modern bottling facilities.
I liked that I was able to see companies from a business perspective as
well as the engineering perspective. When company
representatives come to speak at meetings put on by engineering student
groups, they tend to focus on engineering roles within their company.
Seeing the different types
of people needed to run all areas of the company helped me appreciated
the diversity in the workplace and engineering career paths.
We finished our European tour in Venice, Italy. We visited 7 companies (BP, GM, Eaton, ArcelorMittal, Diageo, Bosch, and ALCOA) on our trip, but still had a lot of free time to explore the cities. We visited 5 countries (UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Italy) and also drove through France. Our program was just over 2 weeks long, so we visited a lot of companies and countries in a short amount of time. I thought that going on this trip was a fun way to build my resume and learn about careers.
If you want more information on the International Corporate Tours, visit http://lear.broad.msu.edu/students/international-corporate-tours/
The main highlight of my summer was traveling across Europe on the International Corporate Tour (ICT). The ICT is put on by the Lear Corporation Career Services Center, which is located in the Eppley Center attached to the Business College Complex. The goal of the trips is for freshman and sophomores in business and engineering to be exposed to different places and types of careers in industry. In addition to the ICT Europe trip, there is also an ICT China trip.
We started off the trip by spending a few days in London. We stayed at the beautiful Regent's University in Regent's Park. Some other MSU study abroad programs are housed at Regent's, so we ran into some other MSU students just finishing a study abroad in London.
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| Regent's University, our accommodations in London |
 | |
| Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany |
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| Luxembourg City |
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| National Bank Museum, Luxembourg City |
From Luxembourg City, we spent an entire day driving to Geneva, Switzerland. So, if you are not a fan of long bus rides, another one of MSU's learning abroad experiences might be better for you.
 |
| Geneva, Switzerland, with the Jet d'Eau and Lake Geneva |
 |
| Taking a tour of the Diageo facilities |
We finished our European tour in Venice, Italy. We visited 7 companies (BP, GM, Eaton, ArcelorMittal, Diageo, Bosch, and ALCOA) on our trip, but still had a lot of free time to explore the cities. We visited 5 countries (UK, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Italy) and also drove through France. Our program was just over 2 weeks long, so we visited a lot of companies and countries in a short amount of time. I thought that going on this trip was a fun way to build my resume and learn about careers.
If you want more information on the International Corporate Tours, visit http://lear.broad.msu.edu/students/international-corporate-tours/
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Summer Programs
As an engineering student, I put a lot of thought into how I spend my summers. Summer is an awesome opportunity to take extra classes, learn about companies, gain work experience in industry or research, travel, and experience other cultures. This summer, I am going on the International Corporate Tour of Europe, and last summer I studied Music, Art, and Language in Bregenz, Austria. The summer of 2012, after my senior year of high school, I participated in Beacon, one of the summer programs offered by MSU College of Engineering's Office for Recruitment and K12 Outreach. There are programs for people of all ages, and if you are interested in more information about them, please follow the link below:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/programs
Beacon is a residential program at the Kellogg Biological Station that is funded by the NSF and focuses on biology, evolution, and engineering. This program is by invitation only, but there are other great programs that are open to all eligible students, such as the High School Engineering Institute (HSEI). Some of the people that I met at Beacon had participated in HSEI before and had so much fun that they wanted to participate in another engineering summer program.
During the summer program, I spent a couple days learning about engineering and science in a classroom and out in the field. This program reminded me of a mix between summer classes without the homework and summer camp. In our free time, we played card games, hung out by the lake, played sports, and had a bonfire. I still am friends with some of the people from my summer program, and I see some other participants around campus sometimes because a lot of us ended up attending MSU for engineering. I thought that participating in a summer program was a fun way to meet other people interested in engineering and learn more about engineering before actually starting college.
There are some more awesome pictures like these from our summer programs posted on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/msuengineeringk12/sets/
Among my other friends studying engineering, the most popular ways they are spending their summers are studying abroad, working at internships or other jobs, and taking classes. If you are wondering what to to this summer that will prepare you for studying, here are some tips:
http://www.egr.msu.edu/future-engineer/programs
Beacon is a residential program at the Kellogg Biological Station that is funded by the NSF and focuses on biology, evolution, and engineering. This program is by invitation only, but there are other great programs that are open to all eligible students, such as the High School Engineering Institute (HSEI). Some of the people that I met at Beacon had participated in HSEI before and had so much fun that they wanted to participate in another engineering summer program.
During the summer program, I spent a couple days learning about engineering and science in a classroom and out in the field. This program reminded me of a mix between summer classes without the homework and summer camp. In our free time, we played card games, hung out by the lake, played sports, and had a bonfire. I still am friends with some of the people from my summer program, and I see some other participants around campus sometimes because a lot of us ended up attending MSU for engineering. I thought that participating in a summer program was a fun way to meet other people interested in engineering and learn more about engineering before actually starting college.
 |
| Looking through a microscope at D. melanogaster larvae, July 2012 |
 |
| Measuring the sizes of damselflies in a population, July 2012 |
Among my other friends studying engineering, the most popular ways they are spending their summers are studying abroad, working at internships or other jobs, and taking classes. If you are wondering what to to this summer that will prepare you for studying, here are some tips:
- Attend a MSU engineering summer program! Learn about engineering and make new friends
- Take some time to prepare for college.
- Sophomores and juniors (as of fall 2014): study for the ACT or other standardized tests and take practice tests. I spent a couple hours of my summer studying for the ACT because good scores can help you get into college and get scholarships.
- Seniors (as of fall 2014): work on college applications. Some become available at the end of the summer and you are NOT going to want to work on them once the school year starts. Trust me on that one...
- Maybe earn some extra money by working a summer job
- Taking summer classes is also an option. At transfer.msu.edu you can see what classes transfer from a community college to MSU. I took a psychology class at home the summer before my senior year at Washtenaw Community College that was able to transfer here.
- Have fun! Enjoy the weather while it is nice.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
UURAF
One of the many activities undergraduate students can participate in here at MSU is undergraduate research. I have worked in a research lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science since the beginning of my freshman year. The Honors College pays me a stipend to do research for my first 2 years at MSU as a part of their Professorial Assistantship (PA) program. The following link has more information about the PA program: http://honorscollege.msu.edu/professorial-assistantship-pa-program Even though the PA program was how I got involved with research, there are other ways to get involved with research.
Friday, April 4th was the annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum, called UURAF for short. The event was held at the MSU Union and about 660 undergraduate students participated. This is an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research as posters in a morning or afternoon poster session or to give oral presentations. All of the posters and oral presentations are divided into sections within their categories for judging. There are graduate student evaluators who give feedback and faculty judges who score the presentations to determine the first place winners in each section. Other faculty members, students, and family members also attend and ask questions about the posters.
One of the other undergraduate students I work with and I made a poster of our research and presented it during the afternoon poster session. Neither of us had ever participated in an event like UURAF before, so we thought it would be a good chance to gain more experience explaining our research to other people. Talking about our poster was not as bad as we thought it would be, especially as we got more comfortable as the 2-hour session progressed.
After all of the events of the day, there was an awards ceremony. At this ceremony, the winners of some study abroad scholarships, the Faculty Mentor of the Year award, and first place awards in each section of UURAF were announced. My poster won first place in its section within the Engineering, Computer Science, & Mathematics category! The winners each get $100 and are eligible to submit their work for the UURAF Grand Prize, which is $500 and will be announced in early June. Even when working with a group, each member of a winning project earns the $100 prize money (up to $400 would be awarded to a group of 4 people or more). So, my poster partner and I did not have to split our prize money, we each won $100! When we decided to do this event, money and awards never crossed our minds, but it is definitely a nice bonus! We wanted to have the experience of making a research poster and presenting it a poster session, and I now feel more comfortable talking about my research, so we accomplished what we set out to do.
There were so many interesting posters that I wish I could have gotten the chance to look at them, but I had to stay with my poster the entire poster session. I had a quiz and an exam in the morning, so I was unable to attend the morning session and stay for the entire day. I am really glad that I participated in this event, and I would be interested in participating again in the future.
Friday, April 4th was the annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum, called UURAF for short. The event was held at the MSU Union and about 660 undergraduate students participated. This is an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research as posters in a morning or afternoon poster session or to give oral presentations. All of the posters and oral presentations are divided into sections within their categories for judging. There are graduate student evaluators who give feedback and faculty judges who score the presentations to determine the first place winners in each section. Other faculty members, students, and family members also attend and ask questions about the posters.
One of the other undergraduate students I work with and I made a poster of our research and presented it during the afternoon poster session. Neither of us had ever participated in an event like UURAF before, so we thought it would be a good chance to gain more experience explaining our research to other people. Talking about our poster was not as bad as we thought it would be, especially as we got more comfortable as the 2-hour session progressed.
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| Standing next to my UURAF 2014 research poster |
There were so many interesting posters that I wish I could have gotten the chance to look at them, but I had to stay with my poster the entire poster session. I had a quiz and an exam in the morning, so I was unable to attend the morning session and stay for the entire day. I am really glad that I participated in this event, and I would be interested in participating again in the future.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Relay for Life
It is the last month of school, and it finally feels like spring outside. I just signed up for my junior classes, and most other people will be signing up for their classes soon. Signing up for classes early is one perk of being an Honors College member. Today I have my chemical engineering thermodynamics exam, and the month will end with me taking my final exams.
Last Friday was Relay for Life at MSU. Relay for Life is an event held in a lot of communities around the country where teams raise money for the American Cancer Society and have members walk around a track through the night. This year it was held at the Breslin Center, and last year it was at Jenison Field House. Thank goodness the event have been held inside the past two year, because you never know how the weather is going to be this time of year. Even though the weather was nice this year, the campus was flooded AND it was snowing last year! During the event, there were performances by various a cappella groups and dance clubs. Each team had a stand along the track where they sold a variety of things to donate the money to cancer research.
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There were a lot of student groups in attendance, including a team of Spartan engineers, which was open to anyone in engineering. The event was especially large because Relay was a part of Greek Week this year. There are a lot of professional and social Greek organizations on campus. Just because you are studying engineering does not mean that you cannot be involved in Greek Life. I know lots of engineering students that are members of many different social sororities and fraternities, including me! I am an active member of Phi Sigma Rho, a social sorority for engineering majors. I really like having a large support group that understands what I am going through as a girl in engineering. We also do a lot of fun events, like spring formal, which helps me take the time to enjoy myself in addition to my school work.
With events like Relay for Life, members of all types of student organizations can come together and support a good cause.
Last Friday was Relay for Life at MSU. Relay for Life is an event held in a lot of communities around the country where teams raise money for the American Cancer Society and have members walk around a track through the night. This year it was held at the Breslin Center, and last year it was at Jenison Field House. Thank goodness the event have been held inside the past two year, because you never know how the weather is going to be this time of year. Even though the weather was nice this year, the campus was flooded AND it was snowing last year! During the event, there were performances by various a cappella groups and dance clubs. Each team had a stand along the track where they sold a variety of things to donate the money to cancer research.
There were a lot of student groups in attendance, including a team of Spartan engineers, which was open to anyone in engineering. The event was especially large because Relay was a part of Greek Week this year. There are a lot of professional and social Greek organizations on campus. Just because you are studying engineering does not mean that you cannot be involved in Greek Life. I know lots of engineering students that are members of many different social sororities and fraternities, including me! I am an active member of Phi Sigma Rho, a social sorority for engineering majors. I really like having a large support group that understands what I am going through as a girl in engineering. We also do a lot of fun events, like spring formal, which helps me take the time to enjoy myself in addition to my school work.
With events like Relay for Life, members of all types of student organizations can come together and support a good cause.
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