Notes

• Ds in school but still went to CSUSM
  • various pathways such as computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics, and STEM
• Mechanical engineering is heavily based in physics, and many students at Cal State San Marcos go through this program
• Being involved in clubs and internships is important during undergraduate years, and internships can also help in determining one’s interests and exposing them to experiences
  • Internships are also an important way to be a part of research and get into college
  • Google along with school events can be used to find so many different internship opportunities
• Scholarships can be found for various interests, and it is possible to get paid to pursue these interests
  • Scholarships exist for a lot things
• College debt is a real and scary thing, and there are two types of loans: subsidized loans, which are provided by the government, and unsubsidized loans, which are not based on financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students.

Reflection

Learning about how someone who got Ds is now studying for a Ph.D was interesting but more so inspiring. I do plan on going into computer science, but I highly doubt that I will be going to CSUSM since I’m aiming for to better university. However, although universities differ quite a lot, some experiences and knowledge that will be learned in universities can be universally. And in this event, I learned a lot about that. For example, there are subsidized and unsubsidized scholarships. Additionally, universities can share similar departments and clubs. I did disagree with her statement that any internships that do not pay are not worth it since at our age, if money isn’t a huge issue, there are a lot of good unpaid internships where you do a lot of good research. The experience in those internships can be more valuable than the money earned at others. I also learned about ways that you could go for internships, such as at college events, if I ever want any more internships. I also did not realize that you get paid as a graduate doing research for the university so that looks a more appealing now. Learning about her experience at her research lab in CSUSM has encouraged me more to join one when I get to college. Overall, this event was pretty informing, learning about life after high school.