Wisdom WallHere, we highlight key pieces of advice that our past speakers have shared with our audience. We want to share this with everyone so that everyone can benefit from our past speakers' pool of advice.
|
Wisdom Wall
September 21st, 2020 - Brian Sneed (R&D Scientist at Cabot Microelectronics):
- Two pieces of literature Brian highly recommended for reading are
- The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy
- Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs Story by Randy Olson
- Brian also emphasized that you don't have to be smart to pursue a Ph.D. Creativity, ability to deal with failure, determination, and persistence are the key traits necessary
- Brian shared that many careers are interdisciplinary, so don't feel like your restricted in the fact that you need to stick with one field! Explore your other areas of interest!
- Tanveer stressed that to pursue a field in data science, one can ideally gain knowledge in computer science and/or statistics; however, you can definitely gain domain expertise (expertise in any field) and pursue a data science career with it
- According to Tanveer, computer programming language Python is a must-know in data science; it is imperative to learn Python to be a successful data scientist due to the array of tasks you can execute with Python
- Online learning sites like Coursera, Codecademy, and Kaggle can teach you the skills necessary to become a data scientist
- Samantha encourages to choose classes that excite and interest you. She took courses about horticulture, hydrology, and earth science because it intrigued her, thus propelling her to pursue a career in environmental science
- Samantha recommends to start research and networking early so you can gain valuable internship experiences
- Strong communication skills are key in environmental science because one needs to be able to present and share his/her research to others
- Dr. Shukla advises that it does not matter exactly what you major in–as long as you meet the prerequisites for medical school–; remember that you have something that is unique to you and you can bring to the table, so never abandon your passions
- Dr. Shukla stressed the importance of seeking shadowing opportunities to gain exposure in your interests. Dr. Shukla's interest in dentistry was sparked by a doctor shadow, which therefore indicates the significance of being able to learn from a professional in the field of your interest
- Dr. Shukla's favorite part about being a dentist is being able to have a positive influence on others. She encourages that if you want to seek that impact on others, being a dentist will allow you to, in Dr. Shukla's words, "create art in the mouth," and benefit patients.
- Read the news! Dhruv strongly encourages to read the news everyday because the news provides so much insight into our world and what is going on around us.
- Dhruv believes that developing your people skills are critical to being a successful professional in the cybersecurity field. This is because you must be able to explain to all different audiences how to protect themselves from the internet's challenges. Not only must one understand the ethics and different regulations behind cybersecurity, but also educate others and develop collaborative skills.
- Cybersecurity is a versatile field with endless options! Dhruv provided many examples of how cybersecurity can be applicable to not only information technology fields, but even the government, healthcare, and at airports.
- Isha advises that it is as important to know what you don't like as much as what you do like, since that will help you find what disciplines/fields you are interested in and unravel your skills
- Say "yes" to opportunities. Throughout the webinar, Isha elaborated about the positive impact her extracurriculars, study abroad program, and internships had on moldering her career, so take advantage of the opportunities around you.
- Along with taking on opportunities, network as much as possible. Isha talked about how talking with others helped her gain a lot of knowledge about mechanical engineering.
- Rohin strongly encourages students to take initiative and seek opportunities to create projects that teach you new skills. That will help you be a successful computer science student
- You don't need to have programming knowledge to make it into a computer science undergraduate program! Rohin talked about how he has worked with people who have never coded before, yet those people still accomplish many things.
- Rohin talked about when applying for jobs/internships, employers want to see your problem solving abilities. They do not care much about your GPA; they want to see your ability to solve problems and work with others.
- Surya's knowledge of business through his involvement in the Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program enabled him to communicate complex topics in comprehendible ways, further developing his soft skills
- It takes lots of practice and a motivation to learn in order to grasp programming. Surya talked about how practicing for interviews rigorously helped him succeed in gaining internships at JPMorgan Chase and Amazon.
- Surya says that having knowledge in business and computer science allows you to succeed in project management roles, where you can see the big picture behind a project and communicate across different levels.
- Within the pharmacy world lies a variety of career paths. Niha talked about how you could be a community pharmacist or an industry pharmacist, or even work in government agencies and nuclear pharmacy. There are so many options within pharmacy where you can make an impact.
- In order to be a successful pharmacist, Niha says that it is important to have a strong science background, particularly in chemistry
- Niha suggests that in order to have a better understand of whether pharmacy is the right field for you, you should shadow a pharmacist or volunteer at a hospital to immerse yourself in the medical setting. In addition, network as much as possible.
- Dr. Atanda emphasizes the importance of time-management; being a surgeon requires committing to a dynamic schedule, so having the ability to know your priorities and manage your time will help you in the long run.
- The satisfaction and the reward of helping someone, especially a young child, overcome a challenge is what drives Dr. Atanda to keep working. Being a surgeon enables you to have a wide, profound impact on others.
- Dr. Atanda says that communication and good hand-eye coordination skills are imperative to grasp as a surgeon.
- Drones are not just toys people can play with. Sgt. Reid and Ms. Cantwell have utilized drones to do survey assessments of hurricane damage, 3D modeling, and inspections. Drones are versatile machines that can boost efficiency of work and gather immense data.
- The field of drones entails many careers. There are electrical engineers, air traffic controllers, repairers, and CAD/CAM engineers that work heavily with drones. Both speakers encourage that working with drones does not solely correlate with flying drones.
- In order to be a drone pilot, one must pass a few certifications, with extra certifications should one choose to specify in a specific field of drone piloting. These certifications range from thermography certifications to ones about FAA rules and regulations regarding drones. These certifications ensure your credibility and verified ability to fly drones.
- Challenge yourself in high school by taking Honors/AP classes. Not only will those classes prepare you for the rigor expected in college, but these classes will teach you study skills and habits that are useful for the future.
- When considering colleges, put extra weightage and close attention to the opportunities the college offers for career growth and development. Do not attend a college simply because of its prestige.
- Psychobiology is one of the more unique and growing pre-medical majors because of its distinctive combination between biology and psychology to study the biology and mechanisms behind the human mind.
- Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and The Forage are great resources that provide students with unique skill and professional development and virtual internships.
- Industrial engineering is closely tied with business in that the field revolves around making processes more efficient in order to reduce cost and improve quality.
- Because industrial engineers collaborate and work with people in more specialized fields, it is crucial that one interested in pursuing industrial engineering gains an introductory background to those specialized fields and skills–for example, programming and computer science.
- It is very helpful to make a spreadsheet when exploring different colleges in order to keep track of notes and research. Doing so will allow you to stay organized.
- Aerospace engineering is a unique blend of major engineering and science disciplines, in that concepts ranging from computer science to electrical engineering to physics.
- Be sure to participate in classes and extracurriculars that can enrich your knowledge in your field of interest. Taking summer camps, for example, is a great way to learn more about a field and build connections that can be helpful for the future.
- The path to becoming a veterinarian is both similar and different than that of becoming a regular physician, but there is no one set path to becoming a veterinarian.
- Challenge yourself in high school by taking advanced courses and even electives that broaden your knowledge of different soft and technical skills.
- Build connections with teachers and people you know; doing so will allow you to reach out about opportunities–like internships–in which you can learn more about the fields you are interested in
- Explore your options and figure out what you enjoy! What works for someone else may not work for you, so take the time to figure out what you like.
- When it comes to writing personal statements and essays for college, take time to make a web map that encompasses your values, interests, and extracurriculars, and try to draw connections amongst them. Doing so will help portray who you are in your essays.
- Knowing what you don't like is as important as knowing what you like. Show that you have put the effort to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things!
- Pursuing a PhD can reap extremely valuable benefits, as you learn various soft skills and research skills that you wouldn't necessarily receive in an undergraduate experience!
- If you want to pursue research in college, it's imperative to build great relationships with your professors. This means showing genuine interest in their area of expertise and taking time to go to office hours to build a close relationship with the professor.
- Work on side projects to dabble in your side interests. Whether through classes or outside of school, undertaking projects allows you to understand goal-setting and how to deal with challenges.
- LinkedIn is a great resource to develop connections with those in your fields of interest while allowing you to share what you're proud of with the community. Using it will allow you to develop an intriguing portfolio that can help you get jobs and network. Don't be afraid to market yourself.
- A significant part of data analytics is communicating your work, so being able to explain things in layman's terms and sharing complex topics in simpler words is imperative.
- Statistics is a rising market, so there are many fields in which you can apply your statistical knowledge in. Many of these fields include sports analytics, finance, healthcare, insurance, and nearly any other field.
- Writing and public speaking are two underrated scientific skills one needs to present work effectively. Your project may be the coolest, but if you cannot communicate it, it's worthless. These skills are valuable when writing research papers, grant proposals, or sharing work at a symposium.
- Liberal arts colleges are valuable if you want to develop close connections with professors, have smaller class sizes, get involved in research, and attend graduate school. So, don't stress about prestige and name value of a school; what matters is making the most of your opportunities. It's easy to pay for the name on the degree, not the education you received.
- When you graduate with a Ph.D, you become a world expert in your research topic, and you know how to be a scientist and can even mentor others and inspire scientific innovations.
- It's important to explore interests outside of your major so you can be as diverse of a thinker and problem-solver as possible! This is especially important in mechanical engineering, wherein the domains of applications are unlimited.
- When it comes to networking and striking conversations, don't start with the usual "I'm good" response to the introductory "How are you?" question. Instead, craft a response that allows you to express your interests and aspirations. This is critical since you want to make yourself stand out and well-known amongst a large pool of similar students.
- Get involved outside of the classroom! There are many academic and fun clubs colleges offer that allow you to develop both industry-related and side skills that diversify your portfolio and range of abilities.
- Oftentimes, choosing the career spaces with a broad number of opportunities can be extremely overwhelming as the paradox of choice kicks in; that's why it's important to consider particular programs that involve niche areas of study, which may often contain more opportunities and a tight-knit community
- Don't be afraid to seek internships because you fear you do not have the necessary knowledge for the position; internships are meant for learning the nuances of your desired career space! If you show enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, you will succeed in your internship
- Leveraging your connections and network is the best way to expose yourself to new doors of opportunities. In doing so, you can further specify your interests and learn from the community around you.
