Why Penn- asking the right questions to find the right fit for you

 Editor's Note: Today is the day students will find out if they were admitted to Penn's Class of 2017.  To celebrate that accomplishment, we have a blog from one of our current Penn engineers about how she choose Penn!

 

When choosing a University to spend the next four years of your life, it is important to determine what factors you are looking for and how important each one is relative to one another. Some people value the size or location of school, others are looking for a specific program or dual degree opportunity, and many want to get involved with extra-curriculars and organizations. While touring schools and going to school-sponsored information sessions, admitted students can certainly learn about some of the curriculum in the school, the history of the university, and even some various programs available to students. Though, it is also important to realize that there is a vast degree of frank knowledge that can be obtained from current students as well.

Being a Regular Decision Student and having applied to 13 universities across the country, I traveled to several admitted students days, went on countless student tours, and sat through over a dozen info sessions. The questions I found most helpful to ask were posed towards current students and included the following: What do you do for fun? What are you involved in on campus? How easy is it to get the required courses you need to graduate on time? Is Undergraduate Research common? How large is Greek Life on the campus? Where do you live and how good is the food at the dining halls?

Why did I choose Penn? Simple. The philosophy of the university and student body aligned with my personal ideology towards school, life, and growing up. I wanted to go to a university with a strong Bioengineering curriculum that would allow me to pursue science and engineering in conjunction with medicine and healthcare, fields that greatly interested me. I wanted to work hard and gain an education from one of the premier educational institutions in the world. But at the same time, I wanted to get involved and have an amazing four years learning and growing from those around me in both academic and social settings. There are clubs, organizations, societies, and teams for everyone, and the ones that I have gotten involved in over my past three years have positively impacted my life and shaped who I am today. I think I chose right for me, but it is a unique and personal choice for everyone. So ask lots of questions, be knowledgeable, and go with your gut. And if you do, you'll choose right for you.

 

Questions for Lauren?  Contact her at awe@seas.upenn.edu

What if you don't know what you want to do?

Spring semester always feels long – and it is: one week longer than fall, which may not sound like much, but somehow it is. But there is one time when spring semester feels short, and that’s when it comes to internships. The semester is now halfway done and if you don’t know what you’re doing for the summer yet, it feels like you are way behind. Even though it isn’t completely true, it always feels like everyone else knows what they are doing and you don’t.

Looking for an internship is not fun; in fact, it kind of sucks. Wharton kids have OCR all set up for them, and some engineers choose to go through that too, but not everyone wants to do finance or consulting. Sometimes though, I feel like I am in the minority among systems engineers when I say I actually want to do engineering and not go work on Wall Street or something. But on the other hand, not a lot of places have dedicated positions for systems engineers, and if you do end up getting an interview, one of the first questions always seems to be: “so, what exactly is a systems engineer?” A question that I have heard more times than I can count during my last three years at Penn, but I still don’t feel like I have a good answer to.

So where am I going with all this? Truthfully, I don’t exactly know. Maybe I’m trying to convince myself that it’s OK to have no clue about what I want to do and not be sure of how things are going to turn out. If there is one thing I have learned about looking for internships and summer jobs is that things rarely turn out the way you expect them to and that’s fine. I only recently decided what I am going to do this summer, and it was something that I applied to on a whim without much of a hope of succeeding. When I got an email to set up my first interview I actually went back to look at the job description thinking there must be some kind of mistake because why would I have ever thought it would be a good idea to apply for a position as a controls engineer? But now, I am glad I did. There have been so many times when I looked at a job description and thought it wasn’t quite right or I wasn’t fully qualified for the position, and if I had been thinking like that the day I submitted my application, I probably wouldn’t have applied. I think lots of people feel this way, in particular women. We are worried to put ourselves out there because we think we’re not actually good enough or qualified enough. But that’s silly; we are all engineers at Penn, which must count for something. And if we never put ourselves out there and take a chance we won’t get to do some of the things we most want to do.

 Patricia is a junior in Systems Engineering, Questions for Patricia? Contact her at awe@seas.upenn.edu

Why I love Penn Engineering

It is well known that at Penn we have 4 undergraduate schools (and if you didn't, here they are: College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, Nursing School, and Wharton School of Business). "Which school is the best?" you might ask. Well, it depends on who you ask, but I think the school of Engineering is the clear winner, and here are some reasons why:

·         Tight community: Engineers make up 16-20% of Penn undergrad. This strikes a perfect balance between being big enough to have a lot of fellow engineering friends, and not being so large that classes are annoyingly large. The size also lends itself to creating such a tight knit community among engineers 

·         Free shirt every year: Every year during Engineering Day (E-Day), on top of the endless activities that different clubs hold (fondue night, E-ssassins, professor luncheons, scavenger hunts, food, and more food), engineers receive a free engineering tshirt. There are four different colors to choose from each year, with chances of winning additional shirts after the fact. By your senior year, you could literally have a engineering shirt for each color of the rainbow

·         (Dress) shirt and (dress) shoes optional: While some engineers decide to pursue more business and consulting jobs, most engineers get to intern and work for cool companies that have awesome engineering cultures, competitive pay, and lax dress codes. If you should so choose, engineering allows you to let that suit collect dust in the closet

·         Coolest toys: If you take a stroll in any of the engineering buildings, you'll encounter labs around every corner -- whether it be computer science labs with the most high tech computers and latest software, mechanical engineering labs with robots constantly being built and tested, or electrical engineering labs filled with electrical circuits and other fun gizmos

·         Avoid the cold: Philly gets its fair share of cold winters and snow storms. The interconnected engineering buildings allow you to avoid the at times bone chilling cold, while your Wharton/ College/ Nursing counterparts meticulously layer up.

These are just a few of the things that make Penn Engineering such a great community to be a part of. For me personally, it's been a home away from home.

Sandy is a senior in Computer Science @ Penn.

Being an Athlete and an Engineer…YES YOU CAN

Being an engineer at the University of Pennsylvania is hard.  No one, inside or outside of the school will deny that.  People spend countless hours in the lab, in the library, an at home doing problem sets, finishing projects, and running experiments.  It is a very difficult yet rewarding major.  Seems like a lot on your plate right?  It is, but as students at Penn, being involved in extracurricular activities is a must.  Clubs, societies, and groups are full of engineering students who want to get more out of their college experience than a degree and a bunch of graded tests, but few take on the giant commitment of being a varsity athlete.

            I am currently a junior in CBE and a member of the varsity gymnastics team at Penn.  I practice 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, 3:00-7:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  As many varsity athletes will tell you, being involved with Penn athletics is a commitment like no other.  For one, practice is not optional.  You cannot skip it for class, you cannot get someone to go for you, and you cannot put it off until later.  That chunk of time in my schedule would be labeled on my Google calendar as “I’m busy, no exceptions.”  During the season, my weekends are filled with gymnastics as well.  Traveling to Ithaca New York to compete against Cornell, or busing to Yale to take on the Bulldogs.  School work still must remain a priority, but the time you have is much more precious.

            Right now everyone reading this is probably thinking “Wow, this girl is nuts! Who would do this to themselves?”  I cannot lie, I have asked myself the same question multiple times before.  Yet through the stress, I am here to tell you it is possible!  And here is how :

1.  Set your priorities.  With your time spread so thin, you have to decide what is important to you.  Whether it be friends, grades, athletics, sleep, or fun, you must decide what is most important to you.  I promise that there are not enough hours in the day to have it all, but you can have a little bit of everything.
2. Do not compare yourself to others.  You are unique.  Being a varsity athlete and engineer is tough, so if you start comparing your grades or number of hours spent studying to others in your classes, you won’t feel great.  You must learn to have pride in all you have accomplished and all you can successfully balance.  Take pride in your work!
3. Use athletics to your advantage.  I cannot say that professors will let you miss a test or turn in a homework late if you are traveling to a match or game, but I can say that the amount of teamwork, self-discipline, and leadership skills you learn through athletics in college will help you in the future.  It is impressive to employers to see that you are a student at an Ivy League school and are involved in athletics.  Yes maybe you don’t have that 3.95 GPA, but you are able to learn more valuable lessons than you can in the classroom. 
4. Talk to your professors.  Are all their office hours during practice?  Are you behind and do not have the time to catch up?  Does it look like you aren’t trying when really you are working your tail off?  Go and talk to them.  I find that at the beginning of each semester I make an appointment with all of my professors just to introduce myself and throw in the fact that I’m an athlete and willing to work hard in the class, then slip in that I may need some extra help and ask when they are available.  Most professors are impressed that you are able to handle everything at once and they will help you out. 
5. Embrace the community.  There is an instant bond you create when you meet someone who is a varsity athlete, especially if they are an engineer.  This connection makes you instant friends, because only you understand what it is like.  Form study groups with these people, because most often you are available at the same hours.  Athletics also provides a lot of resources.  Don’t be afraid to ask for things such as study hours, free tutoring, and help.  It is helpful, I promise. 

So to all of the varsity athletes and engineers, you can do it.  Being involved in athletics at Penn is a very valuable experience.  And with the support of your family, teachers, friends and teammates, it can be done!

Questions for Diana about being an athlete?  Contact her at awe@seas.upenn.edu

Why you should go to the Penn Society of Women Engineers 16th Annual Corporate Dinner

The SWE Corporate Dinner is a professional networking dinner and reception held at the Inn at Penn on February 21, 2013 from 6-9 PM. This annual event has given hundreds of Penn undergraduates and graduates, male and female, a chance to personally interact with top company recruiters. Here is why this event should be of interest to you.

Underclassmen: You will get great exposure seeing a professional event and you will be able to learn how to network. I remember when I was a sophomore going to the SWE corporate dinner for the first time. It was quite frightening being put in that environment and mustering up enough courage to talk to company representatives. This event is a great introduction to professional networking events and is a fantastic way for you to learn these skills that you will need throughout your career. Company reps will also be looking for summer internship candidates as well so you’ll get to talk to them about the details.  

Upperclassmen: You will get a chance to talk to company representatives about their recruiting needs. Representatives will be keeping an eye out for both full-time and summer internship candidates. Also, make connections that you may need in the future.

Sponsors include:

·  Accenture

·  Capital One

·  Inductotherm

·  Bloomberg

·  RPA Engineering

·  Merck

·  ExxonMobil

·  Alcoa

·  Electronic Arts

·  MIT Lincoln Laboratory

·  Schlumberger

·  GlaxoSmithKline

·  ... and more

Event Format:

- 6pm-7pm: Appetizer Reception for Networking (Antipasto and Garden Crudites)
- 7pm-8pm: Dinner with Keynote Speaker (choice of Parmesan & Herb Crusted Boneless Chicken, Pan Seared Branzino, Cavatelli Pasta - vegetarian, Kosher Chicken - with starch and vegetables); Students will sit at a table with their preferred company
- 8pm-9pm: Dessert Reception for Networking (Assortment of pastries with coffee and tea)

Speaker: Ms. Suzanne B. Rowland | Vice-President & General Manager Americas | Tyco Fire Protection Products, member of the Penn Engineering Board of Overseers.

What to Wear: Business formal - many attendees wear suits.

Resume Book: Attending students will have the opportunity to submit their resume to the SWE Resume Book for the sponsoring companies to view. Details will be given in early February.

Each student is given a choice of their top three companies and seating priority is given to when the ticket was purchased. Students will be informed of which table they will be sitting at beforehand and are highly recommended to research the company.

Buy your ticket at the earliest possible for a better chance of sitting with your top choice company during dinner!! Regular price tickets are for $25. Buy tickets on Ticket Leap: http://swecorporatedinner.ticketleap.com/16th-swe-corporate-dinner/