Observations of a Current Freshman

SoCcErTrAcK2016
Wed, 15 Feb 2017 03:59:12 +0000

@ImmaEatChuNow @Formation

I’m another current freshman. I haven’t declared yet, but I’m probably going to double major in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Workload - While I am VERY busy, I really don’t understand why Case has the reputation of a tough workload. Sure, I always have something I should be doing and do stay up until the wee hours of the morning a couple times a week, but I expected that as an engineering student. Last semester, I worked part time, did varsity track, and three clubs, and still pulled through with all A’s and B’s. However, my social life and sleep schedule suffered as a result, so I reduced my commitments this semester. I’d say the trick to managing the Case workload is to avoid taking on too much while still squeezing as much out of Case as possible.
There really is no average night of work for me - thing get crazy and very stressful every few weeks, since most classes’ exams line up within a few days. On a more normal week, Mondays are the worst because I have assignments for 5 core engineering classes all due on Mondays and Tuesdays. I have a bunch of friends who are all in the same boat, so we typically take over a common room or dorm room until 2 or 3 am. We could avoid this b starting the assignments earlier, but I’m a procrastinator and staying up late with peers is a strong catalyst for strengthening friendships.

Internships - Since I’m a freshman, I don’t have much experience, but I have several friends who have used the career center to help secure summer internships or research positions during the year. A lot of engineering students choose to co-op during their junior or senior, so we have a lot of 5th years/ super seniors.

Job Shadowing - Again, I don’t have much experience as a freshie, but off the top of my head, Case has a program where you can spend spring break. I’m not doing it since I’m going home to see family, but it seems like a great opportunity. I’ll probably do it next year. I have a mentor through WISER (Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable) who’s a graduate student and working full time at GE, so she’s been helping me plan my future classes and activities with a good career/ graduate school program as the end goal.

Study Abroad - there’s options available to most, if not all majors, including semester, break, and summer options. I have a teammate pre-med in New Zealand this semester, a mech e friend going to Ghana for a class over break, and an acquaintance going to Chine for a statics class this summer. Case’s study abroad website is a great resource for finding a program that fits in your schedule as well as a ton of scholarships. I’ve heard that the office’s staff is super helpful, and I definitely plan on using them to study abroad at some point!