Minor Possibilities

When I was an Orientation Leader a few years back, I was asked the following question:

Which minor is most common among engineering majors?


Well, this is a difficult question because it shows the reality of life....engineering majors don't typically obtain minors (unless they are willing to spend more than four years on their degree). 


For all of you contemplating engineering, this can be a total turn-off to the major.  I remember these moments when I was a freshman when many things happened...AP units didn't count toward actual classes, I wasn't going to be able to take a foreign language (if you want to finish in 4 years), all of the restrictions on General Education requirements (nothing seemed interesting and too liberal for me)...the disappointments go on and on.


However, the freshman experience is interesting.  You are involved with many people who are in the same boat as you.  And once you start talking to Seniors and Juniors in engineering, you're intrigued why they are so happy with their major! They can tell you all about the great experiences they've had and the honest homework loads. 


So my advice to the younger, but-not-so-young, students. Step back and listen to those before you. Life gets better, even though it may not seem ideal right now. Go join a club (while you have the time!). Have fun with your dorm-mates. Do something different...potentially not engineering-related. You'll thank us later :-)


-Serena

SmartSite and MySpace

For all you UCD'ers, there is ONE tool that many people don't know about: Myspace.


No, no, this isn't the pre-Facebook social medium tool that we all came to love and hate. This is your when-your-flashdrive-doesn't-work-or-get's-lost flashdrive.  The university has a server that you can use to store your files and webpage links which...I think...can hold 2 GB.

So, how do you get to Myspace? Great question! 

• Sign into SmartSite
• "My Workspace"
•  "Resources" (like you would for a class)
• "Myspace Files"
• From this interface, you can upload/download files, create folders (to keep yourself organized), and "Add Weblinks" for those moments when you need to save a webpage, but you're not at home.

There are also ways to directly upload via "My Computer." Directions for that can be found here.  Some prefer this way, especially if you are uploading many files simultaneously.

I know a lot of people (including engineers) don't know that this service exists.  Take advantage of it! Don't lose your files!

-Serena

*It's also cool to note that you can make your own "Smartsite" through the "Site Setup" link.  I've used it for clubs and other design projects to keep track of things.

Shigley Hauler Part II

Remember the wonderful Shigley Hauler post? This is video of it (and Leann) in action!!!! So exciting! (It's good to remember that this is running on 3 volts!) More posts to come soon with the final design and pictures :-D

Go Team, Draco!!

-Serena

Fictional Characters

Last week, I got asked one of the most interesting questions:

If you could be any character from a TV show or movie, who would it be? 


This was a very hard question, because I went back to my fanciful childhood for just a second.  With finals approaching, imagination time just does not happen.

My answer was Jennifer Gardner's character from Alias.  But then I thought about Apollo 13, and how exciting (and nerve-wracking) that situation would be..."A vacuum cleaner can't run on 13 volts!"

Do our character wishes have any effect on who we are or aspire to be? What is your answer? Does it make you reconsider or re-emphasize your plans for the future?

Unity

*Image courtesy of Silver and Black Forever

Story Time! In my Modern Physics class (oh, so many years ago!), there was a homework problem that stumped me.  Now maybe it's just me, but I could not figure out what was meant by the following question:

"Find the configuration that is closest to unity."

Unity...unity...what do they mean by unity? Unless you look up "unity" on wikipedia under the "Mathematics" section, there are many ambiguous meanings to this word...In the end, I basically knew how to do the problem, but had no idea what it meant. 

Last day of class, the professor asks..."So does anyone have any questions?"...I raise my hand- "What is meant by unity?"

He looked puzzled for a second, and I stated the problem directly from the book..."Oh, it means one." 

Really? One? Why couldn't you have said "one" in the first place? 

The class turned around to see who asked the question (I was sitting in the back).  I don't know if they 

1. thought I was stupid for not knowing what unity is
2. thought "What question is she asking about?"
3. or genuinely didn't know what unity was.

I guess we'll never know what the general class opinion was...(it should be noted that I've heard some pretty dumb questions...so maybe this one wasn't so dumb, haha)

Was I the stupid one in this case, or should the problem be reworded?

Resume tips and pointers

Resume. It's a word most people have come to fear, though people simply fear things that they do not understand. I've spent a great deal of time sorting through resume's in both helping fix them up and actually sorting through them for hiring. Here are a few things that are extremely important to remember and will help to stop your resume from getting brushed into a pile.

1. First thing first, proofread your resume.

I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at resumes and had improper grammar and tenses used, and found spelling mistakes. I end up getting distracted by the errors that I forget I'm in the middle of trying to hire someone. Read over it yourself, have a friend read it, and then read over it some more. It may be just a minor comma that was added or a small fragment, but when someone is judging you off of a single sheet of paper, don't let it be because you can't spell.


2. Always write a cover letter

Unless a job specifically says to not include a cover letter, always write one. It gives you the chance to tell a potential employer the things your resume doesn't say. Are you applying to be a pilot because you grew up building model airplanes? Did you live through an earthquake and decide to do seismic studies for college? Is your GPA low because you had a part time job? Did you once rig your bedroom door to open with a remote control? We (as employers) want to know the person behind the resume.

Now, cover letters aren't a one size fits all for jobs. You may be able to make a general one to use as a template, but it really is important to make it fit to the job you are applying for. Go to the job website. Search it on Google or Wikipedia. The more you know about what you'd be doing, the better your cover letter can be created to suit the position. This is part of the reason searching for a job can be considered a full time job on its own - a lot of time gets put into it.

3. Ask for more information

If you are applying for a job to an email or though a school job listing, ask the employer for more information or where you can get more information about the company. This is good for two reasons: 1. It shows that you are interested, and 2. if they respond, you can try to keep a dialog going. Your name will remain in their head, and you will be a more likely candidate.  Do not ask about the pay.

4. Use a resume template

I know templates can be overused, but when everything on the page is the same size, same font, no sectioning, no bullets, etc. it becomes a little difficult to follow and understand. Templates were made for a reason: they work!

5. Your email is not your cover letter.

A cover letter says you spent time thinking and writing it all out. An email says you spent 5 minutes looking into the job then applied. Employers want someone that is actually interested in the job they may have!



I'll be sure to make a posting on how to write a decent resume and cover letter, and other useful hints in this regard as well. This should be useful in the meantime!


Good luck job hunting!

Just Google It!

*Image Courtesy of Google

Google is, by far, one of the best places to search for....well...everything! 


Have you heard of the Google Scholar Tab? It's by far, one of the best in finding academic resources for papers...Who needs to go to the library anymore?!


There's a reason that "google" is now a verb.  There are often times where I am too lazy to take the textbook out of my backpack, and instead, I'll just look it up on Google.

Are you unsure about a term on your homework? Google it.  Trust me. It'll save you a lot of heartache later.