Funny Friday

Finals Are Over!!!! So here's a comic:

It's funny Friday! I found this on 9gag.com (if you haven't already started....don't...it's addicting!)

Anyway, they have tons of engineering memes and comics, but it's not just for engineers. It's pretty awesome.

Happy Friday!

-Serena

Wearing Shorts/Dresses

Image Courtesy of Zappos....I really like that dress, maybe I should get it.

The downside to getting a degree in engineering is the inability to wear shorts or dresses to school. Or having to over-analyze what you wear to school.

Maybe some of you are confused. As one of the very few females in engineering, I realized early on that I get....um...looked at....because I am female. Which is fine....but can I please wear my shorts/dresses in peace? My clothing isn't anything out of the ordinary on the UC Davis campus.

So here's my letter to the engineering boys:

Dear Boys,

Please don't act like you've never seen a girl before when I'm around. I see you everyday. I talk to you everyday.  Just today, I'm wearing a dress because I want to feel pretty and like a girl. Or I'm wearing shorts because it's 95 degrees outside, and I didn't want to bike in jeans. So please stop drooling. It's very obvious, and  it's really making me and my friends uncomfortable.

Thanks,
Serena

Serena's Life Update

Hi Everyone,

It's amazing that I've spent a good 6 months writing in this blog. I'm surprised that I've been able to compile enough thoughts and ideas to create 6 months of material.  Keep bringing your questions and insight. I love it!

My life as we speak:

• Mentorship, Mentorship, Mentorship. I try to be mentored, and I try to mentor others. This blog has definitely helped. But volunteering for BigSis/LilSis, Project Aspire, STEM for Girls, and volunteering with a local 6th grade class has been VERY fulfilling.
• My Senior Design Project is finished!!!! I'll have to update you on the project once I get the chance for pictures and stuff.
• I found a job! I'll be interning with the Coen Company this summer working on combustion systems. Sounds like a great experience. I'm really excited.
• I was able to reconnect with my Ebay mentor. Remember when I got to visit Ebay a few years back? Well, I found out that she got promoted to CTO of StubHub. Very exciting. I hope to stay in touch over the years.
• I have one more quarter of school left! Yep...the real world is approaching. And it's kinda scary, kinda exciting. Life is starting :-D
• I have the TED virus.  I've been trying to figure out what to do with my life...and TED has definitely been a great help. Did I mention that my Senior Design Group named our project TED, as well? I'll have to get to that in the next blog post.

Keep bringing your questions. More and more often, I see freshmen and sophomores (and sometimes juniors) who are asking the same questions....I just refer them to the blog....I need to make some business cards like ASAP.

-Serena

Do Something This Summer

Image Courtesy of Sanderling Heathcare

I would love to work for Sanderling Heathcare. Actually no, I think the picture above is really funny....but it looks like a fun place to work, haha.

Anyway, to the point- Do something with your life this summer! 

I know that many of you are unemployed, especially those looking for engineering internships. The economy is tough out there. However, it doesn't mean there is a lack of opportunity. There are many people I am graduating with who have no experience. Zero, zip, none...and they kinda wonder why they can't get a job....there's nothing to put on their resume! So here are some examples for you to brain storm:

• Volunteer...anywhere...homeless shelter/women's shelter/non-profit organization/city council/local library/senior center/community center...ANYWHERE!
• Get a job...anywhere- Coffee shop, book store, donut shop, research lab, IT place, Best Buy, Target, In-and-Out, Kid's summer camp, restaurant...you won't be able to have these jobs once you graduate as an engineer.
• Start/Join a Design Team/Research Lab. Get some hands on work, and solve a problem from beginning to end. For information on Design Teams at UC Davis, click on the highlighted links. For Research related information, click here and here for previous blog posts.

Do something different (for you), learn something, and think about the following questions for future interviews:

• How did you work in groups? Was there a problem? How did you resolve it?
• What are your strengths?
• (The dreaded one) What are your weaknesses?
• What are you interested in doing for a career?

So get out there and do something.

-Serena

PS Even if you are taking summer school, try and have a project on the side...whether it be a job, research, design team, volunteer, etc. It'll be something, and will still give you experience.

Staying Positive

I am not the most positive person around. Okay, I take that back. I'm pretty negative. I consider myself a realist, and if reality is negative there ain't much I can do.

But in an effort to enjoy life more I've been picking up tips to happier living. I thought I'd share one of my favorites I picked up from the lovely Serena last year.

So you, yes you, pick up a stick note and a pen. And write down a top list of things that make you happy. Music, food, the graffitied bridge outside your house, whatever. Write it down. Things that you can turn to at any time and know they'll cheer you right up.

Mine looks like this:

Elvis, blue M & M's, Pride and Prejudice (book and the '95 movie, Colin Firth is the perfect Darcy), Marilyn Monroe movies, my sister, 90s music (N'SYNC), frozen New York Style plain cheesecake.

I have a few more ont hat list but I honestly can't find that sticky note. Cleaning makes me lose things.

Now take that sticky note and stick it somewhere you'll see it everyday. Mine is (usually) on my monitor. You can do your mirror, bed post, microwave, etc.

I have a few of these lying around for things I'm grateful for (my family, Elvis), things that calm me down (hiking, more Elvis), things that make me laugh (Ellen DeGeneres as Dory) etc. Seeing these around reminds me to appreciate the little things in life.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

N. Riazi

Nostalgia

Image Courtesy of OldGoatGuide

Yesterday, I was looking around Davis, and I said out loud, "Wow...I've been here for four full years..." I'm not graduating yet.  However, many of my friends are, and I'm close enough to graduation that I'm allowed to have a full case of Senior-itus.

This week is finals, and I don't feel the stress that I normally feel. It's probably after being de-sensitized for the last 11 quarters (Wow! 11 sets of final exams?!). Honestly, I don't know where the time went.

Some tell me, "You should be happy, especially after looking back at all your hard work." Sure, I'm happy. But even through all the studying, drama, sleepless nights, dancing nights, and random shenanigans, I don't want to move on.

I love getting absorbed in my work, (especially tonight) when I tell myself "Oooo I'll only re-start the problem once more...I'll get it right this time...." And I get totally into it! Sure, it's frustrating after restarting about 6 times with each attempt taking anywhere from 10-30 minutes. But it's a puzzle- one of the MAIN reasons why I decided to go into engineering.

Even to this day, I contemplate if Engineering is "Right for me." But I look back to what I did as a child, and although it's a little hazy, I loved putting together puzzles. I still love putting together puzzles! I also loved the math exercises where they had a "student" write out their work, and you had to correct it.  It was definitely a Muahahaha moment.

So am I going to miss it? Of course.
Will I be happy when it's over? Definitely.
So is engineering right for me? Hahaha, I'm still thinking about that. Probably not in the traditional sense...but I'll make it work for my future inspirations and missions. And I'm still that mischievous child who laughs "Muahahaha" to myself when I got something right (and I think I'm the only one).


-Serena

You Won't Know Until You Ask

Image Courtesy of the WorkAtHomeWoman.com

I an so sick and tired of people asking me if they should do something. (No, I'm not...actually I love it). Here are some examples:

• Should I apply for ____ job?
• Should I do this program?
• Should I ask for money/to get paid?
• Should I network with ____ ?
• I want to get interested in ____. 

Girls, YES! If it's something you are interested in, THEN JUST APPLY. Here's why:

1. What's the worst thing they would say? No? I doubt anyone is going to say, "You're fired" or "I hate you, never talk to me again."
2. You aren't going to receive the opportunity unless you ask/apply.  When you look back on life, you're gunna say, "I should have just applied to MIT...even if I didn't get in....just to see if I could." I still regret not applying to MIT and Stanford for my undergraduate....
3. What are you losing by applying/asking? Nothing! In one instance, someone was working for free (which happens with research). Sure, you're getting experience...but you aren't going to lose pay you don't even have!
4. Even if you don't get it, you're name is out there. A few years back (freshman and sophomore year), I applied to every engineering internship possible.  I got a few interviews...but no internship. However, people still recognize me and see how I've grown over the years. Now, I go first on the pile because people recognize me.
5. If you aren't sure, just apply- you can deny later. Especially with jobs and internships, they expect people to make other plans/ get other internships/life happens. *psss* Also, you're likelihood of getting the ONLY thing you apply for is very small...you're likely not to get it anyway (no offense).

So stop asking me if you should do something, and just go do it! 

My motto: Do everything, but expect nothing. You'll eventually get something. :-D

-Serena