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Name: Brian Li Age: 21 College / University: Vanderbilt University Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology & Medicine, Health, and Society Country origin: Canada What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I have aspired to become a doctor since a relatively young age, around elementary school, and never really took my mind off it. For this reason, I tried my best to deepen my knowledge base in STEM and medicine-related experiences during high school. I was interested in chemistry at the time and earned an award for the highest grade in AP Chemistry. I also competed and scored in the top percentages in Canadian chemistry contests such as the Avogadro's and Chem 13 News Exams hosted by the University of Waterloo, and I competed in the Canadian Chemistry Olympiad as well. To explore my interest in medicine, I was an active part of the biomedical club, volunteered at my local hospital, participated in a few summer biomedical programs, and founded a blog post organization that publishes weekly blogs about scientific advancements with my high school friends. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. It varies a lot based on your interests, commitment, and future career paths. It also just varies day to day. Overall, the first two years are heavy on the premed courses like general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, etc., so a lot of time is spent studying. During free time on weekdays or weekends, many people choose to go to regular volunteer shifts, physician shadowing sessions, on or off campus jobs (I’m a tutor myself), and/or research. I’m also part of a few clubs, so attending or leading club meetings is usually part of my daily schedule. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? There’s no one way that works for everyone, so I would say you have to experiment. Overall, I like to stick to the basics, such as living a healthy lifestyle by eating well, exercising regularly, and maintaining an organized physical and digital workspace. I’d say the mental aspect of stress management is often underrated, and for me, it’s a huge part of what I need to take care of to manage stress in life. Coming to terms with who you are, what you’re capable of, what you want in life, and understanding what needs to be resolved for the stress to be alleviated are all crucial for maintaining good mental well-being. A physician I shadowed introduced me to the concept of Ikigai , and I thought it articulates how to find peace and minimize stress in life. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Look deeper into biology and public health, as both disciplines cover a wide array of topics. If you’re truly interested, you’ll find the content and current research topics fascinating. If not, you might want to reflect more on whether these majors are right for you, as they require building a strong knowledge base before you can begin to apply what you’ve learned. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Chemistry competition honors, biomedical club, peer tutoring experience, and high school STEM summer programs. Thank you to Brian Li! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram : @askstem

One of the oldest, most diverse, and most adaptable engineering specialties is mechanical engineering. Rooted in fundamental principles of mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, and fluid dynamics, the discipline offers a rigorous academic foundation and diverse career opportunities. Mechanical engineering is a very relevant and intellectually stimulating field of study for students who have a strong interest in learning about how machines operate and how systems are designed. A mechanical engineering degree at the undergraduate level includes a structured curriculum that combines theoretical understanding with real-world application. Beginning with foundational courses like engineering mechanics and material strength, students learn how structures behave under different kinds of loads. With a focus on efficiency, entropy, and energy transfer, thermodynamics introduces them to energy systems such as power plants, internal combustion engines, and refrigeration cycles. Another fundamental subject that focuses on how liquids and gases behave when in motion is fluid mechanics, which aids students in comprehending difficult ideas like pressure variation, turbulence, and laminar flow. As they advance, students examine gear trains, linkages, cams, and rotating parts as they delve deeper into the dynamics and kinematics of machines. Modern mechanical education includes a significant section on control systems, where students study PID controllers, feedback loops, transfer functions, and system modeling—skills that are critical to automation and robotics. Simultaneously, design and manufacturing studies are important. Students gain expertise in tolerance analysis, computer-aided design (CAD), and product lifecycle considerations. They also learn how to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate real-world applications. Students with strong analytical skills and an innate curiosity about how things work would do well in mechanical engineering. Since the coursework frequently includes differential equations, vector calculus, and physical laws pertaining to force, motion, and energy, a strong foundation in mathematics and physics is necessary. Moreover, a creative mindset and attention to detail are important, particularly in design-oriented tasks where innovation and precision must go hand-in-hand. After graduating, mechanical engineers work in a variety of industries, such as manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and energy. Depending on their area of expertise, they might work on biomechanical device development, renewable energy system development, electric vehicle design, or aircraft aerodynamics. Others support smart robotics, sustainable building systems, or industrial automation. Graduates in mechanical engineering are highly regarded for their capacity to solve problems, think at the systems level, and collaborate in both theoretical and practical settings. With the advent of Industry 4.0, the field has seen further significant change as digital technology, sensor networks, data analytics, and machine learning are used to improve traditional mechanical systems. In addition to understanding mechanical behavior, engineers are now expected to model complex systems, interpret real-time data, and participate in intelligent design. In this sense, mechanical engineering is the science of designing, managing, and improving dynamic systems in a world that is continuously changing, rather than merely the study of machines. To sum up, students who major in mechanical engineering have access to a strong intellectual foundation, useful skills, and the chance to participate in significant innovation. It is a field that offers a route to demanding and significant careers by fusing scientific depth with technical breadth. Mechanical engineering is still a fantastic option for students who want to use engineering brilliance to solve real-world issues and influence the physical world. You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram : @askstem

Name: Cameron Age: 19 College / University: The University of Texas at Austin Major: Computer Science Country origin: United States What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I was the founder of the only computer science club at my high school. I was the team captain for the school's UIL computer science team. I took AP Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles. I also received a STEM distinction on my high school transcript for taking enough challenging STEM courses. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. I have class every day of the week. I usually wake up, get dressed, make breakfast, and pack a lunch, then head out to class or study before my later classes. I have lunch around 12:00 every day. After my classes are over, it's time to work on assignments until my club meetings. I have meetings every day of the week, whether it's for combat robotics, Christian fellowship, ballroom dance, or technical projects. Then I spend time with my friends or study until I pass out. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Keeping in touch with my family and close friends. Making sure to pray and stay close to God has really helped as well. Beyond that, just making sure that if I start to get overwhelmed, then something needs to drop—so I’ll take a break from the extracurriculars while I can. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Try to get as many AP classes out of the way—they'll help a lot in avoiding the college courses. Something that helped me identify what colleges, recruiters, workplaces, clubs—really any authority figure—are looking for: they want the people who are already there, not those with a lot of promise. So a company doesn't want an intern with a lot of potential; they want an intern who requires little to no training and is going to outperform their expectations. Colleges don't want students with a lot of promise; they want a student who is already able to handle lots of hard classes and extracurricular achievements. Don't be afraid to get started now—go for it! You've got this. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Probably my extracurricular activities. Grades can only speak for so much, but projects will showcase that you DO have those skills. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? https://www.youtube.com/c/michaelreeves Thank you to Cameron! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram : @askstem

Name: J Age: 19 College / University: The University of Sydney Major: Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Advanced Studies Country origin: Japan What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. None needed such extracurricular activities and any honors/awards when I was applying to my university. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? I'll give you two possible solutions that worked for me. When I was overwhelmed, I believed that it would be solved soon and be positive about this situation. And, if you are stressed by overthinking, write it down on paper because this will clear up what you have in your mind. But, if you think what you are struggling with is out of your hands, talk to someone who you can trust, knows you very well and can give you the right direction. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Research a lot before deciding which university/major you are going to, such as what program they offer or support that they are providing. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Nothing but English skills. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? I can not say that this is completely related to my major but this will be helpful to know about the social issues. https://www.instagram.com/bbcnews?igsh=MXVkZ2JobGZxaHFmaQ== Thank you to J! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Shivam Age: 26 College / University: Kyushu University Major: Materials Science Country origin: India 新幹線, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. To prepare for the major, I studied physics, chemistry and mathematics in high school. For extracurricular activities I used to take part in quiz competitions (related to general knowledge, current affairs and economic). I have won some of the quiz competition and have also participated in NSE Financial Quest (prestigious national level quiz in India that was also broadcasted in television). Please tell us your daily life schedule as a students with this major in your university. For this major, I tried to finish my coursework in my initial semesters so that I can focus more on my research. Classes have schedule but research do not have any schedule it depends on your own interest. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? To manage stress, I talk a lot with my parents, brother and friends. I also take participate in dances to do something different from my major. If a person does their work consistently and sincerely then there is no stress. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Focus on your subject especially in physics, chemistry and mathematics. Study so much that the concepts are very clear at the high school level. As in university you may need to apply any of the concept. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? High school grades If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? For university level I follow (NPTEL https://nptel.ac.in/ ) And at high school level I used to follow (Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org/ ) Thank you to Shivam! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Randima De Silva Age: 32 College / University: Kyushu University Major: Urban Systems Country origin: Sri Lanka What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I was good at creative things, and I did computer graphics. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a students with this major in your university. Go to university, work at the lab, talk to the sensei about my research . Sensei - Teacher in Japanese How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? I discuss stressful things with my teacher. He helps me figure them out. I also hang out with friends. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? I started as an architect, so you should follow and discover the works of great architects. There are so many amazing architects in Japan. You can read about them and go see their work. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? As a graduate student, the ability to think outside the box was the most important skill. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Designboom ( https://www.designboom.com/ ), Archdaily ( https://www.archdaily.com/ ), desigual Thank you to Randima De Silva! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Parth Age: 21 College / University: Carnegie Mellon University Major: Mechanical Engineering Country origin: USA What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I was part of many clubs and initiatives throughout high school, admittedly mostly no centred on mechanical engineering. I was into sports a lot and programs to help the local community, but probably the biggest thing I did towards engineering was a research internship with NASA in my sophomore year. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Different things work for different people, for me what I've found works best is journaling when I get overwhelmed. It definitely helps to write out your thoughts when a lot of things are happening and taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. Everything passes! What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Get as much hands-on experience you can! Learning hands-on thing is integral to mechanical engineering - I'd also recommend talking to as many people as possible to figure out what specifically interests you about mechanical engineering. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? I think science olympiads/competitions definitely help your chances, but the most important thing is work experience - research, projects etc. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Check out 'Everyday Astronaut' on Youtube! Feel free to reach out to me @ parthb@andrew.cmu.edu for any questions! Thank you to Parth! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Kimberly Age: 27 College / University: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Major: Biomedical Engineering Country origin: USA What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. My high school experience was generally pretty well-rounded with a focus on what I was most passionate about! I had a pretty full course load with more AP classes later on in high school, and I emphasized courses in math and science. I played on the tennis team and also played oboe in the concert band and orchestra. I volunteered in a few organizations with younger students, as outreach has always been a passion of mine. I was also involved in more academic organizations like honor societies. I sought out leadership positions when possible and generally tried to put my best foot forward across all aspects of high school including both academics and extracurriculars. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. As an undergrad, I did a double major in mechanical and biomedical engineering. My life was quite full, with rigorous academics but also a number of extracurriculars and social activities. It was challenging, and time management was critical, but I had an incredible experience and learned so much that set me up for both life and my career afterwards. I am now pursuing my PhD in a biomedical engineering program at MIT. As a PhD student, my school life is now much more focused on research- including designing/conducting experiments, data analysis, publication writing, fellowship writing, and ultimately completion of my dissertation. I similarly put forth effort to maintain a balanced life though and outside of lab, I play volleyball, make pottery, volunteer with different science outreach organizations, and enjoy time with friends and my kitty. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Ultimately everyone has to figure out their own inner scaffold for stress management, and truthfully I am still working on building my own. Some things that help me are detailed to do lists and calendar structure so that I don't have to remember everything, ensuring I maintain focus during times of work and then give myself freedom during non-work times, and finding outlets for creativity and movement that are fun and restful. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? My advice would be to seek out opportunities to explore this field and gain experience outside of coursework alone. Coursework is great, but real work experience like research, internships, extracurricular projects will really help you excel and apply the skills you learn in class! What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? My personal opinion is that the essays are super important for both undergraduate and graduate school applications. Do your best to tell a story and paint a picture for the admissions committee about who you are, how you got here, who you want to be, and why. Thank you to Kimberly! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Jayla Kwok Age: 18 College / University: Imperial College London Major: Biomedical Engineering Country origin: Hong Kong(moved to the UK at 13) What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. From an early age, I knew I loved neurotechnology. I participate in different MOOCs to fill any knowledge gaps I had. I also loved leadership activities and was one of the school monitors and house monitors at my previous school. I participated in various clubs, including the Prep Science Club, where I taught kids science, and the Residence Home Club, where I helped patients with dementia. I was also part of the Young Enterprise program, where I served as the managing director of the company, which won the Best Company of the Year award. Additionally, I was part of the athletics team and helped organise culture connect events. I took part in several science competitions, and my team won multiple awards for using chitin to create biodegradable plastic. In the Cambridge Engineering competition, my teammate and I earned the runners-up position. I attended as many talks as I could, one of which was given by Brian Cox. I was really into physics at the time, and I even wanted to become a time traveler. I was passionate about the idea of time travel and was fascinated by an article that discussed time traveling with your consciousness. Over time, my focus shifted to neurotechnology. I also tried to network as much as possible with industry professionals. I tried to get as much work experience as I could, but if not, that's okay too—there are many other ways to show passion. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. It's definitely not quiet at all! My days are usually packed from 9 to 6, filled with lectures, tutorials, labs, extra credit modules, and societies. I'm currently involved in both the Neurotech Society and the Entrepreneurs Society, where I serve as a committee member for both. My goal is to become an entrepreneur in neurotech. To relax, I like to go to spin classes or Pilates. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? The key to managing stress is maintaining a balanced life. You can't drown yourself in work all the time—it will actually be worse for you in the long run. Whether it's going out for a walk or just talking to a friend, it's essential to take regular breaks. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Never give up. Don't let a bad grade bring you down. I've had many bad grades, and I don't mean like a 60%, I mean a 30%. You need to find the best study techniques for yourself, as every subject is different. Have really good planning with what you want to do. Use an organising app like Notion to track your tasks. It's okay not to know exactly what you want to do, but you should always have a goal in life. It's also okay to fail—if you don't, you never learn. What matters is how you get back up. Get involved as much as you can. Sometimes, if you want something like an internship or work experience, all you need to do is reach out and ask. You'd be surprised how far that can get you. Most importantly, don't forget to take breaks, have fun, and enjoy it all. This is your one chance at living—don't waste it. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? The UK is different from the US—we focus more on academics. So, if you're applying to a UK university, it's crucial to take as many courses as possible, read extensively, and engage in academic-related work in your chosen field. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Go follow @icl_neurotech Thank you to Jayla Kwok! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Eric Age: 19 College / University: The University of New South Wales Major: Computer Science / Statistics Country origin: China What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I did English, Maths Extension 2 (highest level), Chemistry, and Physics. I was the DUX of my school (highest ATAR) and also got a piano AMusA diploma. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. I wake up, go to uni, do my classes, study in the free time, go to gym in the evening, and sometimes go out drinking with friends at night. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Hanging out with friends and hobbies like basketball and reading. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Make sure to have a passion for solving problems and having logical thinking. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Honestly, just studying for a high ATAR. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Neetcode.io Thank you to Eric! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Aaron Tian Age: 20 College / University: The University of New South Wales Major: Computer Science Country origin: Australia "UNSW Quadrangle" by Sidneiensis is licensed under CC BY 2.0 . What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. I did some Python coding and participated in robotics competitions. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. I wake up, go to uni or study at home, eat, play games, and then sleep. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? I manage stress by chilling with friends. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Practise a lot of coding beforehand. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Maths knowledge and having an interest in the field really helped. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Instagram: csesoc_unsw Thank you to Aaron Tian! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Lisa Lin Age: 19 College / University: The University of New South Wales Major: Computer Science / Economics Country origin: Australia What did you do in high school to prepare you for this major? Tell us about your extracurricular activities and any honors/awards you received while preparing for university. During my final two years of high school, preparing for the HSC, I chose to study economics. Honestly, at the time, I disliked it as it was content-heavy and very nuanced. But in retrospect, I enjoyed how the subject was a labour of love and the satisfaction I received from understanding the topic as well as the world around us on a more macro level. In terms of computer science, I did little to prepare and, during the summer before the course, looked up free computer courses online to complete to feel more prepared. However, I never ended up completing any of these online courses before the commencement of university. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. I don't believe my daily schedule is particularly different from any other university student. Typically, my schedule revolves around Wednesday with economics tutorials (where the lecture material is reviewed and weekly problems are solved in depth) in the mornings and computer science tutorials and labs (a session to complete weekly problems and mark them off) in the afternoon. The majority of my work is completed on weekends and centred around a lot of late nights due to unfortunate procrastination. How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? I don't believe there is a particular secret to managing all the stress, honestly. I think the mentality is to take it one step at a time and acknowledge your small achievements. In a quickly growing space such as technology, it is easy to get overwhelmed and lost in comparing yourself to your peers and other high achievers. However, I've learnt the hard way that this more often stunts your growth and progress rather than fosters it. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Be consistent and diligent. I think the most important part of being a computer science student / major is the consistent willingness to learn and apply yourself. As with the continually evolving technological industry, you need to stay up to date and keep moving forward in terms of your skills and progress. :) What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Unfortunately, I did not have any extracurricular activities relevant to computer science in high school, nor were there any particular requirements needed from my university. Thank you to Lisa Lin! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem