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Name: Pari Raghunarayan Age: 20 College / University: University of Texas at Austin Major: Physics 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 worked with a dark matter research group at Columbia University to learn computational skills and create simulations for proving theoretical models. I interned with a defense company, working on optical systems for aerospace and aircraft use. Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. I like balance! I spend my mornings working out and setting my intentions for the day. Late mornings to afternoons are dedicated to classes and research commitments, which can sometimes extend into the evenings, depending on homework assignments and lab experiments. I usually spend my evenings with friends and like to wrap up the day by playing sports or reviewing work (only if necessary). How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Time management and to-do lists are essential. Organization and avoiding procrastination are key-but it's easier said than done. I like to split my tasks and make lists. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Don't let physics intimidate you! The field has a reputation for being difficult, but if you make friends, learn to collaborate, and tackle issues head-on, it can be wonderful. Most people experience imposter syndrome in their careers, so don't let that discourage you. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Demonstrating that you have experience and passion beyond the academic curriculum. If there is an app/website/social media account that you love or follow related to your major, could you share the link? Follow my org:  https://sites.utexas.edu/sps/   Thank you to Pari Raghunarayan! You can also follow us on Instagram Instagram: @askstem

Name: Emma Age: 19 College / University: The University of New South Wales Major: Computer Science Country origin: Australia "Evening Glow" by Linh Rom 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 didn't really do anything in high school as there weren't many opportunities. USYD and UNSW often had programs for high school students, so I would attend those. I also did Software Design and Development in high school as a subject! Please tell us your daily life schedule as a student with this major in your university. Hmm, it's really just work-study-sleep, repeat-I can't lie. It's not much different from high school, and I often find myself at university for long periods (like the whole day from 9 a.m. to like 7 p.m., though a lot of it is eating and 'studying' with friends). How do you manage your stress? What's the secret? Good supporting friends! Everyone at university is really supportive, and finding your own group of people who do your degree, understand the same pain and stress, and work through it together is key to managing it all. What advice would you give high school students wanting to study this major? Enjoy high school! University is very different from high school, but you're young and should enjoy your high school life instead of dwelling too much on degrees and majors. Computer science is a hard degree and discipline, but you can do it! Slow and steady wins the race. What was the most helpful when applying to college for this major? Making sure you actually enjoy the major or degree by trying some projects and learning some content prior to enrolling is important. Extracurricular activities were really helpful for me personally. Thank you to Emma! 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

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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