Freshman Summer Start Program

I would like to begin by saying that the Freshman Summer Start Program was amazing. I do not regret giving up my summer for this. The people I met were nice and fun; I feel like everyone bonds well and I am glad I will get to be around them for a whole year. That being said, FSSP did have a few events we were required to attend that were more  fun than actual requirements. First, I went to this event called the International Deserts in which I was very disappointed because by the time I came, nothing good was left. However, I had many people tell me that what they ate was tasty and delicious! :) I went to two fireside chats, one about archeology and the other about engineering. The archeology fireside chat was interesting because the speaker got to travel around the world. He talked about mummies and tombs that I found pretty fun and exciting. The engineering fireside chat on the other hand sounded degrading. Mr. Le spoke about how working for the industry as an engineer is not fun. He told us that one may make a lot of money, but you will also lose a lot of time for anything other than work. This made me sad. Well, still I want to make a difference and the truth must be told. Anyway, one other event I went to was visiting the EOP office. I met my EOP mentor there and I got a lot of useful advice about studying abroad and tips for getting through the college of engineering. All in all, the events hosted by FSSP were interesting and helpful; I am glad I went to them.

Macbeth

Macbeth at Santa Barbara was an interesting experience. The performance started off with masked people hissing and creating a scary tone. I had no idea what was going on. I had never read Macbeth before or even know what happens in the story so I was confused. On top of that, the language use of the acting was an old language that I found real difficult in comprehending their speech. I was pretty much lost during the whole performance. However, I did ask my friend who has read Macbeth what was going on which helped with the actions I saw on stage, but I still did not know what they were saying. Besides not knowing the storyline, I thought the performance went really well. I like the drums, the sticks, how they used red gloves as blood on their hands. I thought it was really funny when the actors would get together to form a chair, or how a person would act like a horse. If the performance was on something more modern, I would have probably liked it more, but nonetheless it was still interesting. Maybe one day I too will take a theater class; it seems very plausible.

Week 5 Post

After the lecture about theater, I realized that my intended profession does not seem as fun as his. To be honest, while he was talking about his adventures around the country, I questioned whether or not what I think I want to do is really what I want to do. Engineering does not sound as fun as theater. I will for now stick with Engineering because of my desire to make something that will make a difference in other people's lives but I feel like my career chose is still a subject that can be changed.

Talking about careers! Study abroad is a good way to see another country and live in that culture; studying abroad is seen as an application booster for resumes now. I really do want to study abroad, but the only problem is that I would like to go for a year, but it is very difficult to find programs in engineering that will let me study abroad for a year without falling behind in my course schedule. Nonetheless, I will spend time in researching a place that I can go to without any conflict, and if I am lucky, that place will have internship opportunities.

Week 4

    I thought Dr. Lubach's presentation was great and helpful. He made the point that critical thinking is extremely important; that is the best way to learn and that is how people develop. I found it particularly helpful for my life because at times before even putting a great amount of time into a probl
em, I would want help. Something else that I learned from this is that it is not a bad thing to help friends with work, but friends should take the time to think about problems before I help them. Something else that I lied about his presentation is that he gave the idea that you may not end up doing what you plan on doing. He said to leave your mind open for new ideas and opportunities.

    Some things I learned about the library visit is that we have a huge amount of information that we are connected to. There is a normal search for books and encyclopedias, but also we can get our hands on research articles. This way, we can get information that is more recent and up to date. Something I did not know though is that some professors may ask you to use primary sources. Prior to the library visit, I did not even know what a primary source was. Now I am glad to know what it is and where to go when I need it. I thought that this week taught me important ideas that I will need for these recent years to come.

Week 3 pt.2

Although the article "What is Plagiarism" is long, I am happy to say that it acknowledged that plagiarism happens without notice. What I mean by this is that the reading did not spend much time saying that one should not do this, or one will pay the consequences if plagiarized. Instead the article mainly focuses on what is considered plagiarism that not everyone would consider it so. It goes into how to cite certain information and what to and what not to quote. There is also a point made that an essay based mostly on information other than one's own, even with citation, is not really his or her own essay. One thing that I thought was interesting is that if a friend or anyone helps you and contributes words, it is worth acknowledging that person. The article "How to Avoid Plagiarism" goes about showing correct ways of citing information. The article has many examples of how to cite different sources. Something that I found interesting is that if you use notes from your lecture or class in an essay, you still have to cite that information even if the professor knows you got that information from him or her.

Week 3 pt.1

I found the librarian's talk actually helpful and amusing. She spoke of her life story and how she became a librarian. She always had some kind of good feeling whenever she was around a library. Not only was the library quiet, but she liked the feeling of having a huge amount of knowledge at the tips of her fingers. Something I thought was funny about her talk was when she said she was in graduate school and wanted to continue studying but she met her future husband, had a child, and had to take care of her child so she stopped going to school. The funny part was not the actual content but how she explained that having the baby. I recall something along the lines of "and bloop I had a baby." Besides her fun tales of her life, she explained some important things about the library. She said there is a massage area, explained how to go about research using the library's main interface, and also she stated one of the most important ideas--use the reference and information desk; they are there for a reason. I enjoy listening to her tale as a librarian, but that career is definitely not for me. I get tired of silence, do not read much, and do not feel the presence of the world's knowledge at my fingertips.
Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the career counseling because I was unable to attend our section. However, my sister is a pretty good career counselor for me, and she told me what I must do. One of the main things that she says to do, is build a competitive resume. This includes interning or getting some kind of experience, or else I will have a little chance to make it into the workforce.

Being resourceful means using your surroundings for gain. In college, you can go to the library, the counselors, and professors’ office hours. Meeting people is one of the best ways to gain connections, and you can meet people in college really easily. You can meet someone in class, clubs, dining halls, and pretty much anything that does not involve you simply staying inside your room.

                In an attempt to learn more about resources our class went to the Student Resource Building. On this little field trip, there were many things that I learned, some irrelevant but many were useful. Some of the irrelevant information I gained from the trip was that the SRB has nice couches, restrooms, and elevators. More important information included there being an Asian Resource Center, where I could learn about Asian cultural clubs and fraternities, a women’s center where there was a massage chair, and that on the third floor there is a CLAS room in which you can drop into whenever you need to.

                Just today, there was a career fair. I went around to the Asian American Studies booth to learn about different courses offered because I was planning to take a course in the subject. I also saw the EOP booth in which I am a part of, but unfortunately, I did not learn anything from being there. Lastly, I was very happy that I went to this event because they gave the engineering majors the new edition of the GEAR book, which basically maps out all the courses that engineers have to take including the general education requirements. I spent a good hour figuring out courses that I could take to fulfill certain requirements and how I could incorporate study abroad to my 4-year plan.