Year in Review

To be honest, coming to college never seemed as serious to me as I feel like it did to most. But that’s what happens when you go to a college 20 minutes away from where you’ve lived all your life. I never got too homesick, never missed my friends and family too much, or felt in the wrong place. Transitioning from living at home to living at college wasn’t difficult at all.

But leaving? That’s a different story. With only one final left, its clear that the year is coming to its end (much sooner than expected, too). As I look back, I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot of things about myself along the way. Here’s a list of a few of those things:

  • I’ve got a strong knack for adapting to novel situations. Coming into college, I figured that I’d be like most other college students: homesick and nervous. Instead, I found myself taking care of myself and managing my stress efficiently, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have other problems.
  • First semester of college is frequently deemed the hardest semester of your entire college experience. At least, that’s what I expected. Instead, I did extremely well in my classes because I worked very hard and studied hard for every quiz, test, and midterm. But this quickly got to my head – as second semester started, I figured that I’d do just as well in all of my classes because I did well in the fall. This wasn’t the case. I started to become overconfident and not work as hard on my assignments, and that came back to bite me. I found myself playing catch up, working extremely hard on late-semester assignments that could’ve been buffered by easier earlier assignments. In the end, I realized that I did well last semester because I put in the work, not because I was smarter than others or because those classes were easier.
  • Classes are lot easier to study for come midterm/final season if you study a little bit every few days than cramming a few days beforehand. I’m used to doing really well with cramming and second semester showed me that that simply isn’t going to work anymore.
  • There is no one way to study; different classes have different content which require different methods of studying. Last semester, I got away by using the same study tactic for all my classes. However, once I took a programming class and a physics class in the Spring, I realized that how I study for CSE (going over lecture notes) isn’t at all what I have to do for physics (doing a LOT of practice problems).
  • Don’t get too caught up with being content. Always be looking for ways to challenge yourself or your surroundings. First semester, I thought that everything was perfect. I thought I had met the perfect friends, was in the perfect relationship, and was in the right major. In the end, I met some of my best friends in my last month at OSU, am much happier outside of my relationship, and switched majors entirely. Don’t be afraid to make a change.

In the end, I didn’t have the typical freshman experience. But I did definitely learn a lot about myself, just as everyone else did, making it a great year in review.

Current Event: The Terrifying Potential of the 5G Network

In “The Terrifying Potential of the 5G Network” by Sue Halpern, Halpern explores the benefits – and detriments – of the fifth generation Internet and the potential it has on the future of wireless technology and connectivity. She begins her article by explaining the sheer magnitude of 5G as compared to our current network; if you believe the hype, 5G will result in speeds 100x faster and a network delay that’s virtually nonexistent. But regardless if you believe the hype or not, the dangers of 5G should be paid heed to. As 5G is inevitably implemented into our infrastructure, the word becomes more susceptible to cyber attacks. Even before 5G networks were introduced, hackers have “breached the control center of a municipal dam system, stopped an Internet-connected car as it traveled down an interstate, and sabotaged home appliances” (Halpern). In fact, “ransomware, malware, crypto-jacking, identity theft, and data breaches have become so common that more Americans are afraid of cybercrime than they are of becoming a victim of violent crime” (Halpern). So what are we doing to combat this?

Robert Spalding, the former senior director for strategic planning at the National Security Council, suggested that we build the 5G network from scratch, incorporating cyber defenses into its design from the ground up. Since this would be an incredibly massive undertaking, he suggested that the government pays for this project and then rents it out to the major telecommunications companies. This would return a nationalized network. However, as soon as telecom companies caught wind of this, they quickly lobbied together against it. This leaves us to one other option: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Huawei, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment, is currently the global leader in 5G technology, and several large telecommunications companies are leaning towards using their cheaper, modernized 5G technology rather than spending billions of dollars developing their own. This is generally how the market works; but there’s a problem. Huawei has been accused of politicians and cybersecurity experts as being a conduit to the Chinese government. The popular story of the African Union, which installed Huawei servers in its headquarters, in Addis Ababa, only to discover that those servers had been sending sensitive data back to China every evening still rings clear to cybersecurity professionals and politicians alike. As a result, Japan, Austrailia, and New Zealand alike have banned Huawei technology. I think we should follow in their footsteps and ban the technology, even if it is cheaper and proven to work for 5G. Although 5G would pump trillions of dollars into the economy, it shouldn’t be done at the cost of our digital security.

Artifact 3: Scarlet 14

One of the most extraordinary, life-changing experiences I’ve had during my freshman year at OSU didn’t happen in the classroom – it happened in the cafeteria. No, I didn’t change my strictly “meat and potatoes” diet to a more vegetarian/vegan one; I changed meal plans from Unlimited to Scarlet 14.
I came into college knowing two things: I love food, and I hate paying for it. As a result, I chose the Unlimited food plan (after all, the name “Unlimited” sounds pretty up my alley), and for the first month, I absolutely loved it. I tried a new dish every day, mixed and matched toppings on my omelettes, tried out different soups, and (occasionally) ate vegetables. However, once that first month has passed, I was exhausted with all of my favorite options and felt sick eating the same meals every single day. Sure, I used my dining dollars at other places, but even those ran out eventually. I felt unhealthy and unhappy with my eating habits.

My typical meal from Scott Traditions: Chicken Parmesan, Pasta w/ Alfredo and Marinara Sauce, and Cheesy Bacon Mac n’ Cheese.

So, when SP19 started, I decided to make the change from Unlimited to Scarlet 14. I decided to try foods from all over campus, and to make myself feel better, I started eating healthier as well. Plus, the 14 swipes are perfect for the amount of meals I eat everyday (I usually find myself with 1 or 2 swipes left on Sunday nights). As a result, not only have I been eating a healthier range of diverse foods, I’ve also been keeping track of my diet. I’ve even implemented a workout plan around my diet, and I’m now in the best shape I’ve been in during my time at OSU.
This experience might not seem too dramatic or demonstrate massive development. However, many of my personal friends and peers that I’ve asked have also shared similar experiences: switching from Scarlet 14 to Gray 10 because they thought they would eat more than they really do, switching from Gray 10 to Scarlet 14 because they don’t eat enough, switching from Gray 10 to Unlimited because they love Traditions dining halls better than anything else on campus, etc.
It just goes to show that although we all come into college with expectations and “facts” we claim to know about ourselves, it doesn’t mean we should close ourselves off to other opportunities and perspectives available to us. Be open to change and growth – sometimes it’ll happen in places you least expect it.

Personal Development – Organization

One way I’ve significantly developed over the course of my first semester at college is that I’ve become extremely organized in the way I study and get tasks done. Using the Notability App on my iPad, I’ve been uploading blank calendars from the internet and filling the calendar in with important deadlines for assignments, applications, and the like. I found this to be an extremely easier tool to use when compared the Carmen calendar, and have recommended this technique to several of my friends as it has kept me not only situationally aware of assignments but also on top of assignments that are due on later days. Similarly, at college, I’ve become exposed to a flurry of interesting events happening at various different times, and the events soon become to overwhelming to keep track of mentally or on a to-do list. As a result, in order to keep track of them all, I’ve been using the calendar app to its maximum capacity. Whenever a time and event is mentioned that I’m interested in, I immediately enter it into my calendar so I don’t lose track of the opportunity. This has kept me on top academic meetings, club meetings, time set aside for friends, and so much more.

This growth in my organizational skills is definitely due to the influx of opportunity available at OSU. Me being the type 3 person that I am, I love working hard and maximizing my potential in all facets of life. As a result, when more opportunities are faced my way, I can’t help but be upset if some exciting fortuity gets lost due my disorganization. I’ve personally never used a planner in my entire life, and to see this change within myself excites me for changes to come. Personally, I hope to become someone who becomes so proactive to the point where I am several days to a week ahead in not only my homework by other tasks in general, allowing for more time relax and de-stress. This semester was going incredibly strong regarding being ahead of my workload, but because of a couple of sick days, I have been paying the price of narrowly meeting deadlines ever since. Additionally, as someone who takes long times to complete assignments (due to me insecurely making sure they’re perfect before I turn them in), I hope that this increasing sense of pro-activity within me will motivate me to maintain the same caliber of work but with more confidence within myself so I can say, “Yes, this is my best work.” I strive to reach that point in all aspects of life, and hopefully one day I can say that I’ve made it.

This is an example of one of my calendars!

Artifacts – AIChE Networking Night

The Ohio State Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’s Networking Night has been, by far, one of the most influential events I’ve experienced here at Ohio State. Networking night is a program held by AIChE for chemical engineers to meet one on one with chemical engineering companies before the chaos of the Engineering Expo. Unlike the overwhelming bounty of companies and students at the 2018 Engineering Expo, the networking night was very concentrated in terms of number of companies, number of representatives, and number of students – all related to chemical engineering. Due to the smaller scale of the event, it felt as though company representatives not only spoke with students longer, but also were more interested in the students and what they had to share. On top of that, I was very pleased to find several other chemical engineers my age and older at the networking night that I not only recognized but also knew personally, making me feel much more comfortable in the professional environment.

At the networking night, I donned my badge printed by the ECS and got in line to speak to two companies – Owens Illinois and GE. I didn’t actually enter the line with the idea that I would leave with an internship, let alone an interview – I stepped in line to ask the representatives about what they want to see in students. Knowing that I don’t have quite an impressive resume at the moment, I wanted to learn what things employers look for in a good resume all while receiving feedback on mine. Once the line got shorter and shorter until the time had come for me to speak to the representative, I gained my confidence and approached the rep with a smile. We discussed career options as a chemical engineer, what kinds of educational trajectories for chemical engineering are available and are sought after, and the work chemical engineers do at the company. Furthermore, we discussed my resume, and the rep highlighted what parts of my resume stood out and what I was missing – listing anything from service organizations to join to what resume verbs to use.

All in all, networking night was a great experience for me to learn about chemical engineering careers from professional chemical engineers, and I gained very useful criticism on what my resume does well and what my resume is missing. I gained newfound confidence allowing me to comfortably speak with professionals, and gained knowledge that puts me ahead of my peers in terms of how to properly construct a resume as an aspiring chemical engineer.

Here’s a photo of the badge I wore from that night:

About Me

Hey there! My name is Devin Das, and I am a first year STEM EE Scholars student intending to study Chemical Engineering with a Biomolecular focus along with a minor in Business Analytics. Professionally, I’d like to focus on research and development for industries pertaining to biomolecular & biochemistry-based chemical engineering and then work on the managerial or consulting side of chemical-engineering based firms. My passion for chemistry and my interest in business motivate me to work hard towards academic excellence and to soak up every moment here at OSU. However, when I’m not studying for my classes, I spend my free time spending time with my friends, learning new languages, and reading inspirational & motivational books (Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is a personal favorite!).

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]