Looking back, it’s incredibly weird for me to even consider that there was a time where I’d decided that I didn’t like physics. Even just a year ago, I likely never would even have considered attending a physics seminar of any type, much less one helmed by former United States Secretary of Energy and Nobel laureate Steven Chu.

But- as the saying goes- times change and people change, and that’s how I found myself in the middle of the 2019 edition of the annual Alpheus Smith Lecture, where Steven Chu was presenting on the issue of climate change in our world today.

In all honesty, it was quite the experience. Sitting in this lecture hall full of people who weren’t required to, but rather, wanted to come to a physics seminar on climate change, I was gladly reminded that there are lots of other people out there who are, indeed, actually interested in the same things I am. The fact that I had come with friends only added to the sentiment, and despite it seeming that there were more grad students and professionals in the crowd than undergrads, I didn’t feel out of place whatsoever.

Though the content wasn’t quite like what I was hoping it would be, I still found it interesting nonetheless. Glancing at the notes I took during the lecture, I’m surprised at the sheer number of topics covered in such a short amount of time. Dr. Chu spoke about everything from the concentrations of Carbon 12 and Carbon 14 in the atmosphere to the Impossible Burger to the effects of air pollution on human health, and I can easily say that I learned something interesting about each topic he mentioned. Admittedly, I wasn’t able to understand everything- I simply do not have near the amount of experience or knowledge about these topics that the average attendee did- but that didn’t discourage me from listening to what he was saying and trying to use critical thinking to figure it out.

One of the biggest questions to consider, however, is whether this presentation fit my expectations of what research is like in the field of physics. To that, I would have to say both yes and no: there are most certainly elements of physics involved in climate change; however, from what I could tell from the presentation given, the issue is mostly chemistry-based. As such, I was mildly surprised that climate change was the chosen topic for this year’s lecture.

This lecture was actually the second academic seminar I’ve attended this year, and I have to say, I very much enjoy them. There is so much to learn from such great minds in such a short amount of time, and even if I don’t necessarily understand everything the presenter is describing, I find the topic exposure and networking possibilities invaluable. That being said, I most definitely plan to attend more seminars like both of the ones I’ve been to already- they’re a welcome, yet still intellectually stimulating break from the rigor of daily classes, and I’m excited to see what topics I’ll learn about from them in the future.

Ah, the Engineering Expo. In the College of Engineering, its yearly presence is quite lauded; yet, due to its multi-hour long lines for certain companies’ booths, it simultaneously basks in infamy.

Looking back, it’s easy to laugh even now at how woefully underprepared I was for this first experience at the Engineering Expo. I had recently attended the Career and Internship Resource fair- an event that I quickly discovered was primarily meant for business majors- but since the Expo was still a career fair of sorts, I figured that it couldn’t be too different from the CIR fair… right?

Oh, was I wrong.

Compared to the CIR fair, which had a relatively calm and cool atmosphere, the Engineering Expo was an absolute madhouse. Every space in every room was packed, with students standing in and squirming through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and the lines were- to put it mildly- insanely long. They wound up and down aisles, around corners, and in some cases, almost fully out of the room. Companies and students alike pitched themselves quickly and efficiently, and resumes exchanged hands almost immediately after.

To say the least, I was totally, completely, and fully overwhelmed.

So, I dove right in. I squeezed through the crowd in the Archie Griffin Ballroom, and, utilizing the knowledge I had gained from a prior ACM-W meeting, decided to speak to some smaller, lesser-known companies first instead of the “big ones” I knew would have the longest lines. Later, I headed down to the government-and-nonprofit room to speak with several companies and organizations there as well, and after my hour break between classes was up, headed back to my dorm to change and ready myself for a physics quiz.

Undoubtedly, the Engineering Expo provided me with more insight into the career- and internship-searching process than I ever imagined it would, especially since it was my first time attending. Among other things, it gave me an insight into just how competitive the field of engineering and just how dedicated the people in it are. In more than one case, I knew of a friend that stood waiting in line for two hours for the chance to speak with a representative for one of the “big companies”; a decision each said they regretted, since they lost the chance to speak with a higher number of companies. I also gained valuable experience when it came to pitching myself and my skills to a potential employer: several times I was asked to speak through my skills and what valuable things I could offer a given company without referencing my resume, which provided opportunities to refine my “spiel” in addition to thinking on my feet. Additionally, as the fair went on, it became abundantly clear that the tips I had received from ACM-W members- such as briefly researching a company before speaking to its representatives- were extremely valuable, and that utilizing them would help me better my presentation of myself to them as a potential candidate.

Overall, though it was incredibly overwhelming at first, I am very thankful that I chose to attend the Engineering Expo during this first semester of college. The knowledge I have gained from it has already aided me in several of my other ventures, and I have no doubt that it will continue to in the future.