H&S

Sophomore Year

This year has definitely changed a lot for me. The change occurs in such little incremental amounts that sometimes its hard to retrospectively look back and compare yourself to now. Coming into the year I had no teaching assistant experience and worried about securing an internship for my Sophomore year–unsure if it was possible. To be honest, I also wasn’t very involved outside of academics. As the year progressed I had actively challenged myself, however. I worked hard to learn the ropes of being a teaching assistant at Ohio State, interacting with students, using Carmen, and communicating with other instructional staff. I also challenged myself to land an internship–applying to many different positions and utilizing Engineering Career Services for resume workshops and mock interviews. Needless to say, it has all paid off.

For a student coming into the year with little to his name, I am leaving with an internship, a more comfortable hold on the TA experience, and much greater participation in the Ohio State community. I have joined two new clubs/ organizations–the Bread Club and Engineering Ambassadors–which have opened the doors for me to get involved and meet new people within the Ohio State. At the same time I have taken part in many amazing programs such as the International Affairs Scholars Program and the Second Year Transformational experience program that focused on global awareness and self development. Moving forward I hope that I can pull from these experiences to perform clean energy research here at Ohio State in the future. All-in-all I’d consider this year a success. The grades I’ve got, the friendships I’ve made, and the clubs in which I am involved in have set me up with amazing opportunities that I can’t wait to capitalize on down the line.

Super Smash Bros–Sophomore Year

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Once a week, the dorm-mates of 670 at Residence on Tenth gather together in a showdown of wits in the video game Super Smash Bros. The image above is a controller that is used to play the game. Out of the 6 dorm-mates, usually at least 4 are present to play.  Our dorm mates have been playing for little under two years now.

This event is one of my favorites at Ohio State. It is a time when I can sit back and relax from all the grueling schoolwork and bond with my roommates. It is an event that allows the dorm to connect with each other on an personal level during the video game. This is one of the few opportunities at Ohio State that I get to do so. Working together with others to knock opponents off the states. The games are fast paced, and have lots of great “clutch” moments.

In the future, I hope we will continue to get together and play despite moving our separate ways next year. Despite the differences in skill from mate to mate, items, and stages always keep the fights interesting.

Engineering Ambassadors

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Today I found out that I made it into the College of Engineerings Engineering Ambassadors! It is a group that works with high school seniors, current students, and past alumni to showcase what the college is currently doing at Ohio State. While my training won’t start until next semester, at the banquet I will be able to meet many current engineering ambassadors and acquaint myself with the environment!

Joining the engineering ambassadors is another huge professional milestone for me. It will allow me to practice my interpersonal skills on a one on one, small groups, and large audience levels. Also I will be able to meet lots of cool people and continue to expand my network at Ohio State! I also look forward to meeting all the Ohio State hopefuls, showing them around campus, and preparing them for their life as a buckeye!

MGPI Internship Interview

07ea69248731dcd403203426fec2331dEver wonder how to make whiskey? Why don’t you come with me and find out! During my spring break I took a trip down to Lawrenceburg Indiana to distillery owned by Midwest Grain Products of Indiana for an interview for their summer internship. Getting this internship would be huge, as it would be the first step to gather real world experience in the discipline of chemical engineering. If I get the internship, I will be working with one other (extremely lucky 😉 ) individual labeling the wine room within the plant and standardizing operating procedure documentation.

After the interview, I was given a tour of the plant and I must say–it was very impressive! The factory was previously owned and built by Seagrams over 100 years ago.  Buildings and equipment new and old blend together with the same goal, to produce and house some of the finest alcohol on this side of the U.S.  On the tour it was also very interesting getting to see all of the components of the plant. The biggest thing that stood out to me was how little waste was generated. After the barley, rye and corn solution is done reacting with the yeast to form alcohol, the excess is centrifuged and recombined with a syrup and sold as animal feed. This is just one of the few things they do to recycle materials!

Edit: I got the internship!!!

Bread and Tomato Soup

IMG_3151Gearing up right before finals Bread Club had its last annual meeting of the semester. Students got together in small groups to demonstrate their baking knowledge acquired throughout the semester, and were forced to “rise” to the occasion–baking a full loaf of bread. Unlike most recipes, this one took well over 3 hours.

This event was really important. It marked my last social event before gearing down for finals. Working together with others to make something  (then being able to eat it!) is one of my highlights each Wednesday. I learn to work with others outside of the engineering field on fun, edible, collaborative tasks. The picture above is of my final loaf. As you can see, we were quite successful!!

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant — Sophomore Year

IMG_3572This year I as given the chance to take what I learned in the classroom last year and teach new students this year! As an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) for the engineering education department, I help teach two introductory courses in which all first year engineering students are required to take (ENGR 1181 and 1182). Through these courses, students learn the basics of MATLAB, Microsoft Excel, and Solidworks. They also learn to work as a team to complete various documented projects and labs that are designed to give them insights into the multiple different facets of engineering.

Being a TA has given me a new approach to the classroom. Usually, I am the student sitting in the desk, not the one up there grading papers and answering questions. From this, I try to apply aspects that I wish my students would do more into my own personal academic path. I think deeply about a solution before asking for help–and I am not afraid to try something out, even if it won’t work. Also, I have developed more respect for my professors, GTA’s and other UTA’s. As a student your world becomes self centered–but by teaching a classroom you realize that is not the case!

Career

Currently I am a Sophomore in the Chemical Engineering Program at Ohio State. I am always open to new opportunities–whether they be engineering related or otherwise. While at Ohio State I have worked in a laboratory that was studying the demographic effects of ironic process theory. Also I am currently an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Engineering Education Department. I encourage you to read through some of my experiences at Ohio State under the “Artifacts” and “Goals” tabs for further elaboration on some of these experiences. If you are interested in contacting me my linkedin profile and and resume can be found below:

Contact Information

Email: Schneider.837@osu.edu

Linkedin

Resume

 

G.O.A.L.S.

Throughout my time at Ohio State this year I have been continuously challenging myself to develop professionally and personally. Currently I am part of the International Affairs Scholars program. Every month they host many events regarding various topics around the world–from the refugee crisis in Syria to analyzing China’s rapid transition to an industrialized nation and its effects on the populace. I try to attend as many of these meetings as I can each month, as they challenge me to recognize my role as a member of society in an ever globalizing world and connect with others who share similar interests.

At the same time, I constantly look for ways to grow outside of the classroom. During my Sophomore year, I opted to do the Second Year Transformational Experience Program (STEP). Throughout the year we held many meetings with a certified faculty member regarding, setting personal goals, discovering strengths, and talking about personal wellness. At the end of the year we get to write a proposal for a grant to explore personal interests. For me.. I opted to purchase a piano! Music is fundamental in our critical lives, we listen to it and express ourselves through it every day. Playing piano has always been something that I have wanted to do. Over the summer I will challenge myself to begin to learn this instrument, in hopes to gain a better understanding of music, and attain another medium of self expression.

This summer I will also gain experiences that will further my professional career. While interning at Midwest Grain Products of Indiana, another intern and I will work closely with plant operators to transfer their knowledge onto a documented procedure list. Also, we will work to document the schematics of the wine room–labeling pipes and equipment, and updating AutoCAD drawings. This experience will give me my first taste of chemical engineering outside of the classroom, and can help me determine where I see myself headed with the degree.

While this summer looks busy… I assure you the current semester has been much the same. As an undergraduate teaching assistant I am constantly developing my leadership skills inside the classroom. I engage students in discussions about the topics they learn in class, and help give them advice for further down in their engineering major. It is not always fun and games though, sometimes being a leader puts you in positions that you’d rather not be in–confronting problematic teamwork, or working out late assignments. For me leadership is a muscle–I have to constantly work on it to see results. As an introvert, a lot of times my first reaction is not to get involved, but I have learned by sucking it up and jumping into many discussions that I can learn more about my students and become a more effective leader in the classroom.

Lastly, in the upcoming years I look to give back to Ohio State. As a future Engineering Ambassador I will be able to share my experiences both with prospective students and alumni. I see it as a way to give back to the university that was able to provide my with various opportunities–from research to being a teaching assistant and much more. Ultimately being a buckeye means so many things to different people. If I can help capture the Ohio State experience and project it to future students, being an ambassador will be all the worth while.

Engineering Career Expo

IMG_2955_forwebThis was my first year at the famed Engineering Expo (September 22nd-23rd)  hosted by Ohio State’s Engineering Career Services. Almost the entire Ohio Union was filled to the brim with potential implorers and employees over the course of two days. Being my first time, I out on my best attire, grabbed a stack of resumes, and then headed over!

I was extremely blown away by the large masses of people present at the convention.  I was able to make it to my far share of companies. Compared to the Juniors and Seniors,  there was a large the difference in skill communicating with respective employers. Sure I did my research–but there ability to sell themselves so confidently is something that I definitely need to work on, and will practice for the upcoming WiE fair during the spring.

For any freshman, I recommend you go your first year! Learn the process before you have to figure it out in a high pressure situation. Currently, I have no bites, but I am still fishing!