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The undergraduate and graduate students I interviewed were all people I previously knew. The undergraduate student, Joel Pepper, is currently my mentor in club called Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Before I asked to interview him, we had met and briefly conversed at a Networking Night hosted by BMES. Therefore, there were no hesitancies or irrational anxieties about asking him to talk to me about his college career. At the time, I was heavily considering double majoring in computer science and engineering and biomedical engineering, which is what he is currently pursuing. I was also interested in how he made the decision to take on two polar opposites of majors and how he dealt with the workload. Similarly, Rachel Warren was a familiar face due to being my Introduction to Engineering 1181.01 graduate teacher’s assistant. We knew each other due to the many times I had asked her for clarification in lab. I interviewed Rachel Warren because, through our admittedly limited interaction, I gathered the impression that we approached school similarly. My reasoning was that it would be easy to place myself in her shoes and get a good idea of what my life would be like if I were to go to graduate school. In contrast, all of the professors I asked to meet up with for a discussion over their research were strangers to me. I found them through a mixture of Scopus, an online resource, and purely searching up department websites and paging through the “research” tab. It was through the Department Materials Science and Engineering’s research tab where I found Dr. Heather Powell under biomaterials. I decided to interview Dr. Powell because her research on biomaterials appealed to me. When I initially decided to go the biomedical engineering route I wanted to do something with the human’s largest organ, the epidermis.

Even though Joel is seemingly doing the impossible by taking on two engineering majors with virtually no overlap, he showed me a relaxed approach to academics. Along with his heavy course load, he got involved in BMES and Tau Beta Pi and does undergraduate research in the CBE department. To tackle all of this, he reserves time in his schedule specifically for studying for classes, takes multiple summer courses at a time, and has a clear goal. Ultimately, he dissuaded me from pursuing a double major in BME and CSE. He pointed out that the trouble he goes through in order to graduate with both majors would not be worth it if he did not have a clear and serious idea of what he plans to do with them.

Before talking with Rachel, I was clueless over what graduate school entailed. I did not realize that there is a lot preparation that goes into applying for graduate school, never mind that there is an application process. For Rachel, she went for a graduate research degree, so she had to find departments, then professors who were already doing research she was interested in. She, like many others, decided to get her graduate degree in a discipline separate from her undergraduate degree, civil/environmental engineering. Going from bachelors to masters, she had to do a lot of self-reflection and realization. Study habits and lifestyle habits that worked for a four-year degree did not accomplish the same in graduate school. Unlike undergraduate school, the courses you take are all in an effort to increase comprehension in your research topic. Additionally, graduate school requires a distinct approach to studying. On the Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid graduate school fits in the on top tier, creating. Therefore, rather than learning how to solve problems with methods given, Rachel strived to find different methods that solve problem. With respect to deciding whether or not to get a higher degree, Rachel offered a bit of wisdom. She told me to build as many relationships with professors as I could and to immediately talk to a professor or mentor with every inquiry I have. Furthermore, just like Joel, she stressed the importance of having a personal connection and specific goal in my mind.

I read three articles of Dr. Powell’s which were all very interesting in their own right. The articles all circulated around treatments for burn victims, current and new. They captured my attention because of the statistics introduced on how many people a year need skin graphs and are treated for serious burns. For example, one of her articles was over the formation and practical uses of engineered skin. I was able to form a personal connection to the topic, so the reading was enjoyable rather than a task. For all of the articles, I had to do a lot of defining and clarifying, especially for figures mentioned in the article. Furthermore, I found I had to do an impromptu AP Biology course refresher in order to truly understand how the tissue was able to work, why it failed under certain conditions and where it was superior to the current method of treatment. Overall, the reading was intimidating to a certain degree. On one hand, the large words and honors behind the work made me feel incredibly inferior to the professor I reached out to. This in turn increased the seemingly huge gap between the professor and I which created a reluctance to reach out to them. On the other hand, the article showcased years’ worth of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This in turn instilled a sense of awe in me. Reading Dr. Powell’s articles made me strive to get to her position and put something out there in the world I am proud of.

In conclusion, this assignment showed me how vital it is to get involved in a major and research that holds significance to you as well as the importance of forming relationships. The former turns schoolwork and occupational work into something you enjoy to-do. The latter may be difficult to initiate due to the educational gap. However, those connections help a considerable amount in the process of finding what you want to donate your time to for the rest of your life.