My honors thesis is complete! I spent the last two semesters working on a functional language compiler in a guided independent study course so I could graduate with honors in computer science. This is the last requirement that I needed to complete.
I joined an honors fraternity. Earlier this semester I was invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest honors organization in the United States. Typically I scoff at honors societies that have a membership fee because I’m not one to hand out money to everyone that asks for it. However, I was impressed by Phi Beta Kappa because The University of Iowa endorses membership and I believe in the organization’s motto, “Philosophiae Biou Kubernetes” (Love of wisdom, the guide of life).
Why are you in college? Most people that pursue a higher education intend to get a full-time job at the end of their college career. If you’re interested in employment then you should take advantage of career fairs! A common misconception is that career fairs are only for upperclassmen. This is completely false. Anyone and everyone that is serious about getting an internship or a job should attend. I acquired my first internship with State Farm Insurance the spring semester of my freshman year. Believe it or not I was mocked (by other students) for going to a career fair as freshman. I was told that I would never get a job and despite what others said, I got a job and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made in college.
I attended my first career fair in the fall of my freshman year. I was under dressed, wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt and I walked around to get a feel for the event. I realized that I wasn’t prepared to be in such a setting. However, the following spring I went to the career fair with a stack of resumes and I was dressed to impress. I spoke with every company that was recruiting CS students. About fifteen minutes into the fair I met a very nice recruiter that was interested in talking to me about who I was, why I chose CS and how I developed my skills outside of school. We had a very nice conversation for about twenty minutes, it was by far the longest conversation I carried during the event so I made sure to leave a resume before I walked off. Ten minutes after I left I received a text and I was asked out to dinner to speak even further with the recruiter.
That night I went out to dinner, talked to my recruiter for about 2 hours and we scheduled an interview for the next day. I went through a 45 minute interview and a week later I got a job offer. I was offered a paid internship which included a relocation stipend.
The best part is that my first internship turned into 8 consecutive internships and a full-time offer. My internships were consecutive because I was given a laptop and asked to telecommute by working over the Internet during the academic year. I got to work for a great company, meet a lot of people, and get paid to put my education to use.
Let your passion(s) guide what you do with the rest of your life. If you don’t, you’ll live with regrets or always wonder “what if…”. When I registered at the University of Iowa computer science was the only major that called out to me. Thankfully, CS was a perfect fit for me. I’ve always been curious how computers worked and my relationship with CS has been a positive feedback, I want to learn more and more.
Don’t take me the wrong way. Following your passion doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become rich. Good fortune, market demand and a lot of hard work is required to be ‘financially successful’.