While this might have been a promo for Cal State University San Marcos, I am genuinely grateful for being able to attend this event, learn about the presenters Ashley and John, gain more knowledge about college in general, and have hands-on experience. Beginning with Ashley, she explained how she majored in Applied Physics while failing her AP Physics class. This really resonated with me because even though I am not failing physics it is still a difficult class for me. This showed me that even though I may find topics I struggle with in high school, I can still pursue them at a higher level if I truly enjoy them. This also applies to computer science, because while I might not be the best at it if I truly want to learn this field at a higher educational level I will be able to if I am dedicated. Ashley also explained how she is trying to get a Ph.D. in material science and engineering which is also interesting to me because her being an Applied Physics major means that it can open doors to many other fields. She also talked about how she uses computer science in her major too (python) and this shows how computer science is such a versatile field that can be applied to other industries. Moving on to John, he explained how straight out of high school he attended Palomar College, then transferred to CSUSM. By explaining this he is showing that there are many different kinds of people that attend CSUSM and it is a college that gives opportunities to everyone. To end their presentation, Ashley and John, let us experiment with making a toothbrush vibrate which was a unique experience, since these events are usually more lecture-style. This helped me understand that I am interested in an engineering or STEM-related field and hopefully I can use this encounter in the future.

Next, Ashley and John talked about internships, clubs, and research projects. They gave valuable advice considering that I am a junior and am applying for internships. They emphasized the importance of networking, checking emails, and joining clubs. They also were adamant about us understanding that unpaid internships are not worth the trouble because while we as students would be learning valuable concepts our time and effort is still worth a certain amount. Additionally, they explained that networking is extremely important and two ways to do this is by asking faculty members to read your essays and join clubs. I hope to execute these suggestions to truly see the benefits of doing such ideas, and I hope in the process I would be able to make valuable connections that I can use in the future. Joining clubs is also key in creating networking opportunities because it gives you more opportunities to interact with fellow students. This helped me realize that while I might not truly be interested in certain club activities in the future they still help me gain the possibility of connections and opportunities. Lastly, paraphrasing Ashley, CS is used no matter the field, so I hope to gain valuable experiences from this class that are applicable to my future wherever I go and whatever I plan to major in.

Also, this was my favorite extra credit event because Ellie gave me her CSUSM squishy