Computer Science EC Event Reflection

During the event today, I was able to gain lots of insight on college and careers in general from the six wonderful speakers. I was able to learn many new things that will definitely help me in my future. I am very grateful that the students were able to take time out of their schedule to share their personal experiences in order to help us.

There were many key takeaways from the students talk. A commonality I found with all of the students was that taking Computer Science was a very interesting experience and it was great in building a strong programming foundation. As they also mentioned that even if you do not decide to major in computer science, the skills learned in the class will still be very helpful for the majority of other majors. For example, one of the students mentioned that on a project for college, his background in computer science helped him save lots of time as he could create a script rather than doing a bunch of manual work. I found all of this very interesting as it made me glad that I took this class as I know that will likely benefit me at some point in my future. This also motivated me to make the most out of this class and try to learn everything that I possibly can.

Another thing that was very helpful was the reassurance that I was given by the students. They mentioned how the computer science space is very competitive and it can be discouraging. They advised to focus on your own path and not worry about what others are doing. I found this very relatable as in the first couple weeks of this computer science class it has become clear that many students are way more experienced than others. Being someone who is very inexperienced, I found this very comforting. I know that if I put in my best effort, everything will work out in the end.

In terms of career and college advice, they said many things I will apply to my future. For example, they talked about making connections and building up your background through different jobs and internships. They largely expressed the importance of building connections and reaching out to people who are in the same field as you. As well as making a Linkedin or Resume to record different jobs or projects that you have worked on. I will make sure that I start doing all of these things to prepare me for my future. I want to be fully prepared for the real world once I leave high school and head on to college and beyond.