I have now completed 2 years of an electrical engineering degree from the University of South Florida and here are the most important lessons I learned over my 2 years. This is the first of many anecdotes aimed at sharing my knowledge as a Caribbean student in STEM.
Take your time
After finishing Secondary Education at Queen’s College Barbados , I opted to take a gap year. Though that is only half of the story. I had two main concerns worth talking about: We couldn’t afford it , no explanation needed, and, I wasn’t really sure about my major. I mean yes I liked electrical engineering but had I ever done anything in the electrical engineering field? No, so how do I know I actually like this. This is worth stopping on because throughout my time at college I have met too many students who really can’t convince you they are passionate about their major. This includes the ‘high achievers in academia’. I met a Pre-med student who graduated with a bachelors 3 years early, how he achieved this I am still a bit baffled , but nonetheless an achievement to be proud of. Impressed by this, I asked his plans and reasons for being a doctor because surely he’s destined to cure cancer at this rate. He told me his parents pushed him from young and he is not that passionate about medicine, talk about never meet your idols. Moral of the story, take your time , you are neither ahead or behind, but rather right where you need to be.
Change is normal , stagnation is worse
As a Barbadian ( Bajan ) , there are some ways of thinking and outlooks on life which are ‘just the way it is’. This is one of the main reasons I would implore many who have the means to pursue tertiary education abroad. I have met many who said they picked the wrong major , I am yet to meet someone who regrets the experiences and exposure that came with their international education. One thing I can promise you is that the views you left your country with, wherever that may be , will not be the same views you return to your home with. What this looks like varies from person to person but for me it meant achieving and aiming for goals that never crossed my mind before college. This does not come with its drawbacks depending on your perspective as I have for instance lost contact with many of my friends due to diverging interest and life paths. Does it bother me sometimes, of course but I am much happier with the person I am aiming to become today than that of years before. I for the first time really feel as though I have clear direction as to where I am going and how I plan to get there.
Try new things , make it a priority
If I were to ask you one thing you want to do, wish you could do, if money, time , judgement by others or failure didn’t matter, we could all come forward with a few ideas. This blog is in fact one of those ideas. I for a very long timed felt pulled to share my ideas, but self imposed fear of what other may think meant that this idea remained in my diary for years. I challenge you to do one thing you know you want to do but haven’t for no other reason than you are scared of change. Believe me , it’s normal , but it is also one of the easiest ways to keep yourself, I know it and I get the feeling you know that many of you know it to because you just thought of exactly what you would like to do.
‘That’s not me’, get over yourself
John, want to come get some sushi? , John replies ,”That’s not really my thing , I’ll pass.” John has never tried sushi , I know this because I am john is this story. I now frequent multiple all you can eat sushi buffets indulging in various rolls, and yes I eat the ‘smoked’ commonly referred to as ‘raw’ stuff. I never imagined I would like sushi , but I also never tried, begging the question , how could I feel so certain I wouldn’t like it? Often we hold ourselves accountable to this version of ourselves we have in our head called our ‘personality’, not realizing a personality is nothing but habits, habits which you can change at any point. This philosophy can be extended to your studies, breaking out of habits you once had and becoming that which you wish. If you ask students from my secondary education they would attest that I would hardly study, ask friends from college , they would say I am always in the library, same person , different habits.
Coursework is the easiest part of college
I am not saying a course on electromagnetics or mechanical statics are easy adversaries , what I am highlighting is it not what you remember about college , and it is the most controllable variable at any point in your college life. Well let’s think about it, think of the hardest class you ever had , would it have been such a pain if it was the only class you took for that period? Or is it dedicating the extra time to that class while taking others that is proving difficult. Generally, not doing well in a class is due to our own delinquency , not studying, reviewing etc. we have all been guilty of this. I am sure you will encounter a class which just doesn’t stick but have you, done extra questions, spoken to your professor, done extra tutoring , started studying earlier or at some point did you just not have the fight to try a little harder. I can raise my hand and say I have given in before instead of going the extra mile to go from 88 – 90 percent in a class to get an A and looking back, I can’t say there is no reason I couldn’t besides I just didn’t bother to try amongst other poor decisions through the semester.
2 years down
Although this is aimed at STEM students , note how non-STEM focused it is . That is because to go to college and simply go to class then home would be to undersell your college experience massively.