Extra Credit CSUSM Blog

Ashley's Background

  • Works in Applied Physics
  • Got a D in AP Physics as a High School student but still continued to work because she had a passion for it
  • Grew up in Palm Springs so wanted to get away from parents
  • First person to go to college in family
  • Failed in many courses she took throughout college but still continued to persist
  • Learned lesson that what your grade is for a certain class doesn't mattter if you're working hard and learning something from it

John's Background

  • Was a bit of a delinquent in high school
  • When to palomar college after graduating from high school
  • Saved a lot of money than going to a 4-year college
  • Transferred to CSUSM
  • Majored in Computer Science
  • Got a bachelor's along with two associate's degrees
  • Did not spend too much time on campus as a student but saw a lot more once he started working there

CSUSM

  • Started as a poultry farm
  • potentially more science buildings are being made
  • Has lots of different internships in many fields
  • Companies in the area are willing to hire young students
  • Different majors include:
    • Applied Physics
    • Electronics
    • Biological Sciences
    • Many resources in the Computer Science field
    • Cyber Security
  • CSUSM is a smaller campus so changing curriculum is easy
  • Computer Science is all very connected to very easy to switch throughout STEM because classes are in sync
  • Many math focused fields
  • Electtrical and software engineering is popular
  • Clubs:
    • Cybersecurity
    • robotics
    • 3D Printing
    • Women in STEM
    • SWE
    • Society of Physics Students

Internship Aid

  • Can range in length from 4 weeks to 4 years
  • Can be obtained by:
    • going to campus events
    • networking
    • joining clubs
    • checking emails
  • Make sure to go for paid internships because there are many
  • Ask the workers for help if you feel you need some

How to Pay for College

  • Grant is getting money from the government to pay for your educations
  • Scholarships are where the colleges privately give you money
  • You have to go out and get the scholarships
  • Scholarships can be obtained for a variety of reasons
  • Grants are based off of economic status
  • Subsidized loans are where it is partially paid off by the government
  • Unsubsidized loans collect interest over time

After College

  • John got an internship at the safari park
  • Some colleges will pay for your masters degree
  • They will pay for all of your PhD schooling

Overall Reflection

After going to this meeting, I learned that what grade you get in a class does not matter as long as you have a passion for a subject. I have experience of failing in certain classes and giving up in that subject because I feel like I'm not good enough. However, because of this I have learned that I just have to keep on working hard and stay persistent. I also learned that computer science is very important in all fields of STEM so it is good that I am taking a computer science class. I plan on going in the STEM field in the future so it helpful that I am learning these things now to prepare me for my future. Ashley and John also taught me that there are many pathways to success so I shouldn't worry about what others are doing as long as I am doing the best in my own life. This presentation overall made me excited for college because it shows me the many opportunities that there are and all the things that I can learn.