Your Road to College

In high school take classes that interest you and challenge you. Don’t worry, your brain won’t explode. The brain is a living organism and loves to absorb new knowledge.  Focus on being a solid well-rounded student. That means classes in the arts, humanities, math and science.  Four full years of math and science will launch you toward Engineering College.

• Participate and be involved. Find your thing and do it, whether it is basketball, band or volunteering.

• Be an active learner. Don’t just go to class and study for the quizzes. Think about what you are learning and connect the dots between what you learn and what it means.  Do your own learning. Be your own teacher. Go online, visit a library and talk to people about what interests you and what interests them.  An education doesn’t just happen. It’s your education – make it personal – make it your own.

Everything you need to get started to apply to Engineering College is summarized by the Junior Engineering Technical Society.

Visit a College

College is not like high school. Every college and university holds open houses or campus visits; great ways to see campus as a student. Some colleges will arrange to have you shadow a college student or sit in on classes.

Meet with an Academic Advisor in Engineering. There’s no need to stress about which classes to take and if you can handle the coursework of Engineering College. An academic advisor has all the information you need to ease your transition from high school to college. They can guide you: from first-year living and learning experiences, introductory courses on majors, study skills and tutoring and all the extra-curricular activities available for you.   And don’t stress that you don’t have all the answers now, you’ll find a lot of people who will help you during your collegiate career.

Check out these websites for some practical advice as you start out:

1. Do you ever feel that everyone is telling you what do with your life? Check out this article from the University of California, Berkeley.
   

2. If you are uncertain about which major to pick, that’s perfectly fine – most young people are. Instead of feeling pressured, use these recommendations from Pennsylvania State University.
   

Visit a SWE Collegiate Section

You can attend a SWE meeting right on campus. They’re involved in many things that get them geared toward graduation, including presentations from working women, company tours and career advice. And SWE women also have lots of fun and social activities: horseback riding, ice-cream socials, jewelry making parties and loads more!

They also get involved in the community by volunteering at local charities and running programs to get more girls interested in engineering.