Students at the Higher Education Center at McAllen have a unique opportunity to earn an engineering degree from Texas A&M University while living in a thriving, close-knit community in the Rio Grande Valley. Check out Kassie’s vlog where she shares a glimpse into life at Higher Education Center at McAllen!
Benefits of the Engineering Academy
When I was applying to Texas A&M, I was very worried about starting classes. Being a woman in STEM can be an intimidating career path, but I didn’t want to let my fears overcome me. That’s when I got the offer to be a part of the Engineering Academy, and I was relieved. This program was the best pathway for transitioning to a noticeably big school. It made me feel more included in classes and it has many benefits.
Life Outside of Engineering
For many of us, classes and school work take up a majority of our day—which is okay because, after all, that is the reason we are here, right? Yes, we are here to get the best education, but what about life outside of engineering? There are many components of Texas A&M that go beyond the glass walls of the Zachry building.
5 things I wish I’d known when applying to Texas A&M
I didn’t grow up in Texas so before coming to college, I had no idea what Texas A&M was like. I had never been on campus visits before and I didn’t know people who went here. So the moment I landed in College Station, surprises started unraveling.
Atomic Steps Toward Continuous Improvement
I always felt that if I had more free time, I could do a lot of things before I went to bed. I thought, “If only I had a bit more time today, I could have done this, that and so on…” The thought of not doing enough in a day was less irritating than the feeling I got every night before going to sleep. I remember telling myself that ‘tomorrow is going to be a better day,’ only to realize that I had failed again. As the days passed, this routine had turned into a bad habit and I realized it was becoming more difficult for me to change my habits.
Managing Your Inbox
Our email’s inbox can be a scary place with an insane amount of unopened emails. I don’t know about everyone else, but when my email is cluttered and full of notifications, I miss important notices, dates and pieces of information. In times like this, it is more important than ever to stay on top of things.
Treading New Waters
It goes without saying that, with our new way of life, everyone from students to professors alike, has had much difficulty with the transition to online. Organizations and clubs are feeling this more, since they are formed on the basis of social interaction, and many leaders of these organizations, myself included, have felt the heavy burden of working within our new boundaries. This leads many of us to ask: How can we make our organizations appealing to students with the new online format?
Personalize Recruiting: Making it Easier to Land that Job Offer
The start of the semester is everybody’s favorite time of the year. With the Student Engineers’ Council (SEC) Career Fair marking the advent of the unofficial recruiting season for many companies, there’s no doubt that an unrecognized wave of anxiety rushes over our collective student body. While this season can often be stressful as students research companies, freshen up their resumes and try to figure out how to craft that perfect cover letter, sometimes it’s the little things that can make all the difference when landing that dream job.
Why we should all be “grad students” for life
I believe we should all be grad students for life because we should be ambitious, always strive for excellence, seek to overcome that next challenge and be what we were meant to be — problem solvers and engineers.
BTHO COVID-19!
2020 has been a tough year, but as always, the Aggie spirit will persevere!
Jumping on the Bandwagon
Time runs ever slower in the dog days of quarantine, boarded up in our apartments and houses while the things we found enjoyment in are starting to lessen their gleam bit by bit. That is why I knew I had to come up with something to do during my quarantine to help pass the time, and I decided to join the bandwagon and try out a couple new hobbies.
The Start of College for a Cancer Patient
Being a first-generation college student is already hard, but being a first-generation college student with cancer is that much harder. My name is Evelin Pacheco Mota, an industrial distribution major with a double minor in business and statistics at Texas A&M University. Within my two years at Texas A&M, I have struggled with my health, been placed on academic probation, beat cancer and was accepted into my dream major. Here is the story of how a crazy beginning turned into a blessed reality.
COVID’s Silver Lining
I think it’s safe to say that canceled plans have affected everybody reading this post. Ring days, study abroad trips, graduation ceremonies, summer internships and surely many more incredible memories were lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Day in the Life of a Grad Student at Texas A&M
Interested in finding out more about what it’s really like as a graduate student at Texas A&M? Check out Bryton’s vlog where he shares what a typical day is like!
On Optimism and Resilience
I was my mother’s (unwilling) sous-chef for years. She had to drag me — kicking and screaming — into the kitchen to chop vegetables, make rice and learn the spice blends that went into aromatic Bengali cuisine. After she passed away, I remember standing in the kitchen and wanting to sob, because Ma was no longer there to tell me where to start or what to do next, and I would’ve given anything to hear her voice just one more time.
5 milestones for computer science enthusiasts during freshman year
Many freshmen come in knowing what they want to major in; however, most utilize their freshman year to find their passion. I always knew that I wanted to pursue computer science (CS). This post is not about why I love this engineering major, but about how Texas A&M makes me love it even more. So if you’re a freshman coming into Texas A&M next semester and you don’t yet know which island in the vast ocean of engineering you want to inhabit, I hope this article enlightens you about most of the opportunities in computer science.
Top 5 Tips to Prepare for Grad School
I was lucky to have all things go in the right direction since the day I started my grad school career. However, there’s no debating how important and better it is to have a plan in place over just being lucky. So, here are my top five tips to be considered during your preparation process for grad school.
Looking at All the Options
When I was a freshman, and long before I entered the hallowed halls of Texas A&M, I convinced myself that I was going to study mechanical engineering when I went to college. Little did I know that I had to wait a whole year before I even entered into my major of choice, and that wasn’t even considering the process of Entry to a Major. Yet if it wasn’t for that “gap year,” I wouldn’t have ended up in the major I am in now, a major I didn’t even know existed until halfway through the spring semester of my freshman year.
Creating Effective Study Groups
I think most people can agree that studying in a group is always more fun, but can oftentimes be unproductive. When done right, study groups can be a powerful way to learn and build relationships. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your study groups.
6 on-campus food spots for the starving engineer
A lot of students think that campus and College Station have limited options when it comes to eateries. However, with the extensive growth of Texas A&M’s campus and the Bryan/College Station area, new restaurants are springing up almost every week. Here are a few of my favorite on-campus options for a quick pick-me-up, meal or study session snack.
Away from Aggieland
This year, everyone across the globe has witnessed unanticipated circumstances and sudden unwelcome changes to lifestyle. People from all walks of life had to face these challenges. As a Texas A&M student, I would say that one of the most disheartening things that happened last semester was that students couldn’t return to Aggieland. This article is my attempt to describe the indescribable.
Things I wish I knew as a freshman
As I finish my last semester in college, I have begun to reminisce about all the things I have learned and the people I have met over the years. These have been some of the most fulfilling yet hardest years of my life, and I have learned more than I could have ever imagined. I am extremely grateful for all the things I’ve been through, but there are a few things I wish I knew as a freshman.
My journey from NASA Competition Team Leader to NASA Internship
By the end of my sophomore year, I had a 3.66 GPA and was involved in activities on campus, but I had no engineering work experience. In my mind, it was highly unlikely that I’d end up with an internship, much less one at NASA.
The Experiences of an Engineering Academy Student
The transition from high school to college can be rough for many of us, not only in the learning atmosphere, but also financially. With the Texas A&M – Engineering Academies program, our university is able to provide students with a practical and more affordable way to obtain an engineering degree.
Minors and Certificates: Do They Matter?
As I think about my last semester as an undergraduate student and reflect on the last four (and a half) years, I’ve been thinking a lot about what has defined my academic experience here at Texas A&M. And I can without a doubt tell you that the minor and certificate I’ve earned along the way have greatly impacted my time here and my confidence in my education. If you’re unsure about whether or not it’s worth it to add these on to what I’m sure is already a difficult course load, please take a minute to think about the possible benefits that they can hold for you!
Leaving an Impact on Campus after Graduation
College can be a huge change in direction for anyone. This is the time when you start making decisions that readily impact your future and how people perceive you. With all of this in mind, I have made it a goal of mine to cherish these few years while also making a noticeable impact on the school and my community, and I believe that you should do the same.
The Misconceptions of Entrepreneurship
The world of entrepreneurship is vastly misconstrued today for several reasons. It’s become “trendy” and a bit of a buzzword. Some envision fame, fortune and freedom while others resent the word as wishy-washy and a waste of time. The truth is that neither of these ideas represent the reality of entrepreneurship.
A Good-bye to the Senior Class
This is a small farewell to the seniors whose time at A&M was cut short.
Perseverance
In this blog post, Leah talks about how COVID-19 affected her spring internship with NASA.
How I’m Trying to Stay on Top of Things in Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Crisis
After having an extended spring break and binge-watching all the shows I was putting off during the semester, starting classes again online was a pretty big jump. While I may have trouble following these tips myself, here are some things I am doing to try and be successful during distance learning.