Gearing Up for Back to School

By Joe McDonald, Guest Blogger

Getting ready for another academic year is no small undertaking. There are textbooks to order, NC State shirts to wash, microwave food to stock up on (mmhm Ramen), and many other items to pack. Despite the busyness though, the last week before sc

hool starts is also the best time to reflect on the previous year, and set a few goals for the upcoming term. And so before they get lost in the daily grind of lectures, papers, and problem sets, I wanted to share a few of my aspirations for Junior year.

1.     Cheer the Wolfpack to a BCS Championship!

After being gone on a co-op last fall, I am especially excited to be back in Raleigh during football season. With new coach Dave Doren at the helm, expectations are high, and Carter-Finley will be rocking every Saturday.

2.     Land a sweet internship

Thanks to the incredible support of our industry sponsors (you’re welcome Jennifer), internships are readily available in PSE! As a Junior, I’ve already been able to work two internships that were absolutely amazing, and I’m looking forward to speaking with companies this fall to find an opportunity to experience yet another side of engineering.

3.     Enjoy the new Talley Student Center

Our student center has been undergoing renovations for several years, and I (especially my stomach) am very excited to enjoy the new amenities and restaurants of the mostly completed Talley.

4.     Get involved in academic research

Whether it’s developing affordable hygiene products for third world countries, or researching new methods of creating biofuels, PSE professors are creating tons of exciting new technologies and there are lots of opportunities for students to get involved. I am definitely planning to jump in with both feet this fall.

Those are a few items off of my Junior year bucket list. The annoying tasks like passing classes and surviving finals are left unlisted since they take up enough time without thinking about them beforehand. Also there are many other items on the list, which I don’t have time to share, that are making me really excited to return to State. However, before I go back, I still have to make the biggest decision of all: Chicken or Beef Ramen?