Meet some of SWE’s Seniors!
Emily Romancew - Mechanical engineering, student-athlete, international Vice President
Amanda Zaverdas - Mechanical Engineering Major, previous SWE Webmaster
Emily Herbert - Biomedical Engineering Major, previous SWE Outreach Chair
Chris English - Mechanical Engineering Major, Eboard of many organizations
Jade Winkoski - Mechanical Engineering Major, SWE Webmaster
Naomi Cross - Mechanical Engineering and Art Major, SWE Sponsorship Chair
What advice do you wish you had been given at the start of / during your freshman year?
“Try to get as involved as you can. Clubs all over campus provide a lot of experience and opportunities for your future! Make friends in your classes, it makes the class go by quicker and they are always available to help if you need it.” - Amanda Zaverdas
“Create a schedule early on, essentially block out parts of your day to dedicate to different things” - Emily Herbert
“Find organizations that you are interested in but don't necessarily overlap with your major. Try to make connections with your classmates, they can become friends, and can help with homework.” - Chris English
“As an international student athlete, it was very difficult for me to maintain my friendships back home. I wish I would have prioritized keeping those long-distance friendships, even in the midst of everything that was going on my freshman year.” - Emily Romancew
“Don’t sit inside all day.” - Jade Winkoski
‘You get what you put into it” - Naomi Cross
What advice would you give a freshman who is maybe struggling in math, physics, or first engineering class?
“Talk to the professor early on in the course. A lot of professors are easy to work with to help or point you in the right direction but don’t wait until the last minute to do so.” - Amanda Zaverdas
“Be honest to your professors, they appreciate when you are real with them and honest about not understanding something. But, don't wait til the last second because it gives a bad look.” - Emily Herbert
“Find a group to check work with. look up a YouTube video of similar problems. Go to the TA/professor for help. I would suggest looking for help in that order.” - Chris English
“This is not high school, grading is different, tests are different, it’s okay to struggle because it’s all an adjustment” - Jade Winkoski
“Put your all in but understand that it's okay to fail.” - Naomi Cross
“Make a friend! Sit at the front with the « smart » kids and don’t be afraid to ask them questions after class. Peer advice is always a great way for both you and your classmates to learn and potentially develop new friendships.” - Emily Romancew
What advice did you get your freshman year that really helped you?
“Start at 0 and add things as you can handle your main priorities. Don't sign up for a million clubs until you can handle all your coursework and day to day activities” - Emily Herbert
“Practice problems really help and working on yourself (self-care, exercise, reading) can really help you be happier as well as do better in school. Also interact with other people for things outside of school” - Chris English
“Your GPA isn’t super important if you have no experience. Always prioritize research or leadership experience, rather than a 4.0.” - Emily Romancew
“Some teachers curve, so hold out and keep doing your best” - Jade Winkoski
“Do your homework” - Naomi Cross
What advice would you give a freshman who isn't sure if engineering is right for them?
“Do an internship, it will show you whether or not you like the career and steer you closer to where you want to go” - Emily Herbert
“Try going to some student organizations, especially some of the hands-on ones as they can better showcase what you might end up doing then can classes. If you still aren't sure, look around at other majors if you see something that grabs you more than engineering, look at both of them and compare what they can give you (good and bad) to what you want. Finally, if you still aren't sure, try looking for something that interests you and find professors who do work in that area and talk to them.” - Chris English
“I would ask them to reflect on why they chose engineering in the first place. They should be an engineer if they have made the choice themselves that this is something they really want in life” - Jade Winkoski
“Engineering is a big dedication, if you aren't sure, be ready to spend a lot of time in school.” - Naomi Cross
“Get involved! Join a couple clubs that you’re interested in (I recommend one social and one competition). Obviously, the idea of joining an organization seems very time consuming and overwhelming, but I promise it’s not. If you treat it as a priority, you’ll end up dedicating time for it and making it work. Being involved is not only great for your resume, but also a great way to make friends and see the impact of engineering in the real world” - Emily Romancew
General advice?
“Make time for friends and fun, college is supposed to be a great experience.” - Emily Herbert
‘Get good sleep it is surprising how much good it can do for you. try to get on organization leadership early if you want to do student orgs often you can do better and handle more than you first suspect. Finally but also most importantly don't be afraid to drop classes if needed, put clubs on hold (or even quit them) you should not be beholden to anything that causes you undo stress.” - Chris English
Thank you to our SWE Seniors for sharing some advice to our freshman!