What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

While I was in high school, I had a very good idea of what I wanted to major in and what I wanted to do after graduation. I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. This led me to research many top universities that had reputable Aerospace Engineering programs. This search lead me to Purdue. I was not familiar with Purdue before my searches. Many other schools like Michigan, MIT and Stanford came to mind. I started gaining interest in Purdue the more I read about the school. Their aerospace program looked interesting and their engineering department seemed like it offered a lot of resources and extracurricular activities. This led me to do a visit with the admissions and engineering offices. Once I visited the campus, I fell in love. The campus had a vibrant feel to it. The engineering campus was way more than I expected. The engineering tour gave me a lot of information about Purdue that I never knew. One of the facts that ultimately convinced me to attend Purdue was the options for career fairs and the many Co-Op opportunities that Purdue gives it students every year. Between the highly regarded career fairs, many Co-Op opportunities, renowned engineering program, and a beautiful campus, I knew Purdue was for me.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

To remain successful at Purdue, I always used office hours. It is one thing to do the homework and get a correct answer, it is another to understand the work and gain knowledge from the problems. I used office hours even when I thought I could do the problems myself. The TAs and Professors were always helpful and willing to explain a problem to me. I also think that attending classes and any supplemental instruction helped me a lot. I can’t be expected to remember the material If I never went to class and learned it. Another method I used was to review for exams every day. Each lesson that I had, I would review the main concepts and ensure that I understand them. This helped me feel less overwhelmed when a test came up. I felt like I studied already. I never felt unprepared. One thing I never did is sacrifice a chance to learn. I tried to finish my work and understand the material before I stopped learning. A good understanding of the knowledge will help you recall it later and do better on tests and when you need the knowledge in your career.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

I think Purdue did a good job preparing me for professional life. While I do not use a lot of my technical knowledge in my current job, I do use a lot of the skills that I learned at Purdue. Purdue taught me to work hard and to learn quickly. I am able to pick up on new material immediately and work at it until I am knowledgeable and useful to my employer. Some of the other skills Purdue helped me learn is good communication and presentation skills, group work, collaboration, and organization skills. All of these skills were touched upon in many different engineering classes. Each skill was well practiced and perfected by graduation. Purdue helped me grow from a high school student to a professional.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

I am from Canada. I usually say that it was a walk across the street coming to Purdue. In many ways it was. The culture is very similar. There was some transition because I come from a larger city. Some of the ways I eased my transition was to talk to other international students and get to know them. I also tried to talk to American and local students. Having this contrast in friends helped me keep a bit of my home feeling while learning about the new location that I was living. UR Global helped me get to know many people. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a mentor. I think a healthy balance of friends created a successful environment for me.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

Purdue prepared me for industry to a great extent. One of the things that I do in my current position that I did not do before was collaborate with employees or customers on the other side of the world. Time zones and language barriers come into play to an extent that I have never dealt with. I would advise anyone with the chance to study abroad to take the opportunity. International collaboration is an invaluable experience. Since my one year of employment, I have already travelled to different parts of the world to assist in the engineering of our product.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

The advice that I would give to other international students is to work harder than the person beside you. Because of the limited opportunities for international students, you have to be at the top of your game to get an employment opportunity. Not only do you have to have a great knowledge of your specialty, you need to have good communication and teamwork skills. Use the resources Purdue offers to gain an upper edge compared to other students. Research the companies that allow international employment and show them that you have a passion to work for them. I have been to the Purdue Industrial Roundtable as both a student and a recruiter. The company that I work at looks for three main things when at career fairs. They look for a good knowledge in your subject area, good communication while talking to the recruiter, and extracurricular activities that set you apart from someone else. If you have a passion for what you are studying, you have to show it when you talk to the people interviewing you.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

The advice I would give is to follow your passion. I came to Purdue knowing I wanted to be an aerospace engineer and I followed through. There were times where I wasn’t sure if it was worth it. There were times where recruiters said an international student would never get a job in the aerospace industry. Instead of giving up I used that as motivation. Not only should an incoming engineering student thrive for good engineering skills and theory, they should always try to perfect communication, group, and leadership skills. Use the resources that Purdue gives you. Explore the different types of engineering classes Purdue has to offer, and do not be afraid to take a class or two that spark a non-engineering related interest. It is not abnormal to feel overwhelmed and want to quit. The engineers that deserve to graduate and the engineers that will excel will not quit. They will work hard and pull through it. It is important to have confidence in yourself. Any experience can greatly increase your chances of being successful.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

I came to Purdue as a Biology major, honestly I did not have a lot of knowledge when I came here and chose a university that ranked well, and had an affordable tuition. Purdue fit into this category. I eventually transferred to Biological Engineering and Biochemistry in my second semester, which is ranked number one in the U.S. It was an easy decision then to stay at Purdue, since I was part of the best program offered in the country. Having studied this for two years, I finally transferred again to Chemical Engineering, due to higher job prospects. Unlike a lot of students, I did CODO a lot more but eventually ended up doing what I liked.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

I honestly studied a lot alone, but I did utilize office hours whenever needed. I never employed professional tutors, but did work in groups whenever something was harder than usual to finish.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

Purdue Engineering I can safely say is one of the most grueling experiences. With all the weed out classes, and immense competition it was not easy to graduate with a good GPA, but smart and hard work pays. I feel like having gone through that, I am prepared to face the world. I would not be arrogant and say, I am absolutely ready, but I will say I am definitely ready for any challenges that might be thrown my way.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

Peas in the pod theory really plays well for this question. I was lucky to find a good group of friends as soon as I started college. The transition itself was not too bad for me specifically, but I definitely had a few difficulties. Having friends really eased the entire process. It would be sometimes hard to understand the colloquial term, to be able to relate to jokes in a big setting especially when there were lots of natives. Eventually I just learned to ask and clarify what I did not understand without shame and that is what got me to actually ease into the culture.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

I would love to develop more of my computer language skills, for some reason none of the departments I studied in forced us to take programming classes. I would also have liked to have language skills, but that I could not do due to time constraints. What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment? To the international students who are pursuing internships and fulltime position, work hard because you will always have more to prove than domestic students.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

I think the biggest advice would be make connections, make as many connections as you can. Enhance your skill set with computer languages, leadership, and other spoken languages. I would also suggest applying for internships and co-ops whenever you can; it’s never too early to apply. Also build a strong LinkedIn profile and USE it.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

Purdue was among the higher ranked universities from those options made available to me. Furthermore, I felt that my coming to the U.S was not only to obtain a higher education from a prestigious university, but to immerse myself in the American culture, way of life, and to build some great friendships along the way. Purdue seemed to have a history of keeping strong tradition yet staying ahead with innovation in teaching. The university was located in a beautiful campus town, and boasted a large yet diverse student population, all within the heart of the Midwest. In addition, there is no point in great educational opportunity without great job opportunity, and Purdue hosts some of the most successful career fairs in the country, which is boosted by its expansive alumni network.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

Purdue has always had a wide variety of resources available to its students. For example one of my favorite resources, which also happens to be available to the public, and not just to students, is the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). Irrespective of your major, it is imperative for students to be well versed in the different methods, styles and formats of both technical and non-technical writing. I have used this resource from writing English papers to writing Engineering project reports, the complete gamut. Another resource that proved to be an immense help were the Teaching Assistant(s) office hours. I would make it a point to attend TA hours, especially if I had already spent time on new material and found some of the concepts difficult to grasp. Since the Teaching Assistants are also students who had recently and successfully completed the respective courses, it was easier for them relate to difficult areas. However, this does not mean that Professors’ office hours were not equally helpful. In some of my courses, I would find myself spending more time making use of Professor’s hours than TA hours, if I was keen on discussing certain topics in more detail. Or, if I wanted to get a more high level grasp of the course, and perhaps get feedback on how I can best improve my progress.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

The value behind an engineering degree from Purdue is appreciated once you understand that the rigorous curriculum goes beyond teaching students theory and the respective practical applications, it teaches students how to think critically. I have started to approach decisions, whether personal or professional, with a more analytical approach. I have learned to be more systematic with observations and developed practice in logically structuring my thoughts and ideas. It may be amusing to note that my sole intention of studying engineering was not to just become an engineer. I wanted to learn how to think like an engineer, and further develop my analytical mindset since this is useful in any technical field. In addition, our professors and advisors at Purdue have always emphasized the need to keep constantly learning, in order to stay up-to-date in the field or in any focus area. I have found myself taking this advice to heart, and made it a point to spend some of my free time reading and subscribing to certain fields of interest, and have been pleased with the overall competitive edge that such efforts bring.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

I feel that every student’s transition will vary because each individual is, after all, ‘individual’. From what I recall, Purdue’s student body represents more than 120 different countries. Therefore, the transition can be easy or hard depending on the culture and personality of the student. I am from Sri Lanka, which is a beautiful and culturally diverse country. I also attended an international school in Sri Lanka, so I was fortunate to have already been exposed to numerous cultures from some of my foreign school friends. Irrespective of all the variables, my advice to every international student is to step out of your comfort zone once in a while. Go out of your way to try something new, whether it is a sport, cuisine, festival or even genre of music. Put in effort to learn about the American culture by actually making and spending time with your American friends. To give you an idea of how much I enjoyed learning about different cultures and felt that I was blessed with the opportunity to make some lifelong friends: at one point I had three roommates from three different countries: USA, Brazil, and India. We are all still in touch, in fact one of them is visiting me this July in Atlanta.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

I have always put in extra effort to build up on my communication skills. I feel that this is an immensely important ability to have and further develop, especially if you would like to get your ideas heard, and eventually move into a managerial position. Purdue places strong emphasis on team projects and team building and this has aided me significantly with developing my ability to present my ideas across a large group. I also chose to obtain the Certificate for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, along with my engineering degree, as I felt this program would teach me how to effectively present technical ideas to a broad audience in a coherent manner. As an engineering student it is easy to get immersed in your workload, and not participate as much in the abundance of activities around campus. I have always been very social and would find time to socialize with students from outside my usual classes or program; however I wish I got more involved by actually joining a club or organization. I have realized that being part of an activity or club, that has set goals and a mission, is a great way to improve your time management skills because of added responsibilities, and the need to coordinate with schedules. All of these skills would pave the way for even further success in the future.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

Your summer is the most important “semester” of all! Why? Because summers are the only time you will have the opportunity to sample full-time work experience in your field of interest. Especially for international students, your chances of full-time employment after graduation are much more favorable if you have U.S work experience. U.S work experience will hold more weight than work experience in your home country. Do not make the typical mistake of heading home every summer to party with your friends because you just survived a winter in Indiana. I know this is easier said than done, and I agree that it is hard to seize an opportunity for U.S work experience without already having…U.S work experience. Although, the chance of a company giving you an internship opportunity is higher than the chance of a company giving you a full-time position. So, put on a suit and go to every single career fair that comes your way, from freshman year, and, network, network, network. You should be building up a professional network, not only when at career fairs, but throughout your entire college career and beyond. From what I have observed and been told, companies love college students that are well rounded or seem passionate about something outside their academics. If there is something outside schoolwork that you are passionate about, or dedicate a lot of time towards, make it a point to mention it during an interview. These little details help you stand out, and they show commitment.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

An engineering degree takes a lot of responsibility and discipline to obtain. The same can be said for many other technical degrees. However, it is important to stay focused and dedicated from the start, because everything you learn in engineering is built up from fundamental or core courses, and a strong foundation in these courses is necessary to excel. I would also like to say that there is nothing wrong with not being sure with what type of engineering degree you would like to obtain once you are attending college. Purdue has a fantastic first year engineering program that allows students to get significant exposure to currently offered engineering disciplines so that they are better informed when the time comes to choose. Furthermore, you should be going out of your way to speak to friends, acquaintances, or family who currently hold jobs in the field of engineering that has peaked your interest in order for you to develop an idea of what you will eventually be doing.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

Purdue Engineering has given many current leaders in the industry a strong foundation to build on; it is a special campus and a great overall program. The cultural diversity of students was a big attraction. Also, my elder brother was already a Boilermaker in his senior year.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

I leveraged the help of my professors during office hours to understand various concepts. I also participated in peer-to-peer discussion and study groups to reinforce others.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

The Purdue engineering experience laid a strong foundation to build on and prepared me to excel in a fast-moving, innovative and challenging work environment. It provided a very hands- on and practical educational experience and helped me develop key skills allowing me to be an asset to my employer.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

Initially, it was a very different culture from home (India). However, as I got to meet my fellow peers, it helped me settle down. The diversity across the campus was a big plus as I met many students going through the same transition.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

I wish I had learnt more about a few of the other disciplines of engineering which touch upon my current professional career.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

Do not let the immigration issues deter your efforts and motivation to pursuing your dream. Rely on peers and faculty for advice and opportunities. Take full advantage of resources available (ISS, CCO, etc.).

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

Dive deep into a specific area of engineering in order to become specialized in that field. Develop an early understanding of things out there that inspire you and visualize how to implement a success like that in the same or other fields.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

The reputation of the university, the quality and the value of the education, and the corporal partnerships were all factors. However, it was an easy decision in my situation.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

The key to my academic success at Purdue really came down to understanding the course materials. Remember, there are no stupid questions. There are many people whom you can ask your question, such as your teammates, your teaching assistants, and your professors. There also are many online resources where you can find relevant information. Once you understand one course, try to connect the dots to previous courses. By doing so, you would have a better understanding of the whole field.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

The academic rigor of Purdue Engineering has really prepared me technically for a real world job. I was able to apply what I learned at school to various internships and also learned new skills quickly benefited from my Purdue engineering experience. The amount and the variation of team projects at Purdue equipped me with a basic understanding of the do’s and don’ts in a team situation. I am so thankful for these experiences because they really make a difference between the best engineer and an average one.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

The cultural transition really requires you putting yourself out and experiencing life in an American way. These experiences sometimes can be uncomfortable and create value conflicts inside. However, it is important not only knowing the culture, but actually experiencing the culture. Going to sports events, watching television shows, and trying all kinds of food are all part of the experience. In fact, breaking a cultural barrier means going through an American childhood in a short period of time. This process can be confusing so sometimes it is necessary to take it slow and do it step by step.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

There are two skills that I need to refine on in the near future. The first one is writing skills. There is a perceived negative stereotype in regards to writing skills among the engineering world. However, having good writing gives you an edge even in an engineering position. Engineers generate reports, journals and user menus all the time. A concise and clear report can avoid much confusion during the communication process. Building on top of that, being able to translate between a business requirement and a technical requirement is the key in product development. That means learning to communicate on different levels and understand the needs and concerns of the people you are working with.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

Finding internships and full-time employment is essentially finding a match between the supply and demand curve in the labor market. You are selling your skills to meet the labor demands of employers, which ultimately come from this society and all its consumers. Having two things will ease the matching process. One is information and the other is data. You need to know where most of the opportunities will be, such as companies, locations and policy restrictions. This is the data part. Knowing information means reaching potential employers in their channels. Networking, putting yourself online and calling some one you don’t know are all ways you can reach these opportunities.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

There is more than one way to get from one place to another. Personally being an engineer not only means having expertise in a field that most people do not have, but more importantly, having a vision and mindset that only engineering training can equip you. This vision and the mindset will help you acquire new skills and develop them quickly in the future. Moreover, respect all fields and learn about their worlds. As an engineer, you will have to cooperate and collaborate with people from different background in order to produce the optimum solution to a problem.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

Back when I was selecting on colleges, I was picking between Purdue and a couple other schools of similar stature. At that time, the main reason I selected Purdue was because it was relatively less expensive. I wasn’t a 100% content because it was a decision I had to make based on financial constraints. Fortunately enough, I ended up at Purdue and had the 4 best years of my life in terms of character development and building friendships. Purdue offered me the ideal environment to build a support system that helped me thrive academically and socially.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

The main help I received in getting through my courses was from classmates and friends. Getting to know the people in your classroom (no matter how big it may be!) was very vital. The best form of learning is asking for and giving help when it is needed. When you ask someone to explain a concept, they usually are very glad to be of assistance. Additionally when someone asks you for help, it puts your understanding to test and you end up grasping it even more as you explain. Help rooms for certain classes were also a great environment to get homework or exam help. The main thing to remember is not to let your ego get in the way and ask questions without hesitation. People like it when you ask them for help.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

Getting through Purdue engineering was an absolute dog fight. Having been through one of the most rigorous engineering schools in the world, I can already tell that I am very resilient compared to professionals. I can withstand immense amount of pressure to perform and I will never give up in achieving a desired outcome. This is all a result of being surrounded and inspired by diligent students by at Purdue for 4 consecutive years. Purdue has a great number of resources, but as a student in a large university, I constantly had to seek them out. This is very similar to the real world, so I got good practice chasing resources that helped me achieve my goals.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

Personally, I had gone to an international school and lived in many countries before arriving in the US for college, so I was fortunate have gotten practice in adapting to different environments. It was still uncomfortable during my first few weeks not being around my family. It took no time however in making friends who essentially become your family. I also volunteered for Boiler Gold Rush International (BGRi) and we did a great job in easing the nerves of new international students and making them aware that they are surrounded by many others in the same situation. This fostered a great environment for new students to create good support systems early on.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

Thinking back, I have no regrets in the skills that I picked up or failed to pick. One skill that I realized was very important was networking. I learned this very late on during senior year and never focused on improving my networking skills for most of college. The first three years, I heard all my seniors telling me to network if I wanted a job but I never quite understood what the term meant. I realized that it essentially came down to keeping track of all the friends/acquaintances you make and reaching out to them regularly. Friends help other friends, so the larger your network of friends, the more resources you have access to. As a professional, I have realized that the most common trait that separates successful individuals to unsuccessful ones is their network. You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you never spent time getting to know the people around you, you will have a tough time in the real world.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

The most important piece of advice is to speak to your seniors early on. International students go through a lot in trying to find a job. As an experienced individual, I can say it isn’t a very straight forward process for us. Whenever a younger student asks us for advice, we will share everything we learned so that they don’t have as tough a time as we did. Take advantage of this and ask for advice. You will be surprised how willing people are to help you no matter how little they know you. Making connections with your seniors will be of great benefit again when the seniors return to campus to recruit for their respective companies. The impression you make on them when they were still at Purdue will pay off greatly during job fairs.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

The difficulty of the courses is what is going to make you a strong individual and professional. There will be times when you will feel stressed, homesick and even depressed but know that there is a great reward at the end of it. When you get out of Purdue Engineering, you will have proved your tenacity to the world. Most importantly you will have proved to yourself that you can take a challenge. In the future many more challenges will come your way through your personal or professional life and you will have built the confidence to take them on.

What made you decide to choose Purdue Engineering over other prestigious engineering universities?

Since childhood, I was good at math, which led me to Republic Physics Mathematics high school in my home country. By that time, I knew I want to become an engineer. I played it safe, and applied to 23 colleges for different engineering majors, expecting the worst. It turned out to be 7 admissions offers and 2 waitlists. At the time Purdue was ranked 3rd in nation in Industrial Engineering (IE) while Stanford, another outstanding school was 4th. After researching every school in every possible way, I decided to choose Purdue Engineering for its academic ranking, international recognition, famous alumni and Nobel prize professors, student body diversity, impressive researches and inventions that truly move world forward. Purdue was on my IE priority list so I accepted admissions offer.

What resources did you use to succeed in your studies while at Purdue? For example: professor’s office hours, tutoring, or maybe others.

When I began my classes as freshman, knowing nothing about time management and not expecting rigorous curriculum, I have to admit I was caught off guard. Gladly, at the beginning of every semester, announcements about Supplemental Instruction (SI) and various help rooms were made before classes. I used SI my first semester and went to math, physics, and ME help rooms in later years until I graduated. Help rooms were free for students and taught by Teacher Assistants. I also went to TA’s or professor’s office hours regularly. Some professors were amazing in explaining difficult concepts, I still remember them and have deep respect for them. As I mentioned, time management was another personal weakness. I still face time management challenges today but handle much better compared to my college years. I could focus on 2 – 3 classes and perform very good, but I usually had 5 – 6 classes in a semester, and I was not good at juggling them at the same time. Purdue has student success center where I went to speak to my time management advisor who taught me how to use calendar and plan my time. It sounds as common sense but majority of students don’t have these skills during their early 20s, so didn’t I. Advisor also told me about Wunderlist app that I use since then. Wunderlist is amazing, you should try it.

How has your Purdue experience in engineering prepared you for your professional life?

Purdue gave me solid technical background. It gave me key to open doors to engineering firms. When I become involved in new technical job or project, I don’t get lost or disoriented and can hold conversation because I understand logic of my engineering co-workers and what task we have to accomplish even if it’s another engineering discipline I am dealing with. I am not saying I fully understand mechanical or electrical engineering or understand details of the problem instantly, but I can learn problem, and I am able to help my team solve engineering problem from IE perspective.

As an international student, how hard was it for you to transition culturally to an American university? How did you ease your transition?

As you probably understood, English is not my first language. Language barrier existed when I first started. However, it wasn’t that difficult to culturally transition to an American university since there were many student organizations you can join whatever your interests are. I was lucky to be invited to one student organization during my first week of classes in freshman year. I was invited to President’s Leadership Class led by 11th Purdue president where I met really awesome people from different states and countries. Unfortunately, I am not in close contact with them today but PLC as a student organization helped me transition with ease. Also, Purdue has 2nd most diverse student body in the nation. There were thousands of other international students from around the world like me. I made international friends too. Regardless of origin or country, international or local student, sometimes we all suffered through classes and exams and that made us united.

What are some skills you wish you developed, as a student of engineering, which would have benefited you for your future?

I wish I learned more software and statistical analysis skills while at Purdue. All IEs took two statistics courses, studied MATLAB, basic C programming, AutoCAD, Minitab, Arena and other tools. Even though I did labs and wrote reports, I didn’t think where these software tools can be used in real world. Majority of time, I simply solved given problems and provided numerical answers without thinking how to analyze data. I should have asked more questions. Now I am better at analyzing data, understanding what data says about manufacturing performance and what can be done to improve it but I could have started learning this in college.

What advice do you have for other international students pursuing internships and full-time employment?

My advice is simple – be genuine, polite and nice to employers. This advice is universal, whether you are pursuing internships or full-time employment in the US or any other country. Employers hire students with zero experience for two reasons – they either look for new talents that can grow or they have a short 1 – 6 months project that needs to done and engineering student will be able to handle it, and employer doesn’t want to hire temp for that. It’s a win-win situation for both student and employer – student gets valuable work experience, employer gets job done. I saw a lot of international students fail at getting anything because they didn’t ask specific questions about job, didn’t fully explain (or at least tried to explain) how they can contribute to the company as intern, and most importantly were not genuine. During searching phase, try hard to get noticed but don’t overdo it by listing things that are not completely true. Be honest. Once you get to interview phase, ask specific questions about job, based on answers explain (or try to explain) what you would do to solve employer’s problem, be honest and genuine. If it happens you don’t know how to solve given problem but employer explicitly asked how you would solve it, be honest about it and tell employer you don’t know now but you are willing to learn, find solution and help to solve the problem. Most likely, employer has someone on the team who knows solution but they want to test your knowledge and skills if you happen to know answer, or your intentions if you don’t know answer. Be nice and say thank you even if it was an unsuccessful interview. Be genuine and it would come naturally. Don’t be that person who expects employer would create all conditions for your successful internship and future career. Also, don’t forget about grades. They are important in the beginning.

What advice do you have for potential or current international students pursuing an engineering degree?

I would recommend to set priorities for every semester and experiment different methods to accomplish these semester goals. Every individual is different and has different goals at school. Someone wants to excel academically to eventually get a high paying job he/she loves, another wants to follow academia path, do research and invent new problem-solving tools and applications, and both want to engage socially on campus. There are 24 hours in a day, some prefer classic 8-hour work, 8-hour sleep and 8-hour leisure time, others prefer a completely different schedule. Experiment what works for you and fits your needs best. Good luck!