Reflection on an Unlikely Education in Computer Science
Introduction
As senior year of college dawns upon me at an increasingly rapid pace, I vividly remember my last summer in high school exactly 4 years ago. The anxiety of college application season seized upon me and the trepidation could be felt in the air, yet one important question remained unanswered in my mind — what was I going to study?
Through fate or chance, I know not which, I stumbled upon a summer camp opportunity called COSMOS at the University of California, San Diego which offered an academic “cluster” named “Computers in Everyday Life.” It drew my attention immediately as I had always been curious about technology products and their potential in enabling people to accomplish various tasks. This 4-week residential program also offered scholarships, a way for me to finance this endeavor myself.
My 4 Weeks at UCSD
I gained two significant life experiences at COSMOS: my first hands-on encounter with coding and living a trial of college life.
I collaborated on various software and hardware projects with UCSD faculty, undergrad students, and 20 other high school peers. My day consisted of lectures in the morning and lab work in the afternoon. Building a game application, directing a robot to navigate a maze, working with Arduinos and LEDs were all part of the curriculum. To wrap up, I constructed a music-playing, LED-flashing, head-bobbing dragon robot as my final project and delivered a presentation — an experience very similar to college classes and internships.
Undergrad Residential Assistants planned various social activities throughout the evening for the 180+ high school attendees— all united with the passion for STEM. My favorite was the COSMOS Olympics: clusters competed against one another in a series of games, challenges, and performing a creative skit. I lived in a dorm with a roommate in a 10 person suite. In retrospect, it was my first time doing “peer networking” amidst the fun and games. I became responsible for myself like an adult and took ownership of all my academic and personal experiences.
Why COSMOS was significant
Be Proactive in Seeking New Learning Experiences:
I would not have gained exposure to my passion of programming and college living as a high school student without COSMOS. Spending 4 weeks away from home with new people was definitely out of my comfort zone, yet I chose to challenge myself and embrace the change. COSMOS truly helped me to solidify my decision to apply to universities as a Computer Science major, thus defining the course of my academic life.
Have Patience With Your Progress:
Computer Science can be very difficult and very frustrating, but it taught me critical thinking and problem solving skills that are applicable to other areas of life. It’s not about how much code you write or how elaborate your design is, but learning from others, persevering, and persisting until you reach your goal.
Benefits in the Long Term:
I was able to establish connections with undergrad college students as well as my peers. In fact, I reunited with my RA and some friends at the 2019 Grace Hopper Conference! The process of developing, building, and presenting a project with a team aligns with what a professional internship looks like. Skills like leadership, collaboration, communication are crucial to succeeding personally and professionally in college and beyond.
Conclusion
Participating in COSMOS altered my academic trajectory for the better and inspired me to seek novel learning opportunities and discover my passions. As I reflect on my COSMOS experience 4 years later, as a soon-to-be college graduate, I would highly recommend all students to take advantage of summer enrichment programs like COSMOS.
