November 24, 2009
I’m sitting here in the mechanical engineering lab and it hasn’t quite hit me yet that I’ll be sitting on my couch at home just about 12 hours. Thanksgiving break is a little bit of an ambivalent time for me. While I couldn’t be happier to go home and see my family, friends, and favorite Chicago foods, the reality is that I need to be smart about planning for the 2 weeks of classes left before finals. This means plenty of biomaterials, numerical methods, and senior design on the horizon this weekend. At least I’ll get to do it from a comfy couch, right?
On the good side, I wrapped up my grad school applications this past weekend. Now the waiting game begins… I won’t hear back until March at the earliest.
Oh! And I don’t think I’ve talked about my classes for next semester. I’ve signed up for a few more than I’ll end up keeping, but second semester senior year is shaping up to be a blast. Here’s what I’ve signed up for:
Thermal Fluid Transport II (basically advanced heat transfer), Clean Energy Technologies (a class cross-listed between the chemical engineering department and the Fletcher school of international law), European Architecture 1600-1800, Perspective Drawing, Power Yoga, Bodyworks (learn how to give massages and get credit!)
gobble gobble,
m.
November 14, 2009
Four years ago, in the heat of my college application process, I was pretty relieved that I’d never have to go through the whole standardized testing, personal essay, college-hunting process again.
Psych! It’s my senior year at Tufts and I’ve decided to go straight to grad school for my masters (and potentially PhD) in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in energy & the environment. The process is very similar, only with slightly higher expectations after four years to make a name for yourself all over again. Research experience, leadership skills, GPA, all that good stuff. Honestly, I’m feeling pretty prepared after my time at Tufts. Sure, there’s a few long-shots, but that keeps things exciting. I applied early to Tufts, so I finally get a chance to go through the experience of hearing from schools in the spring, one by one.
It’s still pretty early in the school year, but it’s been exciting to see where all of my friends are going to end up next year. Some of the engineers already have jobs lined up, some are continuing the search, others are applying to graduate programs, and some are looking to get more into business & management positions. I even have one friend doing all of the above.
Three of my applications have been submitted and the others are getting pretty close. Now the real fun starts: waiting until April! Yikes.
November 3, 2009
So one of the things I remember being incessantly curious about as a prospective Jumbo was what the housing situation was like. Single/double/suite, on-campus/off-campus, I wanted to know it all. So here’s a little taste of the luxurious life of an off-campus Jumbo.
My place is right across the street from campus on the Somerville side of campus. 5 minutes to class, 5 minutes to Davis Square. Not a bad deal. There’s 9 students, 3 floors, 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, and a whole lot more.
Without further ado, my crib…
October 23, 2009
Good morning! I know I’ve been a little quiet since the Solar Decathlon ended, but to be honest, between catching up on homework, studying for midterms, and applying for graduate programs & fellowships, I’ve been spread a little thin. I’ll get out a post-competition Solar D update once the storm calms down a bit…
On another note, if you’re going to be around campus today for the Engineering Open House, come stop by Anderson 208 at 1:15PM and say ‘hello’! I’ll be giving short presentations on the Solar Decathlon and answering questions about my Tufts experience.
Back to the books…
October 14, 2009
It’s my fifth day on the mall and I finally have a moment to send an update! The Solar Decathlon competition is in full swing and we’ve been super busy giving tours, drawing hot water, cooking dinner, and doing laundry. I couldn’t be happier with the final product- the public has been loving the house and we’ve been getting tons of good feedback.
My voice is pretty shot, but we have a day off from the typical tour routine and get to relax a bit as we compete in various contests throughout the day. Time to catch up on some homework!
October 9, 2009
I’m currently in a van full of solar decathletes headed down to Washington, DC to show off our sustainable Curio House over the next week. 2 years of intensive collaboration between architecture, engineering, and environmental policy students in preparation for the competition. I can’t begin to describe how exciting this week is going to be.
I’ll update as much as I can- stay tuned!
Ask why. Learn how. Live curious.
LiveCurious
October 2, 2009
Let me first say that this post was in no way mandated, or even suggested, by the Tufts Admissions Office. That being said, I’m so excited that the Engineering Open Houses have begun! The EOH that I attended four years ago sealed the deal on my decision to apply early to Tufts and it’s great to see that the Admissions staff is putting a lot of work into making these Fridays a success. If you get a chance, come swing by campus on one of the next few Fridays to hear from engineering students, professors, admissions officers, and anyone else about why we’re all so enthusiastic to be Jumbos. I’ll be on the student panels for the next few weeks, except the week when I’m in DC for the Solar Decathlon. If you’ve read the blog at all, please come say “hi”! I’m assuming you can find all of the details here.
In other house-related news, the Curio.House shipped down to Washington DC early this past week where our amazing construction crew is hard at work reassembling the house in time for the opening ceremony on October 8th. While the crew is incessantly working on the house, details have been trickling in from Facebook and Twitter about how the reconstruction process is moving along. I’m heading down to with a van full of Tufts and BAC students next Friday, just in time for the first public tours and competitions. Thanks to Jon Hanson for the quick photo-update!
September 23, 2009
Fact: Animal Crackers from the Anderson Hall vending machine are comprised entirely of “Jumbo” crackers.
Alright, maybe not. But I can dream, right?
September 22, 2009
This afternoon my senior design project group headed over to 200 Boston Ave, the Tufts lab that focuses on some of the more advanced engineering & materials research being done on campus, for our first meeting with our group advisor/client, Prof. Rob White. He explained the difficulties they’ve been having in the lab when bonding various materials together for use in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). We’re basically going to be designing an automated device that will press thin wafers together under a designated and carefully controlled pressure, temperature, and electric field. The big squish.
Although this may sound relatively straightforward, the MEMS are small devices that are bonded together under extreme conditions: up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit at 100 MPa pressure (think 25 lbs pushing on the tip of a pen). Needless to say, we have our work cut out for us and will have some research to do before we start brainstorming prototypes. We’re aiming to have a working prototype by the end of the semester and we’re confident we can make it happen.
And what kind of post would this be without an update on the Solar Decathlon? We had our ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, just before construction ended on Sunday for a week and a half of deconstruction & packing for the trip to DC. Without a doubt, things are pretty hectic as we prep for DC. Amidst all of the work, excitement for the competition is really ramping up; we had an article in Monday’s Daily and I just came across one from CNET/CBS News. Cool cool cool.
September 14, 2009
I just wrapped up my first week of classes (my last first week at Tufts!) and I still have a little bit of adjusting to do until I’m back in the swing of things. Here’s a rundown of my semester schedule that I’ll be updating you all on over the next few months. I’m still shedding a tear for ME149: Engineering Mechatronics, which I had to drop largely due to my desire to take too many classes at once. Anyway, here it goes:
ME43: Senior Design Project
Every mechanical engineering student takes on a capstone project during the fall semester of his/her senior year. I’m working with a group of 3 fellow mech-e students to create a device that will help assemble Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). MEMS have tons of applications, largely in sensor technology, and are built on the scale of micrometers or nanometers. This means that we’ll get a chance to use some of Tufts’ most expensive lab equipment and hopefully wear those white lab-suits while we’re at it. It’s shaping up to be a great semester already.
ME25: Engineering Materials
I honestly don’t know a whole lot about this one. It’s the last of my required mechanical engineering courses and covers common materials & manufacturing processes for engineering applications.
ME121: Biomaterials
I’m pretty excited about Biomaterials; it’s taught by a PhD who works for a tissue engineering company by day and has come to Tufts to teach a night course. During the first class, we discussed what we wanted to get out of the course and worked with the professor to put together a syllabus to help us meet our goals. I can tell I’m going to learn a good amount about medical terminology and the interface between mechanical devices and the human body.
ES101: Numerical Methods
I’ve been waiting to take Numerical Methods for a few semesters and I’ve finally found room in my schedule to fit it in. Numerical Methods deals with a lot of the math & algorithms behind many applied engineering problems. It explores how computer programs treat complicated engineering equations and how to best approximate solutions while understanding the amount of error introduced.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: a semester full of engineering classes? Where are the liberal arts courses to keep you sane? Well, my schedule this fall will free up my spring schedule to finish my art history minor and squeeze in some non-engineering courses that I’ve been wanting to take. This semester was my last chance to take Numerical Methods & Biomaterials; I couldn’t pass that up!
