Now that I am a senior at Stevens Institute of Technology, I have done a lot of reflecting and played the "What If" game with myself for quite some time. What I mean by this is that I have been constantly asking myself, "If I was given the chance, would I pick this college to attend all over again?" The answer to that is Yes for several reasons.
Firstly, I got into an accelerated BA/JD law program between Stevens and New York Law School. In the midst of a recession, it comforts me to know that I have a stable career plan and that I won't be waddling into industry not knowing what I want to do or where I want to work. Secondly, in the midst of the recession, many students had extreme difficulty finding jobs; I can attest to my friends complaining about the difficulty of even finding an unpaid internship. Fortunately, the recession did not affect me as much because Stevens prepared me with the right skill set: analytic and technical skills, critical-reasoning, working together with others, enjoying intellectual challenges and puzzles, and unconventional outside-the-box thinking to address problems through different angles. Because I worked very hard at Stevens and I was able to develop the skills previously listed, I was able to stand out among my competition and obtain numerous internships.
Thirdly and what I think is the most important, I was able to have fun while learning. I have discovered in college that many times, students learn information in a vacuum. They simply memorize formulas, rewrite them on tests, and then forget them. In doing this, they fail to understand the larger meaning of what they are doing, and it is very common for many of these students to later complain that they do not know what they want to do in life because they cannot find any fun or satisfaction in their work. What Stevens did is I think unique compared to many other colleges - it put a 'real life' spin to everything that was taught. It essentially gave the formulas a conceptual meaning and a realistic application. For example, in my physics course, rather than explain centripetal acceleration through a bunch of formulas and diagrams, my professor explained it through the perspective of driving a car and making a turn - a realistic event that the entire class was familiar with and could relate to. Rather than explain thermodynamics and heat transfer through equations, he forced us to think about how a refrigerator worked and how the cool-hot air system functioned so that the products inside would not spoil. Such applications not only taught me concepts as well as technical skills, but allowed me to relate what I learned to my actual life. I can recall using the law of thermodynamics in writing business plans for the technology start-up company I worked in by figuring out how much market share a competing company would have over the course of a year. For many students, applying chemistry and science to business would be unthinkable. And this is exactly what Stevens was able to do so effectively - open my mind to innovation and new ways of solving problems rather than close it.
Fourthly, the town of Hoboken is unparalleled when it comes to having an amazing college experience. With hundreds of different themed-restaurants, the close proximity to New York City, the ability to sail on the Hudson River before classes when the weather permitted, such a "young" and thriving atmosphere really made my college experience worth it. By interacting with different types of people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and religions, Stevens allowed me to not only become an excellent student, but a mature and thoughtful person.
Fifthly, the relationships I developed at Stevens with colleagues, administrators, industry, and faculty have given me tremendous insight and support throughout my college experience. The small classroom sizes and the fact that professors actually teach the courses rather than Teaching Assistants (TA) which you find at the majority of colleges, have allowed me to develop genuine relationships and get to know people on a more personal basis. These relationships have allowed me to express my talents and prove my work ethic which in many times, resulted in research opportunities and even job offers. A particular example is after taking numerous law-related courses, the professor who actually became my adviser, invited me to assist him with research for the American Political Science Association regarding tax law and policy in Jersey City. Not only was the experience fascinating in an intellectual sense, but I was able to get published as well.
Overall, Stevens offers so many opportunities for one to excel and develop as a responsible, mature, and superb student and individual. I highly recommend Stevens to anyone interested in a fun, exciting college experience and one that effectively prepares them for graduate school and/or the work industry.