I found today’s session to be very informative. Both of the guest speakers were graduates from Cal State San Marcos, and were very well informed about information regarding STEM programs and other future opportunities. Cal State San Marcos, also known as CSUSM, is a fairly newer college but it is regarded as the national leader in social mobility. It has an exceptional physics program, which was one of the key reasons that one of the speakers chose to go there. Apart from physics, they have a lot of other great pathways, such as chemistry, biology, physics, computer engineering, biotechnology, mathematics, electrical engineering, biological sciences, and much more. Another big thing on campus is student associations. The speakers spoke very highly about several of the STEM clubs on campus, such as the robotics club, and the cybersecurity club. These clubs are a good way to not only socialize, but also learn more about internship opportunities. An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Working an internship is really good for experience, and it makes future employers more open to hiring you. When looking for internships, you can find them at clubs, on google, or in your email. It’s very important to regularly check your email, because along with internship opportunities, you can also find other program opportunities which can really help you gain research experience in order to better your resume. Some examples of these programs include the Summer Scholars Program and the Quantum Bridge Program. There are also lots of research labs at CSUSM which have lots of openings for research related opportunities. After hearing all of these things about Cal State San Marcos, I am definetly going to be adding it to my list of colleges to apply to. Although that is a few years away, It’s always good to have a list of potential colleges. When looking ahead, another big question is paying for college. When paying for college, it’s a good idea to talk to a financial aid officer, or google it to see if you are eligible for any grants. The difference between a grant and a scholarship is that a grant is payed for by the government, while a scholarship is payed for by a private institution. It’s always good to get grants or scholarships rather than getting loans, as you have to deal with less student debt. However if you do have to get a loan, it’s really important that you get a subsidized loan, rather than an unsubsidized loan. The difference is that a subsidized loan doesn’t accumulate interest over time, while an unsubsidized loan does. The guest speakers also talked about options of what to do after graduating from CSUSM, such as pursuing graduate programs in fields such as biomedical, environmental, chemical, and electronics. Government agencies also offer a wide range of career opportunities for students who have graduated from CSUSM. Students can explore different paths, including careers in public service, policy-making, and law enforcement. Another popular career path for CSUSM graduates is to become a teacher. Graduates can become teachers at the K-12 level or pursue a career in higher education. After the whole talk, we did some fun activities, cuh as getting a toothbrush to vibrate using a battery and a motor. Here’s a video. Overall I really found today’s event to be beneficial as it gave me lots of information on how to plan for college, how to look for opportunities while I’m in college, and what to do after I graduate from college.