How I used opportunities at UC to the fullest
Chemical engineering student describes her fish-out-of-water experience
By: Bailey Freeland
Chemical Engineering ‘24, CEAS Senator, Undergraduate Student Government
Co-op: AstraZeneca and Marathon Petroleum
I officially enrolled in the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Applied Science on May 29, 2019. Some might recognize that date as nearly a month past the confirmation deadline.
Enrollment had marked the end of a long and turbulent journey of applications, acceptance letters, long phone calls and many plan As, Bs, and Cs. Every student’s commitment experience is different, but I knew I wanted to pursue a bachelor of science in chemical engineering.
Diving right in
The following fall, I made the trip to Cincinnati for the third time in my life and stepped onto UC’s campus. I felt like a fish out of water. I had no plan for roommates, organizations or programs. All I knew was that college was a time to take risks and cut your losses, so I dove right in. UC’s CEAS offers a large variety of organizational involvement and having held leadership roles during high school, as well as being encouraged by my teaching assistant, I applied to become an intern for CEAS Tribunal. This began my journey from intern to committee chair to today where I am one of the CEAS Tribunal senators, representing the college on student government.
UC's Mountaineering Club
In late winter of my first year, I continued to take chances and signed up for my first backpacking trip to Big Bend National Park through UC’s Mountaineering Club.
Established in 1971, it's one of UC's oldest and largest student organizations. They organize group outings and provide specialized gear and training to students who are interested in hiking, rock climbing, exploring caves, kayaking, backpacking and other outdoor activities.
Since then, I have completed four trips and plan on many more!
Became a peer educator for the intro to co-op class
This past spring, I even applied to become a peer educator for Intro to Co-op and have since gained lifelong friends and many inspiring mentees.
Growing to be comfortable outside my comfort zone helped build my confidence in presenting myself to employers at the Technical Career Fair and in the interviews that followed.
Started my first co-op at AstraZeneca
I have since completed my first two co-op rotations at AstraZeneca working in process optimization and look forward to starting my third co-op at Marathon Petroleum in the spring of 2022. By taking calculated risks and having UC’s many experiential opportunities at my fingertips, I continue to flourish throughout my collegiate career.
I learned to have confidence in myself
When going into your collegiate experience, I advise you to have confidence in yourself and your potential for success. Plans can change, and CEAS supplies students with all the opportunities you need to succeed including leadership, innovation, educational tools, and more! Take risks and venture beyond your comfort zone, you never know what good can happen.
Related Stories
Tips for time management in college
March 27, 2024
One challenge many students face when transitioning to a college schedule and course load is how to manage their time. This is especially important in engineering since students, aside from their first year, do not get summers off due to the co-op schedule. University of Cincinnati civil engineering student Julie Holkovic provides helpful time management tips that she has learned through her five years in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
What it's like doing an out-of-state co-op
March 6, 2024
Hyojung Kim, University of Cincinnati chemical engineering student, spent a semester on co-op in Idaho Falls working at the Idaho National Laboratory. UC's co-op program is ranked top five in the nation. For this rotation, Kim had to relocate. This piece shares what it is like to work on co-op out of state.
Get answers to all your co-op questions
At the University of Cincinnati, undergraduate engineering degrees take five years to complete, unlike the typical four-year bachelor's degree program. But that extra year is incredibly valuable for students to gain a head start on building their careers. Students receive unique, hands-on experiences during their time at the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) through the cooperative education (co-op) program. Co-op is built into the curriculum and students alternate between semesters in the classroom and semesters working full-time in industry or research.