First Semester in College As A STEM Major

By Sofie Dwyer, SLS Conference Executive Team

Hi! My name is Sofie Dwyer, I am a Chemical Engineering major at Miami University (in Ohio, not the University of Miami).  I wanted to go to college for Chemical Engineering because I found a passion for chemistry and physics in high school, and I felt that this was the best way to further my study of both.  I chose Miami because we have one of the top 30 undergraduate engineering programs in the country!  I couldn’t have picked a better environment to be in for college.

Miami does a really cool thing with our freshman year dorms where all freshmen need to be in something called an LLC, or living-learning community.  My roommate and I picked the Women in Science Disciplines, Engineering, and Mathematics (or WiSDEM) LLC.  Here, we’ve met not only like-minded people with as much of a passion for science as we have but also some of the greatest people ever.  In fact, almost all of my best friends are on my floor, just a few doors away.  It’s nice to be in a dorm with people in similar majors because some classes, like our intro to chemistry class, are universal.  This means if you need help understanding a concept, help is only one door away!  This LLC was such a good decision because it gave me a community of people to lean on for help when I need it academically.

Me and my friends in the WiSDEM dorm on Halloween!

Another thing I did to make friends with people in my major was joining our on-campus engineering fraternity, Theta Tau.  Through Theta Tau, I’ve met so many incredible people, both my age and upperclassmen, who I will be seeing daily for the next four years.  It has been awesome to make friends with people in my major in the years ahead of me because it gives me a glimpse into the work I will be doing for the next few years.  It’s nice to know so many people because as I walk through our engineering buildings (Benton Hall, Garland Hall, and the oh-so-creatively named Engineering Building, which are all connected) I will almost always see at least one person I know!

My official bid for Theta Tau, the co-ed engineering fraternity on campus.

---

I’m excited for what the future of my college experience will hold.  Some classes, like thermodynamics and Pulp and paper physics, seem like, while they might be challenging, will be incredibly interesting and fun to learn about.  I’m also excited to create relationships with my professors, and hopefully, even get involved in research sometime soon.  I have 4 years of endless opportunities ahead of me, and I’m ready to see how it all unfolds.