Author: Kissi, Jiovanni

Brandon Tyndale’s Spotlight Interview

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We asked the peer mentors to answer some questions about their time here at UConn and give some simple tips and tricks to navigating the campus. Meet Brandon! A Senior majoring in Electrical Engineering.

Brandon Tyndale

What semester is this for you?

8th (final) semester

When are you graduating?

May 2022

What is your major?

Electrical Engineering

Where are you from?

Danbury, Connecticut

Are you in a learning community? (which one) How has it helped you?

Scholars House gave me resources for courses and a network of people to relate to that made me feel comfortable.

Are you involved with any on-campus activities or organizations?

Club Soccer, NSBE, and McNair Scholars

Where is your favorite spot on campus to study or hang out?

ScHOLA²RS Lounge

What would you say is the easiest part of your academic career at UConn?

Nothing

What would you say is the hardest part of your academic career at UConn?

Everything, especially grade requirements for core classes

Plans after graduation?

Working in industry

Is there any advice you would give to incoming freshmen (in your major or in general)?

Always use all your resources, no matter where they are. Office Hours, YouTube, People you know who have taken the course , the Q center. These are all valuable resources available to your disposal, so don’t miss out!

Do you have any tips for navigating campus?

Pay attention to your surroundings (buildings, events, etc)

How did you handle online schooling vs in person schooling? Which do you like better?

Online was hard because there was no face-to-face interaction, but in person interactions help you understand fully because it is earlier to explain in person

How was adjusting to life at UConn like for you? Would you have done anything differently? 

Scholars made it pretty easy, also I came from the biggest in state High School, so I know a lot of people. If I were to change anything, I would take a different combination of courses, so that my current course load would not be as heavy.

What resources would you say are the most helpful for first year School of Engineering students?

Q center, Supplemental Instruction, Tutoring Center

Any fun facts?

I’m Jamaican

Nathan Wetherell’s Spotlight Interview

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We asked the peer mentors to answer some questions about their time here at UConn and give some simple tips and tricks to navigating the campus. Meet Nathan! A Senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Astrophysics and a concertation in Aerospace.

Nathan Wetherell

What semester is this for you?

8th (final) semester

When are you graduating?

May 2022

What is your major?

Mechanical Engineering

Did you minor in anything or focus on a specific concentration within your major?

Minor: Astrophysics

Concentration: Aerospace

Where are you from?

South Windsor, Connecticut

Are you in a learning community? (which one) How has it helped you?

Honors (sophomore and junior year). It is good to have a smaller community of people to be around to push you towards your academics.

Are you involved with any on-campus activities or organizations?

Peer mentors and the Concrete Canoe. The University Design project is also very time intensive.

Where is your favorite spot on campus to study or hang out?

2nd/3rd floor of the union. Especially during finals week when the library is busy, if you find a quiet corner in the library, you can get lost for hours without being interrupted.

What would you say is the easiest part of your academic career at UConn?

Didn’t have to write that much. No super long papers to do.

What would you say is the hardest part of your academic career at UConn?

Coming to UConn, the hardest part is balancing all the different aspects of your life. Learning to adapt to sudden changes is a skill that needs to be worked on. Focusing on your schoolwork and making progress takes time and consistent effort.

Plans after graduation?

Doing a MED program at Pratt & Whitney.

Is there any advice you would give to incoming freshmen (in your major or in general)?

Make sure you have a passion for what you do. Take the time to figure out what it is that YOU want to do. When you have a passion and drive for what you do it won’t feel like work.

Do you have any tips for navigating campus?

  • Take advantage of the tours
  • Reach out to peer mentors (I’ve always wanted to give an informal tour)
  • Be your own advocate – If you reach out and look you will find someone who will help you

How did you handle online schooling vs in person schooling? Which do you like better?

  • In person is better, personally (a lil old school)
  • With online schooling, it is harder to pay attention
  • To compensate, try to make the online environment reflect the in person environment.

How was adjusting to life at UConn like for you? Would you have done anything differently? 

Going from a known support base was difficult but getting involved is important. It is easier to drop things than to try to pick them up later.

What resources would you say are the most helpful for first year School of Engineering students?

Peer mentors, the W and Q center, the tutoring center are all great examples of helpful resources. It is important to be your own advocate and look for help, because there are multiple resources you can take advantage of.

Any fun facts?

The summer after my freshman year I had to leave a camping trip early because a bear stole our food.

Christopher Rinaldi’s Spotlight Interview

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We asked the peer mentors to answer some questions about their time here at UConn and give some simple tips and tricks to navigating the campus. Meet Chris! A Junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a concertation in Energy & Power.

Christopher Rinaldi

What semester is this for you?

6th semester

When are you graduating?

May 2023

What is your major?

Mechanical Engineering

Did you minor in anything or focus on a specific concentration within your major?

Concentration: Energy & Power

Where are you from?

Enfield, Connecticut

Are you involved with any on-campus activities or organizations?

Residential Assistant at Hilltop apartments, Running Club, Peer Mentors.

Where is your favorite spot on campus to study or hang out?

Studying – Homer Babbage

Hanging out – Student Union

What would you say is the easiest part of your academic career at UConn?

My Freshman year Advisor made scheduling and organizing easy.

What would you say is the hardest part of your academic career at UConn?

Prioritizing school over friends and fun is hard. It was also hard for ne to make friends in my classes.

Plans after graduation?

Off-shore Wind Turbines. This summer will be interning at Avangrid at their liquid natural gas division. Plan to work up in the company.

Is there any advice you would give to incoming freshmen (in your major or in general)?

The main piece is that you should make friends in your classes especially on the beginning days of class. Making friends and being able to communicate about homework or find a time to do projects and bounce ideas off of it’s really important and I feel like it’s not really promoted or easy to do so sort of in the first day or week to really establish a group like that. I’d also recommend that you sort of maintain boundaries with the group so that nothing happens that could interfere with your work or your success.

Do you have any tips for navigating campus?

Google maps really helps, I think Apple Maps now has all the buildings in it as well but you know just using that to figure out where your classes are is what I did because the campus is really confusing and it’s not organized right.

How did you handle online schooling vs in person schooling? Which do you like better?

For online schooling I attended to get dressed for class like I normally would segmented my room so that you know at my desk I would be only doing work in my bed I was only sleeping in my chair I was relaxing or chatting with friends on the phone. That help me not get burnt out and to be able to actually do my work when I need to and fall asleep on time. As for in person learning you know you have to make sure that you get up in time to get to class, you have to make sure that you have space do you work so that could mean going to the library having to rent a place in the library something kind of like that. And I like in person learning more because I feel more connected to the professor and to my peers.

How was adjusting to life at UConn like for you? Would you have done anything differently? 

Adjusting to life at UConn was really difficult because I was used to the structure of high school and I tend to stick to my friends from high school who weren’t necessarily my major. So I would have made more friends in my major faster and foster those connections more so that I would not of had to struggle as much as I did.

What resources would you say are the most helpful for first year School of Engineering students?

Peer mentors, the W and Q center, the tutoring center are very helpful resources.

Any fun facts?

I like to run, want to work in Wind Energy, and I am about to be a senior!