Spend Your Summer Studying Abroad!

Ever since I began my college experience, one of my number one goals has been to study abroad.  When I started at Penn State, I thought that it would be really hard for me to study abroad, especially as an engineer with a jam-packed schedule.  However, I was thrilled to find out that this is not the case.  So many engineers travel abroad at Penn State each year, and this summer I was fortunate enough to be one of them!  I spent three weeks in May in Singapore, and I can easily say it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had.

Apoorva's group with their final design

I initially found out about my program at the Study Abroad fair that takes place in the HUB in October (keep an eye out for it, it’s super helpful!).  I went to the College of Engineering table, and the lovely people there told me about their many programs all over the world, including one in Singapore.  Flash forward to February, when my EDesign 100 professor Dr. Parkinson told our class about this summer course he co-teaches every year in Singapore.  I was drawn in immediately, but also a little nervous to spend a month halfway across the world with people I didn’t know.  That being said, I couldn’t be happier that I took this risk.

The program that I completed is called the Mechanical Engineering Product Design Program, and is a joint program between Penn State, Brigham Young University (BYU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).  There were about 50 students, and we were split into groups of 5 to complete a design project: to make cleaning public spaces in Singapore easier for workers, but also more sustainable.  This project was really the highlight of the class because it allowed me to get to know my group members really well, and to become really immersed in the culture of Singapore and interact directly with locals.

Nittany Lions in front of Singapore’s national mascot, the Merlion!

In addition to attending lecture and working on our projects though, we also got to have so much fun sightseeing!  We traveled all over the city, visiting places like the Botanical Gardens, Little India, and Chinatown.  We also went to the beach island called Sentosa, a worldwide music festival that was happening while we were there, and even the movies with our professor!

I really encourage everyone to try to go abroad during their time in college.  I learned so much about engineering, visited one of the most beautiful places in the world, and had so much delicious food.  I would say that the best part of my trip, though, was all the incredible people I met.  I became good friends with the other Penn Staters on my trip, but also with the BYU and NUS students, and I know that I’ll stay in touch with them for a long time.  So my advice for anyone thinking of going abroad: go for it!  Even though it can seem a little intimidating, especially as a freshman, it will be one of the most eye-opening and fun experiences you’ll have in college!

Apoorva Annamraju is a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering, and is a Rover for WEPO'15!

How to protect yourself in the cyber world

Hey everyone! My name is Mal and I am a senior in Industrial Engineering.  I know this blog is supposed to be fun and informative, but I want to use this opportunity to discuss something more serious, but also really important to know.  When I started college, I started getting nearly 10 times the number of e-mails per day as I did in high school.  Unfortunately, not all of these e-mails are from people with good intentions.  As newly independent college students, you are now a new target for all kinds of internet hacks, cons, and scams.  I hate to be a Debby Downer, but I want to give you some tips for protecting yourself in the cyber world. 

Passwords:

First, don't use your same PSU password for any sensitive information, including bank accounts and healthcare portals.  I know it can be hard to memorize a million passwords, but avoid using your first name, last name or birthday in any of them.

Personal Info:

Be careful about giving out personal information via phone or e-mail.  There have been several times when I have had to provide my social security number in order to process work documents.  Always confirm that this is necessary and that you are in contact with the correct person.  If you plan to get a job at school, you will need your social security card or your passport to process your I9 form.  Don't carry these items around in your wallet, and store it in a safe place such as a locked drawer, or bring it with you for your parents to keep safe next time you go home.

Job Offers:

Career week is a busy time for us at Penn State, but sometimes sketchy organizations will use this time to take advantage of you.  Sometimes fake organizations or "companies" will contact you saying that they have reviewed resume on "collegeresumes.com" or "collegeinternships.com."  (I just made these ones up, but there are lots of fake websites out there.)  If you did not submit an application to an organization, and they offer you a job without interviewing, be wary of them.  Sometimes they want you to provide your credit card or bank account number, sometimes they are just fishing for personal information.  Either way, that's obviously a very big red flag.  No legitimate company would ask you to pay them to work for them.

Another thing to keep in mind: Freshman year, my friend received a phone call from a company she had never heard of, and they wanted her to meet them at the HUB so that they could drive her in their car to the interview site.  If something like this ever happens to you, consult an advisor or professor before taking any action and do your research on the company.  It sounds obvious, but don’t get into a car with a stranger.

People Generally Trying to Convince You to Pay for Worthless Things:

A few weeks ago, I got an e-mail from an address titled "Penn State Honor Society."  Looks legit, right?  They told me "hey congratulations! You’re accepted into our prestigious honor society, to join you only have to pay us $50!...blah blah blah."  The e-mail came from an organization called HonorSociety.org.  They have a massive database of college students from all over the country and send out these mass e-mails to make a profit.  Don't get me wrong, real honors societies are a great accomplishment.  However, you normally have to go through a pretty extensive application process to get accepted into an honor society.  Seek out those opportunities, but know how to tell the difference between a real and a fake.  Tau Beta Pi (the engineering honor society at PSU) looks great on your resume; however, a $50 membership to HonorSociety.org not only adds nothing, but actually makes you look gullible to company recruiters and faculty.

The IRS is not going to come to your door and arrest you.

Last year, my friend got a call on her cell phone from a number that was listed as the “State College Police Department.”  (Scammers have the ability to cover their number and make it show up as any number they want.)  They informed her that she owed a couple thousand dollars in taxes to the IRS and if she did not pay them within 24 hours, they would be sending a police officer to our apartment to arrest her.  They told her that if she hung up, they would send a police officer over immediately.  So she stayed on the line and walked down to the bank while they gave her instructions on how to complete a money transfer.  She didn’t even have all of the money they were claiming she “owed” in her bank account, but she was in the middle of filling out the paperwork to transfer all of the money she did have when she realized that something just wasn’t right here.  Luckily she figured it out before anything too bad happened, but it can be a really stressful situation and unfortunately many students fell for it.  See the article in the link below: http://onwardstate.com/2015/01/26/tax-scam-targeting-international-students/

This is certainly not the extensive list of potential scams.  People are getting more and more creative, but that just means that we need to be more prepared.  I don’t want to scare you guys or anything before you even get here, but I think it’s really important to be aware of your personal security and take precautions to protect yourself.  Good luck this fall and I can’t wait to see you all here!

Malorie Feidner is a senior majoring in Industrial Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!