Well, looks like this is it. I'd say the time flew by and that I was caught off guard by the end of the year, but if I'm being honest I've been counting down the seconds since the start of second semester. So, with that in mind, let's wrap up this last blog post before I enjoy my last high school summer.
First off, what am I most proud of in my PLTW career? Sounds like a hard question, but it's not. I'd say I'm most proud of my ability to pick up new skills as-needed while working on projects-- soldering, coding in a handful of languages, 3D modeling in Fusion360. I've had some experience with all of these things, but without the context of a project in these PLTW classes I would never have picked them up.
As for advice for incoming seniors? All I can say is don't slack off second semester- the courseload'll never be that bad, but if you let it pile up it'll be a nightmare by the end of the year (I have like, 13 missing assignments in Google Classroom).
To freshmen looking into the PLTW pathway, all I can say is know what you're getting into-- you can choose three paths; computer science, aerospace, and digital design, and they're all pretty distinct. Make sure you know the differences between 'em or you might not like what you're getting into. This is something I wish I'd known before going into the computer science pathway- I'm glad I chose it, but now looking back I think I'd've had more fun in digital design.
As for plans for next year? Well, I'm probably going to UC San Diego, where I got in for Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in robotics and controls. I'm also currently applying for the IDEA Scholar program at UCSD, (basically an honor society), so hopefully I'll be able to do that next year as well.
Only thing I wish I could tell myself four years ago is this-- take more AP classes, more concurrent rec (SMC) classes. You can always deal with the courseload, it'll never be that bad. Also, prioritize school over water polo (I got a B in Calc BC first semester because I missed like 3 weeks of school during the water polo season).
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