I'm KJ.
I'm a rising senior at that small tech school in Cambridge, MA called MIT.
I want to make a giant impact on the world, and I think my next step to achieving that
goal is to get a PhD in Aerospace Engineering.
So right now, I'm conducting research at Stanford University to see if this is the place I'd
want to spend the next 5-7 years of my life.
This is a typical day in my life at Stanford.
So I just woke up and honestly I had a pretty good sleep so I'm excited for how this day
is going to turn out.
In this video, I'm just going to go about my normal day, and I'm not trying to sugar-coat
anything or make it seem more enjoyable than it actually is, and throughout the video I'm
also going to tell you about the importance of securing summer opportunities in college
and even in high school if that's where you're at.
So make sure to stick around for the entire video as you'll get some pointers throughout.
If you watched my previous vlogs, you'll probably know who Timmy is, and he's actually in this
very program right now.
So I'm going to head over for breakfast with him and get ready and see you on the other
side.
Summer vacations aren't really summer vacations, especially if you go to prestigious university.
It's almost seen as abnormal if you aren't doing something substantial over a summer.
During my first two summers in college, I had interned at an Aerospace company in LA,
and of course this summer I'm at Stanford and secured an all-expenses paid research
opportunity.
I think I will be able to give some tips that will really help all of you secure some cool
summer opportunities.
And if you're not in college yet, these will be great to keep in mind when the time does
come to apply, which could very well be in high school.
So we just had breakfast right now.
It was actually pretty good.
I mean you can't really go wrong with egg and some type of protein and potatoes.
Right now I'm heading to lab.
With research, there isn't really any set schedules, so I try to be in lab as often
as the grad students are so I can help out as much as possible.
So yeah right now, we are heading to Durand, where a bunch of the Aerospace Engineering
labs are, and Timmy is also working in a lab in that building, so we are going to head
over right now.
Right now I'm just in my little office space and this is where I spend most of my days.
I'm just doing some reading because I have to talk to the grad student I'm working under
just to talk about next steps.
Networking is probably the single biggest piece of advice I can give you right now.
You never really know too much about other people's networks, so staying professional
in more public environments could really go a long way.
With thousands of applications coming in for various programs, just knowing someone on
the inside will at least ensure that your application gets read by the right people,
and that gives you a shot.
For this program, I had asked my advisor to connect me with someone at Stanford last summer,
and through that connection I was able to get a lab tour, meet a couple of graduate
students, and ultimately meet the professor that I am working under this summer.
So yeah, just reaching out and trying to expand my network was really worth it in terms of
getting into this program.
Right now, Timmy just sent me a message so we're going to head out to lunch, and it should
be a good time.
Be confident in your own abilities, and be honest with what you can bring to the table.
In an interview setting, if you don't really know too much about a certain subject, let
the interviewer know that you don't really know too much about it, but are willing to
go the extra mile to fill in those gaps in knowledge.
They would rather have someone wiling to put in the work and continually be open to learning
than someone who thinks they know everything.
So you really have to be conscious of this.
It's a fine line where you still have to make sure you're selling yourself and your abilities,
but you can't come off as arrogant or cocky.
You have to show that you still have room to grow.
So Timmy and I just came back from Trusseter where there are just a bunch of different
places to eat, so we ate Panda Express today, and we usually just try to change it up and
have some variety.
But right now we have to head back to lab so I'll see you in there.
So right now I just got out of lab.
It was actually a really productive day, and I got a lot of work done and learned a lot
about programming in C and about Python programs and also about airplane dynamics.
So right now I was going to have a workshop, but unfortunately the person was sick so I'm
just going to pick up my dinner and probably head back and relax for a bit before I head
off to a movie.
Apply, apply, apply, and don't feel discouraged by any rejections.
If you really wanted to be a part of an internship or program, just put yourself out there and
try for it.
The worst thing that can happen is that you get some practical interview practice.
The more comfortable you get with putting yourself out there, the more confident you
become with yourself, and the more comfortable you come off during those interviews.
And if you're really passionate about something, this goes back to my networking point, try
and connect and build relationships with people who you think have that in.
And if you get rejected, who cares?
As I said before, this would just be more practical interview practice.
So right now I'm heading with my suite mates, we're actually going to watch a movie.
Yeah we're going to go watch Spiderman: Far From Home, and it's going to be pretty sick.
Yeah, we're all pretty excited so we'll see you on the other side.
And if you ever receive a position, don't take it for granted.
The people around you are watching you, whether you think they are or not.
They'll take into account everything you do.
If you are willing to go the extra mile, they'll notice that, and they'll reward that with
some sort of return offer.
Return offers are sure-fire ways to just get rehired into a certain company, without having
to go through the interview process again.
And with a lot of companies, these return offers just keep on coming.
Say you get an internship Freshman year, you could get a return offer for sophomore year,
and then your junior year and senior year.
And inevitably, that will end up coming back as a full-time return offer.
So what you do now in your first internship really can lead to a full time job later.
So really just focus on that first initial impression.
So we just got back from the movies and we all actually really enjoyed it, but its pretty
late right now so I'm going to head to sleep, but if there's going to be takeaways from
this video, I'd just say be your own advocate, really put yourself out there, and you'll
maybe get some opportunities that maybe you didn't even think you would receive, and in
terms of your personal life, treat your summer opportunities just like how I talk about how
you treat yourself during the school year.
Taking time for yourself to unwind from the stresses of the day to just do something like
go watch a movie with your friends, and honestly I think that would make any experience a lot
better.
If you haven't already make sure you follow me on Instagram and Twitter and I'll be updating
my story as the summer progresses.
And as for this channel, I'll be making a lot of videos so stay tuned for those.
As always, thanks for watching, and I will see you in the next video.