Things I wish I knew when I started college...

[Sara Ganetis]

Okay senior-level undergraduates and graduate students-- we need your input on this thread. What are some things you wish you knew before you started college or got really involved in your major?

I'll start!

I wish I had seen more weather phenomena with my own eyes before reading about them in a textbook. Never underestimate the power of observation prior to learning about a theory or concept. The first scientists were born from observing the natural world around them, you know!

I also wish I had taken neater notes because I keep finding myself referring back to a class I had taken my junior year (some 3 years later).

One more wish is that I wish I had taken more CompSci classes. This totally depends on your university or college with what is offered, but I regret not having more formal instruction before immersing myself and teaching myself. I'm quite scatterbrained and my programs and scripts unfortunately reflect that.

[Derek Mallia]

I wish I took my calculus classes more seriously! Also, get some type of programing experience before going into graduate school! This will give you a major edge in your graduate school application (and also make any undergraduate research/projects that you may do a lot easier!)

[vanna]

I also wish I had realized how important coding experience is and gotten more experience with a wider variety of languages. However, after learning one language it is easier to learn others and having an idea of the pros/cons of common languages can help point you to the most applicable language for a project. I think a good place to start is with C, C++ or Fortran for computations and Matlab, Python or IDL for visualizations. I have to give an extra recommendation for Python as it is open source (we all know how important free is as a student), rapidly growing and has wrappers for other languages such as C and Fortran for optimizing code.

I do wish I had spent more time researching the opportunities available as an undergrad. Coming from a program focused on operational meteorology, I often found out about research opportunities after the deadline. And even if you think you are set on research/teaching/forecasting, be sure to experience the other sides of the field, you might fall in love with something else! Even if you find your first choice is a perfect fit, you will end up better understanding the community and its needs and be better connected to the rest of the field.

And one last thing for going into research, I wish I had a better grip on the idea that no one project is likely to be revolutionary in itself and that even finding one piece of the puzzle is a worthwhile goal (or finding that another piece doesn't fit where you think it did) and is good for the community, because no one is going to solve all of the problems at once.

[chriss]

I would strongly suggest to anyone pursuing a B.S. in atmospheric science to ensure that you take your mathematic's very seriously. If you are like me and really had no interest in math and just want to " get them done" you will regret that mentality later on. For me, personally, math didn't "click" until my junior year. When you can use complicated DE's to solve how long it will take a storm to move from point A to point B and you recognize that the computer models are doing millions of calculations similar to them, you will come to appreciate it a lot more. Utilize the Internet for assistance with learning your calculus, as often times you can have a professor who has no business teaching. Had it not been for a professor in Buffalo who had all her lectures in video format online, I would have never gotten passed Calculus 2.

Take math seriously I know for some of us interested in this field who dislike Math may hate this advice, but take it from someone who was just like you.

[Alicia Bentley]

I also wish that I had spent more time looking into the research opportunities for undergraduates (to reiterate Vanna's second point). The best research experience that I ever had was the summer before my senior year of undergrad. I spent that summer away from home, living in a house with complete strangers, doing research on a topic that I knew very little about. I was completely out of my comfort-zone and scared to death. Despite initially feeling this way, I truly believe that was the best summer of my life. I learned new programing skills, expanded my basic meteorological knowledge, and became a better writer/presenter. I also met some tremendous young scientists (a few of whom are members/moderators of MetScholars). I wish that I had taken the time to look into other research opportunities during my freshman and/or sophomore year. It's never too early in your college career to apply to these undergraduate research programs. The experience they provide is invaluable and I wish I could have participated in more of them before graduate school.

A short list of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) can be found here: www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=10020

This link, and many others, can also be found under the "Resources" thread in this section.

[Samantha Tushaus]

I'm going to agree with all the previous posts here and say I wish I'd had more programming experience before graduate school. Although I'm doing fine, I was kind of stumbling along with the programming for a while when I began my research.

Agreeing again--introductory calculus and physics classes may suck, but it's worth the effort you put in. When you get to upper-level dynamics and physics courses your basic skills will be invaluable. If not for my math/physics skills, I wouldn't have made it past my first semester of grad school.

ABSOLUTELY search for undergraduate opportunities; it doesn't matter the focus, just get some experience with a TV channel, the NWS, or some university or company that does meteorological research. Anything helps, and sometimes it'll help you figure out what you want (or don't want) to do when you grow up.

Finally: you don't have to be best friends with everyone in your department, but get to know some upper-classmen, professors, and grad students at your university. They've been doing this whole meteorology shindig longer than you have, and they have stories and advice that are worth your time!

[Keith Sherburn]

Rather than just echoing the sentiments regarding the importance of mathematics, computer science, undergrad research, and observations, I would like to take a step somewhat out of the professional realm (while still being somewhat tied to it). 

I wish I had known that nothing is forever. This goes for any facet of your life that you can imagine.

Your passions will change, and they can wane. This doesn't mean that you're a failure. It's somewhat natural to become frustrated with your chosen career, and it doesn't mean it's not what you should be doing with your life. The truth is, you will never be happy all the time with anything. There will be some times that you don't want to do research, period. There will likely even be times that you want to forget about weather for awhile. That's okay. There's a naive belief that circulates in college-aged students minds that if we're not enjoying what we're doing at all times, then maybe it's not for us. The idea is to minimize those moments where you hate what you do, not eradicate them.

Along the same lines, people change. Relationships will falter and, sometimes, collapse. This goes for friendships and romantic relationships. Many of us have experienced the loss of good high school friends or a long-term girlfriend/boyfriend while in undergrad or grad. While never easy, it does happen, and it doesn't mean you're bound to be alone forever. Remember the support system you have, and don't be afraid to ask for help, professionally or personally.

Also, if you're like me, or many of the people I personally know on this board, or if you even care enough to participate in a board like this, you feel a lot of stress and anxiety about the work that you do. Why? Because you are afraid of letting others down. Stop being afraid of that, because believe it or not, you are your harshest critic. Do work that you are proud of, but realize that your family, friends, and even advisor(s) are already proud of you. What will let them down, and let you down, is you losing your own sense of worth by letting every mistake you make become an anchor.

Finally, achieve balance in your life between work and play. No one can tell you what the ideal balance is for you; this is something you will learn over time. But never become too invested in one facet of your life; otherwise, you could lose yourself faster than you could ever expect.