Computer Science Major Gains Matlab Experience Through Internship at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

As a research assistant with the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Younse Park '21 is working alongside graduate students and gleaning insights about her future.

Younse Park '21, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

Majors:

Computer science, economics

Internship title:

Research assistant. 

What I do, day to day:

My work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. In the research team office, I have my own desk where I work on simulating finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) on Matlab, which my supervisor has assigned to me. When I get lost solving problems, I ask the graduate students on the research team. I have a lab meeting with the supervisor every Monday and report what I have accomplished so far. Once in a while, I also attend special events such as the National Electrical Engineering Convention and a Saturday seminar at the school.

Most valuable part of this experience:

The most useful part is that I can observe the graduate students closely and hear their perspectives on the electrical engineering field as I interact with them every day. This experience is critical because it gives me a rough idea of what I am going into if I major in engineering.

Advice for students considering internships:

Don't get stuck on your major when you are looking for an internship as a first year student. Try to explore a large spectrum of the field you want to go into because your expectation of your desired job can be different from reality.

How this internship has helped me:

I have earned a new programming language skill, Matlab, which will help me improve my creative problem-solving abilities. I also have experienced an advanced level in the engineering field, which will help me narrow down the areas I want to explore as a computer science major.

Learn more about internships at Dickinson.

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Published July 27, 2018