Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

 Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

 Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day student life.

Tell us about yourself and what you're studying.

I really enjoy the process of designing gadgets and seeing how they will benefit others. I think robots speak loudly to me because of how it ultimately makes people's lives more convenient. Robotic systems can come in many forms: self-driving vehicles, Roomba, assembly-line robot grippers, and many more! I am currently directing my studies on building autonomous aspects in these robotic systems, specifically through the usage of machine learning, computer vision, and controls engineering.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

During my undergraduate, I took a course for an introduction to robotics. I learned about putting together a robot arm and then writing some code to command it to draw a picture. At that moment, the software and hardware interaction was very novel to me. I thought to myself: "Wow, I actually made it move and draw a picture for me". Mechanical engineering is a very broad field, but I knew I wanted to explore this avenue after taking this class. This is why I am currently concentrating on it in my graduate studies.

Robotics really requires a holistic view of engineering. It brings all types of people collaborating together on a single project. I personally find it really interesting seeing how different majors (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science) converge to this field. Your product will not move if you do not have the correct circuitry set up, your product will not act the way you want it to if you do not have the correct mechanical dynamics, lastly, your product will definitely not work if you do not have the software that communicates with the on-board hardware. To be successful in robotics, you have to embrace diversity.

I like to think of robots as a game of puzzles, you have to be resourceful to find all the pieces in order to complete the puzzle. The entire process can get super hands-on and involved, but the rigor and effort are especially rewarding once you see your product work! The satisfaction is unlike any other and also very addicting. Additionally, Carnegie Mellon really cultivates this collaborative nature. I enjoy every opportunity to gain different perspectives from other people outside of your engineering discipline.

What classes are you taking right now? Which is your favorite and why?

I am currently taking Machine Learning, Localization and Mapping, Robot Design & Experimentation, and Project Management. I personally like Localization and Mapping the most because it is one of the subjects that is driving the autonomous vehicles industry. This class teaches you the fundamentals of how robots calculate where it is currently at. Unlike humans, robots don't have the organic tool (like the human brain) to process its surrounding. Robots actually use numbers from sensors to decipher their location, orientation, and nearby objects. This class really elicits a new perspective because we often take human intelligence for granted. Humans can easily determine where they're at by looking at a map visually, whereas, for robots, it's a game of probability.

Let's say the school day just started, what's a typical morning look like?

I wake up around 10:00 AM in the morning. I usually check my e-mails and write down my daily goals while I am eating breakfast. My morning is usually very light because it takes a while for me to start up, that's why I tend to do a lot of logistics/planning during the morning and leave the technical work for later. Depending on the weather, I would also go out for a walk if I know I am not required to go on campus, just to get away from the computer since I know I will be on it for the majority of the day.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

Luckily for me, all my lectures are in the afternoon this semester. This might be really trivial for others, but when to have lectures is really important to me. I had my fair share of morning classes and I cannot think of anything else but for sleep. I have come to realize that afternoon classes play a role in maintaining my mental health and keeps me from burning out. Moving on, I usually schedule my project meetings in between my classes. In summary, my afternoon typically consists of lectures and meetings when I am not on campus.

On other days where I am on campus working on my projects, I may have to get very hands-on with designing and putting things together, so that afternoon can pass by really fast. Often I will decide to miss the lecture and watch the recording later on at night.

I want to say that I probably only have to go on campus once or twice a week and do busywork. For the remainder of the days, you learn to multi-task so that there can be actual breaks in between your classes and meetings.

How are your classes/exams and how do you keep up? How many hours per week do you spend studying or doing assignments?

Surprisingly, there is less of an emphasis on exams in grad school (at least for CMU). My classes opt for projects in lieu of exams. CMU is known for its high-workload classes, and I can definitely be a testament to that. The only way to keep up is to be willing to dip into your nights (probably sleep time) to handle everything that is being thrown at you.

I personally get involved with school-related work for 10-12 hours per day, and 7 days a week. Again, you have to be willing and enjoying what you do. I personally find that it is no big deal with long hours since you signed yourself up to a graduate school to grow and take in as much as you can within your time in the program.

 Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your grad program?

This is actually very paradoxical, but the long hours are actually very taxing. You essentially invest so much time in your studies that you may need to sacrifice some of your distractions and personal obligations. I personally find that change of pace really challenging. In contrast to the psychological side, graduate-level classes may ask you to cover the gap in knowledge by yourself as a prerequisite of topics presented in classes. The school essentially trusts that you are competent enough to handle the intensity of its courses, and a lot of people find it onerous that we are liable for this gap.

What are some characteristics that help someone succeed in your grad program specifically?

You definitely have to enjoy and be genuinely interested in the things you learn in CMU's graduate program. We exemplify our motto "My heart is in the work" every day. Also, you have to be a communicator and be willing to let go of your ego. CMU's engineering program is one of the top programs in the nation, thus it attracts many best individuals from their respective undergrad. I have seen instances where people were too proud of themselves and not willing to accept other people's opinions or perspectives. I mentioned that CMU really cultivates a collaborative culture, so you really have to take the initiative to communicate and be accepting of new perspectives. If you are willing to do that, you will find that many people are there to actually help you and genuinely want to teach you new things.

Any advice on how to stand out and get into your grad program for those just starting off?

If you are still finishing up your undergrad, make sure you find a student project that you love and invest your time in it. This is to ensure you have explored the things you love about your major and be willing to spend 2 more years of your time studying and researching about it.

In CMU's grad school application, you will be asked to explain using your own experiences: how CMU will help you further realize your expectations for the things you love to do, what most interests you about CMU's graduate program besides its reputation. The theme of the questions is to gauge your initiative and how likely you are to thrive in this hardworking institution. Speaking from my own connections, I do not think I met a person here who has not either led a student project before or have prior work experience.

What's something that surprised you about grad school?

There is a certain stigma that top engineering schools are very competitive internally because we're all aiming for the same positions at big companies. After spending almost 2 semesters here, I will say that people at CMU are not at all competitive but rather collaborative. If anything, the online environment has made us more willing to meet each other at odd hours just to finish an assignment together.

Speaking of the online environment, I was surprised at how much it has changed the narrative of the college experience. I was actually very skeptical about online classes, but now I feel like I cannot flourish in school as well without those convenient recordings. I love having the flexibility of when you want to watch the lecture, plus the complete drop in commuting adds time to my day to spend on productive work.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to get into your grad program?

If your undergraduate program is rather light right now, invest in learning a programming language, specifically Python and C++. Even if you are not going into robotics, these two languages have so many scientific toolboxes that you will find a need for them no matter which type of mechanical engineering concentration you are going into.

If you are planning to get into CMU robotics, it will be detrimental if you don't already have these two languages in your skillset, most of the classes here hinges on the proficiency of these two languages, and you will end up spending a lot of time doing catch-up work rather than doing the actual assignment. Again, you are required to fill in the knowledge gap, the professors can only be so understanding to a certain extent.

Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?