Undergraduate Studies

This is the Insider's Guide to Cornell Chemical Engineering - advice from fellow students on surviving and thriving as a CHEME undergraduate. (Note that this guide posts the opinions and suggestions of CHEME students and does not represent the views or recommendations of the School or its faculty.)

Do you have questions or suggestions about succeeding as an CHEME undergraduate? Please email your question or contribution to advice@cheme.cornell.edu.

The Insider's Guide to Cornell Chemical Engineering

• Get out of your dorm room and explore campus and Ithaca, it's nice to know your way around.
• Meet other freshmen ChemEs. Later, it will be nice to already know some people in your major. Plus, they will have a similar schedule and you can work on problem sets together.
• Now is your greatest opportunity to get to know non-ChemEs. Soon enough, you will be taking mostly ChemE courses, and it will be much more difficult. Plus, you get to hear people say, "Wow! You're a ChemE?"
• Now, while your workload is lighter, get involved with groups and activities outside of ChemE. It's important to have several interests.
• Take CS 100M instead of 100J. You will need those Matlab skills later.

• This course is the best way to get early experience with ChemE and will help you decide for sure if you want to be a ChemE. The experience will also give you an advantage later on when you are hearing things for the second time instead of the first.
• Intro to ChemE is more work than the other Intros. It is also more fun and more useful.
• Taking this course lets you meet a bunch of other ChemEs, including the TAs, who are seniors and are invaluable for information on the major.
• If you take Intro to ChemE, try to get along with your group members...they might become your best friends! You will also be in classes with them until graduation.
• Don't be afraid to take a different Intro or both, especially if you are considering a different major or something really interests you.

• Make sure to take all the necessary freshman chemistry classes.
• If you have a lot of experience in chemistry consider taking 215/216 (honors) instead of 207/208. Doing this will make later classes easier plus you won't be bored with basic chemistry you already covered. Plus, if it's too difficult you can always switch back and not be very far behind. You might also be the only one in your 207/208 problem set groups who knows what's going on.
• Physical Chemistry can be difficult but just remember that A&S calls the class we take, "honors P-Chem". Work hard in this class; the principles learned here will come up again many times.
• Orgo and Orgo Lab will seem like a breeze after P-Chem I, P-Chem II, and P-Chem Lab. This class will not be a good one to fall behind in, work hard to understand what is going on at the time.

• Fluids can be difficult for many people but try not to get too frustrated. It's important to at least leave with a general understanding of the concept. It will all make a lot more sense junior year, when you take Heat and Mass. Also, save the text book, it doubles as the Heat and Mass one.
• Now is the time to decide if ChemE is really for you. Affiliation papers are due at the end of fall semester.
• Start attending AIChE events, even if no one else in your class will go.
• Put a lot of effort into 219 and PChem, they can determine if you get to affiliate or not!

• Everything you didn't learn in fluids you will learn in Heat and Mass.
• The work load increases again and most of this year is theoretical. Don't become disheartened, it gets better toward the end.
• Now's the time to start deciding on electives to take...do you want a minor?

• You finally get to apply all that knowledge you've acquired. Senior year has the most work, but it is also the most fun.
• Make sure that you have taken all the required classes. Electives (approved, ChemE, Advanced Science, etc.) can be tricky.

• The summer here is beautiful and smaller classes mean more attention.
• The freedom of working and doing new things in a new city is worth the compressed workload.
• It's a great way to see what ChemEs really do, and to appreciate what you learn, but be sure to know the company before you spend two semesters with them.

• You have to find professors yourself, they will not find you, but don't be afraid to contact someone you haven't taken a class from.
• Research can be pretty slow and boring, but it gives you a chance to be involved with something new and cutting-edge. Plus it'll help you learn if you like it.

• Start looking early, good ones fill up fast.
• Summers now have a different meaning, it's your chance to work on something that really interests you. anything that even remotely relates to your field will be excellent experience.
• Make yourself seen at career fairs and follow-up...getting offers is all dependent on following up with the company.
• You only have a summer to get your work done, so work smart.
• Getting to know the area helps in deciding where you want to end up after graduating.
• Enjoy your summer...remember it's still your vacation.

• Don't forget to introduce yourself, they have a lot of names and faces to learn.
• Professors like students who try to answer questions, but not all the questions.
• Give them a chance; they might be boring sometimes, but they're usually pretty cool people.
• They're people just like you and me, so don't be intimidated... however, show respect. They have been doing ChemE longer than you have.
• Remember, most jobs will want you to reference two professors, so try to build connections by interacting with them at office hours, in class, and at special functions.
• Get to know your professors and go to them with questions/concerns during office hours

• Your advisor is there to help you out so don't be intimidated.
• Advisors are a great tool but you will also need to rely on yourself somewhat.
• You might not get a great advisor your freshman year, but you'll get to switch in sophomore, so don't worry about it, and if your advisor doesn't understand ChemE requirements, or you're unsure, ask Prof. Duncan.
• Shoot the breeze with your advisor, you don't always have to talk about school.
• Talk to your advisor at least once per semester.

• 8AM classes can be very painful if you are not a morning person.
• Make your schedule compact, you won't waste time sitting around waiting on campus.
• Don't change your schedule to what your best friend is taking... they're already your friend, not taking a class together won't change that. However, classes with friends can be a lot of fun.
• You only have a few opportunities to take non-engineering classes, use them well.
• Labs will usually occupy a large part of your afternoon, all four years.
• Don't overload yourself; sophomore year's 17 credits is harder than freshman year's 21.
• Understand all the requirements for graduation and plan accordingly.

• Don't be afraid to venture out of your major
• Your grades are directly proportional to the amount of time you spent alert in class
• Buy coffee if the lecture is boring
• Take liberal arts classes that you enjoy and that you can count toward your requirements
• Many times, a 50% can still be a B ... really.

• Start your problem sets early while the material is fresh.
• Go to office hours to work on any problems you don't understand.
• Do p-sets to learn, not just to hand in; understanding will really help with prelims
• Find a group of people with similar work habits and form a homework group. Working together can lower your stress and get things done faster. Don't be embarrassed to ask your group for help understanding something, and don't leave anyone behind.

• For most people the ChemE community becomes a second family. Like any family, there will be good and bad times.
• Waiting to get to know the other ChemE's only makes you wish you would have known them earlier.
• Don't be afraid to meet ChemEs in other classes, they rarely bite.
• In general, ChemEs love to help other ChemEs
• Even if the other ChemE's aren't your best friends, it pays to make friends with them so that you have someone to do problem sets with and talk to in class.
• Do things besides work with your fellow classmates, like AIChE events, etc.

• AIChE is like the second half of ChemE life.
• Being an active member let's you have fun with other ChemEs outside of class and it also provides many professional resources.
• Becoming an AIChE officer allows you to shape your ChemE experience.
• It's never too late to get involved, but it's also never too early At the very least find out how it can make your life easy and more fun.
• "It's awesome" Bryan Jolley, '06
• There are a lot of other things to at Cornell get involved in anything that interests you.

• Olin will feel like a second home sometimes, that's when you know to get some air.
• There are soda/snack machines in the basement, but don't eat all your meals here.
• Don't lock computers for more than 5 minutes, it makes more enemies than it's worth. The couches in the Scheele Lounge are great for napping...just don't stay there overnight!
• Get a locker to store books, snacks, etc. in the Scheele lounge
• Before prelims, everyone's there discussing possible questions
• If you are feeling especially lazy, there's an elevator down the hallway through the double doors after the vending machines.
• Music is key...bring headphones and make launch.com your new best friend
• You'll have a mailbox starting sophomore year; take advantage of it
• Learn the codes to the front door, lounge, and computer lab.
• "Its the most beautiful building in all of campus!" -Esther Park '06