As engineers, we are often confine ourselves to the ubiquitous grind that is memorizing, making calculations, doing homework, studying, and the list goes on. However, the Engineering+ culture at USC has completely redefined what being an engineering student in Viterbi can look like. Ultimately, Engineering+ is a belief in the diversification of what we as engineers learn. In my case, this has taken form in being a part of the Student Symphony Orchestra (SSO) as well taking informative and fun classes outside of Viterbi.
Life is a Symphony
I have been playing my violin for about 11 years now. Personally, I believe that my violin is one of most impactful objects that I have in my life. Because of this, coming to USC, I knew that I had to continue playing music one way or another. After exploring the Involvement Fair my very first semester, I stumbled upon SSO. All I needed to hear was “symphony” and I wrote down my name and email. Skip a few years, and now I still enjoy playing in SSO every Sunday.
For non-Thornton majors, SSO provides an outlet where students from all different walks of life can come together and continue their passion for music apart from their major of focus. The Engineering+ mindset has allowed me to continue the pursuit of my passions beyond engineering.
Photo credit: @char_zhangzz
After a long and windy week, I always look forward to picking up my violin and playing for two hours as my way of cooling down.
BME Meets Coding
Most people would never put Biomedical Engineering and coding together. But here is where Engineering+ comes in. Studying Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Electrical Engineering, I knew I had to at least know the basic of computer programming. Because of this, I decided to take full advantage of the Information Technology Program (ITP) offered by at USC Viterbi. Through ITP, I have been able to learn Python and C++ and only for two units each! I cannot overstate the knowledge and skills that I have gained through ITP. In fact, this knowledge has helped me build my phone application for my current research.
Whether it is a fun class, a cool and interesting club, or a minor, Viterbi not only supports, but also facilitates the exploration of these things through Engineering+. If you like music production, go for it. If you want to explore a minor in philosophy, go for it. Your experience inside and outside of Viterbi is whatever you make it, so you are more than welcome to explore.
