By Lavanya Mohnani
Educators 4 Impact, a non-profit organization committed to promoting equal access to educational opportunities and sharing experiences in various majors, universities, industries, and companies, was joined by Annie Liu, a senior at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) majoring in Computer Science. She shared her successful CS journey and what it was like being a woman in one of the most competitive fields of STEM.
The following is a summary of Joyce Wang's interview with Annie Liu.
1) What allowed Annie to explore CS in high school?
Annie, who went to an American high school, took computer-related courses throughout her 4 years. As a freshman, she took Intro to Engineering and progressed through the Advanced Placement CS courses. She also joined many CS clubs in her school, which allowed her to complete projects and explore STEM.
2) Was there any specific club that motivated Annie to pursue CS further?
As a freshman, she joined the Society of Women Engineers, which motivated her because it was a supportive environment filled with like-minded individuals who encouraged her to grow. Another club she got involved in was her school’s Computer Science 1st Club, which despite going through many revamps throughout the years, successfully gave its members a wide range of experience within CS.
3) How did Annie manage her time efficiently, despite doing so many activities?
She’s organized and nonspontaneous, and prefers to plan her days out using to-do lists and spreadsheets. For her watchers and readers, Annie advised them to make more use of the time in between meetings, classes, and more: the downtime most of us have, but don’t make use of.
4) How did Annie find the transition between high school & college? How difficult was it for her to integrate herself into the culture at UCLA?
Annie was among the millions who found her education completely online for the first year of university. The fact that she went into college unprepared for the rigor and difficulty of the classes, coupled with the lack of social interaction due to the pandemic, made her transition from high school to college rather challenging. Annie gave advice for high schoolers and college students alike, not to let assignments pile up and to avoid procrastination.
5) During her time in college, was there a specific moment Annie realized she had to discard her habitual procrastination?
Annie realized she had to avoid procrastinating from the moment college began. UCLA is a fast-paced university that grades on a quarter-system, and missing even a week of school can make a student fall behind.
6) Why did Annie choose UCLA for college?
Coincidentally enough, UCLA was always her dream school. She favored the school 1) because of its location- she always found Southern California and the big city of Los Angeles a great place to be, and 2) she always wanted to branch out and explore for college.
7) What are the greatest challenges Annie has faced in university?
Apart from procrastination, a challenge Annie faced was the vastness of the content she was exposed to in high school.
8) What were the living situations/dorms at UCLA like?
For her first year in person (sophomore year), Annie lived in a triple dorm, then moved to a double dorm. She likes the availability of the food and the fact you get to meet so many people your age who are all wanting to branch out and make connections.
9) What does Annie’s day-to-day life look like?
Annie typically stays on campus on the weekdays and finishes her homework, projects, and goes to lectures/watches lecture videos. To keep a balance, she’ll occasionally go out and grab food with a friend afterward.
10) UCLA is known for being a huge campus. Is all the walking ever tiring?
Annie says the maximum time it takes to walk from lecture to lecture is 20 minutes, and in comparison to the other UCs, UCLA is the smallest.
11) Is Annie a part of any clubs at UCLA?
She’s currently on a satellite research mission, which is funded by NASA, and works on the software side of this project. She also joined a club one quarter where she made a video game! She’s also a part of the Hackathon club at UCLA.
12) What was the video game she designed in the club?
Annie and her fellow club members designed a video game discovering interpersonal relations, and she noted that it was very cool to work with a team executing their vision.
13) If Annie could change anything at UCLA, what would it be?
She’d make it less crowded!
14) With all the knowledge she’s gathered now, what would she tell her high school self?
If she could go back in time, Annie said she’d tell her high school self to “chill out.” She’d give herself the time and opportunity to figure things out as they come and to implement more of a growth mindset.
15) CS is currently a very popular major. As a young woman in STEM, how’s Annie’s experience been?
Annie said that even though CS is a very hot major, it still takes a lot of time and effort to be successful in the field. As a woman in CS, she’s felt comfortable at UCLA but still notices the fact that CS lectures are male-dominant. She’s encountered situations where she’s been underestimated but says that building a community with other women in CS who struggle through the same experience is helpful.
16) What’s the dining hall scene like at UCLA?
The campus has a lot to offer! They have everything ranging from Asian food to off-brand Chipotle, to Mediterranean, to Italian! Her favorite is the Asian takeout place, which has been recently revamped to be more authentic.
17) What are Annie’s future plans?
She’s currently interning at Microsoft and is exploring different companies and industries, but enjoys the culture at Big Tech.
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