In this chapter of The Brain Rules, Medina speaks about how Long-Term Memory, he explains how almost everything we hear everyday, we forget in seconds. Although we forget almost everything we hear, those that do make it through will strengthen over time, which is why it is important that when you want to improve your memory to continue to repeat. By repeating an action or any piece of information it will be etched in your memory.

In this chapter of John Medina’s book The Brain Rules, he speaks about survival. Survival is something that all species must go through, we were able the adapt due to evolution. Since we continue to evolve the way we think and the way we live. He speaks about the ways our brain adapts, to our changing environment. This helps us survive in the sense that you are able to change along with your surroundings. Such as beliefs on certain aspects of the world, this is your mind changing how you think to adapt to the life you are living. This chapter was enlightening since I really never thought about survival as a sense of evolution.

In John Medina’s first rule he speaks about exercise. The brain can be trained in numerous ways, exercise is one of them. Exercise should be a huge part of our lives as it increases blood flow to our brain but also increases our cognitive skills. He also speaks about the difference in someone who’s brain has been properly exercised and another who’s brain has been poorly exercised. Just through showing the differences in these two caught my interest. A brain that is exercised, can show significant improvement in ones ability to do difficult tasks. In all, this book The Brain Rules has caught my attention, I look forward to reading the rest of this book.

My name is Christopher Mena. I am currently a City Tech’s student majoring in Computer Engineering Technology. I have been reflecting my thoughts towards why is this the best career for me? As I was thinking the “Why” I came up with three main reasons of why Computer Engineering in Technology should be my career. This is the best career for my because first I am very talented at it, second it will help in futures career and third I want to challenge myself. In this essay I will not only explain this reasons but I will also give a brief background of me and explains what Computer Engineering Technology is all about.

Computer Engineering Technology is one of the fastest growing fields in New York and has become a very competitive course. As we progress throughout this course one of the main keys to succeed in the course is teamwork. Computer Engineering means also being able to work along other and being able to communicate with them. In the New York City College of Technology College Catalog 2014-2015 “an ability to select and apply the knowledge, techniques, skills, and modern tools of the discipline to broadly-defined engineering technology activities”. This is one of the outcomes that students are expected to do professionally on their field of work. During this 4 years I would be working as much as I can, this field really motivates me because it is definitively a very competitive career, but throughout that time I would be able to unlock my full potential.

I explained what is the job of a Computer Engineer, I described what is it about and what City Tech offers me to accomplish this goal, but why Computer Engineering? I chose this career because I am very talented at it. Since I was a kid I showed a lot of interest in Computers. In this time, I had the opportunity that helped better understand the concepts of computers. As time passed I slowly but surely became the star of the club. From simple task such as coding to more demanding ones such as wiring an entire robot I could it all. My biggest accomplishment in the robotics club was when I learned how to control a robot using a remote controller. After realizing that what I learned could change my whole life, I decided to be a Computer Engineering. Learning the concepts from an early age gave me an advantage. According to an article from the New York Times Studying Engineering Before They Can Spell It “We say they’re born engineers — they naturally want to solve problems — and we tend to educate it out of them.” As a person who was involved in this type of classes at an early age, I definitely agree with this idea. Introducing kids to these type of classes not only affects them positively by developing their minds and their creativities by they are more likely to be better engineers than someone who just started. They become talented and many opportunities are open to them.

Another reason why this is the best career for me is because it would help me in futures career. My current major is Computer Engineering Technology but this was never my intended career. I decided to pursue a career in engineering because I have a talent for it, however it was not my first choice. Originally I wanted to be a pilot but I was nor the greatest when it comes to math and physics, I was just average. During my time in the robotics club is when I decided to pursue engineering as my career. In the article Math blocks many engineering students Engineering is not about giving you the opportunity of a job, is to open new paths for more opportunities. The article also explains “Difficulty mastering math is the No. 1 reason engineering students drop out of the curriculum” but on survey made in the article “More than 35 percent believe that a good job market with job security is the primary motivation for most students selecting to study engineering, while 20 percent said an affinity for math or sciences is the primary motivation.” On the contrary, math is my biggest motivation to study engineering. I know that it is not a simple career but I look forward to the opportunities that arise becoming an engineer.

The final reason why I believe this is the ideal career for me is because I want to challenge myself. The work of an engineers is not considered easy. Challenging ourselves could lead to the right direction. If the work of an engineers is taken easy, then the result would be the same, bad as expected. According to the article Challenges before Engineering Education – Role of Humanities and Social Sciences “The new education process needs to change the present methodologies so as to meet the needs of the future. This will enable creation of a manpower that is capable of seeding new ideas, germinating new thought processes, creating new innovations to ensure sustainable development.” Easy could be good but not always. When it comes to create the future easy is something we might not like. To develop our full potential we need to work and challenge ourselves to its full potential. Challenges can lead to great ideas. Because of challenges we live they we do now.

Choosing the right place to study is essential. For me City Tech was not that place for me since I was not feeling that I was in College, but in an interview with professor Ginsberg a math professor, I asked him that if City Tech was the right place for majoring in engineering, he responded “I think that City Tech is a good choice of school for engineering if you live in NYC. It is a great value for the education you receive here, and the faculty are actively engaged in research. Also, since you are studying in NYC, you have the opportunity to work towards internships and co-ops with some of the best companies in the world, to acquire on-the-job experience before you even get your degree.” Before the interview, because I am a freshmen I still do not know all the opportunities that City Tech has and even that its faculty is dedicated to do the best they can. I asked him too that if he would recommend any high school student interesting in engineering to enroll on City Tech, and he reply “I would recommend to any high scholar looking to become an engineer that City Tech has a lot of advantages. Its low cost, but surprisingly high value, together with its link to the larger CUNY and SUNY systems, and the numerous other universities in New York State, make studying here an excellent option.” City Tech is a great choice after all, I wasn’t aware of the things we can accomplish just by studying at City Tech. I am looking forward to continue my career here at City Tech and with all the experience I have I would definitively recommend City Tech to anyone.

Lastly of you are planning to major any career in Engineering, especially in Computer Engineering Technology you might find hard. This is not an easy course, it is intended to be this way. The course is preparing us to deal with real world task. It’s not all about computer but it is also about teamwork. It might look unnecessary at some point in our lives that some of the things we learned during this course we would not use it that much, but the course or any other are not meant for one class but preparing us for any other career. As mentioned this course is hard and shall not be taken easy. As long as you keep on track and keep doing the work, it would be just fine.  If your problem is math you should not worry. The course is no made for throwing at you high-level skill math, but it would introduce you to basic and fundamental  math so you can actually be prepare for what is coming.

Work Cited

Ginsberg, Jonathan. E-mail Interview. 9 Decemeber.2014

MATHSOFT Engineering & Education Inc. “Difficulty mastering math is the No. 1 reason          engineering students drop out of the curriculum” Math blocks many engineering students. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2014

New York College City of Technology.College Catalog 2014-2015.2014.PDF.27.Nov.2015

Rao, N. J “The new education process needs to change” Challenges before Engineering Education –  Role of Humanities and Social Sciences. Academic Search Complete. Web.26 Nov.2014

Winnie Hu “We say they’re born engineers” Studying Engineering Before They can Spell It (2013) Web.27Nov.2014

            Hi! My name is Mei Na Chen. I am a student at the New York City College of Technology who is reflecting on my major and thinking ahead to enter a specific career field. The major that I intend to pursue is Nursing and the specific career field in Nursing that I want to enter is a Registered Nursing Program. I have a huge passion for helping people that needs to be helped and to give hope to others. I have faith in myself that I will become the best nurse anyone could ever be in my own opinion. The reasons why I intend in becoming a nurse are that there is a great demand for nurses in the present, nurses have good pay, and last but not least, nurses also have flexible schedules and you can work your way up.

            The major that I intend to pursue is Nursing, but the career that I want in the nursing program is to be a registered nurse. Registered nurses usually train at hospitals where nurses care for, educate, and enhance the lives of patient’s every day. They will eventually learn the basis of caring for people with both short and long term effects, and how to treat their situations. They will also learn on how to examine the patients because that is the first step to everything. “Nursing majors train to care for sick and disabled patients to disable their health.” This major is offered in both the associates and bachelors. I am trying to aim for the Bachelors which is 4 years in school. After graduation, there are many options in this major. When you pass the Nursing Program License test, you will be an eligible registered nurse and then can start applying to different hospitals. You can start work right away. Your jobs can be a registered nurse (RN), head nurse, practical nurse, etc. The specific thing that I want to do at City Tech is to gain some experience and get my degree in the nursing program. I might transfer to Hunter or Stonybrook because I want the Bachelor’s degree and City Tech only offers the Associates degree.

            One reason why I intend on becoming a nurse is because of the high demand for nurses in the present day. According to Jean Gray, “As recruitment and retention rates improve at the most successful trusts, there will be a knock-on effect throughout the service, with new nurses having to accept perhaps their second or third choice of employee.” This means that more and more people are going to be getting their jobs as a nurse and that other nurses will eventually have to accept them and cooperate with them because the demand in this job will increase dramatically. She also states that we won’t be able to see unemployment in this particular major which is a good thing. All the credit goes to the government for attracting more nurses because they have been campaigning and doing stuff to help us get more nurses. Campaigns like Harold Shipman are rare but demand a serious amount of people.

            The second reason why I intend on becoming a nurse is because nurses get good pay. When I went back to visit my teachers at my high school, Eleanor Roosevelt High School located on 411 E 76^th Street, I had a conversation with the secretary. She told me that her daughter was working as a registered nurse and that her pay was really good. She encouraged me in becoming a nurse because her daughter only works 3 days a week and gets paid for the entire week even on her day off. When I heard that I was surprised because I never knew that you could get paid even when you weren’t working. Furthermore, I did some research and this is what I found out. I found out that the median annual wage for registered nurses are $65,570 in May 2012. The wages also depend on where you work. For example, if you work for the Government, your annual wage would be $68,540, if you work for hospitals, your annual wage would be $67,210, if you work for home healthcare services, your annual wage would be $62,090, if you work for nursing residential facilities, your annual wage would be $58,830, and if you work for offices of physicians, your annual salary would be $58,420. These are the top options of places you might work in after you graduate college and get your license as a registered nurse. These different jobs are all good choices.

            The last reason why I want to be a registered nurse is because of the flexible schedule and the way you can work your way up. First off, being able to have a flexible schedule is the best because then you can decide when you want to work and make your own schedule. I think that if I were to make my schedule right now, I would probably work night shift because I am not a morning person and I always end up being late. I like being up at night because I feel like I am more focused and on task. Having a flexible schedule also benefits you if you want to work your way up. For example, if you want to study at the same time as work as a nurse, you can do that because of the flexible schedule. You can work on one hand and study into becoming whatever you want on the other hand. This is why nursing is a perfect job for me.

            By going to the New York City College of Technology, City Tech will help further my knowledge and skills on how to become a better nurse. City Tech will do this by having me major in liberal arts first and then moving me on to become a nurse. In the course catalog in City Tech, it shows me all of the classes that I have to take and the amount of credits that I will need in order for me to be able to sign up for the nursing program. The course catalog is a very helpful place in my opinion because it tells you everything you need to know about your major and how you would be able to achieve your goals.

       In conclusion, if you want to become a nurse like I do, I recommend that you do a little bit of research like I did on nursing. I think that the course catalog was a huge help into my understanding because I didn’t know that I had to take that many classes and I didn’t know how much credits I needed for the nursing program. I also recommend doing some internship at hospitals and other clinical work to gain some experience and to make sure that this is the job you want for your future. I hope that you make the right decision and love your job and mostly have fun.

My name is Ivan Melo and I am a freshman at New York City College of Technology. I am currently majoring in radiology and my goal is to become a radiologist. This career is ideal for me because it requires my aptitude for math and science, it builds on my passion for working in the medical field, and it provides a great wage for living a contented life. In this essay I will describe the field, elaborate on my reasons for pursuing this career, and offer advice on preparing for this career.

In radiology you learn about using different machines and instruments to find out what is going on with a patient without using invasive procedures. Some of these include X-rays, CT scans, and MRI machines. Radiologists can help people who have anything ranging from a broken arm to cancer and can even be used to study the brain. Since the field is very broad, there are many different sub specialties that radiologists specialize in. According to the New York City College of Technology College Catalog 2014-2015, “The radiologic technologist utilizes ionizing radiation to produce radiographic images of various parts of the body to aid in the detection of injury or disease. In recent years, the increasing complexity of radiologic procedures and e continuing emphasis upon the elevation of prescribed standards of practice set forth by the Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection of New York State have made radiologic technology and medical imaging a highly specialized and sophisticated science requiring competently trained personnel. City Tech’s comprehensive program provides students with the special knowledge and skills required for the practice of radiologic technology and medical imaging.” This describes what my job would be like as a radiologist and motivates me to get the most out of my education at City Tech. In the four years I will be studying at City Tech, my goal is to learn as much as possible about my career and to perform to the best of my ability in my classes so that I can become a successful radiologist.

There are many reasons why being a radiologist is the ideal career choice for me. One reason is because of the intellectual stimulation and challenge it would provide. Radiology involves using visual diagnostic equipment to identify and treat conditions of patients. According to the article, Factors Leading to Radiology Career Selection: Results of the 2004 National Physician Survey, “The results illustrate that the most important factors in the decision to pursue radiology were intellectual stimulation and challenge and workload flexibility. Given the rapidly expanding nature of the field, it is encouraging that most of its members entered the field to be challenged.” This is a prime example of why radiology is the ideal career for me. I like to constantly be challenged and learn new things and in the field of radiology, the technology is constantly being updated so the job would require me to learn how to use the different equipment and at the same time find different ways of doing the same job. In radiology the process to actually become a radiologist is very rigorous and competitive which is something I enjoy having since it will motivate me.

Another reason why being a radiologist is the best career for me is because it would allow me to earn enough money for me to live a co tent life. I want to earn enough I will never have to worry about having financial hardships, and by becoming a radiologist I would be earning well above the average salary in New York. According to the article, Want to Be A Millionaire?, “A salary of up to $1 million for a radiologist is being offered by a Townsville X-Ray clinic. X-Ray Services is offering a salary of between $800,000 and $1 million to attract one of the highly trained professionals. NQXS director John Gibb said they were searching high and low for a specialist to join their clinics.” I find  it astonishing at the amount of money a radiologist earns. If you divide the salary per month you would earn about $83,000 a month. This easily allows me to have not only necessities, but also luxury items. The starting salary however of a radiologist is about $56,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a really good salary considering the fact that you just need an associates degree to earn the starting salary.

The third reason why I believe radiology is the best career choice for me is because I have always wanted to work in the medical field. Since as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for learning about science and particularly medicine. The thing that I like most about the medical field is the fact that you can help people. It may sound like a cliché reason but I really like to help people without expecting something in return. The fact that I know I would be helping at least one person would make me happy and feel like I make a difference on the world. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Radiologic and MRI technologists work closely with patients who may be in extreme pain or mentally stressed. Technologists must be able to put the patient at ease to get usable images. Radiologic and MRI technologists may need to calculate and mix the right dose of chemicals used in imaging procedures. ” This is evidence that radiologists actually do help in a greater sense because they provide a way to let doctors know what’s going on inside of your body. This career requires you to be able to communicate well with people to tell them in a calm way whatever the problem is and suggest some solutions to help their condition. I interviewed my friend’s Aunt who is majoring in radiology and asked her about why she decided to go into that major. She replied, ” I was never really good at math and science and I actually didn’t really find interest in those subjects but my parents sort of forced me to take radiology courses. At first I didn’t really like it and thought about changing my major without my parents knowing but after really getting to know more about the major its actually really interesting…” (she asked to remain anonymous) This further encourages me because if it could make someone who isn’t interested in medicine or good at math and science, and still manages to get their attention, I could only imagine how it would be like for me.

To restate, this is the best career path for me, because it requires my aptitude for math and science, it builds on my passion for working in the medical field, and it provides a great wage for living a contented life. The process you have to go through in order to become a radiologist is very rigorous and challenging, however it is very rewarding. I recommend this career choice for people who are skilled in the subjects of math and science, are good at communicating with others, and are interested in earning a high salary. Even if this doesn’t seem like something that you would normally be interested in, you never know you may actually turn out to be another one of these highly specialized doctors.

Works Cited

Bhargavan, Mythreyi, Jonathan H. Sunshine, and Barbara Schepps. “Data From A Professional                      Society Placement Service As A Measure Of The Employment Market For Radiation                      Oncologists.” International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics 53.2(2002):                      401. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2014

Julie, Appleby. “Nurse Anesthetists In Short Supply.” USA Today (n.d.): Academic Search Complete.                      Web. 26.Nov. 2014

Mills, Michael D. “Internal Qualification And Credentialing Of Radiation Oncology Physicists To                      Perform Patient Special Procedures.” Frontiers In Oncology 3.(2014): 1-6. Academic                      Search Complete. Web.26Nov. 2014

 New York City College of Technology Course Catalog. New York. “Radiologic Imaging.” 2014                       City Tech Course Catalog. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

“Salaries Climb For Radiology Directors, Physical Therapists and Staff Pharmacists.” H&HN:                      Hospitals & Health Networks 80.12(2006):65 . Academic Search Complete. Web. 26                      Nov. 2014.

Kevin Franco

English

My name is Kevin Franco, I am a freshman at New York City College of Technology. I have to chosen to major in Computer Engineering. I believe this is the best career path for me because I love to get my hands dirty and do hands-on work, not to mention that since I was a child I was always into technology. Technology has rapidly developed and grown that job opportunities will surely be increasing due to the need for Computer Engineers which in my opinion is a steady job. In this essay, I will do these things in order, I will give you background details on my major; mentioning sources, as well as my plan after my graduation. I will then support my reasoning for entering this major and end with a few tips regarding my major to help those that are incoming freshman.

Computer Engineering is a growing field in today’s world, mainly because of the rapid growth of technology. In my major, you learn about many things, these courses consist of knowing important details about electrical currents, as well as, how to put together electrical components. After graduation, I will try to work in a store that repairs electrical devices, so that I can get the feel for what I will be doing in my life. I will be going for my Bachelors degree, I will have to get a 128-130 credits, most of them being from my majors required course. With all these courses I will take over 8 semesters to accomplish this(New York College City of Technology.College Catalog 2014-2015.2014.PDF.17.Nov.2015). After I get my Bachelors degree I will be more than qualified to excel in my career path.  Experience is also something that I will need for a high paying job. After I gain experience in my field of work, I plan to apply to a major company such as intel or microsoft. Those companies are thought of highly, I believe that I will benefit a lot from such a continuously growing company.

Technology is forever growing. According to studies, technology has been growing at an incredible rate. A good example of the growth of technology would be that in 2001; we just had phones for SMS and calls but by 2011, we completely evolved, we had mobile phones with touchscreen and had cameras with amazing quality. This alone shows how we have continuously grown from phones with a single use changed, into a phone with multiple uses and is able to connect to internet with its 3G technology. To even further prove my point, from 2011 to 2014, we completely changed; we enhanced all the technology we had already, from 3G data connections to 4G data connections. We improved the capability of the camera and the processors within 4 years. This will only continue to improve, showing the never-ending growth of technology.

Job opportunities will be pretty high for me since I will be coming out of school with a bachelors degree. In City Tech’s College Catalog(pg 221), it speaks of all the necessary requirements to graduate with that degree. I am required to take 82 courses pertaining to my major. I believe that with all the courses I will be have taken, I will be more than qualified to apply for a job at any major company. The hunt for jobs will never be a long one, Computer Engineers are always needed due to technological advancements.

Computer Engineering is a very stable job. The starting salary for a beginning Computer Engineer is approximately $64,000, during the next twenty years the money that I gain will continue to increase, as long as I keep gaining experience. Computer Engineering hourly rate can range from $7.89-$40.02 (www.payscale.com). Stable jobs are important in life, with this pay scale, I will progressively keep earning more money.

City Tech has a variety of opportunities and courses for my major. In the College Catalog, it shows all the different choices for Computer Engineering, I plan to use these skills I acquire to focus on getting a job. Not only that, the time management that is required in college will ultimately become a habit, which will lead to productive work. I will be transferring to New Rochelle after I complete my 4 years in CIty Tech. I interviewed a student in New Rochelle that has been doing Computer Engineering for a while now, here are his responses:

1) What kind of skills have you acquired over the years in Computer Engineering?

As of now, I am exposed to several different types of programming languages. I have learned Python, Java, and C. I have also learned how to write proper lab reports as well as how to use very high level lab equipment such as ​Oscilliscopes and DC power supplies. I also have experience using very computer engineering software such as using Altera Suite which contains applications to generate waveforms of signals and also to model real world circuits. Those circuits are then created in the real world on our breadboards. I also know how to write machine code that we use to make things happen with our microprocessors (small CPU’s that do really basic things like add or divide). There are really so much I’ve learned in the past two years. I wish I had more time to explain it all.

2) How time consuming is this major?

The major is definitely time consuming. I would say that on average I spend about 15-20 hours dedicated to doing lab work and other assignments that are related to computer engineering. It may sound like a lot at first, but it’s only about an average of 3 hours a day which isn’t much considering that a full time job is about 40 hours a week.

3) What do you personally enjoy about this major? Why did you choose it?

There is definitely a love-hate relationship that I have with this major. Like I said above, it’s very time consuming and it requires a lot of dedication to your work. It’s also very challenging which I enjoy. I like problem solving. I enjoy finding several solutions to a single problem. It’s the whole engineering aspect that there are clearly better ways to do the same outcome. I’ve always enjoyed taking apart computers and learning more about hardware. I’ve been doing since I was 10. I guess I knew at a young age what I wanted to do more or less.

4) What is your advice to someone interested in entering this field?

My first piece of advice is make sure that you want to go into the engineering field. It isn’t for the weak of heart or those who really aren’t math or science orientated. Make sure that you know that you want to do engineering as soon as possible. It’s very easy to switch out of engineering once you know that you don’t want to become an engineering. However, it’s very hard to switch back in and catch up with the first of the people in your major. Another piece of advice that I have is that you have to be willing to put in time to learn new material and to spend long hours in lab trying to finish your assignments. Having a rigid schedule can definitely help when trying to plan your week with all labs, assignments, tests and quizzes so you can dedicate time to those other classes that aren’t engineering related. Lastly, have fun. Yes, computer engineering (CE) is not the easiest thing in the world to do and sometimes it pushes you up against a wall. But there are moments where you do have fun in CE and you can catch breaks every now then. Try taking a non engineering course at some point. A routine separate from CE is enough to keep you going for the rest of your career.

Incoming Freshman are usually confused about how to maneuver around in college, Computer Engineering has a lot of courses that you must take, some freshman might not know what these would be. If you do not know what is required of you it can lead to some mistakes during your first semester. I recommend students that are interested in any course, should research their major using the College Catalog, provided to you by the school website. It will substantially increase your knowledge on your major and make college life much easier.

New York College City of Technology.College Catalog 2014-2015.2014.PDF.17.Nov.2015

Rosas, Joshua. Personal interview. 1 December 2014.

2014 PayScale, Inc.Computer Engineering payroll.web.4 Dec.2014

Taylor, Glyn. “The Future Is Coming Much Faster Than We Think”.7.4.2014.Web.Dec.4.2014

2003-2014 Education Portal.Computer Engineers: Career Info & Job Description.Web.Dec.4.2014

Civil Engineering Career

My name is Antony Frias, I was born in The Dominican Republic but migrated to the New York where I have lived half of my life. The major that I am doing at The New York City College of Technology is Civil Engineering. While being raised in the Dominican Republic, I was around my family who worked doing construction. I saw a lot of things that were involved in the field of construction. Seeing how capable my family was in construction made me interested in getting a career in that was related to the field of construction. Graduating from an architectural high school helped me realize that one of my passions is drawing and my strongest areas in general education are science and math. After researching topics related to my major who included construction, drawing, math, and science I realized that civil engineering was the perfect major for me. The main reasons why civil engineering is the best major for me are because the job pays well, it has a lot of career opportunities, and high job demand. Throughout the next few paragraphs I will be explaining what civil engineering is and how this major is the best for me.

Civil engineering is one of the oldest and most important branches of engineering. Civil engineers are in charge of designing constructing construction projects. They supervise, and maintain large construction projects and systems. Civil engineers work in indoor offices but sometimes spend time in the construction sites to monitor projects and solve problems that they might encounter when building a project. At the New York City College of Technology the program provided is called Associate in applied science in civil engineering technology. The New York City College of Technology (City Tech) college catalog “the program prepares students for positions as civil engineering technicians in a broad range of public work projects including structure, transportation facilities, water supply, waste water treatment, geotechnical as well as construction inspection, material testing and surveying”.(college catalog, Pg.250).This means that I will gain experience in a wide range of careers in the field of civil engineering. This associate’s degree program will also allow me to be able to transfer for a bachelor’s degree program at another college.

House Section View

Construction Of new Building across from City Tech

The first main reasons why civil engineering is the best career for me is because the job pays well. Civil engineering is one of the best well-paid jobs around the world. According to the U.S. bureau of labor statistic ‘’the median annual wage for civil engineers was $79,340 in May 2012.’’(Dept. of Labor statistics, pg.2). This means that the average yearly earning for a civil engineer in 2012 was 79,340 dollars. A job that pays 79,000+ is well above the average annual wage and that’s the reason why civil engineering is a job that gets paid well. But that’s not all, according to the U.S. bureau of labor statistic “employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 20 percent from 2012-2022, that’s faster than average for all occupations” (Dept. of Labor statistics, pg.2). This means that the annual wage for civil engineers is increasing as the year’s progress. Having a job with a salary that’s increasing is very important because by the time you have many years of experience you can be sure that your earnings are not going to decrease below the expected.  The reason why I want a job that pays well is not really because I want to earn a lot of money, it is mostly so I can be able to support my family and fulfill some of my dreams.

The second major reason why civil engineering is the best career for me is because there are lots of career opportunities with a civil engineering major. Civil engineers are one of the most demanded jobs in the field of construction. According to the encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance “Through 2015 employment for civil engineers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations’’ (E. Hopke, pg.256). This shows that the need for civil engineers is increasing as the year’s progress.  The reason why the employment rate for civil engineers are increasing is because as the cities get bigger and structures needed to accommodate the needs for population get older the need for people who can build and maintain these structures  increases. As stated in the encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance “according to the U.S. department of labor. Employment will come from the need to maintain and repair public works, such as highways, bridges, and water systems”(pg 568).  What this statement means is the jobs in this field of civil engineering are demanded because there is a high demand to maintain and repair public cites and projects. Furthermore as stated in an article of careers in construction “some 43% of civil engineers have clocked up a decade with their current employer, compared to 31% of building contractors” (Willock, pg.3). This means that a lot of civil engineers have kept their current job for over 10 years. Overall civil engineering is not only a high demanded career in today’s world but it will always be necessary in the generation to come as long as projects are created ,or systems being build or in need to be maintained.

Construction projects in Downtown Brooklyn

The third reason why civil engineering is the best career for me is because there is a high job demand for civil engineers. Civil engineering is one of the most needed jobs around the world. According to a civil engineering news article “statistics predicting job growth of 24 percent over the next decade equivalent to roughly 68,000 new jobs” (Shuster, pg. 16). This means that there are high chances of getting a job as a civil engineer and the amount of jobs for civil engineers are increasing. Having a job that has a high rate of employment means that you would be able to get a job without having to face a lot of competition or high chances of being unemployed. According to a Civil Engineering news article “aging of America’s infrastructure, together with continuing population growth, will help boost opportunities within the profession” (Shuster, pg 16). This means that the demand for civil engineers is increasing do to the growth of cities and need to build bigger structures that can support bigger population.  Civil engineering is a career that will never have a decrease in job demand, and this is due to the fact that they are needed to develop new concepts and developments.

Pedestrian Bridge Between Buildings

As a preparation for my career, there are many things that I need to accomplish. The most important one is to get good grades. The reason why I want to gain good grades is because since I want to transfer to another school to obtain a bachelor’s degree, it is important that other colleges see that I get good grades at my current school. There are also many classes that I have to take in order to get a degree in civil engineering. According to the city tech college catalog I have to take approximately 7 math and science classes which is more than the average non engineering major at city tech. furthermore to prepare more and learn more about my career I went to talk to one of my advisor Professor O’Brien. I asked my professor what are some of the tips that he gives me that will make me success when obtain a job as a civil engineer and he told me that “ in order to be successful you need to build good communication skills and be able to cooperate when working with other people”( O’Brien, 1). He told me that the reason why it is good to have those skills is because when working in projects, it is important that you communicate well with construction managers, architects, and other staffs in the project. Furthermore, another thing that I will try to do to prepare myself for my career is try to get internships. Getting internships will allow me to build up a great resume and also gain a lot of experience in the construction field.

Pursuing a career in Civil engineering takes a lot of time, hard work, and dedication but at the end of the day it pays off well. I know this major involves a lot of math and science but once I become a civil engineer, I am going to be happy because I know that my work will be contributing for a better world and green environment. My advice to any prospect city tech students who are undecided is that if they love science, drawing, and math and are willing to take a challenging major that requires a lot thinking and creativity, the should pick Civil Engineering as their major.

Work Cited

4. Hopke, William. The Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance. Chicago, Ill. : J.G. Ferguson Pub. Co., 1984. Print.

New York City College of Technology. College catalog 2014-2015. 2014. PDF. 17 NOV. 2014

O’Brien, Sean. Personal Interview. 3 Dec. 2014

Shuster, Laurie A. Civil Engineering. “Civil Engineering Among Top Careers in 2010 and Beyond”.     Vol. 80 Issue 2. Feb2010.Web. 29 Nov 2014.

United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau Of Labor Statistics. “Civil Engineers.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dept. of Labor. 8 January 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.

Willock, Rob. Careers Supplement. “A Career in Construction”. Vol. 425. 02 Sept. 2004.Web. 29 Nov 2014

Frias, Antony. “House Section View” Flickr. 7 Dec. 2014.Web. 6 Dec. 2014

Frias, Antony. “Construction Of new Building across from City Tech” Flickr. 7 Dec. 2014.Web. 6 Dec. 2014

Frias, Antony. “Construction projects in Downtown Brooklyn” Flickr. 7 Dec. 2014.Web. 6 Dec. 2014

Frias, Antony. “Pedestrian Bridge Between Buildings” Flickr. 7 Dec. 2014.Web. 6 Dec. 2014

Nursing

Hi my name is Bianca Maignan and I am currently enrolled at New York City Of Technology. A major I’ve been thinking about pursuing is nursing. This is the best career for me because being in the nursing field there will always be jobs available. Another reason is that I enjoy working with kids, especially newborns. The final reason is because you’ll have stability with the income you make. In this essay I will be giving you background information on nursing and provide evidence on why this is the best career for me. I also include information on how to prepare yourself for becoming a nurse.

Nursing is a profession in the healthcare field in which you work on the care of individuals, families etc. There are many different types of nurses but the one I would like to become is called a neonatal which is a nurse that works with newborns sometimes in the intensive care unit. I would most likely want to work in the labor and delivery area. At City Tech they offer a nursing program which when you’re finished you’ll become a registered nurse. According to the City Tech catalog for 2014-2015 it says “The nursing program prepares students to become members of the health team in health service agencies, clinics,community and long term care agencies and hospitals. In the classroom we practice the skills of becoming a nurse and basic training to fulfill needs.” Nursing is a competitive job field thats why in lots of schools there tend to be a waiting list to get accepted in the program. You can get an associates or a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Now that I’ve giving you some basic background information on nursing, I will now give you the reasons why this is the best career path for me. The first reason is because when you’re in the nursing field there are many jobs available. Which for me mean stability in your career. Lots of nurses needed in this field that’s why it’s very competitive to get in. the type of nurse I would like to be is a neonatal which is a nurse that provide care for newborns. Your degree determines what type of nurse you can be. According to the book Envision your nursing Future taking the next step in your nursing education it says “there’s three different degrees you can get in nursing. Such as non-degree which are CNAs or LPNs, theirs the nurses who receive a degree which are referred to as RNs and also an advanced degree that when you have finished your masters or doctorate.” I want to earn an advanced registered nurse degree because you have more options in your career instead of being in a closed box.

Another reason that I want to be a nurse is the money you’ll earn in this career path. Like in any other career the more you spend time in your education to get a higher degree the more money you’ll make. Every type of nurse earns a different amount of money. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics it was said that the employment of nurses will grow up to 19 percent throughout the years until 2022. Also its said ” registered nurses on 2012 median pay made about $65,470 per year with an associates degree while nursing assistants median pay was 26,020.” Either way you are still making money but becoming a registered is better because you don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck.

The main reason of all is I love working with children and helping others. Nurses are the heart of any place in the medical field, there with patients most of the time. According to the pdf on The Role of the Nurse in the neonatal Intensive Care Unit it is said ” the NICU constitutes a therapeutic environment appropriate for treatment of newborn in serious condition the increasing implementation of high risk procedures and low tolerance to medication errors”. Being  a neonatal nurse you’re bringing in precious newborns into the world and taking care of them so they can be in the best health to live a good life. Also bringing joy to the parents and family of them but its a risky career.

Now that I’ve given a brief reasons on why this career is the best for me I’ll be giving you the ways to prepare for a career in this field. First  according to the pre- professional advisor Suresh Tewani “you need to fulfill all requirements to enter the nursing program with at least a 3.5 GPA or higher. You must also maintain that GPA or you risk the chance of losing your spot in that program”. Nursing is a very competitive field many nurses are needed and many people want that job. You will also need internships that fit your career field and take all nursing classes stated in the course catalog with a satisfied grade in order to sit for the national exam.

Being a nurse is not an easy job there may be many  places available but because its so competitive and the work behind it people tend to change paths and pick other careers. The good of nursing outweighs the bad because in the end you’ll always have stability in this career choice. If you lose your job tomorrow there will always be a next not a lot of careers can offer that.

Work Sited

American Association Of Colleges “Envision your Nursing Future” pdf dec 2014

Maignan, Bianca “lab coat and book” flickr dec 2014

Maignan ,Bianca “Nursing  on city tech catalog” flickr dec 2014

Maignan, Bianca “nursing uniform” flickr dec 2014

Montanholi,langona Liciane “ The role of the nurse in the nurse in the neonatal intensive care      unit” pdf . dec 2014

New York City College of Technology “college catalog 2014-2015” pdf  5 Nov.2014

Tewani, Suresh “email questions” nov 2014

United states.Dept of lab. Bureau of labor statics. “Employment of Registered Nurses” web Nov 2014

Future is bright

Society tends to diminish hard work if a person does not attend or graduate from college or university. My name is Christopher Peralta and I am a full time student in city tech. City tech is a school who wants their students to choose there major as soon as possible. The major I want to be in is computer science. The career path that I want to pursue is a software engineer for a private or major company. This career path is best for me because I always wanted to help with programming and the way the software functions so it can be easier for others who don’t really understand technology and a engineer makes good amount of money.

In this essay you will read about how the career path I am pursuing is the right for me and how my major plays a big role in my road to my career choice. Also I will be using some research to make m case a lot stronger and some other sources I will use in this essay is using my counselor in a interview to help support my thesis statement. I am here in city tech but I will transfer over to another school to finish my degree. This essay is constructed for those who need help in what they want to become in life and my essay is just one example out of many others.

I have never been a money hungry person but growing up was tough and the neighborhood I am from is not the best either. I am not going to sit here and lie and tell you I was extremely poor and things like that, I do have both of my parents and they did support my brothers and I growing up. Just looking at how hard they work to pay for everything for us really motivates me to get a good paying job. One reason why I am pursuing software engineering is because it is a good paying job and according to Ted Samson (a staff writer at info world)“software engineer’s base salary is currently $92,648 and marking an increase of 2.5% since 2011”. So even if some people think $90,000 plus is not enough it’s only increasing according to Ted Samson. This is one reason why becoming a software engineer is best for my future plans.

Me being a programmer can be essential to society because not only would I be helping a major firm in the future I would also be planning a program in computers to help those who don’t really understand advanced technology. In the near future once I get my degree I want to be in a place where I can make a difference make programs to help others just like how Steven Kelly said in a article “allowing expert developers to encapsulate their expertise and make work easier, faster and more fun for the rest”. What Steven Kelly is saying is let the professionals do their work and the rest can just enjoy it. I love to help people and if that’s me making something to make your life a little less stressful it is something I am looking forward to.

I had an interview with my brother Roberto Peralta and he is currently in the computer science major and one of the many questions I asked him was switching from criminal justice to computer science easy? He replied, “Any major you’re in is never easy you just need the motivation to go through all the obstacles”. This really helped me personally because if you set your mind in something you can always accomplish it. Having an interview with your older brother was kind of normal to me because I look for advice from him all the time. The career he is pursing is different than mine he is pursuing becoming a database developer which is slightly different from mine but towards the end of the interview I asked him what is one thing you noticed while being in college that can help in your future? “Good habits” at first I didn’t really understand but as he explained it to me it made a lot of sense. What that means is if you build good habits starting from now in the future everything will become second nature to you, like if one of my habits is to always do my homework on time no matter what, in the future if I have a big project from my job its something normal for me to complete it early and hand it in on time. This interview relates to my thesis because interviewing my brother was really helpful it was like a blueprint on the key components to succeed in college and I succeed in whatever college I plan to go to its more likely I will get the job/career I want.

One crucial example is security while you are on your computer. I know there are anti virus but that anti virus cant help you if someone is trying to steal your identity or your credit card number in a cyber way. Discover magazine had a interesting column on cyber thieves and all the money they took from big companies. According to Jeff Wheelwright from Discover magazine said “Cyberthieves stole credit- and debit-card numbers from up to 56 million customers of the retail giant Home Depot, even more than the 40 million they stole in 2013 from Target”.

Computer science is something I am really intrigued to because as I said before a software engineer is my main focus as a career choice. In this paragraph I will talk about what are some required things I need to do in order to succeed in my major. According to the city tech catalog “The College will grant an associate in science (AS) degree with a major in Computer Science upon satisfactory completion of the required 60 specific credits”. Some of those required credits come from English, calculus, and physics. The reason why I am transferring is because I want a bachelors degree and city tech only offers an associates but in the mean while this is best because I am getting some of those credits done while I am here so by the time I transfer I will have some credits for my major. This helps me because its one step closer to the main goal, which is becoming software engineer.

At the end of the day people don’t really know what they want to do in the future until they try something that eventually leads them to there goal. For me is college right now which will lead me to the career I want which is computer science. Anyone who is interested in this major will really like it because it keeps you thinking and always learning something new. Even though the computer science department in the city is not at a high level according to Eliza Krigman said, “trying to draw attention to the fact that there is a crisis in computer science education in our country”. If you are in the computer science department in city tech I recommend you going to the library to learn more about it or if you just want to talk Danny Murphy from seek is great to talk to.

My First computer

Newer technology  

Works cited

Krigman, Eliza. “Standars for computer science education need improvements” U.S. News. Web. April 28, 2014

New York City College Of Technology. College Catalog 2014-2015. 14 Nov, 2014. Pdf.

Samson, Ted. “Demand for software engineers keeps climbing and so do the salaries”. Info world. Web. Oct 18,2012.

Kelly, Steven. “Improving developer productivity with domain-specific modeling languages”. Developerdotstar.com. web. July 3, 2005.

Peralta, Roberto. “interview”. Verbal. Dec 5, 2014.

Wheelwright, Jeff. “a path to better cybersecurity”. Discover magazine. Web. February 2014.