Tell us about your Berkeley IEOR experience. What were some of the best memories you had here?
My favorite IEOR memory is when we visited the Tesla factory with the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IISE). They used to plan the most amazing socials (hiking, pumpkin carving, hanging out on the glade) and I made some of my best friends through the IEOR department. Another plus was that the IEOR office always had candy or cookies for us. The IEOR community is certainly one of the best on campus!

Why did you choose Berkeley IEOR?
The IEOR courses are extremely diversified and there is something for everyone, making it perfect for students who love math and engineering and want to gain a broad skillset in college. IEOR lets you really carve out your own path through the electives based on your interests e.g. machine learning (IEOR 142) and optimization courses (IEOR 169) if you like computer science, supply chain (IEOR 153) and manufacturing classes (IEOR 130) if you like process improvement, leadership (IEOR 171) and human design/factors (IEOR 170) if you like business and management, and there are many more!!

What was your favorite IEOR class and why?
My favorite class was stochastic processes (IEOR 173) with Prof. Zeyu Zheng. I loved how he taught such difficult probability concepts in a way that was simple to understand and apply. I found the course to be the most interesting and rewarding class I took at Berkeley.

What are your post-graduation plans? How do you see your skills from IEOR being used in the future?
I’ll be joining a management consulting firm in New York. I foresee myself using the strong mathematical and analytical foundation that IEOR provided. IEOR also trained me to feel very comfortable around large data sets and seeing a story within numbers – that is key to making good recommendations at a consultant.

What advice do you have for younger IEOR students?
College is the perfect time to try out new things and you can always leave a club or drop a class if you don’t like it (harder to do in real life or during a job). My advice is to make the most out of the flexibility and freedom you have to literally do whatever you want with very little risk or downside. Also try to get involved in the IEOR community and find an IEOR upperclassman you who is willing to mentor you and help you choose courses / figure out your schedule. You’d be surprised how many upperclassmen are willing to help you out!