CLARKSTON, Ga. – Perimeter College students received an early peek into life at Georgia Tech, courtesy of five Perimeter alumni attending a lunch-and-learn session Dec. 1 on the Clarkston Campus.
The alumni panel spoke at the invitation of engineering and physics professors Dr. Taylor Shapero and Dr. Anant Honkan, who coordinate Perimeter students involved in the University System of Georgia’s Regents Engineering Pathway (REP). The program expands opportunities for students to transfer into bachelor of science programs in engineering across the state of Georgia.
Georgia State University does not have an engineering program and fully participates in the transfer program for students following associate degree programs at Perimeter College.
Brian Mull, Roderick Cummings, Atsou Koudonou, Vince Hughes and Mahetem Moges all participated in Perimeter College’s REP program before attending Georgia Tech. The alumni shared their experiences as students at Tech to about 30 pre-engineering and computer science students in the question-and-answer session.
Mull, who is now a senior in Georgia Tech’s electrical engineering program, advised students to join a study group for success.
“I am thankful for the time I had a Perimeter, but one of the best things I gathered (from Perimeter) is to have a core group of people to study with,” he said. “It makes the transition to Tech a lot smoother and helps you assimilate much easier.”
Perimeter alumnus Vince Hughes, who is studying nuclear radiological engineering, advised students to manage their time as they get used to a new campus experience.
“There is a lot going on Tech’s campus—it can be a lot to manage,” he said. “I would really recommend it you can take a light curriculum load the first semester as you get used to the experience.”
All the panelists said the higher level classes at Tech require more intense work than earlier classes at Perimeter, but that Perimeter prepared them for the rigor required.
“I feel like the quality of education was good at Perimeter and prepared me for Tech,” said Cummings, who is now a third-year mechanical engineering student. “The biggest difference [at Tech] is professors have so much less time for you. It’s important to find people in your classes who can help you.”
Koudonou mentioned that he spent more of his downtime studying.
“There are showers in the library,” he said, noting that he often pulled “all-nighters” studying in Tech’s library.
“Be prepared to sleep a lot less,” said Mull.