What are you involved in within the West community?

SZ: “I run the West Computing Club, which is a coding club. I also participate in competitions hosted by Mu Alpha Theta.” 

How did you first hear about Mu Alpha Theta?

SZ: “I was always part of [a] math team, I felt like there was a math team at every school I’ve been to. So naturally, I found West’s Mu Alpha Theta through the club fair.”

What does being a Mu Alpha Theta member entail? 

SZ: “Every week, we meet and get a [math] worksheet. Occasionally we participate in math competitions. The problems are pretty fun. Every couple of months, there would be a pretty big competition, like in Minnesota [and such]. And of course, [we participate in] the AMCs [American Mathematics Competition].”

What has been your favorite math course you’ve taken thus far?

SZ: “Personally, my favorite field of math so far has been differential equations, because it’s applicable to a lot of things. You can derive some equations from a lot of situations. A lot of the time what you learn in physics, there are formulas for calculating a ball falling, you can also solve it in a different way with differential equations.”

How do you see yourself utilizing your math skills in the future?

SZ: “A lot of my coursework these days at university have pretty high math requirements. When I’m studying quantum chemistry, which is based a lot on particle physics, it’s a lot of differential equations. [It] even involves equations like partial differential equations, because these particle systems are really large, they require a lot of equations to correctly model them.” 

What do you see yourself doing once you are a full-time college student?

SZ: “[I am] currently thinking of pursuing a variety of degrees from computer science to chemistry, [as well as] electrical or computer engineering. I haven’t quite decided which one yet.”

What have been some challenges that you have experienced as a dual-enrolled student?

SZ: “University classes require a high standard of knowledge for you to obtain before going into the class. Additionally, the classes move a lot faster than high school classes, so you’re expected to know a lot more of the content. For example, if one of the classes needs techniques from calculus one, usually in high school, they might go over calculus one. But at [the] university level, they typically don’t review any material that you’ll need and just go straight [in] to what they’re trying to teach. So if you don’t have a strong foundation of prerequisites for the coursework, it’s pretty hard.”

Have you garnered any skill sets from Mu Alpha Theta that you see translated into your university courses? 

SZ: “A common skill in Mu Alpha Theta is teamwork. Usually, when an individual works on a problem that’s really difficult to solve, they tend to get stuck. When you get stuck, you need to find a teammate who can propose something new [in order] for you to have another solution to start working with. If one teammate gets stuck, you need to pick up where they left off and take it from there. I found that skill pretty useful when it comes to working with others on projects. In the real world, these projects aren’t simple, and you tend to run into a lot of [road]blocks. To get around these blocks, you need to consult your teammates for solutions.”

Do you plan to compete in math competitions at a collegiate level?

SZ: “Yes, I intend to continue mathematics and my math competition participation in university.”