Things to do in High School for a Biomedical Engineering major

These are some things I know helped me be part of the BME program at my University as well as things I wish I would have done in high school to help me get ahead in my future career.

1. Work hard from the beginning. In other words, don’t undermine your freshmen and sophomore year grades.  You will make your life easier once you become an upperclassmen because you would already have a pretty solid rank by then.
2. Be in AP classes and take the tests for them!
3. Ace the SAT or ACT! They are so important and focus on the math part. Basically, enhance your math skills as much as you can! You will really need them later on. To study for the SAT, I really recommend Khan Academy since they have a partnership with College Board. The stuff you see in Khan Academy will be similar to the stuff you will see in the SAT.
4. Volunteer at a hospital. You will get to see how many medical machines are used which is important because the BME career works closely with medical devices.
5. Learn a language! Whether that be Chinese, French, Java, or C++, being able to speak or program different languages increases your value in the eyes of a potential employer.  In order to master a language, you need years of practice. So, its good to start early.
6. Join the Robotics club. Through this you can start getting hands on experience with electrical circuits, designing robots, or even programming which are all things that will help you become a well rounded BME.
7. Get familiar with the software SolidWorks. Be aware this can be a little pricey to obtain. If you can’t get it its okay, your future college will probably offer something similar, so you can just wait until then.
8. Understand your reasons of wanting to be a Biomedical Engineer. Be honest with yourself, the career path you choose is a decision that can determine how your life will turn out to be. Always prioritize your happiness as you are deciding anything.

With all that said keep in mind in high school you will have more free time then when you get to college. Enjoy your high school career, play a sport or an instrument. Try new things that get your attention because once you’re in college you just wont have enough time, specially with this major.