Sandra Cruz-Pol

Sandra Cruz-Pol

Title
Univ. of Puerto Rico
Organization
Professor
Location
Mayaguez, PR, United States
Sandra Cruz-Pol
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Biography

Answers by Dr Sandra Cruz-Pol

My answer would be that this is a typical feeling for woman (we are perfectionist and very harsh judges for ourselves); you think everybody else knows more than you do or has more experience than you. This may not be necessarily true of ALL your classmates, but it may make you feel better if you find some experience by having internships during the summer or a part-time job. But don't overload yourself too much so that you still have time to study! Many males mess up in their work too, and that's just normal, part of the road to learning. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Yes, if a woman makes a mistake some (not very smart people) might want to generalize and stereotype saying, you see, she messed up because she's a female. Don't listen to this, except for proving them wrong. But sometimes, nobody criticizes us; it's all in our minds. So be secure and you'll be accepted. You have to accept yourself first, before others do. You have the interest of learning (that's important and very positive), and you have the will, but you have to forgive yourself. Don't feel devastated. Most guys make many mistakes, and then laugh at themselves. Just get up and go on. Keep your head high and remember that when you succeed (and you will) you will also be easier to remember amongst a crowd of male engineers. :) Sandra

You can do either one. You should choose whatever you like the most. You can find a job in the US either way if you perform well. I have had many students from Latin America. They come to the Univ. of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez because we speak mostly Spanish, but we are accredited by ABET, which is the US accreditation Agency (PR is part of the U.S.) We do use all textbooks in English and some professors teach in English, but its a middle step. All of them have found jobs in the U.S. with no problem if they are good students, some have gone on to pursue a PhD. Hope this is useful, Sandra