Ryan Ingram
Cumulative Reflection
My name is Ryan Ingram, and I am a student at Iowa State University in Computer
Engineering. I am originally from Champlin, Minnesota which is a northwest suburb of
Minneapolis. My experience with Iowa State started when I came for a tour my senior year of
high school. I did not know much about the school previously, but I remember loving the
campus, engineering buildings, and sports program. I then learned about how great Iowa
State’s engineering program is and made my decision. I am very happy with my time spent hear
and I could not imagine doing anything differently.
I began my freshman year as an Electrical Engineer and was put in EE 185 with Mani
Mina. I remember this very well because of the way Dr. Mina made me think. He talked a lot
about critical thinking and how we were becoming masters in our fields. I believe this paved the
way for the rest of my college experience and got me excited to become an expert in what I
enjoyed. I ended up switching to Computer Engineering my sophomore year and knew I was in
the right spot because I enjoyed 227, 228, and 281. These classes were all interesting
introduction classes with some fun projects.
Throughout my college years I was challenged in a lot of my classes. There were many
classes that I struggled in and needed to put in some extra time and effort to be able to
understand the material and be successful. To do this I would join in SI sessions for classes that
offered it and I would try to study and work with friends. SI sessions were a very useful tool for
me because they pushed me to spend extra time on topics that I might be struggling with. They
also give you another perspective on the class which I found to be super nice. I would also try
and work with friends in the same classes as me. This would give me some extra motivation and
help when I needed it. One thing I learned the hard way was that it is essential to be able to ask
for help when you need it. I had one class that was very lab heavy and there was a big project
that the lab carried in to. I got behind because I didn’t ask for help when I needed it and
because of this I had to do a team project on my own. I ended up finishing everything and
getting a good grade, but it was way harder and way more work than what it would’ve been if I
had just asked.
Along with academics my time at Iowa State has been spent with new friends,
intramural sports, and clubs. I was able to be a part of the canoe and kayak club, ski and
snowboard club, and the billiards club. All of these provided me with opportunities to
participate in new things outside of my comfort zone. I got to go on fun weekend/weeklong
trips and meet a lot of new people through these. Intramurals has also been really fun to
participate in. I am a competitive person naturally so to be able to compete in a fun competitive
environment has been awesome. Finally, I have met a lot of people at Iowa State and love to
hang out with friends. The experiences I have had here I will never forget.
Overall, Iowa State has had a very big impact on my life, and I have had a great time in
my years here. I have learned a lot and am proud with how I have changed to be a better
person. I believe the skills and lessons I have learned here will directly follow me into the
workspace and allow me to be successful for the rest of my life.
