Photo courtesy of Sports Information
By Kayla Brown, Arts & Entertainment Editor
An undergraduate degree at Susquehanna does not have to take four years for completion, and for junior Liam Bishop, three was the perfect amount.
Bishop, who is set to finish his final semester at Susquehanna this May, joined the Engineering 3+2 program in 2017 as a freshman aiming for a degree in Computer Science.
Bishop came into Susquehanna knowing that he wanted to major in Computer Engineering at Columbia and believed that Computer Science was the way to go.
However, by the start of his sophomore year, Bishop had changed his major from Computer Science to Physics with the help of his advisor, who worried about the overlap of Computer Science and Computer Engineering majors at Columbia.
Changing his major to Physics was an easy decision as he had already taken a few Physics classes in high school and found them quite enjoyable.
According to Susquehanna’s website, the 3+2 programs allow students to finish with dual degrees, either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences from Susquehanna and a Bachelor of engineering from Columbia University, Washington University of St. Louis or Case Western Reserve University.
On top of finishing with two degrees, this program allows students to experience different college atmospheres and varying diversity. “I really liked the idea of a small school because of small classes and more attention from professors,” Bishop said.
Bishop sees Columbia as a completely different environment.
“New York is a completely different location from Selinsgrove, PA… I’ve been there a few times but living there will be quite a change. Additionally, the size of the school is going to be a huge shock when I go from classes of 15 to 20 to around three hundred,” Bishop said.
At these top universities, students have nearly thirty different major options. From Aerospace Engineering to Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering to Operations Research, the options appear endless.
According to Bishop, entering the 3+2 program isn’t a guarantee to going to Columbia or any of the other two schools.
“Starting the program, we’re all given a warning…A four-year degree needs to be completed in only three years… And you can’t get lower than a B in pre-engineering courses to be guaranteed acceptance,” he explained.
However, this warning didn’t deter Bishop from enjoying his experience. If anything, it made him appreciate it more.
Bishop joined the Crew team his first semester and has continued to row every semester since then.
“I made a lot of friends through that as well as getting into shape through an activity I really enjoy.”
At Columbia, Bishop hopes to continue tutoring in the Computer Science department, but does not plan on joining the Ivy league level Crew team.
When asked if he regrets only doing three years at Susquehanna, he replied, “I’ll miss the friends I’ve made and the school itself but given that I am going to be paying for 2 years at Columbia, one less year of tuition is helpful.”
Bishop is just one example of the success of the 3+2 programs at SU.
More information can be found on the school website under Engineering 3+2 Programs.