UIC is a large and diverse school, with plenty of graduate and undergraduate majors to choose from. Along with this comes a vast array of different clubs and organizations. Many of those organizations are interdisciplinary, so if you get involved, you won’t only work on a fun project with those from your major, you’ll also meet other students from different backgrounds and learn from them. Who knows, you might even be inspired to add a minor!
Here are four UIC organizations those interested in computer science should definitely check out:
1. Break Through Tech Chicago (BTT)
BTT is an organization that’s mission is to increase the number of women and non-binary students in tech. They offer tons of opportunities that would be difficult for students to find on their own.
Last summer, I took part in their Sprinternship program which involves a quick 3-week internship at a participating company. I got the chance to intern at McDonald’s as a software engineer and couldn’t be more thankful for the real-world experience and the networking opportunities.
They also offer a Tech in Residence course in the spring semester—a course where students and their classmates work on a technology project provided by a partner company. After the course, students have the opportunity to interview for a summer internship with the company, and possibly continue working on the same project. This year the company is AbbVie!
2. Women in Computer Science (WiCS)
WiCS hosts many networking events throughout the semester where recruiters come to campus to talk to UIC students about their company’s interview process and what they would look for in a candidate. In the past, the group has invited Discover and Meta to discuss their internships.
WiCS also hosts a lot of fun events such as the very popular Scavenger Hunt where students and professors compete to solve CS questions and win prizes. This organization is open to everyone and you don’t have to identify as a woman to participate in any of their events.
3. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
ACM provides its members with computing resources such as servers, software, and a working network in their office. It also gives students the opportunity to practice maintaining and improving these resources through activities and special interest groups. ACM often hosts guest speakers who give talks about the industry or their companies.
ACM also has their own space on campus by the CS lounge that's usually quiet, so if you ever need a study area, feel free to stop by.
4. Chicago Hyperloop
Chicago Hyperloop is an interdisciplinary club. Students of different majors working together on projects related to transportation. One of these projects is the construction of a pod that travels in high-speed in a low-pressure tube to reduce resistance and drag.
The organization also competes in worldwide competitions like SpaceX. As a CS major, you would mainly be working on Arduino and raspberry bis but there is plenty of room for you to learn new skills as well.
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