Is RadGrad actually rad?
17 Feb 2022Is RadGrad actually Rad?
RadGrad, what first appeared to me to be yet another stupid tool supposed to “help” us students prepare for the world turned out to be a potentially life changing resource.
Behind the, somewhat dated name, are not only links with explanations to every Computer Science course here at UH Manoa, but explanations and details on every CS related interest I could think of and more. Not to mention the extensive opportunities page and ginormous internship page, which (by the way) was so big it took 10+ seconds to load.
Planning
Foremost among RadGrad’s many, many, features is its degree planner. Unlike Star GPS, which is a decent tool in its own right, RadGrad not only details every single CS course, it also gives a detailed breakdown of what that course is about. As well as further characterizing each course by its relation to the interests a student might have. Along with these courses, RadGrad offers many opportunities available here in Hawaii. Also organized with relation to the aforementioned interests a student can have, these opportunities are multitudinous and extremely varied.
Actual Readiness
At this point, the reader might be thinking to themself that, while RadGrad sounds amazing, it still doesn’t tackle the looming issue of being ready for, and getting, an actual job after college. That’s where you, dear reader, would be wrong.
Along with the interest related cataloguing of the courses and opportunities in RadGrad, RadGrad also gives each course and opportunity an ICE score. ICE being an acronym for Innovation, Courses, and Experience. Each with a goal of 100. Each course has a certain C score. Each opportunity has a certain I and E score. When planning one’s college career, RadGrad helps the user create a well balanced plan by encouraging the user to make sure that their plan adds up to at least 100 in each category.
These measures help to visualize a student’s ability for possible employers who might look to RadGrad to judge a candidates viability.
Connectivity
Beyond the planning features of RadGrad, the other main feature is the connectivity it offers. Not only can a user see other users with similar interests or courses (this information is up to the user to share, via an op-in policy, I might add), but it also connects users to potential internships through the “Internship” tab. While I have not gone in depth in this tab, I did notice that it took upwards of 10 seconds to load the insane number of highly detailed internship opportunities. From all across the nation, and in all manner of positions. Some paid, some not.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a beginning college student interested in Computer Science, or a weathered veteran of college life looking to get their start in the field, RadGrad is a wonderful tool with invaluable resources. So go check it out, you won’t regret it!