Yashovardhan Saraswat

He/Him
Class of 2028
Major: Computer Engineering
Minor: Economics

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering Students?
One piece of advice I always share with incoming Maryland Engineering students is to treat your first semester like an iterative design project: dive in early, test your understanding often, and build a strong support network around you. Visit professors’ office hours during the first week, form a small study group before the first mid-term, and deliberately carve out short “no-engineering” breaks—whether that’s a jog at RecWell or an ice-cream stop at the Dairy—to keep burnout at bay. Asking for help the moment a concept feels fuzzy is not a sign of weakness; it’s exactly how engineers refine a prototype into something that works.

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you think new students should know about?
New students should also know that the Clark School’s vibrant extracurricular scene is one of its secret superpowers. Professional societies such as Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) provide mentorship, company info-sessions, and lifelong networks. Hands-on project teams—Terps Racing, UMD Loop, Robotics @ Maryland, Terp Rockets, and the Balloon Payload Program—let you turn classroom theory into humming machines and polished code. Service-oriented groups like Engineers Without Borders and Maryland Sustainability Engineering tackle real-world challenges while sharpening your leadership skills. Add in the Engineering Student Council, the Clark Ambassador Program, and your major’s honor society, and you’ll never run out of ways to grow beyond the lecture hall.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
When I attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, the highlight was the mini-design challenge that paired a group of strangers with nothing but spaghetti, marshmallows, and an ambitious height requirement. In the span of thirty minutes, those materials—and a lot of laughter—turned into a surprisingly sturdy tower and, more important, half a dozen new friends. The guided debrief that followed showed how seriously the Clark School values teamwork, inclusion, and reflection, and I walked away already feeling part of a community ready to impact the society. That early confidence carried straight into the first day of classes.