Frequently Asked Questions About WICS Committees
2024 – 2025 Committee
General Questions
What are coffee chats like and what advice do you have for them?
They are 15-minute casual “interviews”. Some questions include what your hobbies, why are you interested in WICS Committee and other questions based on your application. Coffee chats help us understand who you are. Chairs of the committee that you’ve been selected to interview for will chat with you. Show your personality and genuine enthusiasm, let them see that you’re excited and want to be involved. Doing a bit of prep, like reflecting on your experiences or doing some quick research on the committee to see what events or initiatives resonate with you, could help you feel more confident since that gives you things to talk about and helps you figure out if it’s a good fit. Overall, coffee chats are friendly and low-pressure, just be yourself and show your excitement to be part of WICS!
How many people are you looking for in each committee?
We are not announcing the numbers, instead, we urge you to apply to the committee that you feel most passionate about! Don’t apply to a committee because it has more spots available! Since we have preferences, if you have a strong application/interview you will be able to join a committee outside of your first choice.
How many people are in charge of each committee?
Each committee has two committee chairs who oversee its projects, events, and members, helping everything run smoothly and ensuring everyone feels supported. In addition, we have our two wonderful presidents who guide WICS as a whole, providing leadership, encouragement, and direction for all committees.
Are we able to apply to multiple committees?
Yes. On our application form, we have first preference, second preference, and third preference. Your deliverable will just be for the first preference. No need to make deliverables for second/third preference. When spring rolls around, you have the opportunity to switch committees for the next school year, so you have the chance to experience other committees.
Is it okay to miss committee meetings and general meetings if you have conflicts?
We understand that everyone has their schedules, and there will be accommodations if you can’t attend the meetings. In general, you would let the secretary know, and we will make sure to get notes and support. At the beginning of every quarter, we will schedule our committee meetings at times that work best for most people’s calendars.
How have you seen WICS change over the years?
WICS has been around for over 30 years now, and there’s so much amazing documentation and history behind it. Every new group of members wants to build on that and make things even better. We rotate presidents every year and get to see what changes each one brings. For example, the types of socials or how they run things can be different, and that’s something we embrace. We also take feedback from the committee seriously and try to improve each year.
What do you wish you knew before being on WICS committee?
Being on WICS committee is full of opportunities to grow both personally and professionally, so take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone! The effort you put into WICS truly reflects in what you gain, from expanding your network to gaining skills and confidence. But that means there’s always a lot happening behind the scenes, so don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it, everyone is here to support you!
Committee Questions
Answered by Josephine Bhadran & Kristen Yee
What was your favorite event that you either planned or attended?
Josephine: My favorite event was WICSino. I helped plan it with a few other members, and we set up different booths with games. I actually learned how to deal blackjack, which was really fun, and overall I just had a great time.
Kristen: Event collab with Video game design club where you got to bring ICS perspectives into mad libs and try something new. Was able to participate in it and plan it as well. Had a great time.
What drew you to the specific committee you are on when you were applying?
Josephine: I was deciding between a few committees at first, but I’ve always liked logistics and event planning. When I thought about what I enjoy most, which is planning fun, social events where everyone can just hang out, I realized Internal was the best fit!
Kristen: Wants to give back to the mentorship program, really enjoys planning all the events, and loves the community aspect.
What is your favorite part of being on WICS committee? What do you value most?
Josephine: The community! During my first year of college, I was really scared and intimidated, so going into my second year I told myself I had to get involved. I’ve met so many amazing people, and I love spending time with everyone, whether it’s chatting or working together on events. I’ve gained so much from this community and really enjoy being able to give back now.
Kristen: After joining WICS, Kristen found a community in many of her classes. She was able to go into class and realize that there were girls she already knew. She met most of her friends through the supportive and kind community here.
What would you say is the most important skill you would have to develop in each of the committees
Kristen: Public speaking and planning/organization are skills you really develop in Internal. You learn to develop adaptability and grow yourself in your committee. Even if you don’t come on to the committee with the skill, you will get many chances to practice and lots of support.
Describe the process of planning an event.
Josephine: For Internal, sometimes the co-chairs will assign us an event, and you’ll work with a few other members to plan and complete it. Other times, it’s more open-ended and we brainstorm ideas together. It’s a lot of communicating with your group, making slides, ordering materials, and organizing everything for the event.
What are examples of the ways different committees collaborate with each other?
Kristen: Internal interacts with Marketing and External, as well as getting help from other committees. There are always ways to help on other committees with various tasks, and we’re open to requesting help from others
Answered by Emily Tom & Kara Statham
What was your favorite event that you either planned or attended?
Emily: My favorite event was Mock Technical Interviews. It felt really personalized, and I got to take notes and see what I could improve on for the future!
Kara: My favorite event was the mentorship mixer. Going to a mixer was an easy way to get to know people. Great just talking to people, seeing new and old faces. Mock technical interviews are also super fun to plan, involves reaching out to a lot of company reps and getting a lot of people involved. Full committee thing and everyone is able to help. Very big learning experience figuring out how to send professional emails and being this link between a corporate liaison and WICS.
What drew you to the specific committee you are on when you were applying?
Emily: I did a lot of event planning in high school and was choosing between Internal and External, but I wanted to grow more professionally, so I went with External.
Kara: Thought it was a good opportunity to get to learn networking skills through external.
What is your favorite part of being on WICS committee? What do you value most?
Emily: For me, it’s definitely the network and the community. You get to build closer relationships with the people on your committee since you see them so often, and you end up making so many friends.
Kara: You are engulfed into a family and someone is always in one of your classes. You always have someone to vent to about homework and professors too.
Describe the process of planning an event.
Emily: For External, at the start of the quarter, you’re assigned an event and the week it’ll happen. It’s usually pre-set which company or club you’ll work with, but you can give your preferences. You typically work with one or two other committee members to reach out to that company about availability. Sometimes they already have a plan for the event, and we’ll meet a couple times to review it, make suggestions, and finalize everything. Usually about two or three meetings total.
What are examples of the ways different committees collaborate with each other?
Kara: Since external affairs is in charge of planning half of general events, they try to shuffle it as best as possible to split up the workload with internal affairs. They also work with marketing such as sending the blurb, connecting with company reps, etc.
What would you say is the most important skill you would have to develop in each of the committees?
Kara: Not exactly a skill but a willingness to try something new. Being able to put yourself out there and external will always be there to support you.
Answered by Jyoti Maharjan, Shalini Bhakta, & Sophia Shaw
What was your favorite event that you either planned or attended?
Jyoti: I’d say End-of-year Banquets. It’s super sweet getting to see everyone I’d met throughout the year all in one place.
Shalini: With marketing, they don’t really get to do collaboration events. One of the favorite things they started last year was starting to do TikToks and collaborating with other clubs on social media. It’s a chance to be creative and connect with other clubs. Crepe boothing is also a fun bonding experience!
What drew you to the specific committee you are on when you were applying?
Jyoti: I joined Marketing because I did yearbook and marketing for clubs back in high school, so I felt that is where I can contribute to the most. The community here has been amazing and honestly what made me stay all four years.
Shalini: WICS put a lot of effort into making a place for themselves on social media platforms. From Facebook to Instagram to Tiktok, WICS is always actively growing and staying true to it’s cute aesthetic.
What is your favorite part of being on WICS committee? What do you value most?
Jyoti: Some of my best friends, even going into my fourth year, came from WICS. This community is really special to me!
Shalini: Always has a community that supports you in classes. Really love the community and throughout committees there’s a lot of opportunities to get to know other girls with different passions and majors. Everyone is super nice.
Describe the process of planning Marketing tasks.
Sophia: For Marketing, we handle things like TikToks, LinkedIn, and Instagram. There’s also a graphic design team, and we collaborate with all the other committees to create content. We schedule posts, spend a lot of time on socials doing research or posting updates, and we’re also the ones who design the merch, like t-shirts and tote bags. We even do club collabs to film TikToks, which is always really fun!
What are examples of the ways different committees collaborate with each other?
Shalini: Lots of collaboration with all the other committees. Marketing is the bridge of communication from all the committees to our audience. We reach out to all the committee members to create social media content. Furthermore, marketing has amazing feedback on the general events, since we can judge the planning from an outside perspective.
What would you say is the most important skill you would have to develop in each of the committees?
Shalini: Creativity! Even if you don’t come with creative ideas, just be open to new things. Be ready to be adaptive and have the opportunity to transform WICS’s presence on campus. Everything is collaborative and ideas are put into play.
Answered by Viviana Salazar & Sarah Tan
What was your favorite event that you either planned or attended?
Viviana: My favorite outreach event was NetWICS. I especially liked the first day. Each UCI club had their own station with a technical project, and I thought that was so cool. I also really enjoyed the smaller moments, like chatting with students during lunch. It was great seeing how excited they were about their future careers!
Sarah: WICS x Game Dev Club, a relaxed and creative event where everyone got to talk and bond over their game ideas. First Outreach event teaching HTML to younger students. Even though I was worried that my knowledge wasn’t enough, I got to support students in creating amazing projects. No one called me out, everyone supported me in turn as we taught the students. Also bonded with them over common interests (TXT)!
What drew you to the specific committee you are on when you were applying?
Viviana: I chose Outreach since that’s what I had the most experience with! In high school, I used to mentor middle school robotics teams. I wasn’t really set on one committee at first, so I always tell people it’s fine to have a few in mind. I ended up picking Outreach because it’s where I could put the most energy and passion, and then later transitioned to External when I ran for Treasurer and got the position.
Sarah: Was a stem counselor at a camp previously and wanted to continue supporting younger students in their CS interests. Outreach gives you the opportunity to help younger girls learn the incredible things that computers can do. Especially for those without the resources to learn about computer science and tech, being able to spark their passion is so rewarding.
What is your favorite part of being on WICS committee? What do you value most?
Viviana: I didn’t know anyone else in college or in computer science, so WICS became a space where I could talk to people, ask questions, and learn about the resources UCI has to offer. I’ve also really liked practicing and developing soft skills, which are things you don’t always think about, and growing my leadership skills through it.
Sarah: Found opportunities to bond with other female students in more personal ways than just class. Met others through the retreat and has developed close friendships.
Describe the process of planning an event.
Viviana: In Outreach, the co-chairs usually come up with event ideas and then delegate different tasks to members. There’s a lot of variety! I’ve helped make games during breaks, created slide decks and event content, and designed posters or graphics. You don’t always do the same task every time, which keeps it fun.
What are examples of the ways different committees collaborate with each other?
Sarah: Outreach is not as involved with general meetings. They collaborate with marketing a lot since they need helpers for events (people with experience teaching, etc), and getting word out about the events. They also collaborate with the graphic designers.
What would you say is the most important skill you would have to develop in each of the committees?
Sarah: Communication whether you are working with logistics or teaching the content, you want to be able to communicate with the kids in a way they want to listen and want to learn. Be able to provide a positive environment for the girls so they can have a new experience and have something to look back on.