Zane Jakobs, ’17, left, at the top of First Flatiron in Boulder, Colorado with a friend.
Zane Jakobs, ‘17, attends the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he is majoring in aerospace engineering and applied math.
Q: How has the transition to college been?
A: Pretty easy, honestly. I’ve always been fairly independently minded, so the transition wasn’t hard.
Q: What classes are you taking?
A: Applied Linear Algebra, Differential Equation Linear Algebra, Material Science for Aerospace Engineers and Intermediate Microeconomic Theory.
Q: What is your favorite class? Least favorite?
A: My favorite is my Applied Linear Algebra class. It is really fun. It’s a class about vector spaces and matrices and their applications.
My least favorite is easily Material Science. I hate that class; it is awful. The professor is boring. It’s not interesting material, and when taught by a man that sounds half asleep 90 percent of the time, it’s not a good class.
Q: Which is hardest? Easiest?
A: My hardest in terms of subject matter is Linear Algebra, but it’s simultaneously the easiest because it’s my favorite, so I care about it. Econ is the easiest.
Q: Any clubs or extracurriculars?
A: Not now, but next year I am probably going to join the Formula Student Team. It is a club that makes a formula racing car and races it and competes against other schools.
Q: How did you become interested in that and what do you want to do on the team?
A: Through watching F1 (Formula One car racing). I’m not sure if I’m going to do it, but if I do, I want to do aerodynamics.
Q: How different is the culture in Colorado?
A: It’s different in the sense that (it) is a little more laid-back than in Sacramento. (But) honestly, the culture is more or less the same.
Q: What do you do during your free time?
A: I go to the gym a lot and just generally have fun with my friends.
Q: Where are your friends from?
A: One is from Denver, another from Mexico City and another from Miami.
Q: Have you ventured into the town surrounding your school?
A: I go out into Boulder often. (It) is fairly urban. (I enjoy going) skiing and hiking, and they have tons of great restaurants.
Q: Have you made any freshman mistakes?
A: The first couple weeks of school I didn’t know at all how the online assignment systems worked. So I missed a couple of homework assignments in my classes because I had no idea they existed.
Q: How has it been living in the dorms?
A: I lucked out by having great roommates, but I can’t wait to get my own place next year.
Q: How far is it from your dorms to classes?
A: Well, I live in dorms that are about half a mile from campus, so I take a bus to class every morning. The ride is 10-15 minutes.
Q: Is there anything you wish you had done in high school?
A: I wish I had gone to a bigger high school; now I have realized by going to a school with 30,000 people how awesome it is when there are more people. There are a lot more like-minded people, and it’s a lot more fun.
Q: How has Country Day prepared you for college?
A: It made it easier for me to go talk to professors. It’s natural for me to go talk to a teacher, which I do here, and a lot of people don’t take advantage of that.
Q: Any advice for the seniors?
A: If you’re going into a technical or quantitative field, write a lot more code than you are now. However much you are writing now, write more. Also, take AP Computer Science as it is a great class.
Five-star or subpar?
Food ☆☆☆☆
School spirit ☆☆☆☆☆
Location ☆☆☆☆☆
Clubs ☆☆☆☆☆
Student-teacher interaction ☆☆☆☆
—By Kristine Schmitz
