Only a junior at the University of Maryland, Kevin Bock has achieved more than the average young adult, and he doesn’t seem to be working any less because of his early successes. He is interested in Cybersecurity, Global Terrorism Studies, and Astronomy as minors, but his main focus from the start of his college career has been Computer Science.
A quick glance at his activities in Maryland speaks volumes about the amount of time Kevin devotes to his studies. He was the Vice President of the Student Board for the Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students Honors Program (ACES). In the past, Kevin has researched with the Maryland Cybersecurity Center’s (MC2) Cybercrime team and has also worked for the National Consortium for the Study of Terror and Responses to Terror (START). He said that he was able to engage in machine learning and analyze datasets about terrorism. As if these programs weren’t enough pressure, Kevin is working on a five year Bachelor of Science/ Master of Science (BS/MS) graduate program. Academics aside, Kevin is also a senator in his University Senate, a member of the National Primannum Honor Society, enjoys an occasional game of Ultimate Frisbee, and loves going to the gym. Finally, he is a member of a University of Maryland organization called Terp Thon, which raises money for the Children’s National Health System, and a member of the Honors Ambassadors, which meets with prospective students to speak about his college. Kevin said that he would love to meet with and possibly recruit anyone interested in applying to the University of Maryland.
Kevin said that he loves his school for its campus, academics, and all the opportunities that are given. He said that his work has been grueling at times, but that it has always been rewarding in the end. For Kevin, the biggest perk of the University of Maryland, however, was the intimacy of a small school in a large school that fosters reputation and opportunities with all possible resources. Kevin said that although he cherishes the ability to do what he loves every day in college, Manhasset was still special to him in that he loves the relationships that he built with his high school friends and teachers.

Below, we have attached a part of my interview with Kevin to preserve the complete meaning of his advice.

– In high school, I took many AP classes, as do many top notch students in the high school. But many of them go on to apply to colleges without actually looking to see if that college even accepts AP credit! AP credit is incredibly valuable, and so much more so than most high school students appreciate. Taking so many AP classes in high school allowed me to enter the school with almost Junior level class standing, skip the majority of my general education credits, and have the free space in my schedules to fit so many minors, programs, and to tailor my education exactly as I wanted it. From priority class registration to the ability to just take classes that looked interesting because I had the space, AP credit is one of the best gifts my time at Manhasset gave me. As difficult as AP classes may be in high school, their college counterpart is always more difficult, and saves a tremendous amount of time down the road. My advice to students is to take as many AP classes as they can comfortably take (and do well on them!), and apply to schools that actually award credit for their hard work.
– Try everything! And I don’t mean drugs or partying. When you get to college, there are so many opportunities, things to do, classes to take, clubs to join, new things to try. University of Maryland has over 900 clubs – Quidditch club to acapella groups to judo teams to service organizations, and everything in between. When you get to college, sign up for new things, new clubs, just to try them and see what you like! There is no better way to meet new people or make new friends than to put yourself out there and explore. This goes for classes too! Almost every good University has some quirky or especially interesting classes that you can usually squeeze into your schedule if you look long enough, and these classes can often be the ones you learn the most from, find the most fun, or show you a new subject area you never knew you had an interest in. During my time here, I’ve been able to take classes on game theory, national security dilemmas, trampolining, terrorism, and more, and these classes have allowed me to experience so much more than I ordinarily would with just my major schedule!