Day to Day
As a freshman engineering student at the U of M, we spend our first year getting a solid introduction to engineering. During my first semester here, I have spent a lot of time building the skills necessary to be a successful student and engineering professional. One way that freshmen develop the essential skills is by taking “Engineering Problem Solving,” where we learn to become better critical thinkers. During this class, we are introduced to the applications of math that we’ll see in our engineering major-specific courses in the future. So, while I take an introductory engineering course that covers the general things that all engineering students will see in their respective majors, I take an Introductory course for electrical and computer engineering.
As a middle schooler, my interest in electrical engineering peaked when I began to wonder how the world with all of its electronics and technology was powered. Eventually, after doing some research on this matter, I realized that I wanted to work in a profession that dealt with powering the world and its technology. So, I decided that I wanted to become an electrical engineer, and as an electrical engineer, work on power systems and power generation and distribution. In the Herff College of Engineering, students majoring in electrical engineering study the principles of software, software, electronics, electric power, signal processing, and communications. As a freshman electrical engineering student, my introductory course for this major is designed to teach us how to create computer systems to control electronic modules, and we do this using our Elegoo Kits and the Arduino IDE software. To have to do well in any engineering major, you must be well prepared.
I have learned during my brief time in college that preparation is essential for success. One of the fantastic things about engineering is that a lot of courses coincide with one another. For example, a topic that I may be going over in calculus may be necessary for my engineering courses. Knowing that I will see information over multiple classes, I take the time to study. I study best to work on the same types of problems repeatedly until I build enough confidence. Also, an essential part of being prepared is knowing what is happening. When I write what I need to do in my planner to ensure I’m not ill-prepared for classes or other aspects of my day-to-day life.
