Monday, February 28, 2005

Nearing the End?

It's reading week (or study week, or March "break" take your pick). With 2 exams, 3 labs, 2 projects, 1 major project, and such to prepare for, it definately isn't a break.

Anyway, I observed that University if a very "interesting" experience, now that I'm 6 months away from a 4 year degree in EE. The following applies to my program, not sure how it applies to others, but from people I've talked to from lots of different programs, it's mostly the same:

-You learn a lot of stuff that is very broad. This is both a good and a bad thing. It's good that you aren't limited to very narrow field that may or may not have jobs by the time you graduate, but at the same time, you are a "jack of all trades." You know a bit of everything, but not enough in any one particular thing.

For instance, in 4 years of engineering, I've taken courses on:
-Math (lots of it)
-Statics and Dynamics
-Design and Design Project
-Programming
-EM and device physics
-Circuit analysis
-Microelectronics
-Control Systems
-Digital Circuit and computer Design
-Microprocessors
-analog and digital communications
-electric Motors and transformers
-power systems
-digital signal processing
-integrated cicruit design

Is there a relation between all these things?
Kinda.

Would I know enough about any of these things to center a career around them? Definately Not.

Do I know enough about them to have a "foundation" of knowledge, so to speak?
Sure.

Have I learned how to learn?
I'd say so. "They" say that's the most important thing.

Where to go from here?
Dunno.

I'm hoping I'll magically figure that out in the next 6 months. For now, I've kept my options open.

So I suppose I have to ask myself
-What do I find MOST interesting? ....
-Is there a market for it in an area I want to live?
-Is doing something that I want to do more important, or just money?
-I used to think just the money. Then I figure:
-With 16 waking hrs a day, 10 hours between work and commuting, that's over half of my time spent working, it best be something I like.
-Is it worth taking upteen more years of school to specialize in something?
-Not if I want to move out of my parents place sometime this century (exaggerating ofcourse.)

Somewhat difficult things to consider to ask when you factor them all at once.

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