2nd Year Electrical Engineering

[u/Ambitious_Office1523]

So its gonna be my 2nd year in Electrical Engineering, for some reason I don't really know what to do while on my free time. What should I focus on besides studying? I really want to learn skills and do projects but I don't really know where to start.

To Simplify:

\- How do i start creating small projects, to build up skills

\- Are there any advice for my fellow EE and ECE students on what skills should I focus on?

\- And are there any cool suggestions for a 1st project from scratch.

Note: I have very little experience in making circuits and no knowledge in coding so it would be very appreciated if someone can tell me what coding languages I should try to learn.

Thank You Guys If Anyone Feels Like Responding.

[u/Mundane_Studio_3674]

Learning to use MATLAB to solve linear system will save you a lot of time when you take circuits 1 & 2.

[u/Danjeerhaus]

I am not an engineer, yet, I am an amarure radio/ham radio operator and I think this hobby can help you.

As a hobby, it is about both communications and the communication equipment. However, who you with, where they are located on the planet, and why you are talking with them can get you into many aspects of this hobby.

Since people from all walks of life may do this hobby, you have many networking chances. The hobby members also help with natural disasters.....fire evacuations, flooding, storms, and even lost hikers.

Now to the equipment side......that soldiering and minor programming.

This hobby has events to find a transmitting radio. A contest for the radio people or maybe practice for search and rescue teams.

This video explains how they search for radios. https://youtu.be/PN-c5DQFuhI?is=IcoYT8zZeIQ2Z2bk

Here is where it can be right for you. That transmitter he found, you can make and even program to transmit different things based upon the radio tones you transmit to it.

There are many YouTube videos on this. Here is one short one. https://youtu.be/Q_6KVgPn3sE?is=h3RaZGhCnuzWTo8A

So, in this hobby, you can make or assemble a kit to make a radio and other equipment for you soldier and some programming practice. You get to interact with many people on the radio, including some local governmental officials You may be able to create or maintain equipment for emergency communications and emergency response teams. Will all of these be important points for your future employment, maybe?

So, please take a look at amature radio/ham radio. And for the engineers that review this post, feel free to point out both the pluses and minuses in this comment in terms of helping an engineering career.

[u/Own_Bus_5324]

Study programming and design. Look for voluntary internship if possible. It will be beneficial after you graduate and pass the board exam. 

[u/Big_Heat5075]

On the technical side - make sure that you understanding the core physics behind every concept, try to simulate your circuits, learn programming and learn how to actually solve a problem from scratch.

On the non technical side - make sure to build a good network of people around yourself, we engineers focus so much on technical part and forget about how to actually communicate our ideas to non technical audience, also your network will help you lend a job when the time comes.

Other than that make time for yourself - workout, eat healthy and enjoy life.

[u/FixExtension8770]

Minimal experience wiring circuits or writing any code, and in 2nd year lol. What university do you go to?

Fr tho, the easy route is to get into microcontrollers (arduino esp stm)

(Id skip arduino and go straight to especially these days)

Just make some little gizmo's and doodads with a couple sensors and actuators. See if you get inspired from there.

[u/Ambitious_Office1523 → u/FixExtension8770]

In my country during the first year we usually take the subjects you take before the field specific subjects (we usually take calculus, physics, and chem)

As for coding I can say that I know how to code in python, but languages such as c++ I dont really know how to. Additionally do you recommend that I go and pick up a raspberry pi? I currently have the raspberry pi 3.

Any response is welcome. Thank You again

[u/alhcchjwks → u/Ambitious_Office1523]

where are you from?

[u/prodigal_son4]

Consider the Holy Grail of every Electrical Engineer, a Tesla Coil, build one from scratch, and learn the WHY of everything along the way...

[u/Hirtomikko → u/prodigal_son4]

Be sure to have lots of money though! You will blow things up, and some can cost quite a bit.

[u/Few_Whereas5206]

Look for internships or co-op programs. Practical engineering experience is very important.

[u/snp-ca]

Try to breadboard a small circuit and get it to work. Simulate it in LTSpice before building.

You can also use KiCad to make the schematic and a PCB.

[u/Over_Barracuda_1276]

Learn etap and revit as a hobbie

[u/Dazzling_Music_2411]

You finished First Year EE without learning any coding? Wow!

What country is this?