Hiyya,
I used to visit this forum as a kid at about 14 and fantasize about complex projects with not much basic knowledge to build on. My posts in the past may have at times included asking ridiculous things - rather funny in the face of y'all pros lol. Anyway, time has come and I'll be applying to uni later on this year. I am seriously considering a career in electronics - I'm going to apply for an MEng in engineering with specialization in electronics, and having hung around here a while I do believe I have a definite edge over the complete basics my course teaches which really is very simple circuit theory, kirchoff's laws, resistors, capacitors and stuff. I don't have much practical experience, but a good deal of ideas and theory - have explored stepper motors, op amps, along with a keen interest in comp sci which really is essential of late for any electronics major.

Getting to the point, I'd really appreciate any feedback on essential things I should know, any advice/tips... more so on essential electronics very much appreciated. And yes, I've googled extensively and hog wikipedia, but I really don't think anything compares to tips and advice from pros. Thanks!

edit: I think this should be in chit-chat, I do apologize!

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Just take a look at the modules offered by your university. Electrical/Electronic engineering is a much wider field than what you may expect. Over here, all of those you have mentioned above are covered in merely 2-3 modules. So in actual fact, your "edge" may not be a lot after all.

 

Nice signature. I really like ASCII art and often daydream about coming up with the ultimate ASCII graphics engine (color ASCII characters only, no bitmaps or vectors) for a RPG type game. I'm convinced it'd be possible to come up with interesting special effects with just ASCII characters and basic gfx manipulation tricks. But I'd have to actually start working on it to prove it :lol:

Sorry for hijacking ops:

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lmao, nae bother. Well actually you just do general physics without specialization at this level. And sadly the electronics content is rather bland as I said. By "edge" I really meant over fellow colleagues.

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My suggestion (having gotten a BS, MS, and PhD in EE) is to figure out what you ultimately want to do and then find figure out how to get there. For instance, I am a scientist and director at a R&D company. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I that position really required the advanced education, that is a serious both time and money commitment that not too many people care to do. The question to ask yourself, is OK, so I become a brain in electrical and electronics, how do I turn that into a career? The area spans so many different fields that you can find something you enjoy. It also helps if you go to a university with a program broad enough to cover lots of areas so you can "test drive" the different engineering areas.

 

Yeah, true. But I think at the mo I'll concentrate on getting into a good ug program. Thanks for your feedback though.

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If your university supports work terms or internships, I strongly suggest that you take them. They will provide you with an edge (comparing to other students not doing the internships), plus experience and some money which is always welcome . As for the edge over your classmates, if you are really interested in electronics then that is enough. It easily becomes apparent in class/lab situation who the circuit wiz really is. And don't forget to have some fun too :wink: