Every person has career aspirations that they need to fulfill. Growing up, I had always wanted to be an engineer since I had a deep interest in technical fields. My deep interest is one of the primary factors that prompted me to major in Electrical engineering (EE). The complicated nature of EE is among the contributing factors that scare other individuals from majoring in it. Despite the already formed notions about EE, nothing has deterred me from pursuing my passion. During this session, I have come across various concepts that have changed my perception of EE as a whole. For instance, the different engineering mathematics classes have helped me understand the importance of EE using various mathematical concepts in solving the challenges they encounter. Subsequently, the mathematics classes have also helped me to comprehend how EE applies the mathematics of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism in processing and transmitting energy in small and large scale systems.
A summary description of the High Impact Experience.
Electrical engineering has enlightened me on the importance of having mathematical skills. More than anything else, electrical engineers are required to have mathematical knowledge since it serves as a guide in helping them design most of their projects. Since EE are required to weigh the options provided by their design options, having the relevant mathematical skills helps them in selecting a solution that is ideal for a given requirement. Based on the significance of having mathematical skills as an engineer, I decided to take a mathematics course, which serves as my high-impact experience. This high-impact experience involved doing various mathematics units, which I believe will help me solve real-life challenges that I will encounter in my field of expertise. The experience started in spring 2018 and ended in fall 2020.
Discussion of how the experience impacted me and my education.
I decided to undertake a minor in mathematics after critically evaluating the benefits that I will reap from the course. As an engineer, I am required to create a suitable mathematical model that will help me analyze it and create potential solutions. As a result, I believed that undertaking a course in mathematics will assist me in achieving this goal. Through this high-impact experience, I learned to predict how well certain designs perform based on their specifications before engaging in their full-scale production. Additionally, this experience gave me skills concerning how to use prototypes, scale models, simulations, and stress tests to ensure that various designs will perform according to set expectations.
During this experience, I learned on why mathematics is used as an important tool in solving a wide range of problems. The mathematical skills gained laid a foundation for me to develop intellectual maturity. As a result, I will use the gained insights in solving different issues related to my profession. One way through which I will use mathematical skills is in measurements. Electrical engineers must ensure that all the wires connect seamlessly and correctly in a given structure when performing any wiring process. As a result, the electrical mathematics engineering skills will help me go a long way in measuring room dimensions, the required lengths of wires, and other essential variables needed to determine where specific components should be placed.
Having an understanding of specific arithmetic methods is also crucial for an electrical engineer. As a result, I will use knowledge in simple algebraic linear equations to make accurate measurements of specific components. I believe accurately doing my measurements as an electrical engineer will ensure safety and regulation compliance in all my undertakings.
The second way through which I will use the experience is gained to my career and professional life is in piping configurations. After taking measurements, I am tasked with using more complex mathematics in determining the exact angle that given pipes and circuits are supposed to pass through. As a result, the various geometry and trigonometry principles will help me go a long way in determining correct component angles. Conventionally, pipes are crucial since they aid in housing wires and other important electrical components. As a result, using the correct geometry principles will help me ensure that I perform correct wire configurations. Mathematical skills are also an important element since electrical engineers need it drawing blueprints and building plans. As a result, I am confident that the geometry principles that I have gained will help create scale representations of different structures.
Lastly, doing various calculations is part of an engineer’s work. As a result, the gained high-impact experience in mathematics will lay a foundation for me to perform power and voltage calculations in my professional life effectively. During the session, I learned about Ohm’s law: one of the common formulas used in determining electrical current. Since I have a good grasp of this formula, I am confident that I will make correct calculations of the force of an electric current.
One recommendation that I would like to make to future students about maximizing the value of their high-impact experience is that they should not fear tackling issues beyond their skills. Taking a risk in doing a given thing may lay a foundation for uncovering something new. Students should not let fear take over their dreams; they should strive to work with experts in their selected areas since by doing so, they will create an interactive educational environment that will help them learn new ideas.
