Rex N. Fisher                             Computer Science and Engineering Department, BYU-Idaho

Engineering Your Future

 

(Excerpts from the book by Oakes, Leone, and Gun.  ISBN-13:978-1-88101869-4)

 

Specialy Areas in Electrical Engineering

 

• Computers
• Communications
• Circuits
• Controls
• Instrumentation
• Signal Processing
• Bioengineering
• Power

 

Comment by Fisher:  We have a Computer Engineering degree at BYU-Idaho that combines the computer specialty of EE with a more extensive education in software development (Computer Science). 

 

Engineering Functions

 

Within engineering there are basic classifications of jobs that are common across the various engineering disciplines.  Some examples:

 

• Research
• Development
• Testing
• Design
• Analysis
• Systems
• Manufacturing & Construction
• Operations & Maintenance
• Technical Support
• Customer Support
• Sales
• Consulting
• Management 

 

Comment by Fisher:  A Computer Engineer or Electrical Engineer with a particular specialty could work in any of these fields.  A Computer Engineer could work in sales, for example, to help customers determine their computing needs and select the most appropriate hardware and software to satisfy those needs.  Engineers working in design and development create new products for the company while those in manufacturing find ways to reliably build those products less expensively. 

 

Succeeding in the Classroom

 

The three components to succeeding in your academics are your ability, your attitude, and your effort.  While there is unquestionably a level of ability that is needed to succeed in engineering, there are numerous students who had the ability but failed at engineering because of poor attitudes or poor or inefficient effort.  There are also many students who lacked the natural ability but because of their positive attitude and extraordinary effort are now excellent engineers.

 

Attitude

 

Approaching your classes, professors and teaching assistants with a positive attitude is the first key to succeeding in your engineering studies.  Each class should be looked at as an opportunity to succeed.  If there are difficulties along the way, learn to deal with those and move ahead.  Many students will decide that a certain class is too difficult or that the professor is a poor teacher and will expect to do poorly.  Many fulfill their own prophecy and actually fail.  Other students look at the same situation and overcome the hurdles to excel.

 

Keys to Effectiveness (Effective Effort)

 

Effort and effectiveness may be the most important components of your success as a student.

• Take Time to Study

          A general rule is that it takes a minimum of two hours of study outside of class for each

          hour of class lecture.

• Go to Class
• Make Class Effective

          1.  Get involved during class.

          2.  Prepare for class.

• Keep Up with Class
• Take Effective Notes
• Work Lots of Problems
• Group Study
• Select a Good Study Spot