Cumulative Reflection
My education at Iowa State University has been a pleasant surprise. I came to the university expecting to take the minimum requirements in order to obtain an engineering degree. However, I realized that this mentally did not allow me to engage in the moment. I was busy believing that my life began after graduating college and neglected the opportunities I had while still at university. All of this changed when I decided to believe that the “real world” exists now and in the present. I allowed myself to take advantage of the opportunities available to me and by taking classes with professors that I enjoyed rather than doing the bare minimum.
The classes that have challenged my beliefs have been EE 185 and EE 311. I took both of these classes with Dr. Mina in the same semester due to me being a transfer student. I eventually was recruited by the EE 185 mentor team (also known as EELC Peer Mentors) to become a mentor. I never thought that I would have ever been sought out in college. The mentorship program with Dr. Mina encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and to be “comfortable with being uncomfortable.” I was forced to assess my skillset and realized that I need to work more on my technical skills as well as my personal growth. I made it a point to take independent study courses (EE 490) and open design lab courses (EE 186, EE 391) to work on projects.
The course EE 185: Introduction to EE and Problem Solving I provided the idea that the individual is in control of what they learn and how they learn through inquiry-based learning. I have never had a class that reframed the same problem over and over again. This forced me to think and actively engage in class. During the labs, I was able to freely and creatively do whatever interested me. I took a few weeks to practice and review basic programming and circuit design before I eventually moved on to a project. I was able to complete my first electrical instrument (a mini push button piano) that integrated both programming and circuit design. As a more mature student in the class, I was able to appreciate Dr. Mina’s style of teaching as I have never encountered it during my years at other universities before transferring to ISU. I was allowed to explore who I was as an engineer and more importantly as a person. I have gained valuable insight on empathy from inquiry-based learning through EELC and was able to reassess my technical skills in programming and circuitry. This course set me up to be confident in my abilities and to connect ideas, though not perfectly, from each course for the remainder of my EE program at ISU.
The course EE 311: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves is another course I took with Dr. Mina. Most classes in engineering would essentially be learning the equations and theories, then doing the computational math. This course turned that method of learning upside down and focused on the why and how these equations and theories are relevant. The problems were reframed differently every time from the games, homework, and exams, and forced me to think outside of the box and apply the knowledge from the equations and theories in a meaningful way. Just taking this course has led me to realize that I did not know enough about electrical engineering, or that my assumptions about electrical engineering were still very novice. I thought to myself: How could I be an electrical engineer if I don’t even know the physics behind electricity and magnetism, the basis of electrical engineering? Ultimately, this course has led me to focus on electromagnetism as my technical sequence (EE 417, EE 418).
My independent study courses (EE 490) and open design lab courses (EE 186, EE 391) allowed me to do personal projects as well as look outside of the ECpE department for inspiration. I was able to observe and work with Industrial Design students from the College of Design. I learned that they focused on what we engineers consider “non-technical” design and what the College of Design considers design thinking---meaning aesthetics, ergonomics, and the emotional value a product holds for the person.
Industrial design can be described as the human side of engineering. This perspective allowed me to gain a holistic view of how thought can turn into a thing from the technical side of engineering to the empathetic/creative side of engineering. Engineering and design are really two sides of the same coin.
The courses outlined above were the courses that allowed me to take the skillsets learned and apply it to my other courses in the EE program. I gained valuable technical knowledge in project design, design thinking, schematic design, microcontroller experience, and programming. I also gained a new appreciation for soft skill sets such as empathy, communication, and leadership. If I had not believed that the real world exists in the now, I would have probably taken just the required courses to graduate. I believe changing my mindset about how I see education allowed me to have opportunities such as becoming a scholar for ECSEL (Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineers as Leaders) and to look outside of ECpE for inspiration. My experience at ISU allowed me to develop as a person and as an engineer because I sought that experience rather than passively completing the program. I am determined to be a lifelong learner and plan to continue graduate school to further my studies.
The classes that have challenged my beliefs have been EE 185 and EE 311. I took both of these classes with Dr. Mina in the same semester due to me being a transfer student. I eventually was recruited by the EE 185 mentor team (also known as EELC Peer Mentors) to become a mentor. I never thought that I would have ever been sought out in college. The mentorship program with Dr. Mina encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and to be “comfortable with being uncomfortable.” I was forced to assess my skillset and realized that I need to work more on my technical skills as well as my personal growth. I made it a point to take independent study courses (EE 490) and open design lab courses (EE 186, EE 391) to work on projects.
The course EE 185: Introduction to EE and Problem Solving I provided the idea that the individual is in control of what they learn and how they learn through inquiry-based learning. I have never had a class that reframed the same problem over and over again. This forced me to think and actively engage in class. During the labs, I was able to freely and creatively do whatever interested me. I took a few weeks to practice and review basic programming and circuit design before I eventually moved on to a project. I was able to complete my first electrical instrument (a mini push button piano) that integrated both programming and circuit design. As a more mature student in the class, I was able to appreciate Dr. Mina’s style of teaching as I have never encountered it during my years at other universities before transferring to ISU. I was allowed to explore who I was as an engineer and more importantly as a person. I have gained valuable insight on empathy from inquiry-based learning through EELC and was able to reassess my technical skills in programming and circuitry. This course set me up to be confident in my abilities and to connect ideas, though not perfectly, from each course for the remainder of my EE program at ISU.
The course EE 311: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves is another course I took with Dr. Mina. Most classes in engineering would essentially be learning the equations and theories, then doing the computational math. This course turned that method of learning upside down and focused on the why and how these equations and theories are relevant. The problems were reframed differently every time from the games, homework, and exams, and forced me to think outside of the box and apply the knowledge from the equations and theories in a meaningful way. Just taking this course has led me to realize that I did not know enough about electrical engineering, or that my assumptions about electrical engineering were still very novice. I thought to myself: How could I be an electrical engineer if I don’t even know the physics behind electricity and magnetism, the basis of electrical engineering? Ultimately, this course has led me to focus on electromagnetism as my technical sequence (EE 417, EE 418).
My independent study courses (EE 490) and open design lab courses (EE 186, EE 391) allowed me to do personal projects as well as look outside of the ECpE department for inspiration. I was able to observe and work with Industrial Design students from the College of Design. I learned that they focused on what we engineers consider “non-technical” design and what the College of Design considers design thinking---meaning aesthetics, ergonomics, and the emotional value a product holds for the person.
Industrial design can be described as the human side of engineering. This perspective allowed me to gain a holistic view of how thought can turn into a thing from the technical side of engineering to the empathetic/creative side of engineering. Engineering and design are really two sides of the same coin.
The courses outlined above were the courses that allowed me to take the skillsets learned and apply it to my other courses in the EE program. I gained valuable technical knowledge in project design, design thinking, schematic design, microcontroller experience, and programming. I also gained a new appreciation for soft skill sets such as empathy, communication, and leadership. If I had not believed that the real world exists in the now, I would have probably taken just the required courses to graduate. I believe changing my mindset about how I see education allowed me to have opportunities such as becoming a scholar for ECSEL (Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineers as Leaders) and to look outside of ECpE for inspiration. My experience at ISU allowed me to develop as a person and as an engineer because I sought that experience rather than passively completing the program. I am determined to be a lifelong learner and plan to continue graduate school to further my studies.