Guess who’s back for the final time…. I thought I would end this series of blog posts with a reflection on the past year and some thoughts on what comes next after Part 2 electrical.
I’m not going to lie. This has been, by far, the most challenging semester. There have been many moments where I’ve felt like I don’t have the capacity to understand some of the concepts. But we persist. And we always get there eventually. It’s funny how many concepts boil down to simple understanding. And guess what. We’ve made it! We lived through a total of 5 exams, which is pretty nice for a total of 8 classes. And of course, it’s awesome to see just how much we can learn in one year. And to see how much our love for opamps can grow in that time too….
Another year down. That is, another covid-19-riddled, lockdown-infested year down. Us Part 2s and Part 1s have never experienced an entire semester without a lockdown. So, here’s hoping that we will next year as we settle into our specialisations.
I’m now halfway through my degree, and I say that with a slight sadness. But as much as I am sad to say goodbye to Part 2, I’m equally (if not more!) excited to say hello to Part 3. In Part 3 electrical we get four electives compared to one in Part 2. Not to mention two design courses. We’re truly on our way to becoming engineers!
After talking to friends in Part 1, I know my next statement will be totally pointless, but don’t let the ELECTENG 101 exam unduly affect your decision to choose electrical if you otherwise enjoyed the class. Exams are important, and grades too (to an extent), but ultimately exams are a couple hours of your life. Enjoying the content is the most important thing because this will be the next years of your life. Exams are tough and particularly so when online. But what I can say, is we were all genuinely shocked by how reasonable William’s tests and marking is in Part 2. Though we are still waiting to get our ELECTENG 291 exam papers back from semester one ;).
Regarding specialisations in general, make the decision that is ultimately right for you. Don’t let other people unduly influence your decision either. Don’t choose a specialisation based on solely the GPA requirement or your friends choices. And remember, electrical may not have a GPA requirement now but it was once the most popular at The University of Auckland….
I hope I’ve provided some solid insight into what being an electrical engineering student is like. If you want to know anything beyond what I’ve mentioned in these blog posts, feel free to reach me at plax740 [at] aucklanduni.ac.nz. It’s been a good one. Goodbye for now, guys.
Puja