Items I used in the past two years
We can increase our survivability in Electrical Engineering by purchasing certain items. Here is my list of items i used to help me push through the madness engineering likes to throw at us.
Powerful computer
As Electrical Engineers we run a lot of programs either to emulate circuits, microcontrollers or designing PCB’s. A windows Computer with a sufficiently powerful processor or ideally one with a dedicated GPU will be worthy of investing, as it’ll guarantee smooth operation within and switching between all the programs you’ll be sinking magnitudes of hours in. With laptops its also important to consider the weight factor; as you will be carrying it on a day to day basis.
Caffeine
This one is definitely a double edged sword. During crunch periods it can be vital to helping you grind out that last assignment, or cram before an important exam, but it can also mess up your sleep schedule, and introduce heart palpataions. No one likes those. Also the cost can rack up pretty fast depending on whether you go the coffee or energy drink route. Me personally I’ve always been a big monster fan, Mango Loco, Ultra, strawberry dreams you have it all, but recently i have been drinking less, and i’ve most definitely been feeling the shaky withdrawals.
Motorbike
Certain semesters will require you to go in person everyday or almost everyday and the commute to and back can take valuable hours out of your day. Having a motorbike enabled me to turn a 2 hour plus commute into a 20 minute ride, and I cannot imagine living without it. It does come with its own risks and downfalls, such as the rain, or the 400 dollar registration, but all and all depending on your situation it can be a worthy investment well worth the money. On a side note, I’ve met so many cool people I otherwise wouldn’t of have met if I didn’t ride and that’s definitely a plus. Also shoutout to the guy on the purple GSXR that helped me push my bike when my battery was dead!
Food
Whether it be Munchy-Mart, Sensational, or subway we all have our guilty pleasure. It allows us to take a break from our never ending grind of engineering, and refuel ourselves to prepare for whatever task thrown at us. I know many of us who like to stress eat, and although its not optimal by any means, in moderation it can be a very good tool to just boost productivity that bit more to help us push through!
5 Weeks Left…
I hope you guys are all recharged from the midsem break!! Personally I spent a good chunk of time working on the labs and working on our 209 Project, but I also managed to find moments where I spent time with family, caught up on sleep, and did other things I enjoyed outside of university work. Maybe no one has said this to you today yet but you got this!!