Why Do You Enjoy Electronics
"There isn’t a fixed recipe like baking a cake."
“Electronics is an extremely dynamic branch of engineering. Knowing that it has been around for less than 100 years, the breakthroughs in this science and the effect they have had on modern society have been tremendous! If we keep going at the same pace, the future of this field looks incredibly promising. I chose to study Electronics because I want to be a part of that future. I love that through innovative concepts we can directly solve a massive spectrum of problems, ranging from something as simple as a kitchen timer to controlling a Mars Rover.”
“I chose to study Electronics because of my interest in hands-on science and understanding how things work. Whether a wall clock with LEDs displaying the numbers or making copper glow blue in a test tube, it was always the ‘cool factor’ that got me into electronics. Robots controlled with voice commands: extremely cool! What I like most about Electronics is the fact that there really is no limit to what can be done, the only question is when, and who! I am very excited to be able to contribute and be part of the group of people responsible for today and tomorrow’s safer cars, faster phones, better hospital equipment, space travel… and so much more.”
"You can do anything you want to do."
“It’s the challenge of how can I solve this problem? What is the most optimal solution? Can we approach this in a different way? You get to be on the inside track, seeing what is coming to the world of consumer electronics. You can do anything you want to do, whether that’s switching on an LED status indicator or processing the images needed to make up the frames of that latest computer game.”
“In my opinion Electronics is one of the best fields to be in if you want to contribute to technological development, meet smart people and follow a never-ending journey of riddles and problem-solving.”
“What initially got me interested was my fascination with taking complex things apart, such as toys and old clocks, and ultimately an old CRT computer monitor. My first memorable Electronics experience was when I took that monitor apart and was completely fascinated by the green shiny circuit boards with all the intricate parts (much more than with mechanical, where you can see how it works with your eyes). I found it fun to try and draw the circuit diagram by looking at the board (I think I was 10–11). Of course I had no idea what I was doing and I drew only a fraction of the thing, it got so complicated so fast I gave up quite quickly. The idea that people could understand this stuff, that you could make drawings and diagrams and end up with something so intricate stayed with me. Years later, I decided to give it a serious go as a hobby. I failed miserably, having no experience with the physical aspect and attention to detail required, but I then quickly got interested in computers, realising that they are used to solve complex problems. This got me into software engineering, which I managed to pick up by myself. My small achievements for a 19 year old with a relatively poor academic background secured me a place on a degree (with foundation year) in Electronic Engineering at York University. My enjoyment developed as I realised the scale, applicability and power of Electronics to change society for the better.”
"I chose to study Electronics because I want to be a part of the future."
“Electronics is an extremely dynamic branch of engineering. Knowing that it has been around for less than 100 years, the breakthroughs in this science and the effect they have had on modern society have been tremendous! If we keep going at the same pace, the future of this field looks incredibly promising. I chose to study Electronics because I want to be a part of that future. I love that through innovative concepts we can directly solve a massive spectrum of problems, ranging from something as simple as a kitchen timer to controlling a Mars Rover.”
“I discovered Electronics quite early on and was immediately drawn to it. Applying my problem-solving skills in interesting and challenging situations is very enjoyable to me, and the creation of a complex end product is very satisfying. Electronics is also a very rapidly advancing field, so the idea that I could be working on a project that is currently only science fiction is just awesome!”
“Studying Electronics opened the door to a host of new concepts, such as programming, analogue and digital circuits, and a wealth of other interesting subjects. What I like about Electronics is the idea that what you could be involved in creating could have a positive effect and improve people’s lives, as well as the possibility to inspire others in furthering technology, especially new and effective communication methods, connecting people from all across the world.”
"Designing something with Electronics is a bit like a puzzle."
“I really like solving problems and coming up with ideas to fix or build things, and I’m also interested in stuff like maths and robots. My interests naturally led to me discovering Electronics when I was young, and coming up with interesting things to make using it. A couple of years doing it at school made me realise that I enjoyed it enough to learn more at university. Electronics is easy to use in lots of different ways, and each way means I have to think slightly differently about the problem I’m solving. Designing something with Electronics is a bit like a puzzle – you use it in one way for one piece, then another way for a second piece, then tweak both a little bit so that they fit together well. And when it does work well, that gives a great sense of achievement, which is something I really like – overcoming the challenges of building something complex.”
“I chose to study Electronics because I loved computers and technology, and I always wanted to know how they really worked. I wanted to know what went on inside a computer and how the same electricity which powered something as simple as a light bulb could make it work. Electronics is the most exciting and interesting field to be working in today, with incredibly smart and intelligent people inventing and discovering new ways to make the world a better place every day, and I am very proud to be working alongside them. Electronics is fantastic to study because you are always working with and learning about the latest advances; always on the cutting edge of technology. It’s a great mix of maths and science, but gives you creative freedom to use and apply the theory and make something new. Electronics is also very practical, which is great for someone like me who learns best through doing, and putting into practice the theory that has been learnt.”
“When I was around eight years old, I saw a fax machine for the first time. To me it seemed like magic that you could seemingly send a piece of paper from one place to another without having to buy a stamp. Now I know how it really works, it is no less magical to me than if the paper were to physically travel through the air. There really was no other option for me – I had to be involved in it, and so I had to study Electronics. I really like the fact that Electronics is fundamentally applied mathematics and physics. I really enjoy learning about the physical world, and how we can describe natural phenomena in mathematics – how ‘unreasonable effective’ mathematics is as a tool for describing the world. Electronics gives us an opportunity not only to understand the world around us, but to also interact with it, and to create whole new realities of our own.”