Engineering School Today

Engineering schools today provide much of the research for the future of tomorrow, consistently bringing fresh minds to the drafting boards. It is interesting to look at the accomplishments that universities have made within engineering, specifically electrical engineering. Amateur radio has also played a significant role in providing a leading edge in the field as well, but in recent years it seems that SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and micro-processors have sped away from the average amateur radio experimenter's abilities. Once thought as hobby that only engineers or electronics "nerds" get into, amateur radio found itself as a hobby that some of the worlds smartest and innovative people enjoy. In fact, I personally know amateur radio operators that work as

There may have been a turning point in the academic world that pushed grades and test taking to a higher priority in the classroom, replacing the simple human interest to tinker and learn "real world" engineering for many. Some students would like to try soldering a kit or building a circuit other than the basic in-class lab projects but are likely too nervous to take a risk without a teacher or professor guiding them along. Many are simply lost in the numerouse opportunities having no clue where to start. It almost seems thats many of today's graduates are unable to solder a circuit board correctly, lacking fundamental concepts of electronics. Where "Academia" has left off in respect to hands-on understanding of electronics amateur radio still provides an outlet of creativity to experiment.  Attending classes while pursuing and electrical engineering degree has shown me that the average classmate is one of two types of people. The first type of student has no real interest in anything other than getting good grades in class, never even hinting at applying their knowledge to the real world until they find themselves in the working world. The second type of students that I have encountered are interested in electronics but hesitant to take out a soldering iron and construct a circuit (or breadboard) because it is not being taught in the classroom. If a student actually experiments with circuits in their spare time they are in a minority among college students! Amateur radio provides the outlet of engineering creativity for both engineers and hobbyists alike.

Learning Self-Motivation in Amateur Radio

Those that have spent a few years as a very active experimenter and amateur radio operator will agree that the best way to learn is to jump right in. In my personal experience, amateur radio allowed me to learn a significant amount of electronics theory that I would be later exposed to years down the road in college as well as critical hand's on skills that I will likely never see during college, those skills are both useful and of a high interest to employers. What's the catch? Well, there really isn't a "catch" other than being self-motivated and willing to make mistakes. Learning electronic skills yourself can be rewarding in many ways, especially the self-motivating, "Go-Getter" attitude that can accompany. 

The hardest obstacles to overcome nearly come as a pair, the lack of time to experiment in college and the unfortunate question of "Where do I start?" I've noticed with my personal experiences at college (maybe you have too?) that engineering students are hesitant to try activities that are not being taught in class. There are those few that break that boundary but otherwise it stands that many students may be afraid to learn outside the classroom. Self-Learning skills and practical knowledge will advance not only your amateur radio experience, employers look for these skills intensely, almost to the point that GPA isn't as big of a factor! For my EE degree at RIT I have to work just over a year of Co-Op, potential employers routinely ask me questions about my amateur radio experience!

Although there is no magic "Pill" to start learning there are many resources available. The obvious first answer would of course be the ARRL's handbook with it's amazing amount of electrical theory and practical projects. There is a difference between theory and practical application which do not automatically go together meaning that pure circuit theory is NOT required to understand basic principles and construction. Although I will point out that learning this theory will allow better modifications and designs. Buying parts online (or preferably your local electronics store!), putting a few small projects together such as an oscillator, simple audio amplifier will allow a wealth of knowledge for the small amount of effort put into building it. Other great resources for well written radio related projects are both Experimental Methods in RF Design (EMRFD) and the "Hand's-on Radio" column in QST. There are also many projects/resources online that you can find in CollegeARC's listing.

If Electrical theory is what your after, whether to learn on your own or as a supplement to your college text books (Yes, I have pulled out the Handbook to get a second reference!) there are also many resources. A good resource to try would be Electronics Tutorials as well as countless books easily attained at Barnes and Noble or other stores. If your interested in a college textbook for this area, try "Fundamentals of Circuits" by Alexander & Sadiku, I found it to be pretty good during my classes.

Creativity in Engineering

Whoever said that engineering is only for those that are better at math and science while lacking in the social and creative areas likely didn't tinker with broken appliances when they were kids and try to explain it to their friends. Contrary to popular belief, electronics and other "Tech" hobbies can be just as creative as those pursuing photography or illustration. Tinkering requires a certain level of creativeness in the way that a person thinks about a problem and approaches it, there are usually many ways to solve a problem. To illustrate some of the creative areas within engineering and other forms of experiments whether that be electronics, amateur radio, mechanics, etc. a creative experimenter will not only think about the design, but how to communicate these ideas to others.

One of the hardest issues facing today's technical students may not be the hard work involved but simple communication skills brought out everyday in the work place. I have found through my experiences in amateur radio experimentation as well as attending engineering school that the best way to get ahead in these sought-after areas is to practice them. The next time you put a 40-meter Morse code electronics kit together or build a project from the "Hands On Radio" column in QST magazine stop and think to yourself, "How would I explain this to someone with no technical background." As corny as this may seem it works and others will be interested to hear your thoughts, especially when written well. These "Soft-Skills" are very important and are often forgotten.

Unique Opportunities

Amateur radio (Ham Radio) has a particularly interesting ability to provide a unique resource of engineers, experimenters, and also the ability to build circuits that would otherwise be illegal to operate (Transmitters). With an amateur radio license, the ability to use circuits such as transmitters opens up doors into many areas of electronics. Also, having a useful purpose such as listening to the ham bands or other amateur radio opportunities bring more motivation to such projects! I read a disturbing, but true, comment in a MAKE magazine article a few months back regarding finding help from engineers. This article stated that if someone wanted help to construct a circuit that they should find an older engineer as young engineers don't build real circuits and instead design them on the computer and simulations. Amateur radio fills in this gap as a large majority of members in the community hold a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be shared.

An "Elmer" is a traditional term in amateur radio (Ham Radio) that describes a person who mentors a new radio operator, whether that be through operating or electronics. As I was learning more about electronics and amateur radio I found a few people in my community that offered help and advice for my projects, something that would never have easily been found if not for amateur radio. The experimentation within the hobby of amateur radio heavily involves the practical applications of engineering and many radio amateurs young and old can provide a useful resource for the newcomer!

Balancing Act

Let's face it, school is tough! The stress of test performance and making sure to get the work gets done can consume a lot of time and effort. Making time to learn more about amateur radio and electronics can be hard at best. It is important for those of us that are already involved to make sure that we make time to have fun and take breaks from the stresses encountered during studies. It can be hard to focus on larger projects with the college schedule working against you, small projects such as those found in "Hands-on Radio" can become a great resource for projects that are informative, fun, and useful. Getting on the air and chatting with others on the bands or spending some time working on a project can be great ways to relax as well as work on your professional resume. Hitting two birds with one stone, how much better can it get?

Now don't get me wrong, I fully believe that school is important and needed as there is a lot to learn! Academics play an important role in any major but what sets those apart from just another graduate is their extra-curriculars. Amateur radio is special in it's own respect by providing an applicable wealth of skills and a network of thousands of established engineers and other career opportunities. For any major, whether that be engineering, computer science, or other, what you do outside class is just as important as what you do inside. Just remember the next time you pick up that soldering iron or step into class that today's technology was built through innovation and hard work inside and outside the classroom, lets keep it that way.

What Do You Think?

I'd like to know what your thoughts are on this article regardless if you are a collegeARC member or not. It is possible that some of the topics and thoughts brought to light in this text may still be on the controversial side of thing regarding academia. Here are some topics below that I'd love to hear your responses too, although any comments are welcome!

If you are in college:

• How does your school approach real world engineering?
• Can you relate how amateur radio has influenced you in your academics/career?

If you are not in college:

• Does amateur radio help your workplace?
• What skills do you look for when hiring newly graduates?
• How has amateur radio helped you pursue your career?