EE Girl @ Georgia Tech

I am a female, majoring in EE at Georgia Tech in the class of 2017. I am going to chronicle my experiences from being a R.A.T.S to graduation.

[eegtgirl]

S/O to all you Techies taking finals, the week is almost over, you can do it!!

[eegtgirl]

Question: Are there research opportunities on campus?

Answer: YES!!!

So, there are three ways to get involved in research at Georgia Tech -

1)Find a professor - Email professors that are doing work you are interested in before the semester you want to do research. A lot of professors have space in their labs for undergraduates and don't be afraid to ask, even if you don't have experience. You can get credit, or be paid for this research depending on the professor.

2) Organized research through VIP, or ORS. There are organizations in ECE dedicated to helping undergraduates do research. You would do research in a group with other undergrads. You can get credit for this research.

3) GTRI - Georgia Tech Research Institute. You can either work part time or do an internship at GTRI. A lot of the lab group leaders at GTRI are also faculty at Georgia Tech, and your research here can count for credit or pay.

I personally have done research with a professor freshman year, and this year I am working at GTRI. Feel free to message me any specific questions you may have pertaining to research, Georgia Tech, or college in general.

[eegtgirl]

President Obama

So President Obama is coming to Tech next Tuesday!!! I waited for three hours and got a ticket! I wish that I could meet him, but I will have to make do with watching from afar. So excited!!!

[eegtgirl]

QUESTION TIME!!!

Question: Should I tour Georgia Tech, and if so what tour should I do?

Answer: I personally recommend touring Tech before accepting, it would be a great shame if you decide to come here, and upon arrival, you hate the atmosphere. Also, you should do at least one tour if possible, there are so many! Admitted Students say, Destination Tech, or just a regular tour of campus!! Also, if you are going to be majoring in ECE, take the ECE tour. I would also recommend sitting in a class to get a feel for the environment. Details for both are at this link: http://www.ece.gatech.edu/prospective-students/undergraduate/visit-ece.html.

[eegtgirl]

ECE class check in

So here is a little about ECE 2031, 2040 and 2036.

2031: So this is a lab class which involved a 3 hr lab and a 1 hr lecture. I would say that look at the calendar, and unless they are discussing a project or test don't go to lecture - the lecture slides are in the book and it is really a waste of time. The labs are 3 hrs but the longest I've had to stay was 2 which is really great! I know that the writing assignments and projects are going to be hard but the labs so far have been pretty simple. 

2040: Ok this is a circuits class and I have Yoder. All sections are flipped meaning that you have to watch lecture videos outside of class and then you spend more in class time doing labs. I really hate this class. The lecture is boring - Yoder uses a tablet to project live handwritten notes...the homework is from the book, and there are quizzes on the videos. The quiz was so - so. There were three questions, one of which was pretty hard, one was medium, one easy, and a bonus question which was super complicated. We had a class average of 87 on that test. 

2036: Frankly, this is my favorite ECE class this semester. I have Kline, and I think he is a wonderful teacher. He keeps lecture interesting, and he writes code with us in class. I just finished doing a lab and they are pretty cool. The labs are all done by yourself at home and then you get a TA to check it off. There is no homework. The tests are open book open notes, so I hope that it will be ok. 

[eegtgirl]

Half Way Done

So, I have finally registered for my classes for this semester. I will have ECE 2040, 2036, and 2031 along with CS 1331. This is a lighter course load than my previous semesters but the classes will be hard. I will keep you guys up to date about my classes. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOOD LUCK ON YOUR SEMESTER!!!

[georgeburdell]

Georgia Tech is #1 of course

[eegtgirl]

DSP Test

So, the DSP first actual test was on Friday. Let me say, it was not bad. The test was not supremely hard, it was actually a bit easier than some of the homework questions. You just need to be able to work the questions quickly. I didn't have a time problem, but I know some people didn't finish the test. So far, DSP is not as hard as people made it sound. That may be just my opinion though. If you have any questions, just ask!!

[eegtgirl]

DSP clicker test

So it's been a while since I've posted, and that's because I had tests from last Wednesday to this Wednesday...literally every day for a week-no joke. We had our first clicker test in ECE 2026 aka DSP. I would like to say that it wasn't that bad for me- I would have made a hundred if I didn't make a stupid mistake on one question... Anyways, it was 4 questions multiple choice that you had to answer on your clicker. To study for that, I would recommend old regular exams, the homework, and read the book. We didn't have any previous clicker exams to study from as this is the first semester they are implementing it. So if you have any questions in the future, just ask!!!

[eegtgirl]

Celeb alert:

So. Gossip of the day. Apparently Josh Hutcherson's brother goes to Gatech and he came to visit him yesterday and today. He was at the CRC yesterday and I think in the frat houses today. I didn't get to meet him, but a couple girls I know in sororities got pictures with him. The perks of going to Tech  :) But in reality, we never get really famous people to actually meet us in the engineering events or anything. I wish that they invited cool people to Tech to meet the geeks here that don't have social lives :P. Did you know we don't get celeb speakers at the graduation? Nope we are a public school, can't be spending that much money for a speaker :( But this shouldn't discourage you, we have so many great perks! Like the free CRC. awesome classes and teachers and lots of green green grass. They are literally working on the grass everyday...

[eegtgirl]

I got asked if it would be a good idea to join the Honors program.

I am not in the honors program, but I have a friend who is. I would definitely recommend that you apply for it. I don’t know much about it, but what I do know is that they live together, so you get a really wonderful community…

[charmandick]

When can you apply to the honors program? Is it a one time thing when you first apply to the school?

[eegtgirl]

I am so sorry I never saw this. I wasn’t really on tumblr during the summer so I only noticed this now. I believe that if you apply early acceptance they will send you Honors information if you meet their qualifications. It’s not open to everyone to apply. I know plenty of smart kids not in the honors program. 

[charmandick]

Lol yea it’s fine I asked this after I applied regular so yea it was too late for me anyways.

[eegtgirl]

Ok, you know if you ever want to take an Honors class even if you're not in the class you should just ask the professor! A lot of them might let you especially if it has to do with your major!

[eegtgirl]

I got asked if it would be a good idea to join the Honors program.

I am not in the honors program, but I have a friend who is. I would definitely recommend that you apply for it. I don’t know much about it, but what I do know is that they live together, so you get a really wonderful community…

[charmandick]

When can you apply to the honors program? Is it a one time thing when you first apply to the school?

[eegtgirl]

I am so sorry I never saw this. I wasn't really on tumblr during the summer so I only noticed this now. I believe that if you apply early acceptance they will send you Honors information if you meet their qualifications. It's not open to everyone to apply. I know plenty of smart kids not in the honors program. 

[eegtgirl]

Career Fair

So, I went to to career fair today. I have to say, it was a little disheartening. The thing is, most companies that deal in engineering/computer science, don't want sophomores without good experience - but how do you get experience? I am pretty sure that I am going to end up interning at GTRI this summer as it would be good experience. I am sad though, because I wanted to get company internships. It was an amazing experience though! So you have to dress to impress - for girls that means a pant suit or a nice blouse and a pencil skirt or a business formal dress etc. That also leaves shoes, i would recommend flats or low wedges - there is a lot of standing. I will upload a picture later, but there was a long line into the career fair in the hot sun before it started. There is also a wait for company representatives at the big ones. There are many lines and standing involved. Print out 25- 30 copies of your resume before hand! It is important to have enough. Even if you don't think you have a chance, giving your resume to a recruiter means they will take a second look at it - which equals maybe a job! Also, bring a folder or padfolio for your resumes. If you are going to use a folder, make sure it is solid colored and not see through and take a pad of paper with you. You never know if you need to jot something down like a recruiters name or classes they recommend you take before you interview with them. Also, research a bit about the companies you are really interested in. Tell them what you want, and what you can do! It is all about confidence and appearances for the first impression to get you through the door - then it is all up to your resume/experience. 

That's all for now - ask me your questions!

[eegtgirl]

So I snagged this sweet pair of sunglasses at a Google meeting. Google is spending a couple days on campus, and I went to the meeting with WECE. Basically what I've learned is that to get an internship or a job you need to be able to code. Google deals in four major languages: C++, Java, Python, and Go. If you can code well in any of those, you have a decent shot at working at Google. If you have any more questions, please ask!!! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!!!

[eegtgirl]

Student Assistant

So, I am currently working GTRI. Today is technically my first day, and let me tell you, the people here are awesome! I am a student assistant which basically means I work 10 hours and help on various projects - you get great experience! If you guys have any questions about research at Gatech, ask! I did research all of my freshman year as well, so I have been around the block a bit. 

[eegtgirl]

Second Day of Classses

So, I have basically been to every class I am taking this semester, and I have decided that Georgia Tech offers 8 am classes just to torture us even more...It is not fun. 

The only ECE class I am taking this semester is 2026 which is Signal Processing - the cool kids call it DSP. It is supposedly the hardest ECE class ever, which does not bode well for us students. The class seems very Matlab oriented. 

I am also taking COE 2001 or statics, which is supposedly an easy class. Basically what I've heard is that it is Physics where the net force is 0. The first class was very easy, just simple dot and cross product so I am not worried about it yet. 

Well, I already have labs and homework to do. If you have any questions, I will be here :)

[eegtgirl]

Sophomore Year Begins!

Wow, I have to say I just finished unpacking all of my stuff. I am excited and sad - not looking forward to staying up late doing work instead of having fun, but it's all part of the grind. I am still available for questions, and I will probably post a little more stuff tomorrow, right now I gotta meet with my RA and get ready for another wonderful year at Tech. Hope you all are ready!