Electronics Kits for college students

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for electronics kits suitable for college students, particularly those studying Electrical Engineering and Physics. Participants explore options for affordable kits that facilitate hands-on experience in advanced electronics, while also addressing the varying levels of practical experience among students.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses excitement about building and seeks suggestions for affordable electronics kits appropriate for college-level work.
  • Another participant suggests that an Electrical Engineering (EE) student should be capable of assembling their own kit based on their specific interests.
  • A different participant shares resources for obtaining parts, including websites that offer both kits and individual components, and mentions a preference for repairing old electronics over creating new ones.
  • The original poster clarifies that "advanced electronics" refers to kits suitable for college or adult learners, not for beginners.
  • Some participants argue that while assembling kits can be beneficial, not all students may have sufficient hands-on experience to do so effectively.
  • One participant encourages starting with basic kits that align with personal interests before progressing to more complex projects involving microcontrollers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity and feasibility of assembling one's own kit. While some assert that EE students should be able to do so, others highlight that practical experience may vary, suggesting that not all students are equally prepared for this task.

Contextual Notes

There is an implicit assumption that students have varying levels of prior experience with hands-on electronics work, which may influence their ability to assemble kits independently.

Miviato
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I am a sophomore at college and I am double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Physics. I am very excited about building stuff and I am looking for affordable electronics kits that would be suitable for a college level and that could get me started on advanced electronics hands-on work and building. Any suggestions?
 
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If you're an EE student you should be able to assemble your own kit for what you want to build.
 
fss said:
If you're an EE student you should be able to assemble your own kit for what you want to build.

<< post edited by berkeman >>

Here's a couple sites where I get parts:

http://www.sparkfun.com

http://www.jameco.com

These sites do have kits and also individual parts.

Personally, I'm more of a fix it guy than a creator. So I usually go to a thrift store and buy old electronics then try to fix them.

By the way, when you say "advanced electronics," what are you referring to?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your reply, DrummingAtom. By "advanced electronics", I am referring to any sort of roughly college/adult level electronics kits/assemblies (i.e. I am not interested in kits for kids/beginners, for e.g.).
 
fss said:
If you're an EE student you should be able to assemble your own kit for what you want to build.

Not necessarily. Depending on his background, he may not have had much practical hands-on experience yet.

Miviato said:
I am a sophomore at college and I am double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Physics. I am very excited about building stuff and I am looking for affordable electronics kits that would be suitable for a college level and that could get me started on advanced electronics hands-on work and building. Any suggestions?

Good for you. Building kits first, and then your own circuit ideas later, is a great way to gain better insight into how practical circuits work.

You can start with a couple basic kits for things that interest you (it's nice when the kit is actually useful when you are done with it), and then branch out into PIC microcontroller boards and building projects with them. Have fun!
 

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