Welcome to PF.
QuantamMaster said:
Hi, I am a middle schooler interested in pursuing a computer engineering degree. I may get up to a master's. I am interested in this field because I am interested in robotics, AI and some EE/CS stuff.
What should I do this summer and next year (8th grade) to prepare and then what should I do in high school?
(Job goals: AI/ML engineer, Robotics Engineer, or Quant)
Good for you, being so interested in those topics and careers at a young age. I predict you will do well, as long as you are willing to work hard in your technical studies and at your jobs.
A couple questions: What programming languages have you learned so far, and what kind of programs have you written? Have you learned to use Github to manage your software projects yet? (Please look into doing that early in your coding experiences)
More questions: Does your school have a Physics Club, a Math Club, a Coding Club, a Robotics Club, etc.? If so, I'd encourage you to participate in any that interest you. Does your school participate in Science Fairs? Same thing -- do your best to come up with interesting projects and enter them in those kinds of fairs. You will learn a lot by doing this, including a lot of practical stuff about hands-on science and doing a good job of documenting your work and presenting it to others.
Another suggestion -- I would encourage you to look into circuit project kits where you build projects that interest you and learn about the "nuts and bolts" that make up the technology. For example, you can build simple electronics kits like AM/FM radios, temperature sensors, motion sensors, and similar. With each kit you get the blank Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and the components, and instruction on how to assembly it into a working device. You also get information on the theory behind how the circuit works, which is a great way to start to get a basic understanding of how real world circuits work.
One step up from that is to get a small microcontroller (uC) development board like an Arduino, and learn to write code for that uC and build add-on IO cards for that development board. That will get you closer to real-world development that goes on now, where you build up a device using a uC and extra circuitry to do some useful function.
Hopefully all that helps some. Let us know more about your background so far in coding and working with circuits, and we can offer more refined suggestions. Enjoy the ride!
