Pursuing Electrical Engineering: Advice for a Young Initiate

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around seeking advice for a young individual interested in pursuing electrical engineering. Participants share their experiences, suggest reading materials, and discuss the importance of foundational knowledge in mathematics and physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong passion for engineering, inspired by their brother's work and interest in Nikola Tesla, and seeks recommendations for reading materials suitable for beginners.
  • Another participant suggests the ARRL radio handbook as a valuable resource for newcomers to the field.
  • A different participant inquires about the original poster's math background and recommends "Basic Circuit Analysis" by O'Malley, highlighting its calculus-based approach and practical applications.
  • One participant shares their personal educational journey, mentioning their struggles in high school and how they have found renewed focus and potential in studying physics, despite previously poor math skills.
  • This same participant notes that understanding the application of concepts is crucial for effective learning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of foundational knowledge in mathematics and physics for pursuing electrical engineering, but there is no consensus on specific reading materials or approaches, as different suggestions and personal experiences are shared.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about their math skills and how it affects their learning process, indicating a potential limitation in their foundational knowledge. The discussion does not resolve these uncertainties.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in starting a career in electrical engineering, particularly those seeking guidance on foundational knowledge and resources for self-study.

Tezla11
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My third job ever I worked with my brother who is qualified to get his masters liscense, at an electrical distributor. It was my time working with him, constructing and repairing surge protectors, that my passion for engineering was ignited. My brother had a deep fascination for Nikola Tesla and his work and has inspired me to study this great inventor and his discoveries. I can't think of anything else better to do with my life. I have a novice level of understanding about generally everything concerning electrical engineering, but deeply fascinated to the point to where studying the subject is a hobby, not a chore. That being said, I would like to know what seasoned engineers would recommend as far as reading material to a young initiate. Where do I start?
 
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What sort of math background do you have?

A good start for a serious engineer would be an intro to circuits. There is many books and textbooks on it. But one inexpensive is "Basic Circuit Analysis" by O'Malley.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070478244/?tag=pfamazon01-20

It is calculus based, and has many solved problems for easy self study. It also has nice sections on SPICE (electronic simulation).
 
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I dropped out in the 11th grade. With terrible grades at that. Purely due to the fact that I didn't apply myself. Looking back now, I am able to admit my potential to myself a lot better. Truth be told I can do absolutley anything I want. It's not that I had an apathy about studying, its just I didn't know why I was doing it. No direction. Now that I've made my mind up on what I want to do, I can focus all my energy on that one thing.

I bought a book called physics demystified awhile back and have been reading through that. The concepts are easy enough to get. Its just about having in mind what exactly your going to apply those concepts too that makes the whole learning thing work lol. For me atleast. I tend to ramble lol. But my math skills are pretty horrible as of now. But I tend to be mathimatically minded(much to my surprise) So when I do my studies now, things clicked like they never could in high school.
 

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