Random Signals Class: Advice for EE Student

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the challenges and considerations of taking a Random Signals class for electrical engineering (EE) students during the summer. Participants share their experiences and seek advice regarding the difficulty level of the course, especially in relation to other EE classes and personal commitments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the difficulty of the Random Signals class, citing full-time work and family commitments as factors in their decision-making.
  • Another participant suggests that the course may not be more difficult than other EE courses, asking for clarification on whether it is an introductory or advanced course.
  • A different participant notes that the difficulty of the class can vary by institution and instructor, recommending that the original poster consult the syllabus and textbook for better insights.
  • This participant also shares their own positive experience with a similar class taken years ago, indicating its usefulness despite potential variations in difficulty.
  • The original poster provides details about the course description and topics covered, indicating it is an introductory course for EE students and mentioning the absence of lab work in the summer session.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the difficulty of the Random Signals class, with varying opinions on how it compares to other courses and the influence of different teaching styles and institutional contexts.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the importance of prerequisites and personal circumstances, as well as the variability in course difficulty based on different educational settings.

Who May Find This Useful

Electrical engineering students considering taking a Random Signals class, particularly those balancing work and family commitments.

Gerardo Ortega
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Hi All,

Looking for Advice on taking Random Signals Class in the summer, I am EE student, Is it very difficult? very challenging or demanding?. I have taken classes in the summer in a community college and I have done OK(B), however I am a little unsure about this one. I work full time and have family.. What are your thoughts, How difficult it is.
 
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It's no more difficult than any other course in the EE curriculum. What's the focus of the course? When you say random signals, are you referring to an introductory course in random processes for electrical engineers, or something higher-level?
 
The difficulty of such a class can vary significantly from school to school and even from professor to professor, so we would just be guessing. If you post the syllabus (and textbook) our guesses might be better.

I would recommend you speak with your advisor and with students who have taken the class.

By the way, 20+ years ago I took a 'random signals' class (had prerequisites of probability theory, and signals and systems) and have found it to be incredibly useful. Your mileage may vary.

Jason
 
I am currently taken Signals and Systems I and I am doing Ok, the university allows to take these two classes concurrent, But I decided not to.. Seems like Summer could be a good option since does not have lab. Below is the course description and books requirement. I would say is an introductory course for EE

thanks in Advanced

GeraEEE 350 Random Signal Analysis (3) [F, S, SS] Course (Catalog) Description: Probabilistic and statistical analysis as applied to electrical signals and systems. Lecture. Required course. Pre or corequisite: EEE 203 Textbook: Yates and Goodman, Probability and Stochastic Processes, second edition, Wiley, 2005

Course Topics: 1. Axiomatic probability 2. Random variables, distribution functions, and density functions 3. Special distributions: Gaussian, exponential, etc. 4. Expectation and variance 5. Multiple random variables 6. Central limit theorem and law of large numbers 7. Maximum-likelihood estimation and confidence intervals 8. Random processes 9. Statistical analysis using sample statistics, histograms, and linear regression
 

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