<p>I am an incoming freshman going to UMD who will be majoring in electrical engineering. I wonder what is a great first step in college besides get good grades. For example, should I get an internship while I am in college to get research experience? Should I try to examine topics and pursue my own research?</p>
<p>Whoa there…relax! Let me address the academics first. A great first step is not making academics a “besides getting good grades” kind of thing…
Getting good grades in college is not as easy as you think. Just because you got A’s in high school with little effort does not mean that you will be able to get A’s in college for the same effort. There is a big difference in workload and challenge of material. It may not seem like that at first, so students that are on their own for the first time often fall into the trap of missing classes, simply because (they think) they can. Understand, that unlike high school, in a large lecture class, your absence won’t be noticed, and mommy isn’t around to yell at you to go. Homework is not collected, so a lot of students view it as optional… You will have FAR more distractions than you can even imagination. Students don’t realize their mistake in underestimating the value of attending classes until finals come around…and then they panic! So, adjusting to school away from home is your biggest challenge. Don’t rush things! Take the time you need to adjust figure out how to do well and while still having some fun. Having said that…</p>
<p>If you are interested in internships, there is a huge career fair twice a year - once a semester. Look into [Engineering</a> Co-op and Career Services](<a href=“http://www.coop.eng.umd.edu/]Engineering”>http://www.coop.eng.umd.edu/) to get help putting together a resume for the fairs. The kind of resume you need for this looks nothing like the list of activities/awards “resume” you may have put together for college applications. Understand that in this economy, internships are harder to come by and priority is given to upperclassmen, so I wouldn’t rush to go to the fall career fair in your first semester. Instead, the “fair” you should plan on attending is the engineering picnic in the fall. The date isn’t set yet, but it will be advertised, so no worries. If you want to keep up on what’s available, check out the engineering events calender [A</a>. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland](<a href=“Events | A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland”>Events | A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland). There is also one specific to EE [University</a> of Maryland | Electrical and Computer Engineering Department](<a href=“Event Listing | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering”>Event Listing | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Right now, the event calendars won’t show a whole lot for the fall (a lot of dates for events are not set yet), but believe me, they add to it so it will look very different by September. You can check it out every so often after school starts to see if there is anything of interest to you.</p>
<p>As for research, here is the link for info on undergraduate research. [Research</a> Opportunities | A. James Clark School of Engineering](<a href=“http://www.eng.umd.edu/research/opportunities]Research”>Research Opportunities | A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland)</p>
<p>Besides academic opportunities, another big “first step” you will be doing the first semester is building your social circle. If you live on campus, there is a New Resident Orientation for the days between move-in and the start of classes. There are lots of activities to help you get started on finding new friends. The schedule for this year isn’t out yet, but for later in the summer, here is the link [Fall</a> Welcome 2013](<a href=“http://www.reslife.umd.edu/fallwelcome/]Fall”>Fall Welcome | Department of Resident Life | University of Maryland)</p>
<p>FYI, within the first few weeks of school starting, there is also a HUGE event called the First Look Fair. That is when all the clubs/activities/organizations set up booths on the mall (the huge green space in front of McKeldin library) and you can go around to see what is of interest to you. I think its Sept 18 & 19 this year, but I don’t know for certain - they will advertise it a lot so you can’t miss it… [Office</a> of Undergraduate Admissions · University of Maryland » Clubs and Organizations](<a href=“http://www.admissions.umd.edu/student/ClubsAndOrganizations.php]Office”>http://www.admissions.umd.edu/student/ClubsAndOrganizations.php)</p>
<p>One final comment - GO to athletic events at Maryland - really - there is nothing like the school spirit you will experience at a game. Trust me, I hate football, I have no clue what the game is all about or how it is played, but even I went to football games there in my day and really enjoyed the “experience.” As an alum and mom of a current Terp (also an engineering student, so that’s why I know what I know about engineering), when I went back to a game during family weekend, it was just as much fun as I remembered. And I even though I still am not football fan, I LOVE watching Stefon Diggs play - he is AWESOME!!! </p>
<p>Hope this helps. I’m glad that you are so excited about Maryland, but right now, you should focus on enjoying the rest of the summer to the fullest because school will start before you realize it!</p>
<p>Quote- " Just because you got A’s in high school with little effort does not mean that you will be able to get A’s in college for the same effort. There is a big difference in workload and challenge of material."</p>
<p>Couldn’t have said it better myself. there’s people who had 4.0’s in HS but are struggling just to get a 3.5. Granted this also depends on your major, the classes you take, the professors, and other similar factors, but I think u get my point. EE is usually a pretty tough major though. </p>
<p>As for what a good “first step”, there are several things to take into account. First semester (and year) try to get acclimated to college, try to join a few clubs u think your interested in, and try to develop good academic habits. By all means take your grades very seriously, but don’t go too overboard with things. I would definitely try to find a research internship as an undergraduate, but certainly not before your first year is up.</p>
<p>What kinds of problems do electrical engineering majors have to try to solve during engineering classes and (maybe during a job)?</p>
<p>I just hopped into the EE field recently and after some research most of the problems faced today are new energy sources solar, nuclear etc, reengineering a new transistor in integrated circuits mainly because in the next decade or so they will be quantum mechanically unable to get any smaller, and moores law will end In the next decade or so those are some big problems that requires many fields of engineering</p>