Esmelgie Marten
Professor Hossanah MAE 109
6/4/25
Before taking this engineering class, I didn’t really know much about what engineering involved.
I had heard the word before within the context of a music studio, and knew it had something to
do with creating or designing things, but I never imagined how many different branches and
areas it actually covers. This class introduced me to a world I had never explored before, and by
the end, I realized that engineering is something I not only enjoy but might want to pursue
seriously in the future. One of the best parts of this class was how hands on everything was.
From the very beginning, we weren’t just reading about theories, we were doing real work.
Whether we were converting binary numbers to custom symbols, simulating digital systems, or
observing the CD4046 chip on an oscilloscope, everything felt interactive and purposeful. I’ve
always found it easier to learn by doing, so the way this class was structured helped me absorb
the information better than I expected. The project that stood out to me the most was building the
Bittle pet robot. That was when everything we had been learning started to come together. I got
to work with both hardware and software, test things out, troubleshoot when they didn’t work,
and finally see the result of my work come to life. There was something incredibly satisfying
about watching something move and function because of what we had programmed or
assembled. It gave me a new appreciation for robotics and how much thought goes into even the
smallest actions a robot takes. Another project that had a big impact on me was simulating the
digital clock. It seemed simple on the surface, but the process of understanding how time is
broken down into binary, and how we could build a functioning digital system to represent
something as basic as time, really made me think differently. I had to be detail oriented, patient,
and creative, three skills that I know will help me in more areas that just engineering. On the
other hand, there were a few parts of the class that I found more challenging or less exciting. For
example, some of the software simulations we did, while important, didn’t always hold my
attention the same way building or testing circuits did. I think I realized that I’m more interested
in the physical side of engineering, actually building and troubleshooting, than just designing
systems on a screen. That doesn’t mean those parts weren’t useful, though. They pushed me to
develop focus and patience, which are valuable traits in any field. I also really appreciated the
way the professor taught the class. He made each topic easy to understand, even when it was
something complicated. His way of explaining things kept me interested and made it easier to
stay engaged. I can tell he genuinely cared about making the material fun and approachable for
everyone, and that made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the class. One thing I didn’t
expect from this class was how much I would enjoy learning about the connections between
hardware and software. I used to think of those as separate things, one being about machines and
the other about coding, but now I see how closely they work together. It made me think more
deeply about how much technology is part of our daily lives, and how engineers are behind so
much of it. Looking forward, I think this class will help me in more ways than I realized right
now. First, it opened my eyes to a career path I hadn’t considered before. Even though I’m still
figuring out exactly what I want to do in the future, engineering is definitely something I want to
keep exploring. Whether I end up pursuing it in college or through a different path, I know I have
a strong foundation thanks to this class. More importantly, this class gave me confidence in my
ability to learn things, even if they seem difficult at first. It showed me that I can be creative,
analytical, and persistent all at once. I didn’t expect to find something I enjoyed this much, but
I’m glad I did. I had fun throughout the course, and now I have a whole new perspective on how
things are made and how I can be part of that process. Engineering was a topic I didn’t know I
liked until I was introduced to the specifics of it, and now I’m genuinely excited to learn more.
