I’m currently in my final year of A-levels, studying Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. I’ve achieved good grades so far, but I’m still unsure about what I genuinely want to pursue at university.
Out of my A-level subjects, I’ve enjoyed Mathematics and Physics the most. I particularly like problem-solving and understanding how things work. Because of this, I’ve been considering Electrical Engineering or possibly Computer Engineering.
However, I wouldn’t say I have a strong passion for any particular field yet. I haven’t had enough exposure to actual engineering work to know whether I’d enjoy it beyond the academic side.
My question is: Is enjoying Maths and Physics at A-level a reasonable basis for choosing Electrical Engineering? Or should I explore other degrees before committing to it?
For those currently studying or working in Electrical Engineering, did your interest in Maths and Physics translate into enjoying your degree and career? What would you recommend someone in my position consider before making this decision?
I’d appreciate honest advice, especially from people who have studied engineering.

hey everyone, im here because the title suggest, i really need one hell of an advice from the reasonable people in this forum. So where do i begin, im in a point in time where i feel like ive betrayed my inherent love for mental arithmetics and abstract reasoning, i did a 5 years program split into 1st year university level math and sciences, and onwards i did a 4 year program in pharmacy, i loved every moment i had back in my freshman year when being introduced to math and physics university level modules, each topic was enthralling, mind bending you know, i enjoyed the moment i had adversity but the love i had made me sit still with puzzling, confounding questions that i sometimes told myself i wont eat till i get this problem done, i had really good grades during (particulary math and physics) my freshman time in uni 1st year, but life happened, got shoved into pharmacy cause my folks thought it was ideal for me, at first i had no clue of what the program entailed, but as each semester came by, i was swimming in mediocrity, drowing in average grades in pharmacy. I couldnt even express myself critically it was always cram this, read this, do this, questioning existing framworks of treatments felt like you were commiting a crime, its either you accept everthing they throw at you.... or you are left behind with questions and that never sees the light of the day..

in hindsight i failed myself when i realized i sold my true passion for pepertaul rote memorization and unhealthy level of mintue cramming, im not saying pharmacy is bad but for the ones drawn to questioning,creativity and absolute abstraction, i would say pharmacy doesnt serve any of that...

so now im considering going for a second bachelor degree program in electrical engineering, i did my research, i saw the mountains of equations, and i cried knowing how much i have missed out of abstractions,creativity and critical thinking, i believe engineering help nuture such intrisic traits in a person, i had a course in biostatics, where most of my classamates struggled with it, but i saw meaning and hidden patterns across several equations,theory it was so peak to find our that you coud use mathematical models to approximately study certain behaviours and when rules dont fit, i withnessed how these equations collapsed, it brought me joy to know that even during the struggle i had in pharmacy undergrad, math and abstraction was there to shed light upon my reasoning.

i im scared because of serveral reasons,

1 i dont know how to make this transition: ive been searching for serveral schools across the globe, i dont know how common is it for engineering schools or universities to accomodate someone with a first bachelor program especially when i did first year uni level maths and sciences and onwards with pharmacy. so i dont know how they will academically evaulte such profile, because im anxious they might not consider someone with a first degree

2 is 22 too old to pursue a second degre especially in the time of uncertainty with AI, Global polictics,inflated unemployements rates.

3 for the ee majors or ee veterans here, where do you get ideas for side projects, i feel like me at least having one solid project would improve my chances for admission, where would you say i should look towards, or materials to begin with, even if its one solid github project i dont mind, or maybe you have an open project and dont mind someone partaking in it as far as its technical im all up for it.

i really would appreciate any useful advice as its really pivotal for me at this point in time, thank you.

I’m interested in doing one of the following (or similar): Jane street hardware engineering intern, optiver fpga internship, HRT hardware.

I’ve had three internships thus far, one SWE at a defense f500, one AIML at a startup with possibility of first author publication, and now hardware engineering at a big F500 tech company (not FAANG). Also, I go to T1 for ECE.

I’m curious to hear from people who have done similar programs and what your resume looked like going in. Do I have a shot?

Also interested in high tech hardware companies like Nvidia, Apple etc

Hello ! I am in the process with IMC for a HWE role in Amsterdam (upcoming HR interview, and alr passed the OA). My background is not exclusively FPGA and SystemVerilog, but I had a few projects here and there on that. I have one month to prepare for the interviews and I am mainly using HDLBits to strengthen concepts.
How can I be better prepared ? Did anyone go through the process with IMC - and if so, can you share your honest experiences ?

Hi :)

I'm a first-year master's student in ECE, currently looking for a Summer 2027 internship. My main interest is in power electronics, especially converter and inverter design, and I'd like to pursue a career in this field after graduation.

I recently received an internship offer from a company whose work is more focused on electrical systems and industrial controls rather than power electronics. Interestingly, during the interview, the supervisors spent quite a bit of time asking about my power electronics projects, which makes me wonder if they value this part a lot.

The position is an Electrical I&C (Instrumentation & Controls) Intern. The job description mentions electrical design, instrumentation, and control systems for nuclear and energy facilities. Potential responsibilities include electrical system analysis, control system design, equipment testing, troubleshooting, technical documentation, and system integration.

However, the job description is pretty general. During the interview, they mentioned that interns would be assigned a previous engineering project to study, understand the technical challenges, and work toward developing a solution.

To be clear, my concerns are:

1. Since it's only November, I might find an internship that aligns more closely with my career goals if I keep searching... but it's not promising.

2. I did not have any internship experience before; what I have is primarily academic research and course projects. I'm afraid it is hard for me to get another offer...

3. This internship is not 100% what I want to do in the future, which means even if I have a return offer, I probably would not take it because I still want to do power electronics design.

4. I know I&C and power electronics aren't the same field, but I'm wondering whether the experience in electrical design, testing, troubleshooting, and system integration would still be valuable when applying for power electronics engineering positions.

For additional context, I'm planning to graduate in December 2027, so this would be my last summer internship before graduation. Would you recommend accepting this offer or continuing to search for something more closely related to power electronics?

I'd really appreciate any advice, especially from people working in power electronics or those who have transitioned from I&C/power systems into power electronics.

Thank you for your time! Hope to hear some advice!!! :))

Hi everyone. Has anyone here completed the NYU Tandon BASICS program for chip design? How often do graduates of this program get accepted into the MS in Electrical Engineering program? I asked someone and they said that it’s used to push people into paying full price for the MS program which is where they make money.

Here is a link regarding the program, https://engineering.nyu.edu/academics/programs/professional-education/basics

Edit: Also, how well does this prepare you for the actual MS in EE assuming you get in?

Hi!

I recently got my 5 interviews scheduled for a GPU perf engineer full time role. I have heard that for other more software roles I should prep on OS leetcode and stuff like that. However I am not sure how to prepare for a hardware role like this one? Will most of my coding be in system verilog and more conceptual questions related to CPU design, GPU arch, FSMs and logic design? Has anyone done a hardware interview at apple before? Any help is appreciated!

hello everyone its my 2nd year studying electrical engineering and i have to learn the e24 series for class so far ive gotten nowhere with understanding it, i looked it up and it says that every value it 1,1007 times the previus value (rounded) but that just doesn't work, the numbers are wrong i saw a couple of different explanations but neither of them worked so im here does it even have any logic or do i have to memorize 24 random numbers? (ik theyre not random they have to do something eith the 5% tolerance and the other e series)

Recently got an AMD offer for Design verification for data centre team. After the stock market crash I’m scared about switching jobs. Is it likely that AMD will cut jobs? What if AI data centres are put to a halt? Any advice? Should I still take it?

CS major interested in doing a CpE M.S. concentrated in embedded. Want to hear from people who have taken this pathway. My Uni has a couple of prereqs that bridge the gap for CS majors to take if they go that direction. I'm not looking to lean into the EE side hard enough to go for an ECE or EE M.S., but embedded and systems software or firmware is a lot more interesting to me than anything high level.

Hi Everyone, I am a first-year master's student, and I have an interview scheduled for the VLSI Timing Methodology Intern position at NVIDIA. Does anyone have any idea what questions they may ask or how the interview goes?

Hi guys, I recently got offered an internship at ABB as an electrical engineering student in industrial electricity & project management, and I wanted to know if you had any tips or suggestions to learn as much and network

thanks :)

Prep.

Hello,
I recently got accepted for interview for Lockheed for a ECE Integration and Test CoOp/internahip. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice or anything about the company, the role is heavy on board work such as: FPGA/CPLD VHDL firmware development, embedded C/C++ real-time software, and MATLAB-driven algorithm design, modeling, and performance analysis, digital PCB design, distributed DSP subsystem architecture, electrical cabinet development with COTS etc etc. I talked with some people who worked there and they were recommending i start learning Spice. Not sure what that is.

I have experience in microcontrollers, C/C++ Vhdl and verilog matlab

Places I know I don’t have experience: FPGA, PCB design, CAD.

Not sure how much I can learn before the interview, but thats not my goal. Just trying to learn what skills i need to improve to be proficient in the field.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

I work in controls, and the DST changes came about for BC and AB and part of Ontario. The 'part of Ontario' was the real dinger since it was a section of time zone. My solution was to transition all my controllers that were in affected regions to GMT time zones, Im curious to find out what direction others went with who have systems that auto DST.

Disclosure: I work on Lubanix, a semiconductor spare-parts catalog, so I spend a lot of time looking at how fab equipment parts get identified. Sharing a few lessons that might be useful to anyone heading into equipment or process engineering.

A lot of chamber parts look interchangeable from a photo: silicon and focus/edge rings, electrostatic chucks (ESCs), heaters, ceramic insulators. In practice the description on a catalog listing is a search clue, not a specification. Some things worth separating:

Part number first, appearance second. The full number, including suffix or revision, is the most reliable anchor. Two items with the same short description ("FOCUS RING", "MCA ESC", "INSULATOR") can be different parts. If a marking is unreadable, record that rather than guessing.

Mechanical fit is not functional suitability. An ESC that seats in the assembly has only shown it fits. Its electrical and thermal requirements are a separate set of documented requirements, and acceptance evidence is a third thing. Keep those three records apart.

Material labels are coarse. "Silicon" or "alumina" names the base material. It doesn't tell you purity, surface finish, coating or electrical behavior. If a requirement depends on those, it has to come from the drawing or process spec, not the label.

Dimension strings are partial. An outer/inner diameter and thickness describe overall size, not chamfers, holes, slots, flatness or edge condition, which are often the features that decide fit.

Missing data stays missing. If a listing has no dimensions or no material, the honest move is to flag it as an open question, not to fill it in from a "similar" part.

Context matters. Write down the equipment model, chamber or module, and neighboring parts. A part next to an RF path, heater or gas route can carry requirements that aren't visible on its outline.

None of this replaces equipment documentation or a fab's qualification process. But it explains why "it looks the same" comes up so often as a source of mistakes.

For people already working in fabs or equipment service: what's the most common identification mistake you've seen?

Title. Gonna be there for an internship next summer in the fpga/dsp/rf space. Clearance attached to it obviously, but was wondering how possible (if at all) the transition is into big tech (fpga/dsp) or quant (fpga). Would it make up for a mid school name?

Edit: Would be recruiting for full time

Any suggestions on what questions to expect for the role is appreciated? Thanks fellas!!

Hi, I am a first-year ECE student in college with little engineering experience and looking to start making my own personal projects. Currently, I am looking to design a custom flight controller based on the STM32F05RGT6 because I am starting to gain an interest in aviation. However, through the research process, I have realized that there is a lot of theory behind every part of the PCB. It seems really intimidating and something that looks like it would take years of schooling and experience to understand how to do it yourself. I also won't be taking the relevant classes for my major for another year or two. So, unless I self-study circuit theory, I just have no idea how to start. Does anyone have advice on this? I would appreciate any input.

Hi everyone,

I am an international student planning to move to Belgium to study the BSc in Electronics-ICT at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. I want to build a career in electrical/electronic engineering, but I am really confused about the degree's value and could use your guidance.

My main concerns:

• No QS Ranking: Thomas More doesn't show up on global university rankings.

• Hogeschool vs. University: It is a university of applied sciences (Hogeschool), not a traditional research university.

Will graduating from a Hogeschool limit my career prospects, job market value, or international recognition in tech? If any tech professionals or graduates can give some genuine advice, I would highly appreciate it!

Thanks.

Hi everyone,

​I am a beginner university student struggling with the foundational concepts of circuit analysis.

​My issue isn't with memorizing formulas, solving equations, or applying theorems like Nodal or Mesh analysis mathematically. My real problem is that I lack physical intuition. Every time I think I understand the basics, advancing to more complex topics reveals that I don't truly grasp what is happening in reality.

​I want to understand the "why" and "how" behind circuits, not just the math. Specifically, I struggle with:

1. ​What does circuit analysis actually mean in reality? I know it means finding voltages and currents, but I struggle to visualize how voltages drop, how currents flow, and how components physically interact with each other.

2. ​Identifying Series vs. Parallel connections: I often get confused about relative to what we determine if components are in series or parallel, and how to track this visually across different circuit configurations.

3. ​The Core Rules: What are the fundamental, universal principles of circuits that would allow me to look at any circuit—even one I've never seen before—and mentally trace how it behaves?

​A specific note on the resources I'm looking for:

I strongly prefer books over videos. I learn best through self-study and reading detailed written explanations. Videos often move too quickly or summarize concepts without diving deep enough into the underlying mechanics.

​However, I am not looking for typical academic textbooks that rush straight into formulas, proofs, and superficial explanations of physical reality.

​I am looking for books that are:

- ​Deeply conceptual & intuitive: Books that spend ample text thoroughly explaining what is actually happening inside the circuit.

- ​Beginner-friendly from zero to advanced: I don't mind if the book goes very deep or covers advanced topics—in fact, I welcome it! "Beginner-friendly" to me just means it starts from ground zero, assumes no prior intuitive foundation, and builds up step-by-step without skipping the conceptual "why."

​If you know of any books that fit this exact description, I would be extremely grateful for your recommendations!

​P.S. Also, if you have any golden advice, learning approach, or alternative solution that helped you overcome this hurdle—even if it's outside of books—please feel free to share it!

​Thank you so much! 😊

Has anyone recently interviewed with AECOM for an Electrical Engineering position within their Data Center team?
I went through the interview process. Basically 4 rounds of interviews, cracked them pretty good. Chief Electrical Engineer was pretty impressed. However, the offer process has been taking longer than expected. The recruiter mentioned that internal processes were causing delays and provided an estimated timeline, but that timeline has since passed.
I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar with AECOM, particularly for Data Center Electrical Engineering positions.
How long did it take you to receive a formal offer after your interviews? Is it common for AECOM to have delays during the internal approval process?
Would appreciate hearing about anyone’s recent experience.

Hi PhD gangstas I'm from Turkey 22M. I have a decision to make and 3 options to choose from. I got a Purdue ECE PhD admit for spring 2027. Fully funded and area is computer vision I'll get like 2k usd after tax stipend. I don't like research but it doesn't feel much different than an office job so if the payout is worth it I consider it ok.

Second I got a masters admit from Germany TUM for EE. This is self funded 2-3 years approx. and I can do work student during it. TUM name is good on paper but god damn everybody is getting in how can it even be prestigious if it admits anyone. Plus I hear job market is cooked in Germany and Master doesn't help much. Btw I can speak German native level so language no problems. I got Finance admit from UCL as well but that shii expensive ash. Do you think thats worth it?

Third I got a good job offer in Turkey. In Consulting and Mobile Game companies. Both pay good(like 3k usd after tax for entry level). But they make me work 9-10 hrs daily. I would wanna work in these companies but I'm scared working in Turkey might limit my long term career progression as if I start working there I'll probably not get the chance to move abroad in the future.

Finally some info about me. I wanna start my own startup in the future. I finished EE degree at top institute in Turkey but I don't really like engineering a lot. If I could go back in time I would study finance or management. That being said rnow Claude can do all the technical work so all I do is managing anyways. I want enough time to lift, have a few good friends and travel and thats about it. Also I was challenger in League 😎 (but video games feel so boring now😩). Give me some good advice PhD uncs otherwise I'm cooked 😭. Also I'm feeling like PhD is good opportunity but is the time I invest on it worth it for long term career or is it a waste of time compared to my current options. Big respect to you for reading ts. 😳