Computer Engineering and College

[MAlman]

Like most people here, I absolutely love computers (mine especially), and I love them so much that I was hoping to make a career out of them. Being that technology is on the rise, as well as the job market for computer related jobs, I thought "what the hell, I could do this". I'm currently in high school, and I'm starting my future early. I've been looking at colleges and careers, and I know it's quite a reach but I want to go to MIT. I know I sound crazy, but hey, I'm in the top 10% in the country at my age, so maybe it's a possibility. I want to be a computer technology developer. I look at the latest discoveries of technology in the world, and I notice that all the actually noteworthy discoveries are being made in Asia. (Damn smart asses). I find myself thinking, damn I could do better, and that's what I want to do. I want to make technological break through's in relation to computers. So I guess what my question is, is what can I do now to prepare, and if anyone was in that line of work, what tips do you have for me?

Thanks, M.

[Oisin Maguire]

Depends if you actually want to go into tech on the hardware side do electrical engineering (but you will never get famous, which it looks like thats all you want), if you want to do software do a computer science degree but the markets and layout that is currently here will be very different by then as your still really young.

 

Best case do a physics degree, MIT is a good school but id rather Caltech.

 

Personally im a physicist doing a masters with Intel on producing a light source at 13.5nm using LPP(laser produced plasma) 

[Guest]

First, welcome to LTT!

I didn't really infer that you were looking for the famous like Oisin Maguire said, but anyways that doesn't really matter. He's on the ball though - if you're looking for development on the software side, CS might benefit you better. That being said, every school's program (especially on the engineering side) can be incredibly different even if it has the same name. Best you could do is know what side of "computer development" you want, be it hardware or software, and then take a look at your university options! Pick a school with professors that you know have done cool research that you'd like to work off of, or work with for a thesis, or anything, for example. Keep going from there. Don't go to a school just because of the name (not saying MIT is bad, because it isn't at all haha, but go for a school where you find the degree content/research being done the most interesting to YOU).

[IAmSkip]

Doesn't sound like you want to do electrical and/or computer engineering but something more software related. This leaves you with software engineering or computer science, which are both interesting industries. 

[Blue fellow]

Fool around with some programming languages and goof off with some maths in the meantime. 

[LapX]

Depends if you actually want to go into tech on the hardware side do electrical engineering (but you will never get famous, which it looks like thats all you want), if you want to do software do a computer science degree but the markets and layout that is currently here will be very different by then as your still really young.

 

Best case do a physics degree, MIT is a good school but id rather Caltech.

 

Personally im a physicist doing a masters with Intel on producing a light source at 13.5nm using LPP(laser produced plasma) 

 

 

First, welcome to LTT!

I didn't really infer that you were looking for the famous like Oisin Maguire said, but anyways that doesn't really matter. He's on the ball though - if you're looking for development on the software side, CS might benefit you better. That being said, every school's program (especially on the engineering side) can be incredibly different even if it has the same name. Best you could do is know what side of "computer development" you want, be it hardware or software, and then take a look at your university options! Pick a school with professors that you know have done cool research that you'd like to work off of, or work with for a thesis, or anything, for example. Keep going from there. Don't go to a school just because of the name (not saying MIT is bad, because it isn't at all haha, but go for a school where you find the degree content/research being done the most interesting to YOU).

 

 

What school would you recommend for microelectric engineering ? Or anything useful

(To make CPU's or GPU's if it's called something else please tell me )

[Stonep11]

text

Thanks, M.

Nvidia lists what the are looking for as a reference on their website. Check that out.

[MAlman]

What school would you recommend for microelectric engineering ? Or anything useful

(To make CPU's or GPU's if it's called something else please tell me )

Yeah I want to do that too. Make CPU's and GPU's. But I'm kinda on the fence of that or peripherals. I want to make a hologram (who doesn't?). I don't want to be famous, I want to be one of many to make advances. I don't need my name to be out there, but I want to benefit the computer engineering community.

[MAlman]

Depends if you actually want to go into tech on the hardware side do electrical engineering (but you will never get famous, which it looks like thats all you want), if you want to do software do a computer science degree but the markets and layout that is currently here will be very different by then as your still really young.

 

Best case do a physics degree, MIT is a good school but id rather Caltech.

 

Personally im a physicist doing a masters with Intel on producing a light source at 13.5nm using LPP(laser produced plasma) 

Sounds hard. That's a really low wavelength. Good luck!

[rashdanml]

Two things.

 

1) Be realistic, don't get too carried away.

2) Make sure Math and Physics are two things you enjoy. It'll be a large part of your life in EECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering).

 

Also, one last bit of advice. Ask yourself if you're willing to work as a Computer Engineer for free, regardless of how much you get paid. You'll obviously get paid for it, but if the only way you'll actually work in the industry is because of the pay, you've chosen the wrong career. 

 

Actually, another last bit of advice. Keep in mind the bigger picture, but don't try to do everything. You've mentioned quite a few technological advances that are jumping across multiple fields - most people don't have the time to study more than one. Focus on one (the one you find most interesting) and study bits of the rest. 

 

e: I lied, more last bit of advice.

 

Don't focus on the goal. Focus on the journey. Assume you're never going to design hardware, but prepare yourself for it anyway. On the off-chance that you do get the opportunity, you'll make use of your education. If you don't, you'll still learn something valuable and can do something with that knowledge. 

[LapX]

Yeah I want to do that too. Make CPU's and GPU's. But I'm kinda on the fence of that or peripherals. I want to make a hologram (who doesn't?). I don't want to be famous, I want to be one of many to make advances. I don't need my name to be out there, but I want to benefit the computer engineering community.

I want to make plans for GPU's, some might say I'm crazy, but I want my dream to happen (I'll have to move from Canada to the US but it will be worth it )

[LapX]

Two things.

 

1) Be realistic, don't get too carried away.

2) Make sure Math and Physics are two things you enjoy. It'll be a large part of your life in EECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering).

 

Also, one last bit of advice. Ask yourself if you're willing to work as a Computer Engineer for free, regardless of how much you get paid. You'll obviously get paid for it, but if the only way you'll actually work in the industry is because of the pay, you've chosen the wrong career. 

 

Actually, another last bit of advice. Keep in mind the bigger picture, but don't try to do everything. You've mentioned quite a few technological advances that are jumping across multiple fields - most people don't have the time to study more than one. Focus on one (the one you find most interesting) and study bits of the rest. 

 

e: I lied, more last bit of advice.

 

Don't focus on the goal. Focus on the journey. Assume you're never going to design hardware, but prepare yourself for it anyway. On the off-chance that you do get the opportunity, you'll make use of your education. If you don't, you'll still learn something valuable and can do something with that knowledge. 

With everything you said it seems like this career was made for me

[MdX MaxX]

Yeah I want to do that too. Make CPU's and GPU's. But I'm kinda on the fence of that or peripherals. I want to make a hologram (who doesn't?). I don't want to be famous, I want to be one of many to make advances. I don't need my name to be out there, but I want to benefit the computer engineering community.

I want to make plans for GPU's, some might say I'm crazy, but I want my dream to happen (I'll have to move from Canada to the US but it will be worth it )

Computer Engineering all the way!  When it comes to "designing processors" there are pretty much two areas you can go into: VLSI and Digital Design (dealing with device physics and electrical properties microelectronic circuits) or Computer Architecture (dealing more with device computation and hardware/software systems).  I'm personally leaning toward the latter, and really excited to take my first architecture class next semester.

 

But yeah, it's LOTS and LOTS of math.  You'll be working with integrals and differential equations and complex numbers all the time and it's important to be super comfortable with that stuff.  A good Physics foundation is important as well, mainly with regard to circuits.

 

And like rashdanml said, do it because you just love computer hardware that much.  Don't do it for the money.  It's not worth going through the rigorous curriculum just for the money.

 

 

What school would you recommend for microelectric engineering ? Or anything useful

(To make CPU's or GPU's if it's called something else please tell me )

 (Of course this is a totally unbiased suggestion. )

[LapX]

 

Computer Engineering all the way!  When it comes to "designing processors" there are pretty much two areas you can go into: VLSI and Digital Design (dealing with device physics and electrical properties microelectronic circuits) or Computer Architecture (dealing more with device computation and hardware/software systems).  I'm personally leaning toward the latter, and really excited to take my first architecture class next semester.

 

But yeah, it's LOTS and LOTS of math.  You'll be working with integrals and differential equations and complex numbers all the time and it's important to be super comfortable with that stuff.  A good Physics foundation is important as well, mainly with regard to circuits.

 

And like rashdanml said, do it because you just love computer hardware that much.  Don't do it for the money.  It's not worth going through the rigorous curriculum just for the money.

 

 

 (Of course this is a totally unbiased suggestion. )

 

I don't know wich of the 2 I want to choose and I don't know what are differential and integrals equations are (but I'm french canadian so it might be called something else) But I sure do love maths and physics (every other class is really boring) but I'm in secondary V so I'll probably learn that stuff later. I want to do it for the love of computer don't worry but money is still nice

 

What school is that ?

 

Edit : Nevermind i found it, Georgia tech ?

[renz62]

good luck with math. I'm taking Calculus for the 2nd time already T_T

[Oisin Maguire]

What school would you recommend for microelectric engineering ? Or anything useful

(To make CPU's or GPU's if it's called something else please tell me )

To make CPU's/GPU's any school that has an electrical engineering degree in which you do lithography as an undergrad. Also they employ a lot of chemists {we need a lot of pure water and photo-resist}

[voaz]

Like most people here, I absolutely love computers (mine especially), and I love them so much that I was hoping to make a career out of them. Being that technology is on the rise, as well as the job market for computer related jobs, I thought "what the hell, I could do this". I'm currently in high school, and I'm starting my future early. I've been looking at colleges and careers, and I know it's quite a reach but I want to go to MIT. I know I sound crazy, but hey, I'm in the top 10% in the country at my age, so maybe it's a possibility. I want to be a computer technology developer. I look at the latest discoveries of technology in the world, and I notice that all the actually noteworthy discoveries are being made in Asia. (Damn smart asses). I find myself thinking, damn I could do better, and that's what I want to do. I want to make technological break through's in relation to computers. So I guess what my question is, is what can I do now to prepare, and if anyone was in that line of work, what tips do you have for me?

Thanks, M.

BECOME A PROGRAMMER LIKE I AM

[LOST TALE]

What school would you recommend for microelectric engineering ? Or anything useful

(To make CPU's or GPU's if it's called something else please tell me )

If your looking to make chips, im afraid most reasearchers are from India and africa (when they can be payed lower, I guess)

Source : AMD website

[LapX]

If your looking to make chips, im afraid most reasearchers are from India and africa (when they can be payed lower, I guess)

Source : AMD website

I thought they worked at silicon valley or somewhere in the states where companies like AMD, Intel and Nvidia are located.