As a international student, I am so glad I had a opportunity to become a engineering student in Iowa State University. The 4 years spent at Iowa State University have been a great experience. I have developed so much as a person as well as a engineer. I have been taught so many skills that I will utilize my acquired knowledge in my engineering career. Currently, I am still learning knowledge and developing skills in Iowa State University.


  In the first year I came here, Iowa Stated University was a totally fresh to me. Not only have I never been in college but also the different country and culture. Therefore, I had to get used to the new environment as soon as possible so that I was able to catch the course up without any language problems. However, things still didn’t turn well on me. In the first semester, I registered CPRE185 course for my 100 level EE course. Due to the lack of any experiences in C++ language and Programing skill, I was so struggled with this third language that I had to learn in EE. So, my first year was not like others. It was tough and disappointed.  


  However, after taking numerous classes in Electrical Engineering, everything turned into good situation. A number of classes have made an impact the way I solve the engineering solution and on my learning. Electrical Engineering Department emphasize that students should be able to design systems or plan a process. So, I spent plenty of time to take the consideration of gathering all elements and information that we need to be successful in any course or production from the course. EE 491 is a good example of Designing system or a process. It is not like the classes we took before. In this course, we need all skills and knowledge that we learnt in the fundamental course and made our project plan and design document in a blue map. We might encounter several problems in future but that will be the excellent experience in real world problem before I go into the workplace.


  Group work skill and experience are also what college of engineering place emphasis on. I have experience of being a person who does almost work and little work in a group. But then I realized that work collaboratively by self-contribution to the group is the best way to get work done. In Senior Design course EE491, each member in our group is responsible for each section and work. We put each one’s contribution together and go through every thought and idea in a group. Two meetings are required in a week to make sure everyone is in the same page. Thus, a good organized group is the key to be successful.


  In the college, using the in class resources is not the only way you can draw from. There were so many helps, external resources and information out of the classes. Stopping by the office hours, Meeting with tutor, going to help sessions.  We can take advantage of those resources to improve our study skills and increase our GPA.


  Participating in ECPE department meeting and scholar fair were the interesting experiences for me. It not only helped me to know how ECPE department working and how Electrical technology influenced our life but also these activities connect me and faculties who already have been through different kind experiences that I will go through in future.


  Although there are lots of courses we can take in campus, I am still eager to learn something new, in my field or not. Currently, I am learning two languages: Korean and Japanese.  Since I spoke Korean when I was young, it is easy to pick this language up again. I am learning Japanese because they have the most advanced technology and reliable credit. Japanese is the key language if I want to start my career in Asia. Another skill I am learning myself is software programming and embedded system: IOS and Android SDK. Embedded system now is the hottest topic around world. I found out that these two operating systems are really interesting. Considering of MVC system, they totally separate the Model, View and Controller which make programmer easier to design a new application or software.


  Looking back to all courses that I have taken. If there was one thing I would change about my course. I would not take CPRE185. Because CPRE185 is too tough for a C++ beginner to take, especially for those who never learnt C++ or computer language before.

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  As a senior in Iowa State University, I believe what I learn in college is not only about knowledge itself but also about the learning ability. Ability to learn makes me absorb the knowledge faster and more efficient. This is important skill if I want to be successful in future.