 MEET THE STUDENTS
|
Yijing's Three Favorite Things about the ECE Department:
1) Every faculty and staff member here is so kind. They are always ready to help.
2) The department not only cares about your academic performance, but also is concerned about your career plans. They send e-mails about graduate school, internships and job openings so you are always aware of opportunities.
3) The mentor program that keeps track of your academic performance and works to further you in your concentration.
Advice to Incoming Students:
Make your experience here whatever you dare to dream! Don’t be afraid of the tons of opportunities here, they will bring you many good things in the future. |
|
Yijing
talks about ECE @ Maryland:
My name is Yijing Meng, and was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. I am majoring in Electrical Engineering here at the University of Maryland. I am a senior, and this is my second year at Maryland.
My father is also an engineer in the electrical area, and my first knowledge about electricity comes from him. There are always small electric things like multimeters, breadboards, capacitors and resistors in the cabinet of my home. They have been part of my toys since I was a child. As I grow up, my interest falls more into science than literature, because in these subjects, practice and theory are good friends. It makes me feel so magical when I apply the abstract and complex theoies into real life and see the expected results actually happen.
Thus, after high school, I decided to come to the U.S. My freshman and sophomore years were accomplished in New York City, where I was amazed by the brilliant night view of Manhattan and attracted by her grandness and harmony. However, I gradually found that NYC is fantastic for living, but there should be some better environment for academia and my career. Also, maybe it’s a great chance to see some other sides of this country. Thus, with these ideas, after exploring many schools and finding the top ranked departments, I started a new journey in College park – a large, beautiful campus with cherry blossom in spring and white snow in winter.
Now you see, I am a person who likes new things and is never afraid of challenges. That is also a reason why I came to the U.S., to Maryland, and chose electrical engineering as my major. When stepping into this are,a little by little, a bright new world really opens up my mind and changes the way I perceiving the world. It is logical and ordered like programming language, but also mysterious and random like quantum physics.
The numerous branch-subjects widen electrical engineering as well. Among many choices, I decided to concentrate on signal processing. I think daily life is filled with information, and this new era will be a time of a digital world. When these two come together, both advantages and controversies arise. In the past decade, this discipline has been emerging quickly.
Outside the classroom, I am also interested in the diversity on campus. I was a math and physics tutor, and used to be the event coordinator of ECE-USC. I also participate in the research of “Steady State Equivalents for Large Radial and Meshed Distribution Systems,” and currently work under Dr. Min Wu in Digital Forgery Detection. In addition, I like volunteer work. I know a lot of people and make many new friends when I am doing this. When it was Maryland Day last year, I served at the front desk and prepared to answer questions from visitors. There was a high school student who asked me, “I heard this major is very time consuming. What do you think?” I said, “That is true, but what will you think when you will see a splendid world that others can never see, even though this requires a rough, long walk?”
Students in ECE majors are quite distinct from each other. We have different nationalities, religions, cultures, languages and goals. Yet, it is the diversity that makes it a lot of fun to study together and communicate with each other.
Dr. Judith Bell is the first person I knew when I came to Maryland. At that time, I felt completely lost with questions about transfer credits on such a big campus and in a large department with so many course options. But she is so warm-hearted and helpful, and that made me feel easy and comfortable. She offers me a lot of advice about campus life, which lead me to be interested in diversity.
I also appreciate my mentor Dr. Min Wu. Though my immigration status makes me ineligible for many of NSF's funding opportunities, I will never give up trying because of what she told me: “You may not succeed even though you have tried; but you will never succeed if you don’t try.”
My experience at Maryland has offered me a lot. The classes, clubs and societies open my mind and bring me many new friends. Even more importantly, the academic environment influences me to combine seriousness and vivacity.
After getting my B.S. degree, I want to get into the industry. Engineering is an area that puts methodology and practice together. I believe working in a relevant job is a great way to apply the knowledge I've gained and to push myself go further in a specific concentration. Thankfully, the staff in the career center offers various services and orients students to achieve their career goals step by step.
Therefore, with the gorgeous campus, the brilliant research team, the responsible staff, the smartest students, and the challenging opportunities, why are you still hesitating? Maryland lets us dream a dream. Be proud of yourself as an electrical engineer, because you will have the power to turn your dreams into reality.
↑ Back to Top
|
