Getting excited about electronics.

[PerryCox]

I'm getting excited because shortly I'll be starting my degree in electronics, and since my curiosity in the subject was re-ignited by a member on here, I thought I'd share it with you all. I'm not looking forward to the maths too much, but I'm sure it's nothing I won't be able to grasp on the 54th attempt

[Robbo]

The maths should be pretty easy in the first year, I found that it was anyway. It was just a repeat of A level stuff. It did get damned hard in later years though. All the other subjects I did were'nt too bad though.

[PerryCox]

I dunno, I've been doing a bit of research on calculus and I can follow it up to the third line of the text - I haven't even thought about looking at the numbers!

Nice to hear a reassuring voice though

[TheCoder]

The maths can get interesting but its often sorted pretty quickly by a maths module in the first year. Although it can look daunting there's not really too much of any real consequence. About the hardest thing I remember is working through filter design with lots of imaginary numbers etc. De-morgans logic can also be challenging but I dont really count that as maths so much as a set of logic rules.

The analogue side is likely where you'll find the hardest maths. Digital is really just down to a handful of very simple rules.

ps, I forgot about statistics . Horrible, horrible stuff !!!

[PerryCox]

Originally Posted by TheCoder

The maths can get interesting but its often sorted pretty quickly by a maths module in the first year. Although it can look daunting there's not really too much of any real consequence. About the hardest thing I remember is working through filter design with lots of imaginary numbers etc. De-morgans logic can also be challenging but I dont really count that as maths so much as a set of logic rules.

The analogue side is likely where you'll find the hardest maths. Digital is really just down to a handful of very simple rules.

ps, I forgot about statistics . Horrible, horrible stuff !!!

I'm hoping the modules cover it well enough for me to grasp it! I fudged my way through it at HNC level (though beer and girls took up 95% of my thoughts at that time), but every textbook I pick up seems to be beyond my current capability Still, it's knowledge I'll need if I want to achieve my target. How much of it I'll need to know in the "real world" I don't know, but better to have it an not need it...

Just noticed Robbo saying it's been mostly covered at A Level - unfortunately I dropped out of A Level maths about 13 years ago

Don't suppose anyone's got any good recommendations for books I'd do well to read?

[TheCoder]

The Universities assume you know nothing (an assumption usually well founded after doing 'A' levels) when you first enroll on a course so I shouldn't worry. They'll teach you everything you need to know

[PerryCox]

Having a browse about and thought I'd update this thread.

Uni is proving to be great, I'm enjoying it, and finding I've got a real flair for certain aspects of it (need a program to calculate prime numbers - I'm your man. Well, me and about 100000000 other people).

What's really interesting to me is how now I better understand threads I couldn't fathom before, and knowing that my inability to understand those subjects is the reason I'm so keen to learn all I can. God bless hacking for it's ability to inspire inquisitiveness.

Regarding maths...

Originally Posted by TheCoder

The Universities assume you know nothing (an assumption usually well founded after doing 'A' levels) when you first enroll on a course so I shouldn't worry. They'll teach you everything you need to know

Originally Posted by Robbo

The maths should be pretty easy in the first year, I found that it was anyway

I'm very happy to report you were correct! The internet + good lecturers = easy maths.

I'm itching to get into embedded systems, I'm trying to teach myself Linux (if only to port a couple of c programs to my iPod, for personal amusement), I'm helping others out with their programming, I'm even looking at doing a Phd. Early days I know, but I've not had this much enthusiasm for anything (other than the subject sex, ages 15-24).

Life has a purpose again!

Yayy for education, yayy for techwatch, and a little yayy for me!

[TheCoder]

Glad your enjoying it !