I hope EXTD 160 will be a successful first foray into engineering, to herald many future years of change-the-world design. In particular, I'd like to learn the rudimentary beginnings of a programming language, some CAD, and generally understand the basic process behind making stuff in preparation for more advanced courses at Olin and MIT--and build one or two useful things in the process. (This seems to line up with the course objectives quite well, which is why I'm so excited I keep jumping up and down whenever I think about this class.) After Physics 107 last fall, I felt fairly confident about my knowledge of basic mechanics; however, as I progress through intermediate mechanics this semester, I am slightly disheartened learning that physics is really vastly more complicated than any reasonable person would care to believe. But regardless of the mathematical conundrums that may arise, I look forward to the ridiculously exciting enterprise of
actually making things (hopefully things that work!) with all the amazing tools in the engineering lab. (I treasure my tiny, perfect red plastic pentagon from my all-too-brief visit to the laser cutter last semester, and I am excited to continue exploring this remarkable machine.)
