What are some things I can do now, as a senior who is interested in PC Engineering?
Hi, I'm into #computers a lot and I have always wanted to be a Computer Hardware Engineer as my life career. As I am now getting older I understand more things about socializing and the importance of it. So I was wondering if there was any activities, groups, events, programs, etc that I could maybe join or apply for that would help me prepare early and get into some hands on work before I ship off to college.
Thanks in advance.
#computer-engineering #computer #computer-hardware
3 answers
Lindsey’s Answer
1. Hackathons. There are tons of hackathons happening all the time. If you don't feel comfortable participating, then simply attend and try to learn from what's going on!
2. Meet ups. Check out Meetup.com to find some local groups of folks who also love computer hardware and who probably do it for a living. It's ALWAYS a good idea for you to expand your network in the industry/field you're passionate about. You never know who you'll meet who may one day help you land a job!
3. Online courses. Check out Khan Academy and Lynda as a starting point, but I'm sure there are plenty of other sites that offer computer engineering courses you'd benefit a ton from.
4. Informational interviews. Do you know any computer hardware engineers, or anyone who knows anyone who's a computer hardware engineer? Try setting up a couple informational interviews with people who do the job so you can learn more about how they got to where they are and hear directly from the horses mouth what the best ways of going about growing your network and getting career ready.
5. Conferences. There's a conference for EVERYTHING these days. Do some research to see if there are any conferences coming up in your city or in the surrounding area that you could attend. This is a great way for you to meet other like minded people and learn a thing or two!
Leon’s Answer
Yes, you can attend many of the local groups near you but I think the best way to learn about computer hardware and software is to tinker with the hardware and software. If you need some additional help the Internet is a great source.
Companies are using Windows and Linux hardware because of the advantages of both systems. I have setup a Linux lab in my home and enjoy work with Linux hardware and free software. Yes, Linux software is open source and free with no strings attached. I am answering this article on a Linux Mint desktop with WiFi to the Internet.
Here is how you can get started with a desktop computer, monitor, new keyboard and optical mouse for $117.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Refurbished-Lenovo-M58-Desktop-PC-with-Intel-Core-2-Duo-Processor-4GB-Memory-19-Monitor-80GB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-10-Home/54997437
The hard drive is small by today's standards but there are other ways to store data inexpensively.
I was only interested in running Linux on my machine so I did not save the Windows 10 O/S but you could backup the O/S or create a duel boot machine. The 32 and 64 bit Linux O/S and all of the open source software DVD is available at: For $5.85
https://www.osdisc.com/
There are many flavors of Linux and OSDisc sell them all. I selected Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon which as many new features and a great selection of free software.
To get to the Internet, I bought "Belkin N300 Pocket WiFi Adapter, 300Mbps Link Rate" from Amazon for $7.49. There is no software to load on Linux Mint because it is preloaded.
Enjoy taking the cover off the computer to view the parts along with the Quick Start guide provided with your computer for $177 + $5.85 + $7.49 = $130.34
Leon recommends the following next steps:
Setia Budiman
Setia’s Answer
I am sure there are local groups you may join. Generally I would suggest that you may consider either to apply for an internship during summer holidays and/or look out for Computer Crash Courses, Computer Clubs or become a member of a respective Social Media Group (e.g. on Facebook, ....). I hope this is of any help to you. Yours Setia
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