Michelle's Summer Recap
/By: Michelle Lu
SUMMER RECAP
Time has really flown by! It's weird to think that the first blog post I wrote was almost two months ago and it's now time to wrap things up. Sad, I know! I didn't really know what to expect coming into this internship. To be honest, I was a little scared considering I only had a basic understanding of circuits and everything we do revolves around them. With help from Will aka "Professor Will" and the Internet, I have learned quite a bit this summer about circuits, the different programs used to model them (Eagle, GME, SPICE, etc.), and repositories. Not only am I please to have expanded my knowledge in this field, but I am even more grateful because I feel like I have solidified the direction that I want to continue in. After I had worked a full summer in a biochemical research lab, I wanted to run as far away as I possibly could from it (which led me to the wonderful world of computers haha). Thankfully, this summer has continue and amplified my interest even more in the computer engineering field. I do wish I gained more experience in programming and also working with the physical circuits and arduinos, but the time constraint prohibited that.
My favorite project was when we made our own designs with subcircuits that we had previously made. It was really cool to use what we had been working on and take it to the next step. Before I was focused on the technicalities of creating the subcircuits and getting them finished, but I never really thought about its future applications. I created a Dehydration Sensor using a pH sensor, Heart Rate Monitor, and Temperature Sensor (for the environment). Seeing the link between the subcircuits and it's plethora of applications really gave me a different perspective as I continued to make more subcircuits. My least favorite subcircuit was the pH sensor for sure. It took me a long time to understand the subcircuit and figure out all the components and connections. I think I had this subcircuit hovering over me for three weeks before it was fully reviewed and finished. Over the course of the summer, the other interns and I have collectively made and reviewed roughly 90 subcircuits! I feel quite accomplished!
Overall, I have really enjoyed my summer here at MetaMorph. I learned a lot, experienced working in a team, made some new friends, gained work experience, and ate some good snacks throughout it all. One of the perks of interning here was definitely all the Trader Joe's snacks! the Cliff bars and chocolate covered espresso beans no doubt got me through some of the rough times. I know I couldn't have survived this summer without the other interns as well! Working together all day everyday in a tiny room, I've really gotten to know them and enjoyed their company! I am very grateful I got the opportunity to work here this summer. It's been a great experience I won't forget! In a couple of weeks, I'm flying back up to New York to start my sophomore year, which I am pumped for! I am planning to major in computer engineering and minor in computer science.
THINGS I'LL MISS
I'm definitely going to miss these people! As you can see in the first picture, we clearly have too much fun making subcircuits everyday. I'm also going to miss Will, who has been an amazing mentor! Note: The second picture was indeed taken from the window in the intern room, where we can sometimes see Will playing air guitar haha.
I will no doubt miss all these delicious snacks!! The really got me through the week. I also got really used to having two monitors. It was so nice to have two screens to look at. My old computer just won't be enough anymore! I might have to go buy myself another monitor....