Personal Projects
Some things I've done outside of academics and extracurriculars
When I'm not working on academic assignments, I like to learn more by spending my time on design teams. BUT when I'm not doing either of those things, I often entertain myself on personal projects that also help me explore and develop new skills, some of which I've described below.
NERF Minigun
A few months ago a friend of mine purchased an off-brand Nerf minigun he found on sale. As engineering students, we of course decided that we could make it better by upgrading the motors, switches, and wiring to increase the firing rate. I will fully admit that this is a goofy project, but I did actually learn some new skills along the way.
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I had taken an introductory circuits class but never really applied that knowledge, so I spent time creating a proper circuit diagram for us to follow. I also used the electrical connections as an opportunity to teach myself how to solder. I'm no expert, but I did learn some basic techniques from online research and experimentation.
PONG
In the introductory computer science class I took, we used Standard Draw for any visual aspects of our assignments. Knowing the basics of coding in Java and this display, I decided I would code a basic version of PONG, a game which I already loved and though I could emulate due to its simplicity.
My program allows two people to play on the same keyboard, and has the vertical speed of the ball bouncing off a paddle as a function of position along that paddle.
This is all, of course, very simple - but I am nonetheless proud of how I was able to use the tools I had at my disposal to create a game that I could actually play.
The Breadburner
The Breadburner was a project I completed with a friend in high school, where we aimed to create a functional toaster without any knowledge of how a toaster's internals actually worked. Neither of us had any engineering experience, and it was really interesting and rewarding to make something with minimal external sources. The only research we did was to find the materials used in the heating wire and structure that supported it, as we really didn't want to start a fire in my parents' basement.
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With many design iterations, we actually made a "toaster" that worked (albeit poorly) out of sheet metal, screws, springs, nichrome wire, mica sheets, and a light switch. It was the best introduction to engineering I could have asked for, as I now realize that we ended up naturally working through the design, manufacturing, and testing processes I have now had the opportunity to study. That early hands-on experience has been very valuable to me, as I find the process of mechanical design rather intuitive due to learning it first on my own.
Honorable Mention: This Website
While my original intent was just to put something together, I actually gained a lot from making this website. It was interesting and helpful to see how the projects I've worked on so far have led me to where I am today and think about where I hope to go in the future as I continue to build my skills. And if nothing else, I can now say I know how to build a website using Wix.