This semester I only took 19 credits, all required courses in the Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering (BIME). The 17 credits included freshman-year Statics, Mechatronics Integration I: Microprocessors, and sophomore-year Kinematics, Engineering Mathematics, Electronics, and Mechanics of Materials, plus 2 credits of project research. The reason I took so few credits was that I kept Fridays free so I could work at the company on that fixed day. Even with fewer credits, it was not easy. I was not interested in most classes—I either skipped or slept. This semester, I only managed to scrape by and pass. In the end, my semester GPA was only 2.99. Throughout the semester, I kept wondering whether I really should keep studying. The idea of taking a leave of absence kept lingering in my mind. I talked with my parents and teachers a lot, but in the end I still did not have the courage to take a leave.

The courses I found relatively interesting this semester were Kinematics and Microprocessors. Kinematics teaches the principles of mechanical motion, and we had to implement a remote-controlled walking robot. Microprocessors are everywhere: all kinds of electromechanical devices use them—from blinking LEDs to controlling motors—and they can even connect to a network to transmit data.

I learned the theory part of Kinematics terribly, but implementation is my strength, so the class was still fairly interesting. We had to design the mechanism ourselves, draw the parts in software, and then manufacture them via laser cutting or 3D printing. Designing mechanisms is really hard—especially when you have to imagine a mechanism you have never seen before. Most students ended up looking up mechanisms designed by others online and then improving or imitating them. After you have the mechanism, manufacturing the parts comes with errors: both 3D printing and laser cutting have tolerances, and with mechanical systems, even a tiny error can make the system unable to move. So you have to iterate again and again until the part errors happen to match a working state. After you have the mechanical parts and assemble them, you then connect the circuitry and the controller chip. This uses what we learned in Electronics and Mechatronics Integration: you write programs on the microprocessor to control the robot’s motion. The walking-robot project required integrating knowledge from many directions. It forced us to actually apply what we had learned across multiple courses. The process was challenging. Even though everyone was suffering, I still think it was a great course—and it was fun.

The Microprocessors course taught Arduino usage very solidly. It also taught a lower-level microcontroller, the ATmega328p, and we even learned assembly. The professor taught well, and the TAs were also very enthusiastic in helping students. For the final project, I built a game console—the project link is here. The handheld consoles I played as a child were extremely simple, with only black-and-white displays, which is part of my childhood memories. So I wanted to recreate that childhood fun. I designed a simplified miniature game console myself. I was very satisfied after finishing the project. This was my favorite course this semester.

Finally, a note on my feelings in sophomore year. I liked a girl. Because she went abroad, I did not see her for the entire year, but during that time we continued to share our lives with each other. When I felt down, I always looked for comfort from her. During the painful days at school, I could get some happiness and emotional support from her. Regardless of whether we end up having a future together, I want to thank her for being with me during that time.