It has been over two weeks since I wrote in my blog, and it’s amazing just how much happens:

North American Solar Challenge / Internship?
After hearing many, many opinions from a diverse range of people about whether I should participate in the North American Solar Challenge or get an internship, I have decided on participating in the race.  As many people pointed out, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Additionally, it is a matter of confidence — if Samsung Austin Semiconductor was able to confide in us enough to sponsor us $ 54,000 and provide us with some engineers to help us, placing my confidence in the team is the least I could do.  As I learned in orientation, it is important to place trust in your teammates.  As if that’s not enough, I am now the team leader for the Logistics team, which will steer the course for a smooth rayce through planning ahead.  From the documents I saw from the 2005 rayce, we are ahead of the game!

Senior Design Project
As I may have mentioned, one of my friends recruited me to be on their senior design project team because I’m one of the only people he knows who can “write worth a damn.”  Since his interest is in cars (especially vintage cars), he decided to make an add-on to the open-source MegaSquirt fuel injection system.  In particular, he wants to make a nitrous oxide injection control system.  Since those kits are everywhere and the legalities are questionable (even after consulting the Tarlton Law Library), we decided to switch to making an electronic throttle control system.  Although prevalent in modern cars, there is no aftermarket computer that implements an electronic throttle control, an important building block for cruise control, throttle control, and input stabilization.  When we took this up with a TA, Fred and I had to try hard to not lose our composure because he was stepping all over our project:

First of all, he questioned the product’s marketability.  This was trivial considering that if this product was indeed sold, then it would be the only product available.  While it is true that we are designing something for a niche market, I can easily name some profitable companies with a presence on campus who do cater to niche markets.  He proceeded to say that our project was not enough electrical engineering and more of mechanical engineering.  To me, it does not matter — I am here to learn new things.  What frustrated Fred most was the TA’s repetitive statement that he’s afraid that we will be “wasting one year” over a project only to not get a good grade.  I trust my friend enough to stay on this team and do whatever I can to help him.

Probability = Bad Luck
Last Thursday, the fire alarm went off because the coils on the stove in the kitchen were dirty and smoked the kitchen up.  I was working on probability at that time.  This Tuesday, the fire alarm went off again because of an equipment malfunction.  Guess what I was working on.  This means that I am unable to cook my weekly meals.  Fortunately, I struck a deal with my parents to give me $5/week to eat out (typical meals on the Drag cost $ 6 - $ 7.50)

Falling Flat on my Face
I fell flat on my face on the Power Electronics test Wednesday.  Taking Professor Ambler’s cue to ask people how they think they did for instant feedback, I asked people who I perceived to be smarter than I am, and they fell flat on their faces as well.  I went to the professor’s office hours to ask him how I could study better, but it turns out that even he was not feeling too good about the test.