So far, I have been working as hard as possible on the high voltage system, but with the deadline looming closer and closer, I had to switch gears.  If anything, I have started to work more hours.  My schedule now looks like this:

• Morning - 5 PM: Logistics work, with 1 hr. lunch break
• 5 PM - 7 PM: Dinner in apartment (I had an eating-out spree last month, so I definitely need to pull back some)
• 7 PM - 11 PM: Work on high voltage system and NI CompactRIO

It is quite a tiring schedule, and I wish more people would help with this project.  I also (somewhat foolishly) signed myself up to give high school students some presentations via the Women in Engineering Program (WEP).  I signed up because not many student organizations are active during the summer.  More importantly, I believe that it is important that I pass the baton to a group of younger students.  In any case, I followed through today with the presentations and learned that I love audience-presenter interaction!  Besides talking about the solar car team, I gave them some takeaways for their education now:

1. Be involved: It will give you the chance to learn things that are not in the books and give you hands-on experience with what has been discussed in the books.
2. Take pride in your work: You will set higher standards for yourself and be able to achieve more.
3. Don’t be a fair-weather fan in projects: Never, ever let a project fail without putting up a good fight and giving it everything you got.  You just might be the person who will make or break it.
4. Be patient: Innovation rarely happens overnight, and what you do may contribute to something bigger.
5. Take chances!  Make mistakes!  Learn from them!: Innovation does not happen without people pushing their luck, blowing something up (by accident), falling flat on their faces, etc.
6. Your education is a two-way street: Interact with your teachers, and you will be able to stand on the shoulders of giants.
7. Consider Every Option (even if it is not engineering): Find your passion and pursue it.  Choose a career path that makes you happy.  There are many needs that need to be fulfilled, and many of these needs require people with special qualifications.

Here are just a few pictures from this week: