By Prashanthan Surendran.
Prashanthan is a second year undergraduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago IL pursuing a undergraduate degree (B.S.) in Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Many students of Sri Lanka are exposed to the British Education System but unaware of the learning opportunities available in the United States. The purpose of this article is to give you, the students, an insight into the pros of learning Engineering in the United States of America.
In the past centuries, when Asia was the seat of power and knowledge, scholars from Europe came to the Orient to study science, astrology, mathematics and various arts. After the Industrial Revolution, Europe made huge leaps in all fields of study. As students, we can very well see from our history of how our early political leaders were Oxford or Cambridge graduates. It is thus natural and necessary for our youth to learn the best that the West has to offer in education. Many of us take the effort of applying to universities in England besides Sri Lanka. The British university system has had long traditions throughout the centuries that make it a robust system and a prudent choice for undergraduate studies.
However, a gradual shift in the currents of world affairs has occurred that most of our students tend to overlook. Since World War II, the nucleus of economic and political power has shifted from Europe to the United States. Consequently, the American university system has evolved itself into one of the most efficient, effective and innovative education systems in the world; therefore, making it wise for students to consider the United States as an option when applying to universities abroad.
Besides the fact that the United States is the foremost in technology from fighter jets to iPods, it’s also true that its university system is foremost in making innovations. Their education system is not linear (which means textbook and exam oriented), but rather practical and flexible. Students are encouraged to tailor their own curriculum and decide their own pace. The college experience is a wholesome four years of rigorous learning and hands on training.
Something to notice in today’s world is that most of the technology is invented in the United States, and then developed in Europe and Asia. Hence to take knowledge from the source is a good idea because it is fresh and unaltered approach to education. In this way your mind has the freedom to expand this knowledge in a more creative manner.
Practical experience and exposure to numerous industries
In my experience as a student in the United States, I noticed that the education system is not just text book, but instead provides real-world experiences, which is an important aspect of it. During my first semester at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, Illinois, I was exposed to practical and hands-on experiences in my Engineering courses. One impactful experience was the interaction with a simple autonomous robot called the Handy-Bug, which uses LEGO for the frame and an electronic device called the Handy-Board for the brain. Students were made to experiment with these robots and write simple programs that would cause it to move around without human intervention (example: follow a simple path). A video of my team’s robot during one of our lab sessions can be viewed through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUOs4CaCR6Q
When working with robots it is quite interesting to create a strategy, convert that into code (C, JAVA, etc…) and program the robot to behave as though it is smart. Other universities such as MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and U-Penn (University of Pennsylvania) have an even superior introductory course for Freshmen Electrical Engineering students, with robots that are more complex. This real-world experience is invaluable to anyone in engineering because robots (autonomous machines) are used as solutions in so many companies. For example, robots are used to do everything from assisting in the process management of building products to eliminating contamination in areas unsafe for humans. As a student, being able to apply your knowledge to understand how these practical devises work in real-life keeps your education interesting and applicable to your future.
Be sure to note that this is just the introductory course to give you and idea of engineering and its applications. Taking higher level engineering courses to complete the degree can get tiring after a while but since you are constantly exposed to real world projects things stay interesting on the whole.
During my first and second years at IIT, I had the privilege of working with a fellow Sri Lankan graduate student at IIT who’s research focuses on alternate power. I worked with him in regards to IIT’s hybrid car for the formula hybrid competition held every year in the United States. This experience gave me a practical insight into many of the power engineering concepts that I am currently learning in my third year.
Paid internships is another wonderful aspect in the American education system. Thanks to the big industry that exists especially in cities such as Chicago, many companies are searching for student interns. At the end of my first year, I had the opportunity of working at a networking company that designed broadband Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTS). I worked on a small research project that involved analyzing the effects of Internet Protocal (IP) traffic with increasing number of users. One of my tasks was to create a program that analyzed the IP traffic data. I was able to put my programming knowledge from my previous semester to good use. This experience was quite valuable to me, and the programming course that I took the following semester seemed quite easy and interesting due to the added practical experience.
What about Finances?
Sri Lanka has limited educational resources available for all students coming out of high school. On the other hand the America University System has an excess of resources and is willing to share its knowledge with other countries. Yes! Share its knowledge, not sell. This sharing is given in the form of scholarships and financial aid. You do not have to be brilliant for scholarships or financial aid, but rather have grades above average, enthusiasm and good recommendations from your teachers in Sri Lanka. If you are unable to get aid from the university, there are many financial institutions that are willing to offer student loans to international students, although they do require a permanent resident to be your co-signer for this. In regards to graduate studies, almost all universities pay for your PhD through research grants or teaching assistants. This is true mostly for Engineering and Physics majors. If you are not able to get this sort of sponsorship, but able to obtain a good job after you complete your Undergraduate degree, your company might offer to sponsor you for graduate studies. This is true for big companies such as Microsoft, Honda, N-VIDIA and many more.
Are we deserting Sri Lanka by studying abroad? Here’s something to think about…
Dr. Kalam, India’s former President and a missile scientist, was guest of honor at the University of Kentucky and was asked a similar question by an Indian working in the United States. To this, Dr. Kalam replied that we (Indians, Sri Lankans, etc..) should first think of serving the country where knowledge and education was gained, and then it is possible to always come back home (India, Sri Lanka, etc.) to contribute to the development of your motherland. So why not try to make use of the resources available in the United States to gain knowledge. Once you have done this you may always comeback to Sri Lanka to help develop the country, and now you will have knowledge as your weapon, and the financial resources as your armor. A successful and influential Sri Lankan living in the United States is as valuable an asset to Sri Lanka as one in territorial boundaries of Sri Lanka.
How to choose the right university
Many of us are under the impression that being in one of the top-10 universities in the world will bring us success. This is not entirely true. As an undergraduate student the curriculum that you follow in one university will be similar in all other universities that offer the same degree. There are at least 4000 universities in the USA. If you are granted admission into one of the universities that rank in the top-150 this will ensure that you receive a good undergraduate education. When choosing from universities within the top-150 make sure to look at other aspects aside from ranking.
One of the most important aspects is the location of the university. If your university is in a secluded state without much development or industry, this limits your engineering or physics degree through lack of exposure to the industry. For example Purdue University is one of the top-10 universities in the U.S.A for Engineering. However this university is in a very secluded area of Indiana called West Lafayette. This obviously does not mean that students have no industrial exposure at all. Ultimately it all boils down to the efforts of the student. Purdue University is big in terms of size, research and funding. It is definitely an excellent choice for graduate research. However if your applying for an undergraduate degree, you may want to consider a university in a big city so that you obtain more exposure.
Another common mistake that students make is to consider only famous universities that they are familiar with such as Harvard, Yale Princeton, etc.. So if you were applying for a degree in Engineering, which university should you apply to?
If you have an idea of pursuing graduate studies or if you are interested in a particular field, then choose universities that conduct research in that field and most importantly make sure that the university is making progress in that field. In order to this refer to other sources apart from the university website.
Working towards your higher education
If you have the slightest desire of studying abroad, then make sure to take the London Advanced Level. The London Advanced Level is accepted in the U.K, U.S.A, Canada and many other countries.
The London A/L Further Math standard is quite high. By taking Further Math you obtain credit for university level math courses as well as physics courses. I should also make it a point to indicate that the London and Sri Lanka Advanced Level physics, Chemistry and Biology is of very low standard compared to the United States. Hence taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology without Math and Further Math will not transfer into university level credits in most cases.
If you want a higher degree in Engineering, Physics, or even Medicine, try to take Math, Further Math, Physics, and Chemistry as your London Advanced Level subjects. If you are able to complete the above mentioned London A-Level subjects and secure good grades, you will receive credit for at least 6 subjects (Calculus, Physics, and probably Mechanics depending on the university) in most U.S. universities. This gives you a chance to finish your four year degree in three years or make use of the time to take additional courses which could enable you to obtain a minor in another field of study.
In addition, when taking London A/L Math make sure to take all Pure Math units and Mechanics units. If you have the time try to take at least one Statistics unit it will come in quite useful, especially for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science majors. Many of us think of statistics to be of lower standard, but this is not true, higher level statistics is very complicated. Today’s atomic structure is based on Quantum physics, a field of physics that emerged in the 1930’s and has developed since, and requires a significant amount of statistics as well as classical mechanics.
Pursue your passion
If you are passionate about a particular filed (Astronomy, Computer Architecture, Medicine, etc…) it’s a good thing to plan ahead and work towards your passion. Apart from exam studies and text books, www.wikipedia.org and www.howstuffworks.com are few good websites to visit during your free time to expand your knowledge in the areas of your interest. If you are interested in Engineering or Physics, reading any sort of scientific magazine (Scientific American, Discover Magazine) or physics books (Cosmos, Nelkon and Parker Physics, Quantum World) will never go a waste. Remember that grades and certificates are only useful in giving someone an idea of how much you have learned. Grades or certificates cannot determine if you really know what is required or if you actually are passionate in what you do. Nevertheless, good grades are the means of judging you and it is necessary to work towards a good academic standing. However don’t get obsessed by grades and dedicate your studies only towards exams. It is important to learn how to apply your knowledge in the industry or for research.
Lots more information
Check out the website www.sl2college.com
The sole purpose of this website is to help Sri Lankan students who wish to go overseas for higher education. The website includes information on applying to other countries than the United States, such as the U.K, Singapore, and Australia. The website offers guidance and information ranging from applications and scholarships to career advice. In addition, this website has a forum that allows you to join and post questions that can be answered by other members.
All the very best in your academic ventures.
