My STEP project was the entire process of building my own computer. I researched the proper parts needed, the process of building the PC, trouble shooting, and the uses for the computer.

I think that through this project, I learned both about myself and about the field I am going into after college. I learned that I am capable of trouble shooting on my own, and what exactly goes into everything we use every day. Before this project, while I knew that I could figure out things, it was transformational to know that I can apply what I’ve learned to something that I physically have to figure out. I was able to apply my knowledge to a real-life situation and trouble shoot while I went through the project. I was also able to stand my ground and stick to a budget with the added pressures of buying parts. I was also able to gain a different view on the world as I was able to see exactly what goes into computer building.

The first thing that lead to the transformation within myself was when I was out buying the parts. While at the place that I bought the parts from, the salesman kept trying to convince me to buy things that I had not planned for or that were more expensive than I planned for. I think that on a day to day basis, I personally don’t encounter multiple people trying to sell me different things based on their opinions. A lot of people in the computer building community have their own ways and own ideas on how to build the “best” PC. When going to buy the parts I encountered many different people telling me what they felt was best but, I was able to stick to my plan and stick to my budget without letting anyone change my plan. This was transformational for me personally as I was able to gain confidence in my own abilities and my own knowledge.

The second transformational thing that I encountered was when actually building the computer. During the build, there was one panel that did not fit into place. Because this piece was an insignificant part, there were no real instructions on how to fix this. Because of this issue, I was able to apply the techniques I have learned here at OSU to fixing this panel. I was able to improve on my engineering skills and techniques and become more ready for my future in engineering.

The third transformation I faced was when it came to the project as a whole. I feel like as a society, we sometimes take for granted the technology we use on a day to day basis. As an aspiring engineer, I feel like I should break this trend and instead learn about the inner workings of the technology I use and be able to appreciate it. Without the funding from STEP, I wouldn’t have had the chance to go through a full build like this and learn each and every step that it takes. While I went into this project with only what I learned from talking to people and research, it still took me about two nights to build. To me, this is a lot of time spent on just the building so, I was able to gain more appreciation for the process.

All of these transformations are valuable to me as I am planning on going into industry after college as an engineer. To be able to apply the improved critical thinking and troubleshooting I have learned will help me in problems I will face in industry. If a machine were to break that I needed to fix, I will be able to think it through and fix it. I will also have a greater understanding on the technology I am going to use. If an issue arises on a computer, I will be able to take what I know about what each part of the computer does and try and trouble shoot the issue. This project was something that I would never have been able to do on my own that I learned so much doing. It was one of the most interesting projects I have ever done and closest to what I want to do in the future than any other project I have done.