Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.
During the summer after my Junior year, I participated in a 10-week program where I learned about the fundamentals of computer hardware design and creation. Throughout the program, I got to learn about a wide range of topics, ranging from part compatibility and power considerations to more advanced topics like network security and the cloud. This hands-on experience resulted in me getting to connect with other peers who shared the same interests and deepening my knowledge and understanding of how computers are modularized into a cohesive system and how to design them in a manner that suits specific needs.
What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?
In the past, I had used computers extensively through school and personal usage, but didn’t really understand the technical details behind how a computer works to process and compute information. Since I am a Computer Science and Engineering major, this project helped me gain more fundamental knowledge within my field, which enables me to pursue more advanced areas in the future. On a different note, when working on challenging projects similar to the STEP PC project, I often made decisions based on minimizing obstacles and avoiding complications, rather than actively searching for the most effective and optimal solution. Working on the STEP PC project changed my mindset to be more optimization-focused in that regard. It taught me to be more resilient and persist when facing challenges, allowing me to be more adaptable. Additionally, the progression of spending large portions of time researching parts (and their interactions) to actually implementing my computer decision gave me a greater sense of confidence in how I approached problem-solving through informed/data-driven decisions. Alongside this, the computer-building project truly made me experience firsthand how technology can create communities and help match individuals who share similar interests.
What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?
Undoubtedly, I experienced the most growth in my technical computer knowledge during the computer architecture lectures from the instructor. Here, I was introduced to the many different high-level components that make up a computer and why each of them was necessary to the system. Learning about this caused me to continue exploring in my free time regarding how these components interacted with each other and what effect they had on computer programs. The knowledge I gained from that experience has helped shape the way I think about technology and building computer programs well.
Furthermore, I truly began to develop my optimization mindset during the research phase of the project. Contrary to my past experiences of working on tasks with strict guidelines, the task of researching what kind of computer I required was largely open-ended. And so I began to notice myself selecting parts that seemed reasonable, only to immediately swap them for a more effective set of components I developed as a result of further persistent research. Through this, I started to consider long-term features and capabilities as I continued to iteratively prototype and research. Ultimately, when I finalized the PC-build design, I was left with a newly-carved behavior to strive for optimization in my efforts in challenges and problems rather than simply settling.
Another crucial moment where I learned to be more resilient was during the build stage. Specifically, it was during the step where I had to apply thermal paste on the metal casing of the CPU before I installed the CPU cooler on top of it. When I went to apply the paste, I ended up placing too much, creating the risk that when I pressed down the cooler onto the CPU, it would end up spilling into other parts of the motherboard. This was problematic for several reasons, such as the paste getting stuck in sensitive areas where it would be incredibly difficult to remove. While I initially panicked, I realized that the only way to move forward was to properly assess the issue and develop a solution for it. I researched the problem on the internet and settled on carefully extracting the substance with isopropyl alcohol and lint-free cloth. And after reinstalling the paste properly, I was able to complete the setup. Realizing that I have the ability to tackle issues like this helped me become a more resilient person.
Throughout the entire project, one of the most important things I became aware of was the importance of technology in building communities. Now importantly, the lectures and general communication for the cohort happened through digital channels. And so, during the research portion of the project, I got to reach out to many of the other individuals in the cohort and discuss not only considerations about the project but also personal topics, such as hobbies and other interests. Making friends through the course of this project, directly enabled me to not only gain better knowledge about computers through discussion but also build a bigger sense of perspective on how computers and technology in general can be transformative in social networking and building a larger sense of community in the world.
Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?
Ultimately, this collection of experiences and developmental changes has helped me grow in many ways. From a technical standpoint, learning more about computers and their inner workings continues to help me understand larger computer systems on a more fundamental level. As mentioned previously, such knowledge has vastly helped me improve my breadth of ability within Computer Science academics and the field overall. On top of this, the lectures where I gained exposure to more advanced computer-related topics continue to help me shape my career path in a manner that works towards those areas. On a more personal level, by experiencing the virtual nature of the cohort, I got to widen my perspective on how technology impacts society and community, which is important in helping me think about how I want to use my skill set to benefit the world. Truly, the STEP PC project has helped me grow my character and resilience, which assists me in handling daily challenges and problems. As a result, I am greatly thankful for the opportunity to be part of such a project and get to grow from it.