S0nars and feelings

So we finished up a lab today; these are super easy for me. My labs in high school were a lot more complicated with more points so this is fine, and I usually get to leave early :) Mine was the first to work, and I was working by myself, and then the teacher asked that this other girl work with me because she couldn't find a partner. (I don't care if I have one or not; I'll figure things out).

So we basically set up a motor, an enc0der and a sensor and took a series of calculations and distances mapped onto a diagram by programming all the different elements. It was fun.

Also, I've been feeling like I'm a lot more challenged in the non-entertainment/ non art sectors. Things are a lot more organized, challenging and people are truly professionals. And the respect is there. It's a welcome change. Things are just so much more efficient. I'm learning a lot and the people with more experience are actually COOL. Their process is a lot more thought out. The people are smart. They take their job a lot more seriously and from what I"ve encountered you're less likely to find incompetence, which is SUCH a relief to me. I can't deal with incompetence, the older I get. I get so frustrated by it. I want to scream at people who are incompetent and who bluff their way through stuff. It's a lot more prevalent in Arts and Entertainment, sadly. So we shall see.
In any case, I think during summer (since we have a shortened summer term) I'd like to take a board class; as in s0ldering and repairing circuit b0ards. I'm familiar with some of this through troubleshooting at work, but I'd like to learn more about how to repair damaged boards and build my own and PCBs (that's printed c!rcuit b0ards for those going "huh"?) I just want to continue with things you can't half arse and pretend your way through. It does something to your way of thinking.

For example, engineers normally think in systems. I remember one guy I read literally said "there are no s0lutions, only trade-0ffs". I agree, and that's so much like how an engineer would think. Nothing is ever "done", but it's the best it can be and iterative and a work in progress, as materials get better, systems are more streamlined, technology improves, etc. And you're expected to be interdisciplinary.

I think that more and more I"m realizing that I really just want to be able to make my own stuff. I was looking at some of the an!matr0nic entertainment stuff and it sort of depressed me. It seemed so gimmicky to me. I don't know if I'd be happy doing that stuff; I'm sure there's a curve but I learn quickly..and then what? Working on m!ssiles or things that can really impact the world just seem so much cooler to me right now. Or r0bots that help people, perform actual tasks, etc. Maybe I'll give in and take that "M@th for Art!sts class". Just kidding; I told a coworker and he literally burst out laughing at the stupidity of such a class. Oh, and in the rest of the world it would be "Maths", as in "short for Mathematics"...thank you very much. So we shall see.