Questions from a prospective ECE student

[admin]

Hello!  I am considering returning to college to pursue a degree in electrical and computer engineering, and I have some questions about working in the industry.  I have taken classes in mathematics and computer science, but did not complete a degree in either due to health and personal difficulties.  I have taken two classes that deal with the ECE field (one on general circuit design, and one on low-level computer architecture).

 

1.  In general, how accessible are the workspaces used by professional engineers?  I am confined to a wheelchair for the most part, and I found the lab environment for my class a bit unpleasant.  Can anything be said in general for the kinds of workspaces professionals have?  Having things at chair height a good deal of space to accommodate a wheelchair are the main concerns that I have.

 

2.  What kinds of software tools do engineers typically use?  We used Altera's Quartus II software for basic block designs and a bit of work with (I think?) Verilog.  I assume more robust tools of some sort are available for work outside of the realm of FPGA's.

 

3.  I would appreciate any advice in general that could be given about my situation.  I have always been interested in science, mathematics and electronics in general.  My original major was computer science because programming was a hobby and I assumed it would be a good fit for me in terms of what I can do physically.  Having had considerable time to ponder the question of what to do with my life, I consider that ECE is a better fit for me.  I have always had  the innate desire to build “something”, and my interest in computer programming really came from an interest in vintage game consoles and how they were built.

 

Thank you in advance for any guidance or answers that are given.  If this is the wrong forum to ask questions like this, I apologize and would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

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