General Education Reflection

I have had work several jobs over the years. There are several types of jobs out there

but, Im looking for more than just a job. Im looking for a career, a form of gainful employment

that gives me a feeling of purpose in the world. Therefore, I would prefer a career in the power

industry. I have gained several tools from my education at Iowa State University that will help

me in the power industry.

There are several classes that are taken by all electrical engineering students that are

part of the general education for all engineering students. The most useful classes are calculus

and physics. Calculus is one of the foundations of electrical engineering, this shows up

everywhere in the mathematical representation of electrical circuits where time is used. While

physics is where the physical world starts to meet the mathematical world. In our Introduction

to Classical Physics I (Phys 221) class started with basic forces and how they interact. Towards

the end of are Introduction to Classical Physics II (Phys 222) class, we work with basics of

electrical circuits, which led right in to Electrical Circuits (EE 201) and Electrical Circuits And

Systems (EE 230). Both of these classes expanded on how electricity flows through circuits,

which gave stable foundation for electrical engineering.

A basic understanding of how voltage and current flow are important in being able to

know how to get power a to large area and how the change of loads affect the grid. However,

an understanding of how voltage and current flow are not the only things needed for a career

in the power industry. Working in the power industry also required the ability to communicate

this knowledge to colleagues and clients, in both, verbal and written forms. This is where our

Technical Communication (Engl 314) class was a useful tool by giving us practice in writing
reports and proposals. For example, in the power industry, engineers use research analysis to

make proposals for substation location to help with stability of the power grid.

Stability in the power grid is a growing concern, due to the increase in power

consumption and the rise of renewable energies. With all these changes in the power grid,

there are a lot of updates that are needed. An assessment of the grid needs to be done in all

aspects, from local distribution, long range transmission lines, and changes in generation. The

old grid has been changed and upgraded to address some of these areas.

I would not have been able to understand the complexities of the how the power grid in

intertwined with out the foundation of circuit analyses I have learned at Iowa State. I hope to

take these skills taught at Iowa State will help me assess the needs of the future grid.