Name: Pranav Mehta
Country: India
Year: Class of 2019
Major: Electrical engineering
Course: Control Systems
This course is about applying control theory in designing a plethora of dynamic systems. It is a fascinating combination of circuits, linear algebra, mathematical modelling and digital logic. The course aims at bridging requirements with responses and exploring single-input-single-output (SISO) systems.
Learning Control Systems
My Favorite Course in Electrical Engineering
Why This Course
As an electrical engineer in my final year, this course offered me the unique opportunity to apply all of my past knowledge to design and implement various control systems from scratch. Professor Anthony Tzes is stalwart in the field. The course also helped me manifest abstract mathematical concepts into tangible projects.
A Typical Day in This Class
The course is broken down into two components: lecture and lab. The lectures explored control theory and the underlying mathematics involved in system design. With that knowledge, we applied it during the lab sessions, where we worked on a semester-long project exploring self-stabilization.
Having toiled on our final project and watching our very own self-stabilizing robot being created was a truly rewarding experience.
What I Loved About The Class
Designing, building, programming and implementing every step of the project allowed me to truly understand the mathematics and mechanics of each component. I feel proud to have studied this discipline and my respect for the profession has increased profoundly.
Tips on Navigating What Major or Course to Take
The engineering curriculum is well designed for incoming first year students to navigate and pick courses. Within electrical engineering, I picked a wide range of electives that not only suited my interests, but also helped me cultivate enviable skills in the industry.
Outside my major, I dabbled in a variety of courses ranging from photography to philosophy. I would encourage incoming students to pick courses that challenge them and explore diverse areas of interest.
Why NYU Abu Dhabi?
NYUAD offered me the dual advantage of an American degree while being geographically located close to home. The world-class faculty, unparalleled resources, and opportunities to study away were pivotal reasons that prompted me to come to NYUAD.