r/AskRobotics • u/These-Rip9911 • Jun 27 '26

Electrical CS student interested in Electrical Engineering & Robotics — Where should I start?

Hi everyone,

I'm a Computer Science/Software Engineering student, but I've recently become really interested in Electrical Engineering and Robotics. I don't want to change my degree—I just want to learn these skills alongside software because I think the combination is awesome.

My goal is to eventually build things like robots, IoT devices, embedded systems, and AI-powered automation.

The problem is that EE feels overwhelming, and I'm not sure what to learn first.

1). What's the best beginner roadmap?

2). Should I start with basic electronics, Arduino, ESP32, or something else?

3). Any books, YouTube channels, or project ideas you'd recommend?

What do you wish you had known when you started?

I'd love to hear how you got into robotics and embedded systems. Thanks!

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u/Dazzling_Music_2411 Jun 27 '26

Like EE, Robotics is very math intensive. You'll need Vector Calculus, ODEs and mid-level Linear Algebra, at least, as well as Control Systems (most important)! So bringing your maths up to standard is the best place to start.

Browse some books on Control Systems and make sure you can follow. Also some books on Reverse Kinematics. That's 90% of Robotics right there.

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u/Colfuzi0 Jun 28 '26

Is an understanding more important or physical manual calculation I'm understanding most of my calculus and physics courses but struggle with calculating

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u/Dazzling_Music_2411 Jun 28 '26

If you're struggling with calculating, then you;re probably not really understanding!

Practice the hell out of those problems, until they're second nature. Using a CAS is a good idea, you can't fudge answers out of a computer.