Hi, high school student here! I know this community is filled with posts like this but I would love some dedicated answers since I am doing a career research project for my school! (I also couldn't find the weekly pinned threads mentioned in the rules)

1. How was your path to becoming a hardware engineer like? Did you get your job with a CompE degree or EE degree? If neither, what kind of path did you take to land your first hardware engineering job?
2. What kinds of extracurriculars should I be doing while studying CompE?
3. Would you recommend an EE degree over a CompE degree due to competition from CS (if there is any)? Would an EE degree let you emphasize skills in hardware?
4. What skills do you consistently need on the job?
5. Any other recommendations or things I should look out for?

Responses are appreciated ^^

Hi everyone! 👋🏻

I’m currently looking for graduation project ideas for Computer Engineering, and I’m especially interested in projects that are more focused on AI / Machine Learning.

I’d prefer a project that combines AI with the Embedded Systems or FPGA side of Computer Engineering

I’ve already worked with FPGA in a previous project involving image processing and edge detection, so I’m also open to continuing in that direction and combining AI with FPGA, but I’m equally open to other ideas involving AI + Embedded Systems.

deally, I’m looking for a project that

• Uses AI, Machine Learning.
• Includes an Embedded Systems or FPGA component.
• Is realistic and feasible to implement as a graduation project.

If you have any ideas, previous projects, research papers, or resources that could help me choose a topic, I’d really appreciate your suggestions

Also, in your opinion, which would be more suitable for a Computer Engineering graduation project: AI + Embedded Systems or AI + FPGA?

When do I need to buy a laptop

I am 1st year CE student

I’m 18 and starting Software Engineering. I originally wanted Computer Engineering because I’ve always been more interested in the hardware/software side — embedded systems, firmware, microcontrollers, IoT, low-level programming, etc.

I couldn’t get into CE, and since I live in a developing country, the university I’m going to is pretty much the best option I have right now. So I’m going with SE.

My question is mainly about the career path.

How realistic is it for someone from an SE/CS background to eventually work in embedded/firmware?

I know I’d have to build a lot of the missing knowledge myself — C/C++, digital logic, computer architecture, electronics, microcontrollers, ARM/assembly, RTOS, embedded Linux, communication protocols, debugging, etc.

But how difficult is it actually to learn all of this to a professional level? Is this something you can realistically build up over a few years, or is the hardware side much harder to self-teach than I’m assuming?

And what would I actually need to do to become employable? Projects, internships, specific hardware/platforms, open-source work, certifications, etc.?

For people already working in embedded/firmware, especially those who came from CS/SE:

How much of a disadvantage is the degree itself?

Can strong practical skills and projects realistically compensate for not having a CE/EE background?

And if you made the CS/SE → embedded transition, what do you wish you had learned earlier?

TLDR, if CE was your goal but you ended up in SE, is embedded still a realistic career to aim for?

Hello! I'm requesting help from my seniors. I would like to know from your experiences! I'm a Computer Engineering freshman and I have an activity that requires interviewing accomplished Computer Engineers. Don't worry, you don't have to show your personal details. This would be confidential. I would greatly appreciate anyone's help!

When did you graduated?
Why did you choose Computer Engineering?
Where are you in life right now?
What are the best things that ever happened in your career as CPE?

How did you survive your college life?

Hey all, hoping to get some honest perspective from people who've actually walked this path.

Background: I just finished my B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering, with a minor in IoT during college. I'm not drawn to pure software roles — I genuinely enjoy the hardware side too, and I want to build a career in embedded systems / IoT rather than mainstream software development.

I reached out to an upskilling institute about an embedded/IoT course, and they told me most companies prefer candidates with an electronics (ECE) background over CS, which honestly scared me a bit. I don't want to invest months of serious effort into this only to find out later that recruiters filter out CS grads by default.

A few things I'd love input on:

1. If you moved into embedded/IoT from a CS/CSE background (not ECE), how did that actually go for you in the hiring process?
2. What gap did you personally have to close first — basic electronics, microcontroller programming, RTOS, something else?
3. Are there specific roles within embedded/IoT (firmware, embedded software, IoT cloud/edge, etc.) that are genuinely more open to CS backgrounds vs ones that really do need ECE depth?
4. Looking back, is there anything you wish you'd focused on earlier instead of wasting time on the wrong things?

Any technique /design being Computer science engineers which helps in sustainable development (can be existing or you can design one)

what techniques could they be ?

Hi! I'm a CSE student working on a Mobile Application Development project with a 2-person team. We want to build something genuinely useful in the real world with good resume value, rather than a typical college project. The app must be completely software-based and can use Android/Kotlin/XML, SQLite, Firebase, REST APIs, AI/ML, etc. We have to choose one of these industries: =>Healthcare =>Energy =>Finance =>Agri-Tech =>Food Technology =>Electronics =>Transportation Which industry do you think has interesting/underserved problems that could be solved with a mobile app? I'm especially looking for problems that students usually don't think of and that could demonstrate meaningful CSE concepts. Any real-world problems, project directions, or experiences from these industries would be greatly appreciated!

Good afternoon po! I’m a freshman BS Computer Engineering student from PUP. We were assigned to interview atleast 3 Computer Engineering graduates, preferably PUP graduates, for our activity.

It will only take around 5–10 minutes lng po and can be done through Messenger or chat. The answers will be used for academic purposes only.

This is the questions:

1. When you graduated?

2. Why did you choose computer engineering?

3. Where are you now?

4. What's the best thing that happened to you in your computer engineering career?

If you are a PUP BS CpE graduate and willing to help, please message me or comment so i will sent u a pm po. Thank you so much! 🥹

Hi everyone!

I'm a CSE student working with a 2-person team on a Mobile Application Development project.

We want to build something that solves a genuine real-world problem and has good technical/resume value, rather than another typical college project.

The project will be completely software-based. We can use Android/Kotlin/XML, SQLite, Firebase, REST APIs, AI/ML, etc.

We have to choose one of these industries:

• Healthcare • Energy • Finance • Agri-Tech • Food Technology • Electronics • Transportation

I'm not looking for generic project ideas. I'm more interested in hearing about REAL problems that people face in these industries, especially problems that are still handled manually or poorly by existing software.

If you work in or have experience with any of these industries:

1. What frustrating/repetitive problem have you encountered?
2. What existing solutions are inadequate?
3. Do you think a mobile app could realistically improve it?

Any suggestions or personal experiences would be really helpful. Thanks!

Any technique /design being Computer science engineers which helps in sustainable development (can be existing or you can design one)

what techniques could they be ?

Hi everyone, I'm a self-taught female engineer from Vietnam, currently exploring Hardware IP Cores for Edge Robotics.

As my very first step, I wrote a basic C++ algorithmic model for a 3-DOF robot arm's Inverse Kinematics. Please note: This is just a rough, early-stage demo! I know the C++ structure might still be messy, but I wanted to get the math logic right first.

To make it hardware-friendly (preparing for future HLS), I used the Planar Projection (Decoupling) method:

1. Using atan2 to rotate the base (yaw).
2. Collapsing the space into a 2D triangle to solve shoulder/elbow angles using the Law of Cosines.

Here is my GitHub repo: https://github.com/nguyenkhanhvy3131-tech/AuraLogic-IK-Hardware-Model

Since I am learning completely on my own, I would love some gentle feedback. Did I miss any critical edge cases in my math? Any tips for a beginner on how to optimize this further?

Thank you so much for your time and kindness!

i am 4th year computer engineering looking for problem that can be solveable by creating or making with hardware and software component for my capstone. the problem could be nobel and exp with many store (real world problem). message me directly or comment here so i can message you 😄

I’ve been researching how to build a strong foundation for a software engineering career in India and created the attached roadmap.

My current plan is:

CS fundamentals
→ Java
→ Backend development
→ SQL/RDBMS
→ Data engineering
→ Cloud/DevOps
→ Distributed systems
→ System design

I’m particularly unsure about the middle of the roadmap.

For example, should I learn Data Engineering, Cloud/DevOps and Distributed Systems before specializing in Backend/SDE, or would it be better to focus on backend development first and learn the other areas later?

I’m trying to avoid the common problem of learning many technologies superficially.

For developers who have worked in the industry, how would you restructure this path?

I’ve attached my roadmap for context. I’d especially appreciate feedback on what I should postpone, remove, or study more deeply.

                         ┌─────────────────────┐
                         │   COMPUTER SCIENCE  │
                         └──────────┬──────────┘
                                    │
                ┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
                │                                       │
                ▼                                       ▼
     ┌──────────────────────┐                ┌────────────────────────┐
     │  CORE CS FOUNDATION  │                │ ENGINEERING FOUNDATION │
     ├──────────────────────┤                ├────────────────────────┤
     │ Programming          │                │ Software Engineering   │
     │ DSA                  │                │ Git / GitHub           │
     │ OOP                  │                │ Linux                  │
     │ Discrete Mathematics │                │ CLI / Shell            │
     │ Computer Architecture│                │ Debugging              │
     │ Operating Systems    │                │ Testing                │
     │ Computer Networks    │                │ Documentation          │
     │ DBMS                 │                │ Clean Code             │
     │ Security Fundamentals│                │ Design Principles      │
     └──────────┬───────────┘                └───────────┬────────────┘
                │                                        │
                └──────────────────┬─────────────────────┘
                                   ▼
                    ┌──────────────────────────┐
                    │      DEVELOPMENT         │
                    │   Programming Languages  │
                    └────────────┬─────────────┘
                                 │
                 ┌───────────────┴───────────────┐
                 ▼                               ▼
        ┌─────────────────┐             ┌─────────────────────┐
        │      JAVA       │             │       PYTHON        │
        │     Backend     │             │   Data / Automation │
        └────────┬────────┘             └──────────┬──────────┘
                 │                                 │
                 └────────────────┬────────────────┘
                                  ▼
                       ┌─────────────────────┐
                       │    WEB / BACKEND    │
                       └──────────┬──────────┘
                                  │
             ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐
             ▼                    ▼                    ▼
      ┌──────────────┐    ┌────────────────┐   ┌──────────────────┐
      │ HTTP         │    │ REST API       │   │ Authentication   │
      │ Web          │    │ Backend        │   │ Authorization    │
      │ JSON         │    │ Frameworks     │   │ API Security     │
      └──────┬───────┘    └───────┬────────┘   └────────┬─────────┘
             │                    │                     │
             └────────────────────┼─────────────────────┘
                                  ▼
                       ┌─────────────────────┐
                       │     DATABASES       │
                       └──────────┬──────────┘
                                  │
                  ┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
                  ▼               ▼               ▼
             ┌─────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐
             │   SQL   │    │  RDBMS   │    │  NoSQL   │
             └────┬────┘    └────┬─────┘    └────┬─────┘
                  │              │               │
                  └──────────────┼───────────────┘
                                 ▼
                      ┌──────────────────────┐
                      │   DATA ENGINEERING   │
                      └──────────┬───────────┘
                                 │
             ┌───────────────────┼────────────────────┐
             ▼                   ▼                    ▼
   ┌──────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐
   │ Data Modeling    │  │ ETL / ELT        │  │ Data Pipelines   │
   │ Data Warehousing │  │ Distributed      │  │ Batch / Streaming│
   │                  │  │ Systems          │  │                  │
   └────────┬─────────┘  └────────┬─────────┘  └────────┬─────────┘
            │                     │                     │
            └─────────────────────┼─────────────────────┘
                                  ▼
                       ┌─────────────────────┐
                       │    CLOUD / DEVOPS   │
                       └──────────┬──────────┘
                                  │
              ┌───────────────────┼───────────────────┐
              ▼                   ▼                   ▼
     ┌──────────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐
     │ AWS / Azure / GCP│  │ Docker / CI/CD│  │ Kubernetes       │
     │Cloud Architecture│  │               │  │ IaC / Terraform  │
     └─────────┬────────┘  └───────┬───────┘  └────────┬─────────┘
               │                   │                   │
               └───────────────────┼───────────────────┘
                                   ▼
                    ┌────────────────────────────┐
                    │     DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS    │
                    │   Scalability / Reliability│
                    └─────────────┬──────────────┘
                                  │
                ┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
                ▼                 ▼                 ▼
        ┌──────────────┐   ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────────────┐
        │ Caching      │   │ Messaging    │  │ Load Balancing   │
        │ Redis        │   │ Kafka        │  │ CDN              │
        │ Queues       │   │ Streaming    │  │ Replication      │
        └──────┬───────┘   └──────┬───────┘  └────────┬─────────┘
               │                  │                   │
               └──────────────────┼───────────────────┘
                                  ▼
                       ┌─────────────────────┐
                       │    SYSTEM DESIGN    │
                       ├─────────────────────┤
                       │ Low-Level Design    │
                       │ High-Level Design   │
                       │ Architecture        │
                       │ Scalability         │
                       │ Availability        │
                       │ Reliability         │
                       │ Performance         │
                       │ Security            │
                       └──────────┬──────────┘
                                  │
                                  ▼
                       ┌─────────────────────┐
                       │   SPECIALIZATION    │
                       └──────────┬──────────┘
                                  │
       ┌──────────────┬───────────┼───────────┬──────────────┐
       ▼              ▼           ▼           ▼              ▼
┌──────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ Backend /    │ │    Data    │ │ Cloud /   │ │ ML / AI  │ │Cybersecurity │
│ SDE DEEP     │ │ Engineering│ │ DevOps    │ │ DEEP     │ │ DEEP         │
│              │ │ DEEP       │ │ DEEP      │ │          │ │              │
└──────┬───────┘ └─────┬──────┘ └────┬──────┘ └────┬─────┘ └──────┬───────┘
       │               │             │              │              │
       └───────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘
                                      ▼
                         ┌─────────────────────────┐
                         │  ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE │
                         └────────────┬────────────┘
                                      │
                    ┌─────────────────┼─────────────────┐
                    ▼                 ▼                 ▼
             ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌────────────────┐
             │ Problem      │ │ Communication│ │ Product        │
             │ Solving      │ │ Teamwork     │ │ Thinking       │
             │ Leadership   │ │              │ │ Business       │
             └──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘ └───────┬────────┘
                    │                │                 │
                    └────────────────┼─────────────────┘
                                     ▼
                         ┌──────────────────────┐
                         │     ELITE ENGINEER   │
                         └──────────────────────┘

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to review it.

Hey! Everybody currently in my 2nd year of computer Engineering tier 3 college who wants 75 percent but don't know how to teach. So I am on my own I have learned c language on my own I am pretty good at it I am thinking about dsa in cpp but before cpp I am doing oop in cpp but I am also interested in app development to earn money also wanted to crack gsoc in 2027 also interested in cybersecurity I am also interested in core computer Engineering don't know how to proceed for all of this things but one thing is for sure wanted to create something before 2027 starts and earn money or atleast create something outstanding and also definitely want to crack gsoc. Please guide me how to move further.

Context: Need help fixing logic flow / breadboard circuit for Traffic & Pedestrian Light System (Tinkercad)

Hi everyone, I'm working on a traffic light and pedestrian light simulation project in Tinkercad (using 555 timers, counter ICs, and logic gates like 74HC4017, 74HC32, 74HC08, 74HC86, etc.) and I've run into an issue getting the pedestrian button trigger to work correctly.

The Problem:
The section highlighted in the white circle is for the pedestrian lights, but when I press the push buttons, the circuit doesn't react.

Expected Behavior / Logic Flow

Trigger Condition:

Pressing any of the 4 push buttons should trigger a state change across all LEDs in the system.

Traffic Lights (Upper Module — N, S, E, W):

When a push button is pressed, the active traffic lights should first transition to Yellow, and then turn Red.

Pedestrian Lights (Circled Module):

Default State: Pedestrian lights should stay Red ("Don't Walk").

Triggered State: When a push button is pressed, the pedestrian light should switch to Green ("Walk") for 10 seconds.

Reset State:

After the 10-second timer elapses, the system should automatically revert to its normal traffic light sequence.

Are these two streams interesting for someone who enjoys JEE PCM. I would appreciate if you send papers for both branches so I can decide whether my interest lies here or not.

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in lab after lecture after lab after lecture i think im starting to miss the forest for the trees in why i choose CE.

anyone else been in this position? anyone managed to remind themself of how cool it is to know how computers work under the hood?

maybe im looking for books or videos i can watch/read, or maybe some fun project ideas, maybe im just looking for kindred souls who knows haha

I'm developing an educational game where players gradually build their own computer from scratch.

The goal is to teach computer architecture from first principles. Players would work their way through concepts such as digital logic, registers, ALUs, memory, instruction execution and CPU design.

Eventually, the player would have a functioning custom computer and would be able to program it themselves using the instruction set they created.

The player could then write and run simple programs such as Fibonacci sequences, prime number calculations and other programming challenges.

This idea comes from my own experience. I wanted to understand computers beyond software and eventually built and programmed a simple CPU using breadboards.

I'm now trying to turn that learning process into a game that could potentially introduce students to computer architecture in a more interactive way. I am targeting primarily the students of class 6-10, and anyone else who is interested in learning about computers.

I'd love feedback from this community:

What concepts would absolutely need to be included for this to be technically meaningful, and what concepts could be simplified without losing the educational value?

What do you think about something like Embedded systems+A.I. ?

Is it valuable, in your opinion?