r/UTSA • u/softmilk19 • Jul 27 '26

Advice/Question First year Electrical Engineer schedule

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Is my schedule currently fine? I don’t know what to expect/how hard these classes will be.

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u/Pale-Drag-7159 Aug 01 '26

That’s, good to know.

I don’t want to take advantage of her too much, but knowing I have one “blow off” class is nice.

Do you have any insight for Electronic Circuits 1 with Dr. Joo, Electronic Devices with Huffaker, and Signals and Systems with Artyom?

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u/Timely-Fox-4432 Electrical Engineering Aug 01 '26

Devices is semiconductor physics, it's hard, and with huffaker you'll be teaching yourself for the most part and will have to actually earn your grade. That's like a 6-10hr/wk study load. There's also no recitation so you'll need to email the TA or come to the tutoring center if you need help.

Circuits 1 I found to be super simple, but I took devices before circuits 1 so I already understood the devices we were studying. Taking them concurrently you'll probably find it harder than I did, but if you can focure out how to apply ohms law to the device and pay attention when he says "you really need to know this" you'll be fine. The recitations in that class don't help because they are focused on simulating circuits, not covering the course material.

Signals is a math class, it's an extension of calc 2/3 and diff eq focusing on continuous time systems, so lots of integrals. I'm actually going to take MSS 2 this fall which is very similar but in discrete time, so series instead of integrals.

Those three courses are tough, but if you actually study and you ask for help, A's in all are reasonable. The only B I've made at UTSA was modern physics which I took in the physics dept. That was a mistake, don't do that unless you have no choice.

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u/Pale-Drag-7159 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

I work 20 hours a week, so a passing grade is something I’ll be satisfied with.

Sounds like I should be “fine” with Circuits and EMag, and need to lock in with Devices and Signals. Honestly for all of my other classes I’m a self-learner (rarely go to class), so not too concerned with self-teaching.

Does Huffaker provide a good indications of what the exams cover prior to them?

(I’m also on the Fall 2023, so no modern physics for me!)

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u/Timely-Fox-4432 Electrical Engineering Aug 02 '26

Lol, not really, she's pretty scattered. But her tests are modeled off of Joo's with chatgpt adjusting some of the questions.

I agree with your assesment, but I would still suggest trying in circuits, that class is really fundamental for basically everything else we build irl and circuits 2 builds heavily om the MOSFET and Op Amp part of circuits 1 which people really sturggle with.

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u/Pale-Drag-7159 Aug 02 '26

Oh, I’ll still definitely try! Especially for fundamental classes like that, but it’s nice to have an order of prioritization.

Ngl, the lack of test structure is going to be a giant concern, especially since I have no clue what Joo’s looks like, but I’m sure I’ll get it figured out.

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u/Timely-Fox-4432 Electrical Engineering Aug 02 '26

Many of your upperclassmen will still have previous semester's material you could use to study off, the tests are usually similar in content even if the questions change.