When I joined ECE I had a rough idea of what to expect. Circuits, signals, maybe some programming. I thought the first year would be mostly theory — formulas, diagrams, exams — and the real learning would come later. Some of that was right. Some of it was completely wrong. What I expected I expected most of the year to be sitting in class, copying notes, studying for tests. I thought hands-on work would come in later years once I had enough theory behind me. I also thought I would mostly be working alone. What actually happened The theory was there, yes. Physics, maths, basic electronics. A lot of it felt abstract at first — I could follow the formulas without really understanding what they meant in real life. But then the projects started. We had to build things. Not simulate them, not draw them on paper — actually build them on a breadboard, connect real wires to real components, and make them work. And when something did not work, we had to figure out why. That is where the real learning happened.…