Computer Building Seminar For Engineering Students

When comparing today’s first-year computer engineering student with one of five to ten years ago a troublesome trend can be observed. Although today’s students have used Personal Computers (PCs) longer, by and large, they have never touched (or even seen) the inside of a PC. This is a reflection of the changing role of the PC from a hobby item for the technically inclined, to a household appliance not to be broken. Based on that premise a seminar was developed to familiarize students with the inner workings of a standard desktop PC, while also offering the opportunity for them to walk away with a new computer system that they have built themselves. The systems are designed to suit the needs of an engineering student. These features include but are certainly not limited to power, flexibility, expandability and ease of upgrade. In the process of this seminar the student is led through the process of assembling a computer from scratch. During this time the functionality and features of each component are discussed. Once the hardware is assembled we introduce the operating system and installation procedure. The function of an operating system is discussed along with benefits and drawbacks of the various options. Students are allowed to pick their operating systems and the seminar continues with each student configuring his or her own computer. The outcome is that students end up with a high performance, upgradable computer without the mystique or apprehension that they may have felt about family computers. Furthermore, this exercise helps students understand the roles of the various components, hardware and software, and allows them to make informed decisions in the future.