Author: Arim Baek, Email: baeka3@unlv.nevada.edu
Date Last Modified: 04/27/2025

This is a vacation day disguised as a productive one. We were supposed to meet downtown, go for a run, and study over coffee at a cafe. We had planned to leave at 6:30AM, but somehow we didn't leave until almost 7. Even though we ran for a very short time, I couldn't breathe from laughing at the way Francis was running.
The cafe we went to had a lovely atmosphere. Warm morning sunlight poured in through the large windows, and we could see people starting their day with coffee. Zahir had said he'd study and catch up on emails, but the day, he never even opened the book he had placed on the cafe table. Instead, they shared funny stories from the lab and showed me videos and pictures. It was really fun to see how much they loved their lab, colleagues, and the work they were doing. I'm supposed to return to Korea soon, but I'm getting more and more attached, making it so much harder to leave.

Dr. Kwon, who conducted research at KAIST, visited our lab. He explained the business which he is currently pursuing and offered us valuable advices, which were truly helpful. Dr. Kwon had spent many years researching robotics and is now developing and selling robots used for kidney stone surgeries. Through his presentation, we were able to gain insight into his philosophy of life as an engineer and researcher. He emphasized that engineers are those who create what people need and contribute to society. He also advised us to stay committed to our own fields as a researcher without being swayed by trends, reassuring us that if we continue our research with perseverance, we'll become leaders in our fields. He encouraged us to believe in ourselves and dream big.

I found it really fascinating that in Mexico, there aren't really common phrases for comforting someone to “cheer up.” Instead, they have a lot of expressions like “Put your batteries on!” and “Put your best efforts!” that are meant to boost energy. I really love their powerful culture, where people don't dwell on sadness but keep moving forward with endless energy.

I realized that I had been studying the wrong way. In order to successfully carry out a project, a broad range of knowledge and background is necessary. Simply solving problems from a textbook and memorizing formulas is not real learning. To truly apply what I know to real projects, I need to change the way I approach studying. Real learning is not just about memorizing and solving problems; it is about developing the ability, knowledge, and experience to identify causes and solve problems when they arise.

Since a larger capacitor takes more time to charge, the input signal period needs to be adjusted to be longer to allow sufficient charging and obtain an appropriate output waveform. I hadn't considered this at all and only thought the issue was with the capacitor value. Until now, I had mainly built circuits on breadboards, but this time I learned how to solder and do wire wrapping. I am currently building the circuit on a perfboard.