photo of noah de los santos at work

Noah De Los Santos – Class of 2022

In his own words – interviewed Winter 2022

  • Hometown: Redding, CA
  • Year: Senior
  • Favorite: Hardware/Software Interfaces (ECE 153A)
  • Senior Project: ECE 189 – Portunus: a universal car remote that is a plug-and-play module that allows users to control the computer systems in their vehicle such as door locks and radio through their phone
  • Student Organization: Real Life
  • Last Book Read: The Four-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris

Noah’s Favorite

  • Hobbies: Weight Lifting, Drums, Cooking, Video Games
  • Band / Performer: Maverick City Music
  • TV Show: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
  • Movie: The Mule
  • Book / Author: The Compassionate Samurai by Brian Klemmer
  • Activity: Playing strategy games
  • Sport: Swimming
  • Geeky Possession: an original GameBoy with Pokemon Red

Favorite things about

  • CE Program: The ECE and CS faculty that teach the CE courses are amazing. They are really approachable and care about your success as a student. Some professors even go out of the way to send encouraging emails which as a student is really appreciated.
  • UCSB: Compared to all the schools I’ve been to, I really love UCSB’s campus. The campus is fairly compact which makes it quick and easy to get between classes with plenty of bike paths to get there. There are also some nice open areas to take a moment and relax like the chemistry lawn, the lagoon, and campus point.
  • Santa Barbara: You really can’t beat Santa Barbara weather. Having lived across the country including Alaska, I can say that having temperate weather year round is a luxury that I can’t take for granted.

 

Noah and Computer Engineering

Why CE as a major? I have always been interested in working with technology and I really got to explore that in high school. Because of a neighbor, I had gotten into building computer systems and became invested in reading about new hardware. I also was a part of my school’s robotics team, primarily writing software for our robot, and had taken some CS classes. Overall, I found that I really enjoyed the hands-on experience and challenge of working with hardware and software applications. When it came time to apply for schools, CE fit perfectly with my interests as it offered coursework in both EE and CS departments. Now a few years later, I don’t regret choosing CE. 

Why did you select UCSB's CE program? When I was applying for schools, I was torn between UCSB and another school. I decided on UCSB because of the plentiful resources about the major and coursework, the CE program was reputable, and I really loved the campus. 

How did you hear about UCSB's CE program? I found the CE program when I was researching colleges during my senior year of high school. CE is not a common major and that made UCSB stand out compared to a lot of other schools.

Prospective students and parents often ask, what can you do with a CE degree? Computer engineering is probably one of the most flexible fields in engineering. The program at UCSB provides you with fundamental knowledge in both EE and CS fields and allows you to pursue either more hardware or software oriented courses to your liking. With a CE degree, you can do just about anything with technology, and considering the ever growing presence of technology in our daily lives, you will have plenty of options after school.

The Curriculum

What have you learned that has surprised you the most so far? Learning and seeing the breadth and depth computer engineering has to offer has surprised me the most. Going into college, I had the idea that computer engineering dealt with personal computers, servers, and mobile devices. Compared to back then, I’ve learned there is so much more to computer engineering such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, systems design and architecture, programming languages, and a lot more. Learning about the breadth and depth of the major really has made me appreciate the field more and always gives me something new to learn about.

What has your experience been like taking the Math and Physics core classes? The courses were challenging but not too challenging. I put the time in to learn and study the material which helped me do well in the classes. As an engineer, math and physics are the crucial foundation of your work so understanding these core classes will help in the long run. I often find myself doing calculus and linear algebra often so I recommend taking the time to understand those well. Besides the academic value, the Math and Physics courses allow me to meet other STEM majors and expand my social bubble. I don’t think I would have met one of my closest friends if neither of us had been in the physics courses together.

Are there any specific classes that you are looking forward to? I am excited to take a computer vision course (ECE 181) this winter. Computer vision is an expanding field, especially for a lot of automated tasks, and I am shocked how a computer even manages to detect an object from an image. I am also excited to take a graduate course in parallel processing (ECE 254B) this winter. Having taken undergraduate courses in architecture that focus on single and dual core processor models and operation, I’m curious to see how processing changes and adapts when multiple processors and systems are involved.

Talk about your Capstone (ECE 189ABC) & experience so far: For my capstone project, I am developing a plug-and-play car key module my team has dubbed Project Portunus which will provide car lock and computer control using a mobile app. Given my team is designing this project from the ground up, it can be really challenging when we run into problems and unknowns, but it’s also really exciting to develop this ourselves and see it come together.

What area do you want to specialize in? I am planning on specializing in computer system architecture. I personally am motivated by progression and improvement and over the last few years, I have enjoyed witnessing how architecture has improved from faster speeds to smaller power packages to smaller designs. Seeing how architecture is a continuously improving field motivates and inspires me when working with it. As well, I’ve always viewed architecture as the backbone for any computing system and its software. Your system and/or software will go only as far as your architecture will let you and I find motivation in creating hardware to support system and software engineers so they can create applications to change the world.

Have you done an internship? Over the summer of 2021, I interned at Karl Storz Endoscopy here in Goleta as a Systems Integration Test intern. A lot of my work revolved around testing for software and hardware bugs on company devices and reporting them. Having an internship gave me some valuable insight into what industry is like and what I wanted to do professionally, which in this case was not systems testing. As a CE, you have a lot of different career opportunities and I recommend interning before going full time into the workforce so you can find what you want to do professionally and find a career that you enjoy.

Have you had any on-campus research opportunities at UCSB? In my junior year, I did research through the Gorman Scholars Program (Noah’s student scholar page: Sigma-Delta/FPGA Accelerated Controller Design) which is a year long program that offers research mentorship and other academic opportunities. From the program, I gained insight into the research process and some skills such as project proposals and presenting high-level academic work. While doing research, I was also able to apply what I was learning from my classes which was a refresher from simply just doing homework problems and projects. I definitely recommend trying out research if you have the chance.

Preparation from High School to College

What prepared you the most for studying engineering in college? I think taking some STEM classes in high school helped me transition into college really well. Taking courses like AP Calculus and AP Computer Science helped lay a foundation for the tools I regularly use in my courses. As well, taking robotics in high school helped give a feel for what engineering was like to help give me an idea of what future work may look like. If there is one thing outside of courses that prepared me, it was time management. Projects and assignments can take a lot of time, so being able to get on top of those and plan my time well was important for me to succeed and balance my life outside of school. 

Are there any classes that you suggest CE students take before entering UCSB: If you don’t have any prior coding experience, taking AP computer science or an introductory computer science class at a community college is definitely helpful. A lot of classes for the major will have you code so having some knowledge in C++ or Python is a plus. Taking AP Calculus AB and BC is also very helpful as you will use a lot of calculus and it’s important you have an understanding of it. It’s much better to take these classes in high school since you learn in a year compared to a 10 week quarter at UCSB.

Any additional experiences that you would like to share with students to help them prepare for college? College offers a lot of opportunities to explore new interests and advance your professional career. It can feel overwhelming to want to try and do everything which can lead to a lot of stress. Although there are a lot of opportunities, I recommend finding a few opportunities and activities you enjoy and focus on them. You’ll get way more out of your experiences by investing more of your time on the activities you care about and making more meaningful connections that can even lead to future opportunities.

Student Life at UCSB

What is campus life like for CE students? Campus life varies from person to person, even between CE students, but that’s the beauty of it; you get to make your experience your own. There are lots of opportunities to join academic organizations, get a job, be involved in non-academic activities like intramurals, make friends, and more. As an engineering student, you will be busier than the average student doing work for classes but I still have found plenty of time for my social and non-academic life.

What is the social scene like on campus, in Isla Vista and off-campus like for CE students? Like student life, social life is what you choose for it to be. There are a lot of opportunities and people in the area so there is a social scene for everyone. You can find people who like to go on weekend hikes, mid-week study buddies in the library, party friends, etc. As long as you have something in mind, there are always people to do stuff with.

Describe your housing experience frosh to present: Freshman year I lived on campus in San Nicolas in a triple and since sophomore year, I have lived in Isla Vista. As a freshman, I found living on campus very convenient as everything was very close and provided a lot of opportunities to meet people through the dorms. Having lived in the dorms, I found IV (Isla Vista) a nice step up as there is more living space and was able to get more personal space for myself. I definitely recommend living in the dorms for your first year at UCSB as you get the on-campus experience and you have the opportunity to get socially established. When it comes to living in IV, I’ve found the best place to live is further away from campus where the houses are larger and the area is quieter and away from the party scene. In addition to living away further from campus, I’ve found living with friends to be really fun and enjoyable. I’ve been living with my friends for the last year and a half and living together has really deepened our relationships with each other. We watch movies and go out with each other frequently which makes life outside of school a blast. 

After Graduation

What are your “big picture” plans/aspirations after graduation? I’m currently in the ECE BS/MS program for computer engineering so I will be at UCSB another year working on my master’s degree. My main interests are in computer architecture and embedded systems so I am planning on going into industry in one of those fields once I finish my master’s degree. I wouldn’t mind staying in California for work but I am open to working elsewhere given I like the company and location.