Week 1 - Natasha Mbajonas

Week 1 Blog - Natasha M.

This is what I saw in the mail during my last month of school: 

Dear Natasha,

 

Congratulations! You have been chosen to take part in the PATHS-UP Young Scholars Digital Health program! The program will be held Mon - Thu, June 10 - June 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Facilities Engineering and Planning Building, Room 102 (number 26 on the attached campus map) at Rice University.

 

Even though I was happy to participate in the program, I knew I needed preparation. So I started preparing only a few days after the email. I refreshed some of my coding skills (which are mainly in Python and Swift). Specifically, I freshened up on using Python libraries like Pandas and NumPy. I also quickly made a  few simple basic apps on Swift such as a calculator and a simple workout card game. After I was briefed on my coding skills, I did some more research on the camp and actually found some of the previous scholars who went to this camp. There I looked into their activities and blogs, so I could get ideas on the structure of the program. 

During this week at the Rice PATHS UP program, I learned concepts that vary from circuitry to neuroscience. With the instructor's help, I develop some fundamental ideas of circuitry. Through our first project Simon Say's, we had an Arduino robot that would light LEDs in a pattern. We then had to press a button according to that pattern. Through this project, alongside lectures and reading the pamphlet, I learned about circuitry, conductors, the polarity of LED lights, Ohm's law, and motors. 

                    A picture of the Simon Says Arduino Board. MY FIRST ONE!!!

We also assigned many other various projects such as Motor Basics and autonomous robots. These introductory Arduino research projects that we were assigned, made me more curious about electronics and the development of computers. But despite being very engaging, I was initially first confused about how to compose these Arduino robots. Where should I place the wires? Where should I place the LEDs and buttons? However, after a little bit more research (and a more thorough reading of the book), I learned that resistors are used to protect the LED lights from burning up. Additionally, I also learned that the long wires alongside the buttons are used to flow electricity into the button. 

I hope that for week two at Rice University, we can continue learning more about circuitry. I also would love to go deeper into Python and machine learning for tracking and AI. Using our knowledge about circuitry and programming, I hope we try to solve real-life problems (hopefully relating to neuroscience). 

But... other than the STEM part of the program, I really loved Rice's campus. Here are a few photos I took! 




Anyway, guys, I'll see you next week. 

Sincerely, 
Natasha Mbajonas

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