Scholarship Essay The Start of a Hobby by Cameron Tucker Directron 2008-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

The Start of a Hobby

Directron Scholarship 2008 Essay No. 112

by Cameron Tucker
Current College: West Virginia University
Current Major: Computer Science and Computer Engineering

Click. Beep. Nothing. What could possibly be wrong? The computer is on, the light is on, the monitor is on but nothing is showing up? This makes no sense. Maybe I'll just take out the video card and try the motherboard connection. I never would've thought this would be as hard as it's been.

This pretty much summed up my first attempt at putting together my own computer. I was very surprised at how long it took me to build my first, but yet not that surprised. It was quite obvious to me that I would achieve something this great to me, but it might take some explaining for others to understand.

As a kid, I was extremely curious ... about everything. I loved learning and obtaining knowledge. However, I wasn't much of a reader. Instead, I had to figure it out for myself, or hear it from someone else. I'm pretty sure my parents would have liked me to learn from someone else not to put a magnet up to a computer monitor, but hind-sight is always 20-20. I was always intrigued by the computer. I always wondered how everything worked the way it did, but didn't know anyone that knew how they worked, so I only gained a minimal understanding.

In high school I was finally reunited with my curiosity for computers. I took two computer classes: one taught C++, and the other taught computer repair. The programming class helped me understand more of how the software of computers work, while the computer repair class helped me understand the hardware aspect of the computer. Both of these together helped me decide that my degree in college would be a dual degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. This combination of degrees was the only way I could possibly think of to continue learning all I could about computers.

In college, I furthered my understanding of computers after a couple programming classes and a computer engineering class. The programming classes have further helped me understand how complex computer programs get, and how apparently incapable people are at using computers because of all the error checking. In computer engineering, we learned all the basic components like AND and OR gates, and also learned how to program certain CPUs to follow given instructions, like doing certain actions on the clock cycle. As the final project in that class, we even designed our own CPU code that was supposed to act like a real CPU. All these things seemed to mesh together effortlessly and confirmed for me that the dual major was the perfect way to go.

After three semesters of college, I finally decided that I had enough money to build my own computer. I told my friends about my plan, and I guess some of them listened, because on my birthday I received a very nice screen from my girlfriend, and a mouse from another friend. Also, with what seemed like perfect timing, I found out that someone at work was giving out a free CD drive. I was the first to pounce on the offer and had quite a nice collection of parts to begin putting together the computer.

I sat down and decided what I wanted to do. I found a couple guides on putting together your own computer, and basically determined that it is usually best to pick the case, pick a motherboard and CPU (and make sure they are compatible), and then begin purchasing the other internal parts.

I searched online, and was able to find all of the parts I needed. I followed their advice and picked out a large, simple case with a clear side to allow me to see inside when it's closed. I found a combo deal that provided most of the essential parts: the motherboard, CPU, power supply and hard drive. I was also able to a good video card and wireless card for fairly cheap, and 4 gigabytes of memory for only fifteen dollars.

Everything arrived, and I was immediately disappointed in myself. Somehow I failed to notice that the motherboard I got was of the microATX form factor, which was much smaller than I had planned on purchasing. However, disappointment aside, I started putting everything together and everything worked nicely, except between the video card and the screen. I knew it either had to be the cable or the video card because the connection directly between the screen and the motherboard would work, so I searched for answers. I asked my computer repair teacher from high school, but his only real answer was to just not use the video card. This was not at all what I wanted to hear, especially since I decent portion of my computer budget on the video card.

I continued on, making progress because the Ubuntu load screen came up after I inserted the CD, but then I realized something very important. I didn't buy a keyboard. This attempt at putting the computer together turned into one problem right after the other, but I was determined to finish it. I remembered that my girlfriend had told me to throw out a box of old computer parts that was left by the people who lived in our apartment before us, but like most guys, I forgot ... several times. After I found the keyboard and plugged it in, I was quick to mention to my girlfriend that it was actually a good thing that I didn't throw it out. My glory was short lived due to the fact that I forgot that I had moved it, so she thought I had thrown it out. But after turning myself in for a crime my girlfriend didn't know I had committed, I finished loading Ubuntu and started enjoying what I had just created.

After toying around with it for a while, I became more frustrated with the fact that I had built a Linux computer in a basically Windows world. So, I looked to add Windows to a computer that was more than able to handle multiple operating systems. Again searching online, I found a deal for a one terabyte hard drive and Windows Vista Ultimate for just over $200. This made me extremely excited. I had two terabytes of hard drive space, and basically nothing to fill it with. After this order came, I put the new hard drive in, took the other one out because the video card blocks the other SATA port, and bolted it all back together. I plugged it back into the wall, turned it on, put the CD in and waited ... and waited ... and waited. Nothing ever happened, and the screen finally said to insert some bootable media. This made absolutely no sense to me, so I had to find the answer.

After searching for about ten seconds, I was informed that the installation disk is a DVD, and the free CD drive that I was so excited about was completely useless, at least for installing Vista. I found a decent DVD drive for cheap, and decided I may as well get a couple other accessories while I was at it. I got a new keyboard to replace the one that had to be as old as I was, a decent set of speakers with a subwoofer, a Bluetooth dongle, a media reader, some fans, and some cables. I also bought a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Business edition so that I could use Access at home for work. With everything coming together, it only seemed fitting that I would find the source button on the screen that had been invisible until then. Apparently this is the button that switches the input to DVI so that I could put my video card back in.

Now, I was finally finished. I had never felt so good to finish a project. In fact, I felt so good about it that I am hoping to start doing this as more of a hobby. I've been looking around for some people who are interested in having a desktop built, and might have my first "customer" lined up. All this continues to move me along the line that appears, at least at the moment, to point me in the direction of starting my own computer business. I'm not sure exactly what this business would consist of yet, but hopefully it will be a little of everything: hardware, software, technical support, and the works.

Every step of my life, I've known that I was meant to be doing something great, and wasn't sure what exactly that would be. When I was little, I thought it was going to be the best baseball player there ever was, but with how things have transpired, it seems that everything so far has pointed me to do something great for people with computers. What better way is there to help everyone than with something that is quickly becoming a part of everyday life? Who knows what will happen, but I've been right all my life maintaining just the right amount of greatness to excel, but saving enough to continue to surprise people. This would be a lifelong dream finally fulfilled if my hobby turns into an incredible success.

References: | Directron.com College Scholarship Home |

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