Convocation ‘23: YouQian Li, BSc, Electrical Engineering, Nanoengineering Option Co-Op (Traditional)

YouQian Li, BSc Electrical Engineering, Nanoengineering Option Co-Op (Traditional)

Actively seek opportunities that are meaningful to your career plan, and always be prepared to take on these opportunities.

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It’s no surprise YouQian focused on nanoengineering during his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. Long fascinated by the inner workings of computers “where a small chip can handle such tremendous tasks”, nanoengineering offered the perfect opportunity to study scientific principles on a nano-level scale.

Like the rest of his cohort, however, YouQian’s studies were interrupted by the pandemic, but he persevered through the mix of online and in-person coursework, and by his third year, YouQian’s schedule was so busy, ETLC “became like a second home” (when he wasn’t meeting friends at Dewey’s for much needed breaks!).

This semester, YouQian’s hard work was recognized with the APEGA Past Presidents' Medal in Electrical Engineering, which is awarded to the graduating student with the highest academic standing in electrical engineering on the basis of the third and fourth year combined.

YouQian plans to take his education as far as it can go and will begin a master’s degree at the University of Toronto in the fall, but this summer, following convocation — a long deserved vacation!

Congratulations YouQian!

What led you to choose your current area of study, and why the U of A for your studies?

I was really fascinated by the working principles of modern computers, where a small chip can handle such a tremendous amount of tasks. This was the main reason that I was interested in electrical engineering, more specifically in the nanoengineering program (classes such as ECE 403 Integrated Circuit Design). These Integrated Circuit (IC) products will only get more complex and prevalent in the future. I believe that I will have a lot more opportunities by choosing this area of study, while fulfilling some of my own interests.

The U of A is quite well known for its engineering program, as I have heard from my high school teachers and other classmates. Edmonton was also at a close distance (I am from Calgary), so I went to visit the campus during the summer of 2018. The campus atmosphere and its facilities met my satisfaction, so I decided to join U of A after receiving the offer.

Tell us about your experience in your program.

My experience in the faculty of engineering was quite cozy. In my first and second year, it was simply my classes and nothing else. I did not make much of a socialization effort before COVID struck during my second term (second half of first year). I moved out of Lister residence due to COVID and began to take online classes until the end of my second year.

In my third year, I returned to in-person lectures and I became overly busy with course work. A lot of students said that the third year in engineering would be tough, and I felt it. I also began my undergraduate research with Vien Van at the beginning of my third year; thus, my schedule was very full. I was always on campus during the day and ETLC (Engineering Teaching and Learning Complex) felt like a second home to me. I also took some classes during spring and summer terms, just to have some free space during fall and winter semesters.

The course load in my fourth year was much more manageable. I had more time to plan out my graduate matters and connect with other professors. All the professors I talked to were really chill, and provided valuable career advice. The capstone project was quite a challenge for me, as there were a lot of tasks and group collaboration related to this course (ECE490/491).

Overall, my four years in the Faculty of Engineering went quite smooth, despite the down times due to COVID. I have had a lot of memorable moments on campus, and I will never regret taking this undergraduate program at U of A.

What is one of your favourite memories from your time at U of A?

One of my favourite memories was spending time with friends at Deweys, or at the Faculty Club with the lab group after a busy day. We always grabbed a beer or two, and enjoyed the pub atmosphere. It was cozy and relaxing. Having some entertainment like this was really important for my mental health during busy times with heavy work loads.

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

My favourite professor was Mani Vaidyanathan, who was my professor for ECE 302 and ECE 456. Every lecture, he came prepared with his colourful markers for white board notes. He explained everything so clearly and understandably, while writing notes on the white board at a comfortable pace. He also posted his handwritten notes on eClass (due to COVID reasons), so I could listen to his lecture with undivided attention. ECE 456 was a relatively tough course, yet every concept he taught made so much sense at the end (even without knowing the full picture); it felt quite magical. He also provided warm feedback upon returning exam papers. The signature of his course is the piece of advice that he always gave in the last class. For both of his courses that I took, the last class was always full, and everyone clapped while professor Vaidyanathan left the room with his suitcase.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

One piece of advice I want to give is to try to actively seek opportunities that are meaningful to your career plan, and always be prepared to take on these opportunities. To do this, try not to fall behind as the course progresses because it may be hard to catch up. Review what you have learned every so often to refresh your memory. Try to be brave and reach out to professors to ask for possible opportunities. Maybe join a club of your interest to broaden your network.

Time management is also really important, especially during busy times. This will help a lot with efficiency and mental wellness. For example, maybe skipping an early class in the morning and having more sleep means a much more efficient rest of the day.

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

I am celebrating my convocation by giving myself some rest and relaxation time during the four month vacation this summer. I can sleep all day; I can go visit my relatives and spend some time in the countryside; I can travel to some beautiful places that I have never been to (yet to be planned); I can meet up with friends and have some entertainment together, etc.

In general, I just plan to relax!

What's next after graduation?

This September, I will be going to the University of Toronto to start my graduate degree, and I will be on vacation until then. There are some books that I want to read between now and then, just to prepare myself as much as possible for the upcoming graduate coursework and research.

I am also planning to complete a PhD. Maybe I will try to transfer straight to a PhD after finishing the first year of my master’s degree.