My name is Yao-Hong Kok, a graduate/alumni of University of Toronto. My previous research area is in the field of control system.
It is a field which people study how to control machines, electronics
and even stock markets. Yes, I was once obsessed with controlling!
Now, I am an employee at MathWorks, working as an Application Support Engineer. I specialize in MATLAB and the tools that are math-related. My background in Controls provided me with a solid background for my current job. If you ever call into MathWorks, you might just get the chance to speak with me. Haha.
The aim of this blog is not to tell you about my research (since it
is frankly pretty boring). But, to talk about: (i) life as a graduate
student – in general and in Toronto,
(ii) research skill – in general and control-system-specific, (iii) why
should or shouldn’t you go for graduate studies and how to prepare for it if you choose to go on this path, (iv) control-specific
skill sets and (v) job prospects.
The reason I am doing this is simple. When I went into control theory in
University of Toronto, I had no idea what I was getting into. Although,
things turned out alright for me after all. But, now that I am going to
graduate in less than 3 months time, I realized that if I have knew what I
know now, I would be a much better Master’s student.
So, this blog exists to help you understand how grad life in science
and engineering is like, so that you can decide if you want to go on the
same path as I did. If you do want to go to grad school, what are
the skills that you should learn and you can probably learn some from my
experience. Furthermore, if you are planning to come into the field of
control, you will learn some important tips and hints to give you a
boost from the start.
